PLYMOUTH, Mass. —

America's Hometown Thanksgiving Celebration is underway, and it's bringing more than just family fun in Plymouth.

Town leaders tell NewsCenter 5 the parade provides an economic jolt to businesses near the parade route.

"Every hotel room, all the restaurants downtown, and it's not just the one day, the Saturday parade event, it starts its whole weekend," said Plymouth Select Board Chair Richard Quintal.

Quintal estimates the economic impact from the parade is somewhere in the millions.

"If you would've asked me 20-something years ago, do I think it would've reached this level? I probably would've said, never would've imagined," he said.

As viewers pack the sidewalks to catch a glimpse of the festivities, you can watch the parade at home only on Channel 5.

The parade

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