For nearly a century, the night before Thanksgiving has drawn New Yorkers to the Upper West Side, where the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons are slowly brought to life.

On Wednesday, crowds packed the sidewalks again, cheering as workers inflated the massive characters that will float down Manhattan on Thursday morning.

“This is magical. This is New York. This is what it’s all about,” David Thalberg, who traveled from North Carolina, said.

Others came for the tradition of getting a rare glimpse.

“It’s really cool to see them before they’re blown up,” Sydney Wiener said.

The excitement unfolded alongside one of the NYPD’s largest holiday operations.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the department is preparing for an expanded security presence this year, even though there

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