Marching bands, giant balloons and a holiday sleigh navigated through the canyons of high rises in New York City as the retailer Macy’s hosted its 99th Thanksgiving Day Parade.

On Thursday, the parade forged ahead in the United States despite the threat of strong winds.

In the lead-up to the annual tradition, the National Weather Service had warned of potential gusts of up to 35 miles per hour, equivalent to 56 kilometres (35 miles) per hour.

Powerful blasts of wind reaching 55km/h (34mph) could have grounded the event, as could sustained winds of 37km/h (23mph), per parade rules.

Those precautions were adopted after the 1997 edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, when fierce weather knocked a balloon representing the children’s book The Cat in the Hat into a light post.

The s

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