On Thursday Nov. 24, 2011, the 85th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade lit up the streets of Manhattan with mammoth floats and toe-tapping high school bands. As the star-studded revelers marched through the Big Apple, an estimated 3.5 million lined the streets to cheer them on.

The Thanksgiving Day parade is the quintessential Thanksgiving event, watched by 50 million turkey-gobbling families across America.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here's a look at the best of the 2011 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in photos: