Thanksgiving would not Thanksgiving without food, family and television. After gorging on meats, casseroles and pies, we crash on the couch to watch football and holiday specials. Of course, the days starts with watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while helping out in the kitchen. It's miles and miles of floats, marching bands, Broadway cats, pop stars and Santa Claus. While you start to plan your menu for Turkey Day, take a stroll through the past with these retro pictures from Thanksgiving Day Parade past.

The Brigadoon float passes Macy's in 1961.

Prog rock and parades don't mix? Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and the rest of Genesis don't look thrilled to be hanging near Mickey in 1973.

Another Broadway show from 1961, the more obscure Let It Ride.

Alfred E. Neuman out for a stroll.

Bullwinkle! Where's Rocky?

A ponderous Ponch takes in the balloons.

The first man might not have reached space until 1961, but this astronaut was already flying in 1952.

The balloons were all licensed characters back in the day.

Pinocchio goes for a ride.

Popeye drifts through the skyscrapers in 1961.

Eddie Cantor was like the Pokemon of 1934.

We eventually made the balloons higher, bigger.

That's a whole lot of Raggedy Ann.

Milton Berle makes an unlikely Cinderella, circa 1982.