Beloved cartoon characters like Snoopy and SpongeBob SquarePants are taking to the skies above New York City in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade is marking its 97th year. It started Thursday under cool but sunny skies on Manhattan’s Upper West Side and makes its way alongside Central Park in front of big crowds before ending up in front of Macy’s flagship store on 34th Street. At street level, more than two dozen floats went by, interspersed with marching bands from around the country. The parade was briefly disrupted when about a half-dozen protesters in jumpsuits covered with fake blood glued themselves to the street just in front of a float.