UPPER WEST SIDE — Hundreds of families headed to the streets surrounding the American Museum of Natural History to watch the giant balloons of Hello Kitty and "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" come to life.
The annual balloon inflation takes place the day before the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when the giant characters will hover down Central Park West while throngs of onlookers cheer them on.
Hello Kitty
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Hello Kitty flies high.
Looking Up
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Families watch the balloons come to life along 77th Street.
Starting From Scratch
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The characters begin to line up along 77th Street.
Inflation
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People working hard to get all the balloons blown up before nightfall.
Not so Wimpy
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid looks rather imposing.
Holding On
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A worker helps keeps a balloon on the ground along 81st Street.