Macy's parade makes key substitutions

NEW YORK, Nov. 5 (UPI) -- Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York will not feature Charlie Brown and Kermit the Frog this year.

While the inflatable images of the two children's characters will be notably absent from the 2006 version of the traditional event, this year will offer some new gigantic faces -- the Energizer Bunny, Flying Ace Snoopy and the Pikachu character from Pokemon, said the New York Daily News.

Also set to take flight in the annual event is a hot air balloon that will help celebrate the parade's first appearance in 1924.

Along with the new cast of characters, the parade's organizers have instituted new safety measures, such as wind-measuring stations along the parade's route, all in an effort to avoid dangerous incidents that have occurred in recent years, the Daily News reported.

The newspaper said that the most recent of the balloon-related incidents happened last year when a balloon hit a light post, injuring two sisters.