Thousands brave record cold for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Nov. 22 (UPI) -- Thousands of people bundled up for the cold and lined the streets of Manhattan, braving a record-low 19 degrees, to watch the 92nd annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday.

The event featured 59 balloons, 1,000 clowns and 3,000 marching band members, said NBC, which televised the event.

The casts of the New York stage musicals My Fair Lady, The Prom, Summer and Mean Girls, as well as the Radio City Rockettes and Kelly Clarkson, performed early in the network's broadcast.

Among the other celebrities who took part in the event were Bad Bunny, Barenaked Ladies, Bazzi, Ally Brooke, Kane Brown, Brynn Cartelli, Jack & Jack, John Legend, Leona Lewis, Ella Mai, Tegan Marie, Martina McBride, Rita Ora, Carly Pearce, Pentatonix, Sugarland, Ashley Tisdale, Mackenzie Ziegler and Johnny Orlando.

Anika Noni Rose and the Muppets of Sesame Street also made an appearance, as did Diana Ross who enjoyed the festivities with family members such as Rhonda Ross, Tracee Ellis Ross, Chudney Ross, Ross Naess, Evan Ross and his wife, Ashlee Simpson-Ross. The traditional holiday event concluded with the arrival of Santa Claus . At Central Park, the temperature dropped to 19 degrees at 11 a.m. EST, setting the record for the lowest during a parade, according to the National Weather Service. Before the event began in 1924, the temperature at Central Park hit 15 degrees in 1871 as well as 19 in 1901 and 1876.

The previous record for a low during the parade was 21 degrees in 1930, 1938 and 1972.

New York City has issued an extreme cold weather alert. To prevent frosbite, the city urged anyone going outside to wear hats, scarves, gloves and layered clothing and to keep their fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered to prevent frostbite.

Scenes from the 92nd Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade