NEW YORK - Val Bonner planned for a decade to attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on her 50th birthday, and this year she got her wish, joining the throngs of holiday revelers in Manhattan cheering the giant balloons and thousands of marchers.

“It's just fabulous - I cried when I saw it,” said Bonner, of Steilacoom, Wash. “This is my gift to myself. I've been saving for years for it. It's a dream come true.”

Bonner, her husband, Frank, and son Jack stood with shrieking, delighted children throwing confetti and happy parents watching the spectacle under sunny skies.

The atmosphere along the route was upbeat and jovial despite the nation's economic downturn. “It's something you can do with your kids for free,” said Martha Muccio of Manalapan, N.J. “And it makes them happy, takes our minds off everything.”

Parade celebrities include Miley Cyrus, a favorite among many 'tween girls who carried signs proclaiming their devotion for the star. “She's just the coolest!” said 'tween-in-waiting Isabella Muccio, 6.

Organizers said more than a million spectators viewed the 82nd annual parade in person, with another 50 million watching on television. The 2.5-mile route winds from Central Park West and West 77th Street to Herald Square, in front of Macy's flagship store.

The parade began in 1924. It was canceled for two years during World War II. Macy's is marking its 150th anniversary this year.