NEW YORK -- A giant balloon at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade snagged a street light in Times Square and caused part of it to fall into the crowd, injuring a woman and a child.

The victims, a 26-year-old woman and an 11-year-old girl, were hospitalized and are listed in stable condition.

The accident happened at 11:30 a.m. Eastern time at West 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue.

The balloon's tethers got tangled on the head of the street lamp, and the piece crashed to the ground.

The circumstances are similar to a 1997 accident, when two people were seriously injured after strong winds knocked a balloon into a metal pole.

It's not clear if wind played a factor in Thursday's accident.

There were concerns before the parade that heavy winds would force officials to ground the balloons, but they decided Thursday morning that conditions were favorable for the famous attractions.

People packed six-or-more deep in some areas and ignored temperatures in the cool 40s as they marked the holiday celebration.

An 85-year-old man who watched the parade said "it's part of New York."

People of all ages attended the annual event. A 30-year-old mother with her 4-year-old son said the parade seems more glamorous on television, but added that the smile on her son's face made it all worthwhile.

Giant balloons such as Scooby-Doo, Garfield and Charlie Brown shared top billing with 10 marching bands, 27 floats and performers such as LeAnn Rimes and Aaron Neville.

Thousands of smiling kids lined up along the streets of the Big Apple to see some of their favorite characters, as well as hand-holding unicyclists and clowns galore.

At America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, high winds forced organizers to cancel the event's signature high-flying balloons.