All You Need to Know About the Thanksgiving Parade

By Urbanmatter Chicago @UMatterChicago

The 81st Annual McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade is set for another round of fanfare.

Let’s be honest, most of us tend to spend our Thanksgiving holiday stuffing our faces among friends & family. This is certainly a fine way to spend the day, but there are plenty of other options out there.

Among those, the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade, a perfect changeup to the usual Thanksgiving holiday celebration. With appearances from Santa Claus & Ronald McDonald, the procession is perfect for families.

Here’s All You Need to Know About the Thanksgiving Day Parade

What You’ll See

Well, you’ll see this:

The parade features the following:

  • Marching bands
  • Gigantic inflatable helium balloons
  • Decorative floats
  • Talented entertainers

Performers include:

  • Renacer Boliviano Dance Troupe
  • The Rebecca McCarthy School of Dance
  • St. Paul Winter Carnival Vulcans
  • Mobile Azalea Trail Maids
Where You’ll See It

The parade takes place exclusively on State Street. The marching portion begins at State & Congress and travels north to Lake Street. If you’re planning on seeing it in person, you’ll want to get there bright & early to make sure you secure a quality spot.

Of course, you could always watch the parade on TV from the comfort of your home.

Coverage is available on WGN Channel 9. The event will also be live streaming on wgntv.com

When It Starts

You can tune in to WGN at 8:00 am to catch the opening performances outside of Macy’s, but event goers themselves won’t be able to access this portion unless they have VIP tickets (these are available with the purchase of a $60 individual sponsorship). Otherwise, the actual State Street march begins at 8:30 am.

When Is It?

The parade takes place on Thanksgiving Day, November 26th.