Chicago's Parade, The McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, Returns to Downtown Chicago & Around the Country Thursday Morning, November 26!

    CHICAGO, IL, November 13, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, a free family event attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators, celebrates 82 years of Chicago holiday tradition. Loveable character balloons, top marching bands from across the country, festive floats, cultural groups, theatrical performances, equestrian groups, and celebrity guests, plus over a thousand dedicated volunteers, all marching through the Loop, make the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade an annual celebration for the whole family. For those not in Chicago, the parade is nationally broadcast, live, on WGN America. The 2015 McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade takes place LIVE on State Street between Congress Parkway and Randolph Street in downtown Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26 from 8 to 11 a.m. (CST).

Originally called the Christmas Caravan in the 1930s, the Parade was created in 1934 to help lift the spirits of residents suffering through the Great Depression. Since then, it has developed into a full-scale spectacle that celebrates the holiday season. What once started out as an attempt to boost Chicago's economy has evolved into a cherished holiday tradition for Chicagoans and Americans alike. Over sixteen different countries will share their enriched traditions with Chicago's Parade this Thanksgiving morning. The sights on State Street give the audience a chance to travel the world and embrace other traditions, all without leaving downtown Chicago

Actor, writer, director, producer, and star of Broadway In Chicago's SHERLOCK HOMES, David Arquette will serve as the Grand Marshal of this year's Parade. Arquette will be joined by co-host and judge on Fox Network's hit cooking competitions, MasterChef and MasterChef Jr., Graham Elliot. Also Northbrook's own Yuri Sardarov from the TV hit series Chicago Fire will be parading down the route and Skokie native Jessy Schram from ABC's Once Upon a Time will be waving down the route.

This year's lineup also includes over 100 diverse and remarkable groups plus Honorary Grand Marshal Ronald McDonald, Chicago's favorite fun-loving bird and Parade mascot, Teddy Turkey, and an appearance by Santa Claus.

2015 Parade Participants
Performances
The Parade opens with a bang: the ever popular Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey returns to present Circus XTREME, the 145th production of "The Greatest Show on Earth." Other staged performances kicking off the Parade include The Willis Clan from TLC's reality show The Willis Family, the cast of Chicago's hit rock n' roll musical Million Dollar Quartet, as well as the Goodman Theatre's A Christmas Carol, Black Ensemble Theater's Dynamite Divas, Emerald City Theatre's A Charlie Brown Christmas, Marriott Theatre's Elf the Broadway Musical, Texas State University Strutters, Dexter Walker and the Zion Movement, Coast2Coast Productions, the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus, Ursuline Academy Dance Team, Melodeers Choir, Renacer Boliviano Dance Troupe, Natural Wonder singing Sir Duke, Ballet Folklorico Sones Mexicanos, Pro Dance Elite Studios' A Little Party, Hromovytsia Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, and the dramatic drummers of Tsukasa Taiko.

Marching Bands
Each year, the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade features top marching bands from all over the country and this year 21 different bands are featured. Among the many 2015 newcomers are bands from as far away as Georgia (Cedar Shoals High School), Pennsylvania (Butler Golden Tornado Marching Band), North Carolina (McDowell High School) and Mississippi (Jones County Junior College). These and other featured musical marchers join Chicagoland favorites, including Navy Band Great Lakes, Kelly High School, Marist High School, Western Illinois University and Rich South High School.

Equestrian
This year the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade brings 12 different equestrian ensembles to State Street, including the Medieval Times Dinner &Tournament, Culver Lancer Platoon Mounted Color Guard, Mid America Cowgirls Rodeo Drill Team, American Sidesaddle Association, Red Hats & Purple Chaps, the adorable Bertrand's Miniature Horses and more.

Floats
Thirteen colorful floats will delight spectators this Thanksgiving. Newcomers to the 2015 Parade lineup, Rotary International and Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theater will join familiar floats from WGN Television, Chicago Park District, Tatra Mountain Cultural Foundation, Garrett Popcorn Shops, and Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago, among others.

Specialty Units
Specialty Units, which march alongside the floats, balloons, horses, and bands, are a huge part of the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade each year, representing a diverse, international cadre of cultural organizations. New units this year include Lowdown Brass Band, Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team, Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, Lithuanian Folk Dance Group "Suktinis", Taki, Sumak, Folklore Dance Group, Indianapolis Chinese Community Center and CP Puffer Belly Express. These groups appear with returning favorites that include the Jessy White Tumbling Team, Mobile Azalea Trail Maids, The Midwest Ghostbuster Coalition, 501st and Rebel Legion, the Chicago Spirit Brigade, Windy City Ghostbusters, the fire-twirling Barefoot Hawaiian and more!

Balloons
And what's a parade without the fantastic balloons? Balloons in the Parade include Tweety, Hello Kitty, Plex from Yo Gabba Gabba, Arthur and more. Make sure you watch out for these characters as they head down State Street.

Broadcast
WGN 9 Chicago airs the Parade live and in high definition from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. (CST) Thursday, November 26. WGN America also broadcasts the Parade nationwide. CLTV will rebroadcast the parade from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (CST) on Thanksgiving.

About MOCNI
McDonald's Owner/Operators of Chicago and Northwest Indiana represent more than 100 franchisees and nearly 500 restaurants throughout the greater Chicagoland region, including stores as far north as Gurnee, west as Marengo, south as Watseka and east to Northwest Indiana. MOCNI manages and facilitates all marketing, sports, community relations, educational and philanthropic programs throughout the region, and is responsible for implementing and maintaining consistency at every Chicagoland restaurant.
Visit MOCNI on Instagram and Twitter - @McD_Chicago

About Chicago Festival Association
The Chicago Festival Association is a unique organization with the mission of producing community events that positively impact the people of the city of Chicago, its guests and visitors. With a full-time staff of two, augmented by seasonal production assistants and over a thousand of hard-working volunteers, the Chicago Festival Association strives to ensure the best in free family-entertainment for the hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans on the Parade route and the millions viewing the national broadcast.

The McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade takes place rain or shine, Thursday, November 26, from 8 to 11 a.m., on State Street, in Chicago. For more information about the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, visit Chicago Festival Association online at www.chicagofestivals.org.

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