Chicago's Parade, The McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, Returns to Downtown Chicago & Around The Country Thursday Morning, November 24!

    CHICAGO, IL, November 16, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, a high-quality, family event attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators, celebrates 83 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 2016 McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade takes place LIVE on State Street between Congress Parkway and Randolph Street in downtown Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 24 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.

Chicago-born Matt Walsh of HBO's Veep will serve as the Grand Marshal of this year's Parade. Walsh will be joined by comedian, Sebastian Maniscalco, Emma Kenney from Showtime's Shameless and Dante Brown from Fox's new Lethal Weapon. Returning to the parade will be Northbrook's own Yuri Sardarov from the TV hit series Chicago Fire and chef, restauranteur, and Top Chef host/judge Graham Elliot.

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.

2016 Parade Participants

Performances
The Parade opens with a bang: the ever-popular Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey returns to present Out of this World, the 146th production of "The Greatest Show on Earth." Other staged performances kicking off the Parade include Broadway in Chicago's FINDING NEVERLAND and STOMP, NBC's America's Got Talent finalist, Laura Bretan and semi-finalist, Musicality. More performances include Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, Black Ensemble Theater's Jackie Taylor's The Other Cinderella, country sensation, Craig Campbell, Apollo Chorus of Chicago, The Hiplet Ballerinas of CMDC, Lucid Dance Company, Nancy Chippendale's American Tap Company, Ayodele Drum and Dance, Ballet Folklorico Sones Mexicanos, Chicago Korean Dance Company, Hromovytsia Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Tsukasa Taiko.

Marching Bands
Each year, the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade features top marching bands from all over the country and this year 23 different bands are featured. Among the many 2016 newcomers are bands from as far away as Georgia (Lowndes High School Marching Band, Osborne High School Marching Band, Dade County High School Marching Band, and Sequoyah High School Marching Band), North Carolina (South Caldwell High School Marching Band), and Kansas (Abilene High School Marching Band). These and other featured musical marchers join Chicagoland favorites, including Waukegan High School Marching Band, Kelly High School Marching Band, Marist High School Marching Band, Lake Zurich High School Marching Band and Michigan City High School Marching Band.

Equestrian
This year the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade brings 12 different equestrian ensembles to State Street, including the Medieval Times Dinner &Tournament, Culver Friesian 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 2016 Parade lineup, Huaxing Arts Troupe of Chicago's Kungfu Monkey King and E Dongfang Chinese Performing Arts Association 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 The Pack Drumline, Lakeshore Recycling Systems, and Nancy Chippendale's American Tap Company. These groups appear with returning favorites that include the Jesse 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 Cookie Monster, Kung Fu Panda and our fun-loving Teddy Turkey. 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 24. WGN America also broadcasts the Parade nationwide. CLTV will rebroadcast the parade from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (CST) on Thanksgiving.

The McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade takes place rain or shine, Thursday, November 24, 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.

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. Chicago Festival Association strives to ensure the best in high-quality family entertainment for the hundreds of thousands of Chicagoans on the Parade route and the millions viewing the national broadcast.

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