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A Guide To The Second Best Thanksgiving Parade, In The Second City

Where: State St. [map], Chicago, IL, United States
November 18, 2009 at 11:28 AM | by | Comments (0)

Obviously, the biggest Turkey Day festivities happen in New York City, but a good second option is Chicago's 76th annual McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade. The name doesn't carry the panache that Macy's does, but it's probably the country's second-most-famous parade to see gargantuan balloons, floats, marching bands and numerous performers.

Dress warmly and go to iconic State Street early to get a head up on the 400,000 spectators expected to attend. The action steps off at Congress Avenue from at 8 a.m. and heads north, ending at Randolph Street at 11 a.m. We recommend snagging a spot in front of Macy's on State Street. It'll be crowded, since it's the parade end point, but it's also the spot where all of the dancers and other acts stop to perform. You could also shell out $50 for the VIP treatment, which allows you to see the first-hour performances live with television zone seating, a continental breakfast and VIP-only restrooms.

You'll see excerpts from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's show Zing Zang Zoom, acrobatics from the high-flying Jesse White Tumblers, and tap dancers from the Chicago Human Rhythm Project. The parade will also feature numbers from shows such as Million Dollar Quartet and Cirque du Soleil’s Banana Shpeel, among others.

Leading the festivities will be grand marshal Ronald McDonald. The parade will have some celebs (and some pseudo-celebrities) on hand, including Chicago's own dance crew the FootworKINGz, America’s Got Talent semi-finalists; Danny Pudi, co-star of the new TV show Community; Erin Wagner, the most recent catty castoff from America’s Next Top Model; and Harlem Globetrotters Buckets Blakes and Moo Moo Evans, plus legend Curly Neal.

But the real stars of the show will be the dozen giant helium balloons featuring favorite characters such as Bob the Builder, Rocky J. Squirrel, Bullwinkle J. Moose and Hello Kitty.

Related Stories:
· Thanksgiving Travel Coverage [Jaunted]
· Macy's Parade Was Best Ever, Say Our Internet Overlords [Jaunted]
· Chicago Travel Coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade]

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