The Chicago Thanksgiving Parade on State Street: A History
It started in 1934 as a Depression-era Christmas Caravan, was the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade for years, and still marches down State Street every Thanksgiving morning. The history.
Every Thanksgiving morning, while the turkey's in the oven, State Street fills up with balloons, marching bands and families bundled up against the cold. Chicago's parade has had a lot of names, but it's been part of the holiday for more than 90 years.
A Depression-era idea
The parade started in 1934, in the middle of the Great Depression. It was called the Christmas Caravan, and the point was to get people downtown and shopping on State Street. Walter Gregory pitched the idea to Mayor Edward Kelly. It worked: that season was the city's biggest holiday shopping period since 1927.
Many names, one parade
- 1935–1983: the State Street Christmas Parade
- 1984–1989: the McDonald's Children's Charity Parade
- 1990s: other sponsors, including Brach's and Marshall Field's
- 2006–2017: the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade, the name a lot of people still use
- 2018 on: the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade
The Chicago Festival Association has produced the parade since 2000.
The route
The parade runs down State Street from Congress Parkway north to Randolph Street, usually from 8 to 11 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Expect more than 100 units: giant balloons, floats, horses, specialty acts and thousands of marching band members from around the country.
Watching it in 2026
Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Check the parade's official website for this year's lineup, TV channel and street closures. Tips if you go in person:
- Get there early for a curb spot, especially near the start of the route.
- Dress for the cold. It's late November by the lake. Hats, gloves and something to sit on.
- Take the 'L' or Metra. Parking and driving downtown that morning are tough.
Make it a day
Thanksgiving morning on State Street kicks off the Chicago holiday season. Next come the Christkindlmarket and the Christmas tree lighting. And don't miss the windows and the famous clock at the old Marshall Field's.
Photo: 20141127 02 Thanksgiving Day Parade (25030848126).jpg) by David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0.