Macy's holiday decorations with giant horns and a parade balloon on a city street.

Every Year in Chicagoland

Where to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade in Chicago if you can't get downtown

Watch the 2026 Chicago Thanksgiving Parade from home: live on CBS Chicago Channel 2 and free on Pluto TV, with timing and tips.

By HellginOctober 23, 20266 min read

The turkey has to go in early, the kids are still in pajamas, and driving into the Loop at dawn sounds like a bad idea. You can stay home and still see the parade. The 92nd Chicago Thanksgiving Parade is Thursday, Nov. 26, and it airs live on CBS Chicago, Channel 2. It also streams free on Pluto TV, so you can watch on the TV, a laptop or a phone propped against the gravy boat.

The short answer

Turn on CBS Chicago (Channel 2) at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving. The parade's media page lists the live broadcast from 8 to 10 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2026. It also says the parade will be "broadcast live on CBS Chicago, Pluto TV and Paramount via CBS Chicago."

The timing is new this year. In 2025, CBS ran the parade from 8 to 11 a.m., so the 2026 show is an hour shorter. The step-off time also changed, and sources don't agree on it. Choose Chicago and the parade's media page both say 7:45 a.m. The parade's own FAQ says 7:40 a.m. Either way, the first marchers leave before the broadcast starts. If you want to see them go, plan to be watching by 7:40.

For most people at home, that won't matter much. The TV coverage starts at 8, and by the parade's own schedule it should be over by 10. That leaves the whole morning for the bird.

On TV and streaming

CBS Chicago, Channel 2. This is the main broadcast. CBS Chicago is the parade's TV partner for 2026, and the Choose Chicago event page credits the station too. Last year, CBS Chicago also carried the full parade on its CBS News Chicago streaming channel. That's handy if you've cut cable but have the CBS News app on a streaming stick.

Pluto TV (free). Pluto TV streamed the parade free in 2025, according to the parade's own announcement and Time Out. The parade's media page lists Pluto TV again for 2026. Pluto doesn't need a subscription. It works on most smart TVs, streaming devices and phones, which makes it the easiest choice for relatives watching from out of state.

Paramount. The parade's 2026 media page also lists "Paramount via CBS Chicago." It doesn't say exactly how that works, so if that's your plan, check the CBS Chicago schedule that week.

One note for people who grew up here: older listings may tell you to try WGN or CW-26. The parade aired on WGN back in 2016 and on CW-26 in 2023. It's on CBS Chicago now.

Broadcast plans can change, so check chiparade.com a few days before Thanksgiving. Halloween comes first, and the start of November is early enough.

Why not just go downtown? What you're skipping

The parade starts at Ida B. Wells Drive and State Street, heads north on State through the Loop, and ends at Randolph. Watching from the street is free anywhere along State from Ida B. Wells to Washington. Time Out says the best spots are at the ends of the route. This year Choose Chicago has some news to brag about: "Balloons are BACK!" There will be classic and new giant helium balloons, plus marching bands, horseback units and floats.

Getting there is the hard part. In 2025, streets were closed from roughly 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., from Roosevelt Road to Wacker Drive and from Wells Street to Michigan Avenue. That covers a big piece of downtown, and you'd be standing there on a late-November morning.

The comfortable seats come with a price. The VIP TV Zone sits in front of Macy's between Washington and Randolph. It offers "premium stadium style seating, warm drinks, complimentary gifts and private restrooms." It's open only to Individual Sponsors, and the parade's FAQ lists that sponsorship at $80.

So for a lot of families, the choice is a dark, early drive, a spot on the curb and a cold wait, or the couch with coffee. That's why so many people watch on Channel 2.

What about a suburban parade?

Don't plan on a parade near home on Thanksgiving morning. The big suburban parades are mostly holiday and tree-lighting events, held on other dates in late November and December. Naperville and Orland Park are two examples. They're worth putting on the calendar, but they aren't Thanksgiving-morning events.

In the suburbs, Thanksgiving morning usually belongs to the turkey trot. In past years, Highland Park's North Shore Turkey Trot has offered a 5K and a 10K starting at 8 a.m. on Thanksgiving. If you'd rather start the day outside, a local race is the closest thing to a parade near home. Check this year's date and time with the organizers first.

The suburbs are in the Chicago parade, though. Suburban high school bands march down State Street. Fox 32, for one, has covered the Tinley Park High School marching band heading downtown to play in it. If your old school's band is marching, the TV broadcast may be the best way to see them.

For anything local on Thanksgiving morning, check your village or park district calendar. That's where suburban holiday events get posted first.

Tips for watching at home

Be on Channel 2 by 8 a.m. That's when the live CBS Chicago broadcast starts. Step-off is listed at 7:40 or 7:45, so the parade is already moving when coverage starts.
Plan on a shorter show. This year's broadcast is listed as 8 to 10 a.m., not the 8 to 11 a.m. it ran in 2025.
Set up Pluto TV the night before if you're streaming. It's free, but downloading the app at 7:55 a.m. isn't how you want to start the day.
Send the link to family far away. Pluto TV is free, so anyone who grew up here can watch State Street from wherever they live now.
Check chiparade.com closer to the day for any last-minute schedule or channel changes.

Sources (9)

Photo: Big Bird balloon in the Thanksgiving Parade by Marit & Toomas Hinnosaar, BY 2.0.