Chicago, IL, Nov. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival® is back to kick off the holiday season the weekend before Thanksgiving, featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® Resort illuminating one million lights on North Michigan Avenue.  

WHERE: 

• Lights Festival Lane: Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago
• Parade: South on North Michigan Ave. from Oak St. to Wacker Dr., East on Wacker Dr. to Upper Columbus
• Fireworks Display: North Michigan Ave. and the Chicago River

WHEN: 

• Saturday, November 23, 2024
• 11am–4pm CST: Lights Festival Lane
• 5:30pm–7:30pm CST:  Parade and Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular

COST: FREE | All activities are free and open to the public

WEBSITE: TheMagnificentMile.com

The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival® returns for its 33rd annual celebration, bringing new talent, larger-than-ever balloons and exciting performances to downtown Chicago. The event features the largest evening parade in the U.S. and marks the official start of the holiday season in Chicago. This year’s event is brought to you by title sponsor, Wintrust Financial Corporation, and presenting sponsors, Enjoy Illinois, Chicagoland Kia Dealers, and Dunkin’.

On Saturday, November 23, 2024, this mile-long celebration will thrill attendees from morning to night with live music, musical celebrity appearances, festive entertainment, and the grand debut of Muppet-themed balloons, including a towering 60-foot Santa Kermit The Frog and his pal Animal.

This year’s festival will feature grand marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® Resort, alongside a lineup of fresh performances and interactive experiences sure to delight audiences of all ages. With one million lights illuminating over 200 trees along North Michigan Avenue, the parade has become a family tradition with visitors traveling to Chicago each year to mark the beginning of the holiday season.

NEW THIS YEAR

This year, The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival will introduce several exciting new features, made possible by a grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Enjoy Illinois. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® Resort will illuminate select blocks near the Chicago River with brilliant lighting, while the parade will debut its first-ever Muppet balloons, including a 60-foot-tall Santa Kermit The Frog and his pal, 50-foot-tall Animal. The reimagined Walt Disney World® Resort float will showcase Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse with a refreshed holiday look and more interactive stops along Wacker Drive. Santa Claus will soar over an enchanted holiday forest aboard the Wintrust grand finale float, adding to the magic of the event.

MUSICAL TALENT 

This year’s festival promises to elevate the holiday spirit with star-studded performances along the parade route:

• Iconic disco group and the Former Ladies of Chic will perform their hits “Le Freak” and “Good Times” 
• American soul-influenced funk band Cameo will perform "Word Up!" and "Candy"
• The Wintrust Express will feature 90s Miami bass duo Quad City DJ's performing their major hits “C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)” and “Space Jam” along with the Wintrust Mascot Party, featuring our favorite mascots from various professional Chicago and Milwaukee sports teams and Illinois’ own 2024 Olympic Gold Medalists Shemier Little (track and field) and Alexa Knierim (figure skating)
• Enjoy Illinois’ float will feature Chicago Blackhawks Official Game DJ Lee Michaels along with The Pack Drumline, from America’s Got Talent, and the Enjoy Illinois mascot, Big Lincoln
• The Sharpe Family Singers will bring “The Greatest Show,” celebrating the spirit of the season aboard the Dunkin’ float
• Choose Chicago will highlight the 40th anniversary of House Music with a performance from DJ Chip E.

PARADE HIGHLIGHTS

Along the parade route, guests can look forward to an unforgettable lineup of floats, characters, and holiday magic, including:

• Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® Resort will lead the parade, illuminating N. Michigan Ave. from a reimagined holiday float.
• Iconic Disney characters, including Buzz Lightyear, Woody, Anna, Elsa, Tiana, and Belle, will make special appearances on themed floats.
• The debut of Muppet balloons, including 60-foot tall Santa Kermit The Frog and his pal Animal.
• Dunkin’ celebrates the spirit of the season in style with a float featuring a rotating duo of coffee cups and a charming gingerbread house-themed MUNCHKINS® Donut Hole Treats box – and special musical guests, The Sharpe Family Singers.
• Everyone’s favorite reindeer balloon, Rudolph, carried by athletes and families of Special Olympics Illinois. Just like Rudolph, who showed that being different can make all the difference, Special Olympics Illinois celebrates the unique abilities of everyone in its community.
• The event will culminate with Santa Claus arriving on Wintrust’s Grand Finale float, followed by the Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular over the Chicago River.  Santa will be escorted by the all new 2025 Kia Carnival HEV and K4 vehicles. 

The parade will also feature a host of marching bands and special groups from across the country, including:

• Loveland High School Band (Ohio) – 90 members
• Pearl City High School Band (Hawaii) – 100 members
• Greendale High School Band (Wisconsin) – 200 members
• Smiths Station High School Band (Alabama) – 150 members
• Beaver Creek High School Band (Ohio) – 200 members
• Crystal Lake Strikers Drumline (Crystal Lake, IL) – 25 members
• Petoskey Steel Drum Band (Michigan) – Returning thanks to sponsorship from HDR

The event concludes with The Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular at approximately 7pm, which will be enhanced by the festival’s brilliant new lighting spectacle along the parade route near the Chicago River made possible by the grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Enjoy Illinois, thrilling parade-goers lining Wacker Drive with one million NEW lights added to enhance the magic of the grand finale.

PARADE DETAILS & ROUTE

The parade steps off at 5:30pm, traveling south from Oak Street along North Michigan Avenue, and turning east on Wacker Drive, concluding at Columbus Drive. Guests will have a prime view from both sides of Michigan Avenue and the south side of Wacker Drive.  

LIGHTS FESTIVAL LANE

From 11:00am to 4:00pm, families can enjoy a day full of festive fun at Lights Festival Lane in Pioneer Court. Highlights include free activities like Wintrust Photos with Santa, cheesecake decorating with Eli’s Cheesecake, and free coffee samples and MUNCHKINS® Donut Hole Treats from Dunkin’. Additional attractions feature the opportunity to view Kia’s all new Carnival Hybrid and receive a Lights Festival gift courtesy of Chicagoland Kia Dealers, CN Railway Rail Safety Prize Wheel, NASCAR Chicago Street Course’s Racing Simulator and swag, Lifeway Kefir samples, and global and local DJ’s on center stage sponsored by Choose Chicago as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of house music. Visitors can also explore holiday offerings from Illinois Lottery and Wild Fork, along with plenty of surprises and photo opportunities courtesy of Record-a-Hit.

WATCH FROM HOME

The parade will air on ABC 7 Chicago on Sunday, November 24th, from 6-7pm, with on-demand access throughout the holidays at abc7chicago.com, and will also be syndicated in over 200 markets across the U.S. and Canada, hosted by Cheryl Burton, Ryan Chiaverini, Judy Hsu, and Hosea Sanders.  Don’t miss additional local airings on December 1st, December 8th, and December 15th.

MAKE IT A WEEKEND

Turn the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival® into a full weekend getaway. Explore exclusive hotel packages, indulge in festive dining, and enjoy holiday shopping along The Magnificent Mile. For special offers and recommendations, download The Magnificent Mile Holiday Guide from TheMagnificentMile.com. Here are a few highlights to consider:

• Immerse yourself in the magic of the holiday season at The Langham Chicago with exquisite holiday experiences such as holiday tea, visits with Santa and more.
• Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park is transforming their lobby into a festive Winter Lodge with holiday treats and cocktails. Plus savor the Latin flavors of new restaurant, Toro Chicago, from critically-acclaimed Chef Richard Sandoval. 
• Santa Sails the Seadog to Harry Caray’s Tavern at Navy Pier (Sunday, November 24): Santa arrives at Navy Pier aboard the Seadog at noon, greeted by the Chicago Fire Department’s water cannons. 

Plus, capture the joy! Snap a photo of yourself enjoying the parade or weekend festivities for a chance to win a magical trip to Walt Disney World® Resort. Sweepstakes details can be found on themagnificentmile.com.

PHOTOS + SOCIAL CHANNELS 

Photo and B-Roll Link: here.

Official Hashtag: #WintrustLightsFest | Facebook: The Magnificent Mile (Facebook.com/MagnificentMile)
X: @TheMagMile | Instagram: @TheMagMile | Website: TheMagnificentMile.com 

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ABOUT THE MAGNIFICENT MILE ASSOCIATION

Organizer of The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival®, The Magnificent Mile Association is a private, non-profit membership organization with a mission of preserving, promoting, and enhancing one of Chicago’s most unique neighborhoods. The organization’s members include retailers, hotels, restaurants, popular attractions, and commercial, institutional and residential properties. For more information, visit www.themagnificentmile.com. 

ABOUT WALT DISNEY WORLD® RESORT

Walt Disney World® Resort, The Most Magical Place on Earth, is a contiguous, nearly 40-square-mile, world-class entertainment and recreation destination featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park); two water adventure parks (Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park); more than 25 resort hotels; 63 holes of golf on four championship courses; two full-service spas; Disney's Wedding Pavilion; ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex; and Disney Springs, a shopping-dining-entertainment complex. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 20 miles southwest of Orlando, Walt Disney World® Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971.

ABOUT WINTRUST 

Wintrust is a financial holding company with approximately $62 billion in assets whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Guided by its “Different Approach, Better Results” philosophy, Wintrust offers the sophisticated resources of a large bank while providing a community banking experience to each customer. Wintrust operates more than 200 retail banking locations through 16 community bank subsidiaries in the greater Chicago, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan, northwest Indiana, and southwest Florida market areas. In addition, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units, providing residential mortgage origination, wealth management, commercial and life insurance premium financing, short-term accounts receivable financing/outsourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges. For more information, please visit www.wintrust.com.

ABOUT ENJOY ILLINOIS AND THE ILLINOIS OFFICE OF TOURISM

The Illinois Office of Tourism leads tourism industry efforts to inspire visitation to, and within Illinois, resulting in significant economic impact and quality-of-life benefits for all Illinois residents. We are committed to making Illinois a model of inclusivity and celebration of diversity. Illinois is a state that embodies innovation, craft, surprise and creativity. Whether domestic and international visitors are traveling for business or leisure, the Illinois Office of Tourism is their trusted guide in crafting an unforgettable experience. To learn more, visit EnjoyIllinois.com.

ABOUT DUNKIN’

Dunkin’, founded in 1950, is the largest coffee and donuts brand in the United States, with more than 13,700 restaurants in nearly 40 global markets. Dunkin’ is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit DunkinDonuts.com and InspireBrands.com. 

ABOUT KIA

Visit your Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Kia dealer for great deals on your next new Kia. Visit Kia.com, Kia, Movement that Inspires.

Attachments

• Lights Festival Lane
• The Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular

Beth Heller
Beth Heller Consulting
beth@bethheller.com

Denise Chudy
The Magnificent Mile Association
dchudy@themagnificentmile.com