🎅🌲30th Annual Chicago Magnificent Mile Holiday Lights Festival

The 30th Annual Magnificent Mile Lights Festival parade took place Saturday night in downtown Chicago after a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The holiday season in Chicago is always an exciting time. With countless events across multiple neighborhoods, there are so many ways to celebrate. One event I look forward to every year is the BMO Harris Bank The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. It’s two days of free, family-friendly activities that lead up to the famous tree-lighting parade on Michigan Avenue. Many Chicagoans, my family included, consider this event the official kick-off to the holidays.
Here’s a guide to everything you need to know about this classic Chicago celebration.
FAQ
1: What is the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival?
The annual winter celebration marks the beginning of the holiday season in Chicago. The festivities kick off at 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, with a tree lighting ceremony at the iconic Wrigley Building.
The weekend also includes an outdoor festival where families can explore an interactive wonderland of holiday-themed activities at Lights Festival Lane. The free-admission fest starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. It includes photos with Santa Claus, family-friendly activities, treats from Eli’s Cheesecake, a holiday DJ, and more.
The festival is followed by the grand tree-lighting parade on Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. that turns on all the lights along North Michigan Avenue.
2: Wait, is it a parade or a festival?
Both! The free festival leads up to the spectacular parade on Saturday evening. The parade is the final event of The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival.
3: What’s at the parade?
During the parade, more than one million lights will illuminate more than 200 trees lining North Michigan Avenue (also known at The Magnificent Mile, one of Chicago’s most famous streets).
And that’s not all. The procession is led by grand marshals Mickey and Minnie Mouse, followed by Santa on his sleigh, spectacular floats, giant helium-filled balloons, marching bands, celebrity appearances, and live musical performances.
4: When is The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival?
The festival kicks off with a tree lighting ceremony at the Wrigley Building at 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021. Lights Festival Lane will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. The weekend ends with the evening tree-lighting parade at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.
5: Where is The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival?
Lights Festival Lane is located in Pioneer Court at 401 N. Michigan Ave.
The parade travels south on North Michigan Avenue, starting at Oak Street and ending at Wacker Drive.
6: How can I get to the festival?
You can take a car or rideshare, but keep in mind that there may be traffic and limited parking. If you’re driving to the festival, note that North Michigan Avenue closes to traffic between Oak Street and Wacker Drive at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
You can also take the CTA Red Line train to the festivities. The Grand and Lake stops are both close to the festival and the parade route, and the Chicago stop is just a few blocks from the parade. There are also several CTA bus lines that can get you close to the action - Google Maps should be able to help you find a good route. Keep in mind that buses are also affected by road closures.
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[@thebabbler8867]

Chicago does it big. Literally ALL the biggest events and festivals in the world are hosted in Chicago. 💯

[@ronaldking9806]

Of course. It's the best city in the world.

[@chicago4k542]

The parade was awesome, and that wasn't even the full parade that I captured.. I wasnt able to capture all the singing and dancing part of the Parade because of location I was at. Nevertheless, I think it still came out great!!! Hope everybody enjoyed it! 🙂

[@chicago4k542]

@@ronaldking9806 Yes sir!! 💯🙂❤🇺🇸

[@thewatcher8573]

thanks for this upload!

[@reneepowell838]

Chicago Chicago my kind of town

[@aerodriguez1254]

Where can we find a video of the 2023 festival?

[@YoBoiNapkin_YT]

So we ain't gonna talk about the "It's so BIIIIIIIIIG"?

[@lurlinebrown1947]

Wow 🤩🤩🤩🥰

[@chicago4k542]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching! 🙂❤

[@justdrive5327]

Nice! Hopefully you were able to film Black Friday on Michigan Avenue and State Street. Looking forward to that video!

[@chicago4k542]

Yes I did. I have tons of videos to upload this week. I have tons of places to go before Christmas too. Going to make Chicago Shine!!

[@wan9560]

Nice video from Japan.

[@chicago4k542]

Glad you enjoyed it.. Thank you for watching from beautiful Japan! :)

[@DianeBanks1]

really nice! thanks for sharing this video :)

[@chicago4k542]

My pleasure Diane! Happy Holidays 🎅❤

[@shritha89]

Where is the best place to watch the parade and tree lighting this year 2022?

[@GGGiggles]

Very Christmassy!!!

[@chicago4k542]

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas! :) Thanks for watching! :)

[@GGGiggles]

@@chicago4k542 Thank you for sharing! :) Merry Christmas! :)

[@chicago4k542]

@@GGGiggles My pleasure! :)

[@Benjamina.Button]

Do you have any recommendation how early to get a spot on the parade route or any bars/ restaurants to watch from above?

[@ivanotoniellopeztorres5626]

Este año 2022 que dia es el desfile de las luces pienso ir es el 19 0 20 noviembre

[@dulcegllgs609]

sabado 19

[@andyl9920]

Will maginficient mile (meaning michigan ave) be closing on the day off the light show? JW because i am looking at hotels located on that street and just want to make sure i wont be blocked from getting to the hotel.

[@stephaniedecena4680]

Michigan Ave (betweeb Oak and Wacker) will be closed at 3:30pm on Saturday.

[@andyl9920]

@@stephaniedecena4680 thanks for the info

[@noemirodriguez6079]

A este desfile le falta mucha creatividad, cada año es lo mismo, no tiene nada de especial, ni de imaginación, para ser un desfile americano, está pésimo y muy pero muy mal organizado.