Chicago, Illinois, Nov. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One million smiles will brighten Michigan Avenue when The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival welcomes the official start of the holiday season in Chicago on Saturday, November 19. Produced by The Magnificent Mile Association since 1992, the event has grown into a weekend-long holiday celebration that culminates with the third largest parade in the USA. Now a holiday tradition for generations, kids of all ages clamor to see Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® Resort magically illuminate more than one million lights on 200 trees as part of the nationally televised parade.
“More than 30 years ago, we formed Wintrust as a community bank and it is fitting that we join The Magnificent Mile Association and district businesses to bring this thrilling and timeless holiday tradition to the many families who live in and travel to Chicago to start their own holiday celebrations together each year,” says Edward J. Wehmer, Wintrust Founder and CEO.
Joined this year by title sponsor, Wintrust, and presenting sponsors AT&T and Enjoy Illinois, The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival begins with a ceremonial tree lighting at The Wrigley Building followed by Saturday’s family-friendly and free activities in Lights Festival Lane before the main event led by Parade Marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® Resort steps off.
Quick Look: The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Schedule
Friday, Nov. 18: 4 p.m. – Tree lighting at The Wrigley Building (410 N. Michigan Ave.)
Saturday, Nov. 19: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Lights Festival Lane (401 N. Michigan Ave.); 5:30 p.m. – The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Festival Parade Steps Off – (Oak St. & Michigan Ave. south to Wacker Dr.); 7 p.m. – The Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular (Chicago River and Wacker Dr.)
The tree-lighting ceremony in The Wrigley Building Centennial Plaza begins at 4 p.m. on Friday, November 18th and features musical entertainment by cabaret and contemporary music artist, Lauren Paris.
On Saturday, November 19th between 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Lights Festival Lane hosts a variety of family-friendly activities including Photos with Santa courtesy of Wintrust, special appearances by Enjoy Illinois’ Big Lincoln, complimentary cheesecake with Eli’s Cheesecake Company, the Museum of Ice Cream’s sprinkle pool, the Dunkin’ Community Cruiser and pop-up musical and special performances.
At 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening, Grand Marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® Resort step off in their holiday attire, leading a magical tree-lighting parade along The Magnificent Mile between Oak Street and Wacker Drive to illuminate more than 200 trees and kick off the holiday season. Joining Mickey and Minnie this year are Mirabel from Disney’s Encanto in a horse and carriage, Goofy and Pluto bringing some holiday cheer from EPCOT, and Chip and Dale commemorating Disney’s 50th Anniversary.
The festive holiday parade will also feature fabulous floats, giant helium balloons, and celebrity performances by one of the top five female groups of all time, The Pointer Sisters, and American rhythm and blues vocal favorites, The Spinners. American singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson will perform songs from her eleventh studio album, Winterlicious, and C&C Music Factory will make “Everybody Dance Now!”
Four new marching bands including the Gulf Coast Shark Band (Naples, FL), Greendale High School Marching Band (Greendale, WI), Vandalia-Butler Marching Aviators And Kickline (Vandalia, OH), and the Archbold High School Bluestreak Marching Band (Archbold, OH) will join the fun, in addition to returning fan favorites the Crystal Lake Strikers Drumline, and more. Floating high above the crowds will be Twinkles the Snowman, beautiful gift packages and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital balloons.
Performers appearing during the television broadcast will include the Broadway In Chicago cast from The Lion King, the cast of Wicked, and Lookkingglass Theater’s The Steadfast Tin Soldier. After performing on the parade route, The Spinners will offer a medley of their top hits for the television production’s finale.
Santa Claus will soar down the route with lots of snow and cheer on the grand finale float presented by Wintrust to officially signal the start of the holiday season. The event culminates with the Wintrust Fireworks Spectacular over the Chicago River starting at 7 p.m.
How To Watch From Home
This year’s Lights Festival hosts are ABC 7 Anchors Cheryl Burton and Alan Krashesky along with Hosea Sanders, who will be capturing all the excitement on the street. The parade will air on ABC 7 Chicago on Sunday, November 20 at 6 p.m. CT, Saturday, Dec. 10 at 11 a.m. CT, and Christmas Eve at 4 p.m. CT. Additionally, The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival® broadcast will air in 186 US markets throughout the holiday season, reaching nearly 100% of the country plus Toronto, Canada, with repeat airings in multiple markets.
The Lights Festival Parade will be available on demand and stream exclusively on abc7chicago.com and ABC 7’s Connected TV Apps. Viewers can find their local broadcast times at TheMagnificentMile.com or check their local listings to relive the magic.
For a complete schedule of events and special holiday offers from area businesses, visit TheMagnificentMile.com; and follow The Magnificent Mile on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About The Magnificent Mile®
The Magnificent Mile® is Chicago’s premier destination, offering leading retailers, diverse restaurants and hotels, unique museums and entertaining attractions to more than 20 million visitors each year. As one of the Great Avenues of the World®, The Magnificent Mile district features extraordinary shopping, critically acclaimed dining, world-class hotel accommodations, seasonal event campaigns and exceptional urban landscaping with more than 52 separate parkway gardens that reflect the changing seasons and complement the unique architectural beauty of Chicago. For more information, visit TheMagnificentMile.com or follow The Magnificent Mile on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Wintrust
Wintrust is a financial holding company with assets of approximately $52 billion whose common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Built on the "HAVE IT ALL" model, Wintrust offers sophisticated technology and resources of a large bank while focusing on providing service-based community banking to each and every customer. Wintrust operates fifteen community bank subsidiaries, with over 170 banking locations located in the greater Chicago and southern Wisconsin market areas. Additionally, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units including business units which provide commercial and life insurance premium financing in the United States, a premium finance company operating in Canada, a company providing short-term accounts receivable financing and value-added out-sourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, a business unit engaging primarily in the origination and purchase of residential mortgages for sale into the secondary market throughout the United States, and companies providing wealth management services and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges.
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 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 represents 700 members including retailers; hotels; restaurants; popular attractions; and commercial, institutional and residential properties. For more information, visit www.themagnificentmileassociation.com.
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