Chicagoing.net

The 2011 Chicago Thanksgiving Parade will kick off at 8am and lasts until 11am on Thursday, November 24, 2011. A Thanksgiving tradition since 1934, this marks the 78th edition of the parade in downtown Chicago.

This year’s Thanksgiving Parade runs a seemingly short route, starting at Congress and State Street (500 S. State Street) and moving north along State Street to Randolph (150 N. State Street). The parade will feature floats, marching bands, and of course helium balloons. Balloons from past years have included Kermit and Grover from The Muppets, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Thanksgiving Turkey and many other pop culture favorites.

The 2011 Chicago Thanksgiving Parade will be broadcast live on local television and syndicated nationally. There’s always something about watching a parade, broadcast from another city, on Thanksgiving morning that gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Chicago’s 2011 Thanksgiving Day Parade is a tradition for many people in Chicago, drawing between 350,000 and 400,000 spectators annually, making it one of the larger Thanksgiving parades in the country. The parade goes one rain or shine, so be sure to get there early if you want to get a front seat and to get a jumpstart on the holiday shopping season.