Giant floats return, drawing thousands to 89th Thanksgiving Parade in Loop

Downtown Chicago’s State Street transformed into a colorful tableau of floats, marching bands and dynamic dance troupes on Thanksgiving Day as a relatively balmy morning attracted thousands from across the country to the Loop.

Though some revelers were sure to cozy up with loved ones as they watched the parade snake down State Street, temperatures hovering around the low 40s seemed to belie the presence of Christmas songs playing from ensembles such as the famous Marist High School marching band.

Under the shadow of the elevated “L” tracks, Daniel Da Cruz watched the drummers file down the street with his 3-year-old son, Henrique, perched on his shoulders. He said they were in town from Miami, and Chicago’s parade has been the biggest — albeit coldest — Thanksgiving spectacle he’s seen so far.

“We are from Brazil, so Thanksgiving is not something that we really feel, but now we are living in U.S., so … especially for him, it’s something that is becoming important,” he said. “As we were coming here we saw this big parade and said, ‘Why not?’”

Then the 39-year-old father craned his neck up to catch his son gleefully babbling as the performers strutted to jingles such as “Joy to the World” and “Dashing Through the Snow.”

The 89th Chicago Thanksgiving Parade kicked off at 8 a.m. Thursday on State Street and Ida B. Wells Drive before heading north to Randolph Street, and this year marked the long-awaited return of the giant helium balloons, many of which quickly captured the imagination of children who stood on Divvy bike docks to catch a glimpse.

Visiting from Atlanta, Natasha Burrowes said her 5-year-old daughter’s favorite sight was the pink Care Bear with a rainbow emblem. For herself, Burrowes, 45, enjoyed the music and dance performances.

“It’s so wonderful they have all different cultures represented here,” Burrowes said. “They had the Korean dance and the Guatemalan community, and so it’s so beautiful just to see.”

Besides the giant Santa’s Village and festive turkey floats, the event showcased esteemed marching bands such as Tennessee State University’s and was co-hosted by actors Jen Lilley and Jesse Hutch. Chicago’s Poet Laureate avery r. young and country singers Reyna Roberts and Tayler Holder also made an appearance.

But for 10-year-old Addison Hayes, the performance she was most eager to see was her cousin’s, with his local school’s band.

“I’m pretty impressed because I’ve never played like a real instrument, but I think it’s pretty impressive because, I mean, he plays a tuba, which sounds really heavy to carry and all that,” she said.

A visitor from Washington, D.C., who has extended family in Chicago, Addison remarked at the twinkling Christmas lights set up downtown and the “really great year” she was thankful for as she waited for her cousin’s turn: “It’s really pretty. ... I’m very excited to be here.”

Chicago’s Thanksgiving Parade began in 1934 to “help lift the spirits of residents suffering through the Great Depression,” according to its website, and has blossomed into a blockbuster tradition that brings together over a dozen cultures from across the world and local jewels — such as the Jesse White Tumblers — alike.

Also a decadeslong presence in Chicago, the troupe of young gymnasts named for the former Illinois secretary of state often steals the show at parades, and it acquired some new fans Thursday.

The arrival of the red-clad tumblers elicited many in the crowd to lean over the gate with their phone cameras to document their tall heights.

“That’s awesome,” Michigan resident Noah Creamer said, while clapping at a boy launching from a trampoline and soaring into the sky. His wife, Tegan, also remarked: “Brave little kids, to be throwing themselves at the street.”

Toward the end of the parade, Fernanda Arellano, 20, turned to her boyfriend and dotingly adjusted the Chicago Bears scarf wrapped around his neck.

“It’s a tradition for our family to come every year,” Arellano, who came into the city from west suburban Cicero, said, “since I was a baby, so like 20 years now.”