Earlier Start Time Confirmed for Chicago Thanksgiving Parade

If you are planning to head downtown for the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade this year, you will need to set your alarm a little earlier than usual.

For the first time in its 92-year history, the procession is shifting its start time, moving to 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26.

The adjustment, confirmed to the Chicago Sun-Times by a parade spokesperson, is designed to align the event’s television broadcast with the holiday sports schedule.

By starting the festivities at 7:45 a.m., organizers ensure the broadcast on CBS Chicago can begin promptly at 8 a.m., ahead of the Chicago Bears’ Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Detroit Lions. With pregame coverage set for 10 a.m., the schedule creates a morning of Chicago-centric programming.

The route remains a familiar stretch of pavement, running north along State Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Randolph Street. While the core path is unchanged, the shift in timing brings a notable structural update to the morning: the hour of stage performances that previously took place before the procession entered the television broadcast zone has been eliminated.

Earlier Start Time Confirmed for Chicago Thanksgiving Parade — Photo: spothero.com

SpotHero advises that you should secure your parade parking ahead of time to guarantee you obtain a space along the route. The parade remains free to the public.

This year’s celebration features a heavy dose of local sports legacy. Charles “Peanut” Tillman, the former Bears cornerback who played 12 seasons with the team, will lead the procession as grand marshal. Tillman, a 2013 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year recipient, is best known for the “Peanut Punch,” a defensive technique he pioneered to jar the ball loose from offensive players.

Joining Tillman is 14-year-old actor Jake Connelly, an Arlington Heights native who played Derek Turnbow in the final season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” Connelly recently appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and sang “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at Wrigley Field.

The parade itself is expected to feature more than 80 entries, including:

14 giant balloons, featuring a new Cookie Monster entry
Seven national and five local marching bands
Six equestrian units
15 performances
A newly designed sleigh for Santa Claus

While the parade has maintained its presence in Chicago for 92 years, this shift to an earlier start time highlights the influence of broadcast scheduling on the event.

Keep reading