The Uncle Dan's Thanksgiving Day Parade Celebrates 85 Years

Boasting a slew of festive participants from places across the globe including The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, Switzerland and even The North Pole, the 85th Annual Uncle Dan's Thanksgiving Day Parade is set to bring more than 20 talented marching bands, 13 festive floats, 16 staged theatrical performances, 11 equestrian groups, several cultural groups, inflatables, celebrity guests, thousands of dedicated volunteers and more to Chicago for the 2018 parade. One of the most popular holiday celebrations in the city and the country, taking place Thursday, November 22, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., this free, family-friendly parade runs on State Street from Congress to Randolph in an annual celebration with sights and sounds for attendees of all ages.

Attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators each year, the 2018 lineup includes more than 90 diverse and remarkable groups and guests for a total of almost 5,000 walking participants including the Harlem Globetrotters, John Vincent, Miss Illinois, Chicago's favorite fun-loving bird and Parade mascot, Teddy Turkey, and a fan-favorite, Santa Claus. This year's highlights include the City of Zurich Police Band, Royal Bahamas Police Force Marching Band, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, Boys Scouts of America, Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team, Mandala South Asian Performing Arts, the American Sidesaddle Association, Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament and many more. Staged performances will feature top talent including the Ballet Folklorico Sones Mexicanos, A&A Ballet, Miss Saigon and WaistWatchers The Musical! as they flow through downtown Chicago.

Attendees making their way downtown on Thanksgiving Day are invited to experience the parade in style with VIP access as an individual sponsor. With limited, show-center seating available, VIP ticketholders get the best view of the parade from the television zone, which is the only on-site location to see the staged performances that appear on TV right before their eyes, in addition to the full parade. Tickets for VIP access to the parade are $60 and are available for purchase online.

The parade is broadcast live nationally on WGN America and in Chicagoland on WGN9. The parade is re-broadcast at 1 p.m. Thanksgiving afternoon on CLTV. The 2018 Uncle Dan's Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place live on State Street between Congress Parkway and Randolph Street in downtown Chicago on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 22 from 8 to 11 a.m. (CST).

For more information about the Uncle Dan's Thanksgiving Day Parade, visit www.chicagothanksgivingparade.com.

Originally called the Christmas Caravan in the 1930s, the Parade, now in its 85th year, was created in 1934 to help lift the spirits of residents suffering through the Great Depression. Since then, it has developed into a full-scale spectacle that celebrates the holiday season. What once started out as an attempt to boost Chicago's economy, has evolved into a cherished holiday tradition for Americans across the country. Over sixteen different countries will share their enriched traditions with Chicago's Parade this Thanksgiving morning. The sights on State Street give the audience a chance to travel the world and embrace other traditions, all without leaving downtown Chicago. Follow the Uncle Dan's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Uncle Dan's
Uncle Dan's adventure began in 1972 with a simple goal: to help outfit you and your family to explore the outdoors. With thoughtfully curated collections at each of its 9 locations in the Midwest, Uncle Dan's specializes in excellent customer service, premier all-weather apparel and travel gear for adventures big and small. With brands like Patagonia, The North Face, Arc'teryx, Merrell, and SmartWool, Uncle Dan's offers quality products for all adventures - whether hiking in the mountains, backpacking through Europe or navigating cold winters. For more information, visit https://www.udans.com/.

About Marcus Lemonis
Marcus Lemonis is an entrepreneur, investor, television personality, and chairman and CEO of Camping World Holdings as well as Marcus Lemonis LLC.

Lemonis is known as the "business turnaround king" and host of CNBC's prime time reality series, The Profit, in which he lends his expertise to struggling small businesses around the country and judges' businesses based on a "Three P" principle: People, Process, and Product. The Profit returns on Tuesday, December 4th at 10pm ET/PT on CNBC.

More information about Marcus Lemonis can be found at http://www.marcuslemonis.com,

About CFA Events
CFA Events is a dynamic event Production Company, specializing in parade production, large scale event production and live television production. Phil Purevich, executive producer, has led the Chicago Thanksgiving parade since 1997.

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