Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Kicks Off Chicago's Holiday Season
By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 17, 2012 5:00PM
Forget about Black Friday. Tonight's Magnificent Mile Lights Festival serves as Chicago's unofficial start to the holiday season and as a precursor to holiday shopping season.
The festival is the largest of its kind in the country, with dozens of floats, marching bands, celebrity appearances and a certain fat man with a white beard and a red coat. Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to the Chicago River will be decked out with over a million lights on 200 trees, and the festivities end with a fireworks display along the river. It'll also be closed this afternoon in preparation.
The festival never fails to draw a crowd and, if you're heading downtown either to attend the festival or for something else, plan accordingly. CTA and Metra are adding extra trains to accommodate the expected mass of humanity. Driving downtown is the last thing you should be doing today. It all kicks off at 5:30 p.m.