BMO Harris Magnificent Mile Lights Festival 2015

October 13th, 2015 | hereschicago

What you need to know: BMO Harris Magnificent Mile Lights Festival 2015

The celebration features appearances by iconic Disney characters Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends from the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida; live musical performances and celebrity appearances, including Verve Records’ new Pop/Soul/Funk phenom Charles Perry; and special offers at district hotels, stores, restaurants and attractions.

WHAT: Each year, more than one million people travel to The Magnificent Mile for the nation’s premier kickoff to the holiday season, staged annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving and broadcast throughout the holiday season. This year, the Lights Festival parade is scheduled to air in a record 92% of the nation, plus first-time international airings in Canada. 

Enjoy a day of family-friendly holiday activities on Lights Festival Lane, followed by the lighting procession in the evening down North Michigan Avenue. Grand marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida will lead a magical parade of more than 40 spectacular floats, helium-filled balloons, marching bands and top musical performers as they magically illuminate more than one million lights on 200 trees along The Magnificent Mile.

The day’s activities are free and open to the public. Special hotel packages include free parking, retail gift cards, family-friendly amenities and special rates.

WHERE: The Magnificent Mile district, Chicago, IL
Lights Festival Lane: Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Avenue
Lighting Procession: North Michigan Avenue from Oak Street to Wacker Drive 

WHEN: Saturday, November 21

11:00 am – 5:00 pm:
Lights Festival Lane (401 N. Michigan Avenue) offers live musical performances by top artists on The BMO Harris Bank Stage, in addition to more than a dozen family-friendly activities.

5:30 pm:
The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival lighting procession steps off from Oak Street and Michigan Avenue.

Lights Festival

6:55 pm:
Lights Festival draws to a grand conclusion with a spectacular fireworks display over the Chicago River at Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive.

Throughout the holidays:
Special holiday offers and events continue throughout The Magnificent Mile district.

 

About BMO Harris Bank

BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through more than 600 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Arizona and Florida.  BMO Harris Bank’s commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S.  For more information about BMO Harris Bank, go to the company fact sheet.  Banking products and services are subject to bank or credit approval. BMO Harris Bank N.A., Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with approximately 1,600 branches, and CDN $672 billion in assets (as of July 31, 2015).

 About The Magnificent Mile®
The Magnificent Mile® is Chicago’s premier destination, offering more than 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 60 hotels, unique museums and entertaining attractions to more than 20 million visitors each year. As one of the Great Avenues of the World®, The Magnificent Mile district features extraordinary shopping, critically-acclaimed dining, world-class hotel accommodations, seasonal event campaigns and exceptional urban landscaping with more than 52 separate parkway gardens that reflect the changing seasons and complement the unique architectural beauty of Chicago. For more information, visit TheMagnificentMile.com or follow The Magnificent Mile on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and foursquare.

About The Magnificent Mile Association

Organizer of The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival^® presented by BMO Harris Bank, The Magnificent Mile Association is a private, non-profit membership organization with a mission of preserving, promoting, and enhancing one of Chicago’s most unique neighborhoods. The organization represents more than 750 members including retailers; hotels; restaurants; popular attractions; and commercial, institutional and residential properties.  For more information, visit www.themagnificentmileassociation.com