Giant balloons are returning to Chicago’s 89th Thanksgiving Parade on Thursday, including Teddy the Turkey, Kermit the Frog, Rudolph the Reindeer and Peppa Pig.
The balloons hadn’t been a part of the parade since 2018 for financial reasons. A shortage of helium was, in part, what made it too costly to have the inflatables, said Dan Mulka, executive director of the Chicago Thanksgiving Parade Foundation.
“If you took all the aspects of the parade, that is probably the most expensive aspect of producing the parade,” Mulka said.
The balloons were able to make a return this year thanks to a Tourism Attraction and Festivals Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
Mulka said the balloons, which each take 20 to 40 people to control, were the first thing he wanted to bring back because he’s seen the balloons garner the most “visceral reaction” from the crowd.
“When I see the families and the crowds and everybody lined up, you see all the faces turn and smile and point, and you can just see the reaction, the actual reaction on their faces,” he said.
Mulka said he hopes people create cherished memories with their families at the Thanksgiving parade this year and hopes the parade represents Chicago, with its mix of cultures and nationalities.
Thousands of people are expected to watch the parade from the streets. The parade will also be streamed on Pluto TV for those who want to watch at home. Actors Jen Lilley and Jesse Hutch will be co-hosting the parade this year, with special appearances from HGTV’s Lauren Makk and Chicago’s poet laureate avery r. young.
The free parade is from 8 to 11 a.m. Thursday and will travel up State Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Randolph Street.
Other performances include cultural groups, 16 high school marching bands and equestrians. For the full lineup, visit the Thanksgiving Parade’s website.
