# Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival (Michigan Avenue) > Event for families in the Chicago–Naperville–Elgin area (IL / IN). Times are Central Time. - When: Sat, Nov 21 · 11:00 AM – 7:30 PM - Where: North Michigan Avenue (Magnificent Mile), 600 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 - Ages: All ages welcome; stroller accessible; family daytime activity booths at Lights Festival Lane (Pioneer Court) - Price: Completely free public parade viewing and fireworks display - Organizer: The Magnificent Mile Association & Wintrust Financial - Official page: https://www.themagnificentmile.com/lights-festival/ - Last checked: Wed, Nov 4 Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/chicago/activities/wintrust-magnificent-mile-lights-festival-michigan-avenue--listing-6abaff34f64c1caac1804837 ## About Ranked as the third largest parade in the United States and the nation's largest nighttime parade, the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is Chicago's official holiday kickoff, held annually the weekend before Thanksgiving. More than one million spectators pack North Michigan Avenue from Oak Street south to Wacker Drive. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse lead the grand evening procession as Grand Marshals, magically illuminating more than one million twinkling LED lights on 200 boulevard trees along the way. The parade features 40+ lighted floats, giant helium balloons, marching bands, and concludes with a fireworks show over the Chicago River. ## Similar picks in Chicago - [Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival](https://grassyknees.com/chicago/activities/wintrust-magnificent-mile-lights-festival--listing-e8e0d8b6f13d73d1c8ab314a) — Sat, Nov 21 · 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM · North Michigan Avenue (Oak St to Wacker Dr) · All ages · Free · checked Nov 4. Marking the official grand opening of the holiday season in Chicago for 35 years, the Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival draws more than one million spectators to North… - [Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival 2026](https://grassyknees.com/chicago/activities/wintrust-magnificent-mile-lights-festival-2026--listing-ceaf56869bb1bf5a02d08e7c) — Sat, Nov 21 · 11:00 AM – 7:30 PM · North Michigan Avenue (The Magnificent Mile), Oak Street to the Chicago River · All ages · Free · checked Oct 16. 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