The Chicago Thanksgiving Parade, currently named the McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade (see below), is an annual parade produced and presented by the Chicago Festival Association (CFA). Held on State Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, the three hour event begins each year at 8:00a.m. CT on Thanksgiving Day. The parade is also telecast live, locally on WGN-TV, and nationally on WGN America.

Balloons

The McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade uses primarily helium balloons, which have the benefit of floating in the air. In recent years, a helium shortage has caused several parades to cut down or cease their helium use altogether. However, the producers of this parade have yet to express any plans to move to cold air balloons; only one or two cold air balloons are used every year. Chicago's Thanksgiving Parade is the city's only event that features inflatable balloons every year.

Parade School

Every year, the producers of the parade hold a parade training school to ensure sufficient preparation in several of the volunteers. For many years the Chicago Festival Association, the parade's producers, have been partnered with the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago, and hold the day's proceedings there. Although almost 300 volunteers come to the event, the main attraction and section of the school is for the balloon handlers, a name given to the volunteers who balance the giant inflatables as they go down the parade route.

Balloon Inflation

The balloons for the parade begin the inflation process before sunrise to the south of the beginning of the parade route. It takes several people to fill each balloon with helium or cold air.