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10 Tips to Enjoy the Chicago McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade #ChicagosParade

10 Tips to Enjoy the Chicago McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade #ChicagosParade

Thanksgiving in Chicago is full of amazing things to do. The Christkindlmarket is a highlight, along with the McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade and shopping on the Magnificent Mile. These tips will help you get the most of your holiday trip to the Windy City.

1. Stay at the Palmer House Hilton. The stunning architecture is just one reason to stay at the historical site, but the draw for this particular day is the location for the parade. It is on the route and can slip up to your room for a for quick warm up. Note that there are no rooms with a decent view of the parade here.

The Palmer Hilton Hotel

2. The parade starts at 8 a.m. but takes about fifteen minutes to get to the Palmer House location. If you don’t mind where you stand and don’t want to fight crowds flooding to the street, wait a few minutes, grab a latte at the thinner lines at the Starbucks located inside the hotel and then slip into the mix.

3. The Windy City lives up to its name. Bring lip balm and bundle up. If you forget, you might find a parade volunteer walking around with candy and free tubes of chap-stick.

4. Stand in near the entrance to a subway tunnel. You will get small blasts of warm air. If you really get cold, you can slip down the stairs and take a minute or two to warm up. The only downside might be a funny smell.

10 Tips to Enjoy the Chicago McDonald's Thanksgiving Parade #ChicagosParade - 1

5. Grab breakfast during the parade. The event is about three hours long. If you want to grab something to eat, do it during the parade, but be prepared to wait in long lines the second Santa closes the parade.

6. People begin lining up on the streets around 6 a.m. with their folding chairs and blankets. If you want a prime viewing spot for a family, you will need to be one of those people. Have one adult nab a spot and take turns holding it. If you are ok with taking a chance, some viewers tend not to sit through the entire event. Sometimes you can nab vacated spots throughout the day.

7. The Christkindlmarket is packed on Black Friday. Try visiting on Thanksgiving Day, early. It typically closes around 4 p.m.

8. You can buy seats at Chicagofestivals.org for the prime area where they film the parade at State Street between Washington and Randolph. They usually include a light continental breakfast and private port-a-potties, but be prepared to pay big bucks.

9. Book as early as possible. Prices, generally speaking, for hotels jump in mid-October for Thanksgiving accommodations. Hotels on the parade route will fill up quickly. If you need a suite or special requests, make them as far in advance as possible.

10. Same goes for Thanksgiving dinner. If you want a special feast, get reservations ASAP. Many places feature some sort of turkey dinner, but even restaurants with standard menus will fill up fast.