Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
Encyclopedia
The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is a holiday festival that takes place annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving
along Chicago
's Magnificent Mile
. It is hosted by the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association.
store replaced its historical holiday decorations with Italian white lights, stringing them on the branches of the elm trees in front of the store. The trend was continued by neighboring stores and has grown in both popularity and scope into the Lights Festival we know today.
, from Oak Street
on the North to Wacker Drive
/the Chicago River
on the South. Other activities include live stage shows, the Christkindlmarket
, and street entertainers. While other celebrities (Betty Grable
[1953]) have hosted the events, Disney's Mickey Mouse
has acted as master of ceremonies in recent years. After the lighting procession, shopping hours are extended to start the holiday season.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
along Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's Magnificent Mile
Magnificent Mile
The Magnificent Mile, sometimes referred to as The Mag Mile, is a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois, that runs along a portion of Michigan Avenue extending from the Chicago River to Oak Street in the Near North Side community area. The district is located adjacent to downtown; it is also one block...
. It is hosted by the Greater North Michigan Avenue Association.
History
The Lights Festival began modestly in 1949 when members of The Greater North Michigan Avenue Association installed a 50-foot-tall Christmas tree, decorated with over 1,500 lights and a six-foot star topper, into the Water Tower Park. In 1959, the Saks Fifth AvenueSaks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
store replaced its historical holiday decorations with Italian white lights, stringing them on the branches of the elm trees in front of the store. The trend was continued by neighboring stores and has grown in both popularity and scope into the Lights Festival we know today.
Present-Day
The festival is focused on the illumination of more than one million lights on two hundred trees along North Michigan AvenueMichigan Avenue (Chicago)
Michigan Avenue is a major north-south street in Chicago which runs at 100 east south of the Chicago River and at 132 East north of the river from 12628 south to 950 north in the Chicago street address system...
, from Oak Street
Oak Street (Chicago)
Oak Street is a short street on Chicago's Gold Coast at 1000 North in Chicago's street numbering system, running from 138 east to 648 west in the Near North Side community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It ends without crossing the North Branch of the Chicago River...
on the North to Wacker Drive
Wacker Drive
Wacker Drive is a major street in Chicago, Illinois, United States, running along the south side of the main branch and the east side of the south branch of the Chicago River...
/the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
on the South. Other activities include live stage shows, the Christkindlmarket
Christkindlmarket, Chicago
Christkindlmarket is a Christmas market held annually at Daley Plaza in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The festival is part of the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and attracts more than 1 million visitors each year.- History :...
, and street entertainers. While other celebrities (Betty Grable
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
[1953]) have hosted the events, Disney's Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
has acted as master of ceremonies in recent years. After the lighting procession, shopping hours are extended to start the holiday season.