The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival® Presents A Show-Stopping Start To The 2013 Holiday Season

The Magnificent Mile® invites visitors to celebrate the holiday season like never before, with new additions to the annual holiday tradition and a weekend of family fun! 

CHICAGO, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Look to The Magnificent Mile® in Chicago to kick off the holiday season at the 22^nd annual BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on Saturday, November 23, 2013! Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida will lead a magical evening lighting parade down The Magnificent Mile, illuminating more than one million lights on 200 trees along North Michigan Avenue.

The beloved holiday tradition promises a weekend of festivities that family and friends can enjoy throughout The Magnificent Mile district, including an interactive wonderland of holiday-themed activities at Lights Festival Lane starting at 11:00 am on November 23 (Pioneer Court, 401 N. Michigan Avenue). For the first time this year, festival goers will have the unique opportunity to leave their mark on The Magnificent Mile at the BMO Harris Bank Community Art Project. By designing a single colorful tile, participants will help complete an extraordinary mural that represents the city of Chicago. A portion of the finished art will be unveiled along the parade route and live on display along The Magnificent Mile during the holiday season.

Top musical performers scheduled to take The BMO Harris Bank Stage during the afternoon's live concert line-up include Interscope Recording artist Megan Nicole presented by Radio Disney; the Grammy-nominated indie family music group, Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players; singer-songwriter Debbie Gibson and more. Fans can also look forward to meet-and-greets with their favorite stars throughout the day, including Megan Nicole, powered by Chevy, and Laura Marano, presented by BMO Harris Bank.

The day's activities at Lights Festival Lane lead up to the much-anticipated tree lighting parade, the country's largest evening holiday celebration.  New this year, Mario Lopez and his family will ride down North Michigan Avenue prior to the parade step-off and rally the crowd to participate in the "Largest Holiday Carol" starting at 5:00 pm, presented by 93.9 My FM. The parade begins at 5:30 pm as Grand marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse lead more than 40 magnificent floats, helium-filled balloons, classic characters from the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, lively marching bands from across the country and appearances from celebrities including Grace Phipps from the Disney Channel Original Movie Teen Beach Movie, Interscope recording artist Megan Nicole, The Joffrey Ballet and more!

Audiences can expect crowd favorites to return such as Santa Claus soaring above the crowds on the John Hancock Observatory float, the larger-than-life Hubert the Lion balloon from BMO Harris Bank, a Nutcracker balloon from Southwest Airlines and the world-famous scent of Garrett Popcorn Shop's popcorn infused down the procession route from the shop's float. Other visual masterpieces include a new float made of life-size candy from Candyality, featuring dancers from the Joffrey Ballet's The Nutcracker, and a star-studded float from Clear Channel Communications, Inc. to support the "Beat Hunger by a Mag Mile" charitable campaign. 

The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival draws to a grand conclusion with a spectacular fireworks display over the Chicago River created from more than 10,000 handmade fireworks shells from Lumina.

The nationally-televised event will be broadcast live on Saturday, November 23 from 6 pm – 7 pm CST on ABC7 Chicago and in more than 100 markets around the country throughout the holiday season. Viewers can find their local broadcast times at TheMagnificentMile.com or check their local listings to relive the magic.

The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is also the perfect time to get a start on holiday shopping and explore the city like never before! Seasonal promotions and holiday happenings from area shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions continue throughout the season. 

For more information, visit TheMagnificentMile.com and follow The Magnificent Mile on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and foursquare.

SOURCE The Magnificent Mile