WGN’s Robin Baumgarten and Paul Konrad will host the annual “McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade” Thursday, November 22 from 8-11am CT, live and in HD, on Chicago’s Very Own WGN-TV and nationally on WGN America.  WGN feature reporter Marcus Leshock will report street-side.  During the telecast, viewers will be encouraged to join the fun on Twitter with the hashtag #WGNParade.
 
The 79th annual parade kicks off the 2012 holiday season on Chicago’s historic State Street with WWE Superstar and Chicago native CM Punk as Grand Marshal and Ronald McDonald as honorary grand marshal.  WGN’s goodwill ambassador and Chicago favorite Bozo the Clown will preside over the WGN-TV float, along with WGN’s Tom Skilling, Dan Roan, Frank Holland, Erin McElroy, Dean Richards, Nancy Loo, Sean Lewis and Paul Lisnek.  The “McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade” will also feature special performances from a variety of acts including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, giant balloons, bands from across the country, high-stepping equestrians, fabulous floats, performance groups and Santa Claus.
 
An encore of the “McDonald’s Thanksgiving Parade” will also be seen Thanksgiving afternoon from 1-4pm CT on cable news channel CLTV in the Chicago; Rockford, IL; and South Bend, IN areas.
 
WGN first televised the parade in 1966 when it was called the “State Street Christmas Parade.”