Don’t miss out
ON Magnificent updates
Sign up for our magnificent updates. A round up of fun events, exclusive deals and happenings along Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. Never miss a magnificent moment.
The Wintrust
Lights Festival Countdown:
1
9
4
DAYS
:
1
9
HOURS
:
2
9
MINUTES
:
4
5
SECONDS
Greetings From our Sponsors
The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival would not be possible without our partners’ support!
Learn more about the sponsors who help create the magic in 2022!
-
Wintrust
Wintrust is a financial services company based in Rosemont, Illinois. Through our family of more than
175 community bank locations, and related companies and divisions, we offer:- traditional commercial and community banking services
- wealth management guidance
- mortgage origination
- commercial insurance premium financing
- short-term accounts receivable financing and administrative services
We were created to be the alternative to our big bank competitors. That means, no matter which of our banks, companies, or divisions you engage with, our customers and clients come first. We offer the resources and tools of a large company with the personal attention and customer focus you expect from a local, smaller establishment.
-
Enjoy Illinois
Illinois is unique among Midwest destinations. We're the best of many worlds, including big city excitement, deep historic roots, beautiful vistas and open spaces. But Illinois is not just about our places – it's about our people who will welcome you with open arms.
The Illinois Office of Tourism, part of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, manages industry efforts that result in sustainable and significant economic and quality-of-life benefits for Illinois residents.Learn more at EnjoyIllinois.com
-
AT&T
Lights Festival 2022 Presenting Sponsor AT&T is pleased to present the Unwrap Possibilities float featuring Debbie Gibson!
Visit the AT&T Flagship store at 600 N Michigan and Ontario Ave. to unwrap possibilities all season
long. Shoppers can try a variety of interactive experiences featuring the latest technology, take holiday
photos, and shop a wide selection of the season’s hottest gifts. Stop by the store on Parade Day to
enjoy holiday music, warm up with hot cocoa and take away some special gifts.AT&T is giving customers more to unwrap this holiday season; more laughter, more amazement, and more delight. They are inspiring customers to connect and unwrap the possibilities that await.
-
ABC7 Chicago
Since 2007, ABC 7 Chicago has teamed up with The Magnificent Mile Association to ring in the holidays with the broadcast of The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Capturing the magic of the season, the ABC 7 parade broadcast, hosted by Alan Krashesky, Cheryl Burton, Janet Davies and Rob Elgas, features musical performances, Disney characters including Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, an appearance by Santa and a grand finale of dazzling fireworks. This year, the parade broadcast will air in nearly 100% of the country! Check your local listings.
ABC 7 is Chicago’s #1 choice for news and the most watched television station in Chicago.
You can find ABC 7 Chicago on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @abc7chicago and online at abc7chicago.com.
-
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort, The Most Magical Place on Earth, is a contiguous, nearly 40-square-mile, world-class entertainment and recreation destination featuring four theme parks (Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park); two water adventure parks (Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park); more than 25 resort hotels; 63 holes of golf on four championship courses; two full-service spas; Disney's Wedding Pavilion; ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex; and Disney Springs, a shopping-dining-entertainment complex. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., 20 miles southwest of Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort opened Oct. 1, 1971.
-
Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago® is the official destination marketing organization for Chicago, Illinois. Our mission is to bring regional, national, and international business and leisure visitors to Chicago for the economic benefit of the city, the community, and our membership — while being an advocate for the tourism industry and our partners. Choose Chicago comprises 10 departments that work together to achieve these goals.
Find out more at choosechicago.com.
-
The Wrigley Building
One of the largest and most highly ornamented terra cotta skyscrapers in the city of Chicago, the Wrigley Building is celebrating its Centennial year! It was built in 1921 for gum magnate, William Wrigley, Jr, and was the start of a development and style that transformed The Magnificent Mile into what it is today!
And at 101 years old, it’s still making history!
International awards in building management and green certification, it stands every day as an illuminated beacon for our city.
-
Hiltons of Chicago
Join the Hilton Chicago, The Drake Hotel and Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel as Chicago kicks-off the holiday season with the return of Wintrust Lights Festival illuminating The Magnificent Mile.
This year’s Hiltons of Chicago, representing Hilton Chicago, The Drake Hotel, and Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, locomotive float will steam along The Magnificent Mile with Mrs. Claus to jingle and mingle throughout Chicago’s largest holiday procession tradition.
Partake in all Michigan Avenue has to offer with a number holiday package and events including Photos with Santa experiences and the return of Call Dibs on Parking, at one of these Hilton Hotels, collectively celebrating 347 years of hospitality excellence, surrounding The Magnificent Mile. Rate start at just $265 per night. Visit HiltonsofChicagoDibs.com
-
The Eli's Cheesecake Company
In 1980, restaurateur Eli Schulman decided cheesecake would be the signature dessert at his legendary Chicago steakhouse, Eli's The Place For Steak. His unconventional no-water bath, fast and hot baking method resulted in a beautiful caramelization on the outside and a rich and creamy consistency on the inside. The key to Eli's unique taste and texture is sourcing the purest and best ingredients, like Madagascar Vanilla from Nielsen-Massey, and baking in small batches with custom slow-cultured cream cheese and sour cream.
All of our desserts are handmade and decorated by a team of extraordinary pastry chefs at our bakery located on Chicago's northwest side. Eli's Cheesecake and desserts can be shipped anywhere in the continental USA, and local delivery is available. Still a family-owned business, Eli's is committed to quality, empowering its workforce and following our founder's mantras: "Charity will never bust you" and "Treat others as if you were the other."
For more, visit elicheesecake.com.
-
Walgreens
Walgreens is proud to call Chicago home and is thrilled to be joining the Magnificent Mile Lights Parade for another year! Don’t forget – we are conveniently located on the Mag Mile for all of your parade day needs – like hand warmers, face masks, warm weather gear and umbrellas (but hopefully not umbrellas!), Walgreens is here for you, all season long, for every last minute Holiday need that pops on your list. Wishing our team members & customers a very happy & healthy holiday!
-
Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Lurie Children’s delivers the highest quality, family-centered care and high-impact research. As one of the largest pediatric specialty providers in the region, with more than 1,830 physicians and allied health providers in 19 locations in the Chicagoland area, Lurie Children’s mission is to enhance the health and wellbeing of children through patient care, research, education and advocacy. In the 2022–23 U.S. News & World Report rankings of the Best Children’s Hospitals, Lurie Children’s continues to be the top-ranked hospital in Illinois, ranking in all 9 specialties.
For more information about our services, locations, providers and patient stories, please visit luriechildrens.org.
-
WGN Radio AM 720
For 100 years, WGN Radio AM 720, a Nexstar Inc. station, has been dedicated to being the #1 source of Chicagoland news, information, entertainment, and sports. WGN Radio is the official broadcast home of the Chicago Blackhawks and Northwestern University. Listen at AM 720, online at wgnradio.com, on your WGN Radio app, smart speakers, or TuneIn. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wgnradio and follow us on Twitter @WGNRadio and Instagram @wgnradio.
-
Museum of Ice Cream
Museum of Ice Cream’s world famous sprinkle pool is coming to The Wintrust Magnificent Mile Lights Festival! Our installation will feature a unique, outdoor sprinkle pool. Dive into thousands of sprinkles, and enjoy delicious hot chocolate as you experience the best show in town.
The experience doesn’t end here! Visit MOIC in the sweetest spot in the historic Chicago Tribune building on Michigan Avenue. Reimagined for an audience in need of new ways to celebrate, MOIC Chicago has thoughtfully curated a Willy Wonka-esque adventure to delight every adult’s inner kid, and
excite every kid through the universal joy of ice cream!Learn about the history of ice cream in a journey sprinkled with fun facts and unique interactive installations designed specifically for Chicago. Look forward to cone-necting with loved ones in the city’s only dessert-themed indoor carnival, complete with a cookie carousel and funhouse mirror maze. Recline like an ice cream angel and float away in a sea of pink clouds in the balloon room – and jump into a real life size sprinkle pool!
Starting November 17th, experience Pinkmas, our limited time only holiday experience. Share joy with loved ones as you enter a magical gingerbread town. Explore the village, before you head your way into a spectacular snow globe. Capture sweet memories and fun moments with loved ones and family. And don’t get lost in our Pinkmas tree forest, guaranteed to tantalize your taste buds. With peppermint soft serve and warm mulled cider, the holidays have never been sweeter!
Purchase your tickets now at museumoficecream.com and follow us across all of our socials, on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook at @museumoficecream. We can’t wait to see you!
-
Lifeway Kefir
Joy to the gut! Lifeway Foods invites you to join us as we celebrate the holiday season during The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival on November 19th, 2022. We will be on hand, enjoying the festivities, and sampling some of your favorite Lifeway treats.
Enjoy Lifeway’s benefits straight from the bottle, or use Lifeway to elevate your favorite holiday recipes. Our products are the ultimate secret ingredient for festive cooking. You can stir Lifeway products into your mashed potatoes for added flavor and a boost of probiotics. You can use Lifeway as
the filling for a cheesecake. You can bake Lifeway into your favorite biscuits. The possibilities are endless.Lifeway is the leading U.S. supplier of kefir and fermented products to support the microbiome. We’re here to provide the best in probiotic and nutritious foods with various cultured products to fit into each person’s individual lifestyle. This includes Lifeway Kefir, a small-batch Farmer Cheese, a ProBugs line
for kids, and a plant-based probiotic alternative called Lifeway Oat. Probiotics, like those found in Lifeway products, may support healthy digestion, immunity, and mental health —things that tend to become disrupted during the holiday season. You and your family can enjoy Lifeway’s benefits by shopping in the dairy aisle of your local grocery store.Discover more at LifewayKefir.com!
-
City Cruises Chicago
The most wonderful time of year is quickly approaching, and we are thrilled to welcome guests back this holiday season for our festive offerings on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, bringing some much-needed holiday cheer to the city!
City Cruises Chicago is hosting several themed events for this upcoming holiday season, preparing to
showcase the beauty of our city with a fantastic lineup of experiences on the water.Guests will have the opportunity to leave the Thanksgiving cooking behind this year and enjoy a Thanksgiving feast on a City Cruises’ Lunch on the River or Lake on Thanksgiving Day.
Those looking to spread the holiday cheer, can opt for a holiday cruise on the Lake and River throughout the month of December including a Christmas Eve Dinner Cruise.
And for those looking to plan for the New Year can climb abroad a City Cruises’ New Year’s Eve Dinner on the Lake or River with fireworks!
Use code MAGMILe for 15% off dining cruises through the end of the year. Celebrate the holiday season on the water.
-
CN
CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. South through a 18,600-mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship.
Safety is a core value at CN and we take all necessary steps to protect our employees, communities, customers, suppliers and partners with the objective of reducing rail related injuries and fatalities to zero. As we safely serve our customers, we continue to reinforce a strong safety culture among our employees and remain committed in our efforts to educate the public on the importance of rail safety.
-
GiGi's Playhouse
GiGi’s Playhouse is the ONLY nationwide network of Down syndrome achievement centers. GiGi’s Playhouse was founded by GiGi’s mom, Nancy Gianni, in Hoffman Estates, IL. Through its first 19 years, GiGi’s Playhouse has grown to 57 locations throughout the United States and Mexico and serves families in 83 countries. GiGi’s offers over 50 different therapeutic, educational, and career development programs for individuals with Down syndrome of all ages, their families, and the community. The organization is 99% volunteer-run, and all programs are 100% free to families. From prenatal diagnosis through career skills, GiGi’s Playhouse makes a lifetime commitment to families.
-
Water Tower Place
Water Tower Place is a Chicago landmark on the Magnificent Mile and a long time favorite shopping destination with a large number of stores, restaurants, and live theater.
This holiday season Water Tower Place will play host to the world premier to a unique and interactive exhibit, Harry Potter™: Magic at Play. This is a one-of-a-kind experience that brings the Wizarding World to life through hands-on magical interactivity, including games, exploration, sensory activations, and more. At Harry Potter: Magic at Play, guests will discover, interact and explore their way through the experience, which is designed to engage imaginations and bring out the young witch or wizard in everyone.
