Chicago's unofficial start to the holiday season will continue on Saturday night with the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival Parade, the nation's largest nighttime parade.

The weather will be rather enjoyable this time around, in contrast to last year's bitter cold.

While the festival itself began at 11 a.m., the much-awaited event, the parade, doesn't get underway until 5:30 p.m. Festivities will commence when Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse step off at Oak Street and Michigan Avenue and head south, illuminating more than one million lights on 200 trees block by block, according to the event's website.

For those planning to be in the downtown area during the festivities, whether you'll be looking for the perfect viewing spot or trying to navigate around the parade, the route stretches from

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