Chicago Columbus Day Parade
ABC 7 Only Chicago TV Station to Broadcast Parade
CHICAGO (WLS) -- ABC 7 CHICAGO, the official station of the 63rd annual Columbus Day Parade, presented the parade. An encore performance will air on ABC 7's main channel early Tuesday morning, October 13 at 12:05-1:35 am.
PHOTOS: Chicago Columbus Day Parade
Alan Krashesky, ABC 7 anchor/reporter and Janet Davies, ABC 7 feature/entertainment reporter and 190 NORTH host, once again served to host the Columbus Day Parade broadcast. Anthony Rago, from Rago Brothers Funeral Home, and member of the executive committee of the Italian American Human Relations Foundation, joined them in the broadcast booth. Dominic DiFrisco, president emeritus of the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans is officially handing over his role as the parade's color commentator to Anthony Rago this year. Mark Nilsson from ABC 7's 190 NORTH was on the street capturing all the festivities.
VIDEO: Chicago Columbus Day Parade - Part 1
VIDEO: Chicago Columbus Day Parade - Part 2
VIDEO: Chicago Columbus Day Parade - Part 3
The 2015 parade's central theme is "The Time is Now." The theme refers to the younger Italian American community embracing a larger role in the Chicagoland area. This year's chairman is Sal Perricone of Perricone Garden Center and Nursery.
Riding atop the ABC 7 Columbus Day Parade float was Tracy Butler, Judy Hsu, Ron Magers, Jerry Taft and Linda Yu.
The fun began on State Street "that Great Street." The parade started on State at Wacker Drive and continued south to Van Buren.
VIDEO: Chicago Columbus Day Parade - Part 4
VIDEO: Chicago Columbus Day Parade - Part 5
VIDEO: Chicago Columbus Day Parade - Part 6
The Columbus Day Parade Queen, 22-year-old Jessica Malpede of Addison, Illinois, was front and center along with her majestic court. Malpede attends Elmhurst College. She began her reign this September after she was selected during a pageant sponsored by the Joint Civil Committee of Italian Americans.
The Great Lakes Navy Band led the parade joined by more than 150 units including marchers, bands, drum and bugle corps and floats.
The Columbus Day Parade celebrates Christopher Columbus and his monumental voyage which was first acknowledged in Illinois in 1963 when it became a legal holiday.
The Columbus Day Parade is produced by ABC 7 Chicago.
VIDEO: Chicago Columbus Day Parade - Part 7
