CTAs mini-train and mini-bus, decorated with holiday lights, garlands and candy canes, will join Marshall Fields Jingle Elf Parade on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, officially kicking off the Christmas Holiday season along State Street downtown. State Street will be closed from Roosevelt to Congress early Thursday morning to allow parade participants to assemble. The parade itself will begin at 8:30 a.m., proceeding north on State from Congress to Randolph before disbanding.
The mini-train runs on rubber tires and is pulled by a mock steam engine and tender reminiscent of equipment used by the first L service over 100 years ago. The passenger cars following behind are painted to look like L cars of the 1890s, 1950s and 1990s. The mini-bus consists of a mock-up of three styles of buses that have seen recent CTA service. Connected together, they will be pulling a red Santa sleigh decorated for the season. CTA employees and their families will ride aboard.
Twelve CTA bus routes that use or cross State Street between Roosevelt and Wacker will be detoured by the parade and the preparations for it. The buses, which will be operating on a Sunday/holiday schedule, include the #6 Jeffery Express, #10 Museum of Science & Industry, #20 Madison, #29 State, #36 Broadway, #56 Milwaukee, #60 Blue island/26th, #62 Archer, #126 Jackson, #145 Wilson/Michigan, #146 Marine/Michigan and #151 Sheridan.
During the parade, #10 and #146 buses that normally operate on State will stay on Michigan from Wacker to Congress. #6 buses will use Michigan northbound and Clark southbound. #145 buses will use Michigan southbound and Dearborn northbound. #29, #36, and #62 buses will operate north through the Loop on Dearborn and south on Clark. #56, #60 and #151 buses will also use Dearborn northbound and Clark southbound to connect with the east-west portions of their routes via Wacker.
#20 Madison buses will end their trips east on Washington at Clark before starting new trips west on Madison, while #126 Jackson buses will end their trips on Jackson at Dearborn before going north to Adams to begin trips west.
For details about CTA service, call 836-7000 (all local area codes).
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