ABC7 Airs Chicago’s Bud Billiken Parade as Lisaraye Mccoy Leads 97th Celebration of the City’s Back-To-School Tradition

CHICAGO, IL — ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago broadcast the 97th annual Bud Billiken Parade, a longtime back-to-school tradition that doubled as a citywide celebration of Chicago talent and community pride.

The two-hour special aired live Saturday morning on ABC7 and abc7chicago.com, giving viewers a front-row seat to the nation’s largest African American parade as it rolled through the South Side.

ABC7 turns the parade into a live summer showcase

Hosts Cheryl Burton, Hosea Sanders and Val Warner anchored the coverage from the booth, while Terrell Brown and Karen Jordan followed the action from street level. Samantha Chatman and other ABC7 staffers also joined the procession from the station’s float.

The broadcast mixed parade pageantry with crowd energy as performers and marchers filled the route. ABC7 framed the event as both entertainment and an annual marker of the school year ahead for Chicago families.

LisaRaye McCoy serves as grand marshal for the 97th parade

Chicago native LisaRaye McCoy led this year’s parade as grand marshal. Known for her work as an actor, model and entrepreneur, McCoy is recognized by many fans for The Players Club and Single Ladies.

The parade featured local groups including the Jesse White Tumblers, South Shore Drill Team, Golden Knights Drill Team, Chi-Town Cheerleaders, Next Level Dance Team, MBM Dance Team and Little Ladies of Virtue. ABC7 said the lineup reflected the best of Chicago performance culture.

A century-old tradition keeps drawing huge crowds

The Bud Billiken Parade is widely described as the oldest and biggest African American parade in the country, drawing more than 1 million spectators over the years. It has become a signature August event for families, schoolchildren and neighborhood groups across Chicago.

This year’s route began at 39th Street and Martin Luther King Drive, then moved south along King Drive through Washington Park before ending at Garfield Boulevard. ABC7 said its long-running partnership with Chicago Defender Charities helps spotlight education and student empowerment tied to the parade’s mission.

Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.