ABC7's Cheryl Burton showed off her Double Dutch skills at the Bud Billiken Parade!

2026 Bud Billiken Parade celebrates 97 years of excellence on Chicago's South Side

CHICAGO (WLS) -- ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago broadcast the 97th annual Bud Billiken Parade, which kicked off the Back-to-School Festival.

The two-hour special, featuring the country's largest African American parade, aired live on ABC7 and abc7chicago.com on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon.

ABC7 Eyewitness News team members Cheryl Burton, Hosea Sanders and Val Warner hosted the event from the broadcast booth, while Terrell Brown and Karen Jordan covered the parade's action and excitement from the ground.

ABC7's Samantha Chatman and other staffers rode atop the ABC7 Chicago float, engaging with the crowd along the parade route.

"We are proud to be a part of this 97-year tradition, which has brought joy, inspiration and summer fun to generations of Chicagoans," said John Idler, general manager, ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago. "Our long-standing partnership with Chicago Defender Charities also allows us to spotlight the importance of education and student empowerment, which is central to the organization's mission."

The parade kicked off at 10 a.m. on 39th Street and Martin Luther King Drive, with grand marshal McCoy leading the procession south onto King Drive, through Washington Park and concluding at Garfield Boulevard.