ARTS IN THE DARK VALUES

THE POWER OF ART

We believe Chicago’s creative individuals, organizations, and communities are a driving force in the life of the city and should be recognized for the value they bring to Chicago’s cultural, economic, and civic life.

ARTISTS OF TODAY

This year the parade will be led by a spectacle contingent that represents Chicago’s diverse dance community.

ARTISTS OF TOMORROW
 
We invite Chicago’s children to join us in making and creating and to experience the wonder and inspiration of creative work.
 

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL

We honor and respect all of our creative communities and seek to engender a deep democratic spirit.  We strive to bring together on one playing field the most established and esteemed along with the new and aspiring. We celebrate the wide arc of creative forms as well as the broad spectrum of artistic genres, practices, disciplines, and guilds. We embrace artists, organizations and attendees of every race, ethnicity, class, ability, gender identity and sexual orientation and strive to build a parade lineup and audience that is as diverse as the city in which we live.
 

THIS IS NOT YOUR FATHER’S PARADE

 This is not a parade for dignitaries, politicians or sponsorship floats. This is a celebration of cultural organizations and artists of every sort – all of whom bring passion and creative problem solving to the challenge of parading.  It is “parade as art” as our contingents combine costumes, spectacle, music, movement, audience engagement, and lighting elements.