Chicago’s 96th annual Bud Billiken Parade stepped off Saturday along Martin Luther King Drive in the Bronzeville neighborhood, continuing what organizers describe as the nation’s largest African American parade and the city’s traditional back-to-school celebration. Under the theme "Road to 100," the two-mile procession featured nearly 200 marching bands, drill teams, tumblers and community floats before ending with a festival in Washington Park that offered free backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, health screenings and a job fair. Actor LaRoyce Hawkins served as grand marshal and was joined on the route by Mayor Brandon Johnson, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, U.S. Representative Danny Davis and local artist Chance the Rapper. Chicago police maintained a visible presence along the route to manage the crowds and traffic. Founded in 1929 by Chicago Defender publisher Robert S. Abbott, the Bud Billiken Parade has grown into a cultural touchstone that organizers say routinely attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators. Saturday’s edition marked another milestone on the event’s “Road to 100,” leading toward its centennial celebration in 2029.