CHICAGO -- The 36th annual Gay and Lesbian Pride Parade, the closest Chicago ever comes to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, will enliven Halsted Street in the Lake View neighborhood Sunday.

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More than 250 floats and groups, along with the usual scattering of city, county and state politicians, including Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, were scheduled to step off at noon on Halsted Street at Belmont Avenue, according to a release from the office of the governor.

The parade will go north to Grace Street, turns onto Broadway, then travel south to Diversey Parkway before heading east into Lincoln Park by way of Cannon Drive. The parade is scheduled to end at about 3:30 p.m.

Nearly 400,000 revelers crammed Halsted and nearby streets for last year's parade, making it the largest such event in Chicago, according to Rick Garcia, spokesman for Equality Illinois, which helped organize it.

Equality Illinois said in a release that officials confirmed to attend Sunday's parade included Secretary of State Jesse White, and Illinois Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka. The "special guest" will be actor Wilson Cruz, an advocate for homeless teenagers in Los Angeles.

The Pride Parade evolved from a 1970 march on Civic Center Plaza, now the Daley Center Plaza, to demand that the city give more attention to the gay, lesbian and transgender community, according to news reports.

Mayor Richard M. Daley started including the gay community in city planning after several meetings were held in his first term, and in 2006 Chicago is scheduled to host the Olympics-style Gay Games.