Mayor Emanuel has set tomorrow for the Cubs World Series Victory Parade and celebration which coincides nicely with a scheduled off day for CPS students as tomorrow is a teacher development day.
With estimates that 2 million + fans could attend, Chicago Police have put out a request for suburban police officers who would like to assist. Says the mayor “The parade will stand the test of time.”
As for talk that the Chicago River will be turned Cubbies blue, it looks like that will a tall order. But here is what we do know directly from the city:
HOLY COW! LET’S CELEBRATE THE 2016 WORLD SERIES CHAMPION CHICAGO CUBS:
MAYOR EMANUEL ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR PARADE AND RALLY TO CELEBRATE TEAM’S STORIED SEASON
Fans Encouraged to Use Public Transportation and to Celebrate Responsibly
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City of Chicago will celebrate the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs at a celebration rally in Grant Park on Friday, November 4, at noon, preceded by a downtown parade beginning at 11 a.m. “The City of Chicago could not be more proud of the Cubs, and we are going to throw them – and their fans – a celebration worthy of the history the team made last night,” said Mayor Emanuel. “2016 is the year for the Cubs and the generations of fans who have been waiting to the fly the World Series W. Go Cubs go!”
PARADE ROUTE
The official parade route will start at approximately 11 a.m., leaving Wrigley at approximately 10 a.m., and will travel along Michigan Avenue between Oak St. and Ohio St. and then along Columbus Dr. between Monroe St. and Balbo Ave. Fans who want to catch the downtown parade are encouraged to see them along this route. Fans are encouraged to view the parade at the following locations: Addison from Sheffield to Pine Grove North Michigan Avenue from Oak St. to Ohio St. Columbus Dr. from Monroe St. to Balbo Ave. There will be zero tolerance for drinking on the public way.
RALLY
A Celebration Rally will take place at Lower Hutchinson Field in Grant Park at approximately noon, when the motorcade arrives in Grant Park. The team will be joined by American Airlines, the presenting sponsor who is providing financial support for the day’s
activities, and other Cubs Legacy Partners.
The rally is free and open to the public. All attendees must pass through security screening
at entrances at Michigan Ave. and Jackson Blvd. and at Michigan Ave. and Congress Pkwy.
Closed water bottles will be allowed into the rally and food vendors will be on site.
IMPACTED STREET CLOSURES
The public should expect street closures surrounding the parade route starting as early as
Friday at 4 am.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Officials are encouraging fans to use public transportation.
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will offer additional service to customers traveling
into the Loop on Friday Monday. Riders are advised to allow plenty of travel time due to
street closures, traffic congestion and reroutes. CTA’s Red and Blue subway lines and
Brown, Green, Pink and Orange elevated lines are the best option for Cubs fans heading
downtown for the parade and rally.
Additional service will be provided on all eight rail lines following the morning rush period
through midday. CTA buses will be detoured in the downtown area during the parade and
as a result of street closures for the rally. Detailed service information is available
at www.transitchicago.com.
To speed travel and reduce lines, customers are encouraged to buy fare cards in advance
with sufficient value or to add enough value to their existing Ventra cards for their return
trips later in the day.
Metra will use all available resources to add extra train service and capacity. Trains are
expected to reach capacity on all lines and delays are expected. Metra is offering a one-day
$5 unlimited ride ticket for tomorrow’s celebration and encouraging all passengers to
purchase it in advance. Beginning this afternoon, the ticket will be for sale from ticket
agents at all ticket windows, including all downtown and outlying stations, and through the
Ventra App, available for download in the App Store and Google Play.
Media