Sports

Cubs' World Series Parade and Rally: When It Starts, Where to Go and How to Get There

PLUS: Tips on the best places to watch the parade and what you should expect if you take the train or a bus to Friday's celebration.

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CHICAGO, IL — City officials finally released the details surrounding Friday's historic celebration in honor of the Chicago Cubs' first World Series championship in 108 years.

A parade will begin at 11 a.m. at Wrigley Field and proceed downtown for a rally at noon at Grant Park. The celebration is expected to be the largest public event in Chicago's history.

Here's a look at some of the other specifics of Friday's celebration.

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Parade Route

The procession will leave Wrigley Field, 1060 W. Addison St., at about 10 a.m., and the official parade will get under way at around 11 a.m. The downtown route will go as follows:

  • begin along Michigan Avenue, between Oak and Ohio streets
  • then along Columbus Drive, between Monroe Street and Balbo Avenue

The city didn't specify what route the parade would take to get from the Friendly Confines to Michigan, and then from Michigan to Columbus. Officials encourage spectators to view the parade from these following locations:

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  • Addison Street, from Sheffield Avenue to Pine Grove Avenue
  • North Michigan Avenue, from Oak Street to Ohio Street
  • Columbus Drive, from Monroe Street to Balbo Avenue

Grant Park Rally

  • When: Around noon Friday, Nov. 4
  • Where: Lower Hutchinson Field, Grant Park, 337 E. Randolph St.
  • Cost: Free

Spectators will need to go through a security checkpoint to enter the park for the rally. Entrances will be at:

  • Michigan Avenue and Jackson Boulevard
  • Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway

Closed water bottles will be allowed, but alcohol will be prohibited. Food vendors will be on hand during the celebration.

Street Closings

Roadways around the parade route could be shut down by the city as early as 4 a.m. Friday.

Public Transit

With the massive amount of people the city is expecting to turn out for both the parade and the rally, officials are naturally encouraging spectators to use CTA trains and buses to get to the event.

RELATED: Cubs' World Series Victory Parade Will be Friday

The CTA will offer additional service on all of its eight rail lines into the Loop on Friday following the morning rush hour through midday. These rail lines are the best options for spectators to take to the event:

  • Subway: Red and Blue lines
  • "L": Brown, Green, Pink and Orange

Buses in the downtown area will be detoured because of the parade and street closings.

Go to the CTA website for detailed service information, as well as schedule changes and delays.

Metra also will add extra train service, and the agency expects all lines to reach capacity, causing delays. A $5 single-day, unlimited ride ticket will be offered by Metra for the celebration. The pass will go on sale Thursday afternoon.

Security will be increased, and there will be a larger police presence on trains and at stations because of the expected crowds. In 2013 and 2015, Metra sold nearly 85,000 special tickets for the rallies, which represented about 170,000 rides. Metra carried about 425,000 passengers on the day of the Chicago Blackhawks 2013 victory rally, the second-highest daily total in the transit service's history.

CTA and Metra encourage spectators to buy tickets and passes in advance before heading to Friday's parade and rally. Metra also has these tips for customers going to the celebration, as well as regular commuters Friday:

  • Be patient: Inbound and outbound trains will be delayed due to heavy passenger boarding. Some trains may be held, and others may bypass stations based on passenger loads.
  • Listen to platform announcements: Given the huge crowds expected, Metra will be making operational changes based on real-time field conditions. The best source of information about the status of trains is platform announcements.
  • Telecommute: Regular Metra customers who take the train to and from work every day may wish to avoid the crowds and work from home if that is an option.
  • Be prepared for crowds: Trains are expected to reach capacity, and train stations will be busier than normal. At Union Station, Metra and Amtrak may implement the south concourse overcrowding plan, which routes passengers to a holding area near the south concourse and to the Great Hall.
  • Leave early if you live near downtown: Inbound trains are likely to reach capacity before they reach closer-in stations, so riders from those stations may want to consider leaving earlier. Once a train heading inbound is full, it may express into downtown Chicago.
  • Leave early or stay late: Outbound trains may depart early if they reach capacity, so riders are advised to allow adequate time to arrive at the station and board the train heading home. Consider extending the celebration by spending the day in the city and avoiding the peak crowds going home.

Go to Metra's website for more information about service and schedule changes.

Fans celebrate the Chicago Cubs' Game 7 win in the 2016 World Series outside Wrigley Field on Wednesday, Nov. 2. (photo by Tim Moran)

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