Friday’s Cubs World Series Parade: Start time, route, and more

Despite earlier speculation that the Cubs World Series celebration could take place on Monday, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel confirmed today that a party "that will stand the test of time" will happen tomorrow. Expected to draw crowds equal to if not larger than recent Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup celebrations, festivities will start in Wrigleyville, buzz down Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, and finish on Chicago’s "front yard" in Grant Park for a spectacular rally exactly 108 years in the making.

Things are scheduled to kick-off tomorrow morning at Wrigley Field at 10 AM with fans encouraged to line Addison between Sheffield and Pine Grove. The procession will then hop on Lake Shore Drive and head south before arriving at the northern end of Michigan Avenue at Oak Street around 11 or so.

Once the spectacle creeps along at "parade speed" past the crowds lining the Mag Mile to Ohio Street, the route will jog east to Columbus Drive. From there its a straight shot over the Chicago River and past Millenium Park before the show is expected to reach Grant Park's Lower Hutchinson Field around noon for the big rally.

As with the recent White Sox and Blackhawks parades, the city is encouraging attendees to arrive by public transportation. Traffic and parking are expected to be pretty brutal, especially with the Chicago Tribune reporting that street closures could start as early as 4 AM tomorrow morning.

Rally attendees will need to clear security checkpoints at either Michigan Avenue and Jackson or Michigan and Congress. While sealed water bottles are allowed, the Chicago Police Department is expected to be supplemented by nearby suburban police officers to strictly enforce a zero tolerance policy against the consumption of alcohol on the public way.

For those unable (or unwilling) to make it to Grant Park, the entire rally is expected to be televised nationwide live on WGN TV.

City of Chicago