Chicago says goodbye (and thanks) to President Obama

President Barack Obama returned to Chicago yesterday to give his final public address as acting U.S. President. And despite the frigid single-digit temps over the weekend, thousands of locals waited in line for hours to get a ticket to join President Obama at McCormick Place for his farewell address. It is estimated that 18,000 people packed into the convention center last night to be a part of the historic event.

And while Obama said goodbye to the country as a whole, the city wished the president a heartfelt goodbye. In addition to the thousands that attended the address, many others held watch parties, or even stood outside of McCormick Place to be a part of the energy. Even the skyline participated, as the CNA Center was lit up with the message “Thank Obama” last night.

Obama got his start here in Chicago, and he returned to the Windy City to officially draw his presidency to a close. While his term is coming to an end, it doesn’t mean that the Obamas are going away for good. We’re still waiting to see what the future Obama Presidential Center—a $500 million project for Woodlawn—will look like.