Thousands are expected to descend on Chicago's North Side Sunday for the 49th annual Chicago Pride Parade, a culmination of the city's Pride Month festivities.
Planning to attend? Here's what you need to know.
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Parade route and timing: The parade starts at noon at the corner of Broadway and Montrose. It will then proceed south on Broadway, south on Halsted, east on Belmont, south on Broadway and east on Diversey to Cannon Drive. Thousands of people line the parade route for the annual event.
Street closures: Some street closures will begin as early as 8 a.m. and parade route closures begin as early as 9:30 a.m., or as the crowd intensifies. The closures include Montrose, Irving Park and Wellington at Broadway and Addison, Grace and Roscoe at Halsted. Streets are expected to fully reopen by 8 p.m.
Getting there: Public transportation is "highly recommended" as parking restrictions begin at 5 a.m. Sunday morning and crowds build thoughtout the morning. Metra and CTA both announced additional service on Sunday for the parade.
Metra will provide extra trains on the BNSF, UP North, UP Northwest and UP West Lines. Other lines that operate on Sundays will offer extra seating capacity. To view the schedules, click here.
On the CTA, expect extra service and longer trains on the "L."
The Red and Brown Lines provide the closest service to the route, the transit agency notes.
- The Red Line: Wilson, Sheridan, Addison or Belmont all provide access via a short walk to the parade route.
- The Brown Line: Diversey, Wellington and Belmont are the nearest stations to the parade.
- Lakefront bus routes, including the #146 and #151, provide access from the north, the Gold Coast/North Michigan Avenue and downtown, to the areas east of the parade route.
Officials advised avoiding the Belmont station as it "tends to become the most crowded on the day of the Pride Parade." Nearby stations include the Addison Red Line station and the Wellington Brown Line station.
Local
"We encourage you to consider avoiding this area and enjoying the parade from other parts of the route, including near Wilson and Sheridan on the Red Line," the CTA's website reads. "Entry to the Belmont station may be restricted to the main entrance on the south side of Belmont Avenue."
In addition, the CTA will reroute several buses due to street closures along the parade route: #8 Halsted, #22 Clark, #36 Broadway, #76 Diversey, #77 Belmont, #78 Montrose, #80 Irving Park, #151 Sheridan and #152 Addison.
Weather: As of Thursday, NBC 5 meteorologists predicted a mostly dry and partly sunny Sunday with temperatures in the low- to mid-80s. People planning to be spectators at the parade are advised to bring water, sunscreen and a head covering.
Cooling busses will be available at Halsted, south of Belmont; Addison, west of Halsted; Belmont, east of Broadway; Wilton, north of Belmont; Buena, west of Broadway.
Safety and security: In addition to police officers stationed along the route by the city, parade organizers will also provide a security team of 170 along with parade marshals along the route.
In addition, paradegoers will be assisted by police to cross parade routes at the following locations:
- Montrose Ave. at Broadway
- Irving Park Rd. at Broadway
- Grace St. at Halsted St.
- Addison St. at Halsted St.
- Roscoe St. at Halsted St.
- Wellington Ave. at Broadway
- Aldine St. at Halsted St.
- Cornelia Ave. at Halsted St.
- Oakdale Ave. at Broadway
- 901 W. Addison St.
- 765 W. Roscoe St.
- 3165 N. Halsted St.
- 561 W. Surf St.
- 802 W. Roscoe St.
Restrictions: Penalties for open containers of alcoholic beverages can include tickets of $1,000 or more being issued along with the immediate disposal of open containers of alcoholic beverages. Police officers and security personnel are stationed along the parade route to intercept people with open containers of alcoholic beverages.
Grand marshal: Orlando "El Fenomeno"Cruz, the first openly gay active professional boxer, is scheduled to serve as Grand Marshal of the 49th Annual Pride Parade.
Share your photos: Want to show off your pride? Email pictures to isee@nbcchicago.com!
