The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival will light up downtown Chicago Saturday night but will bring street closings, parking restrictions and CTA bus reroutes with it.
The festival’s Tree-Lighting Parade steps off at 5:30 p.m. from Oak Street and North Michigan Avenue and will proceed south on Michigan to Wacker Drive and then east to Columbus Drive, according to the city’s Office of Emergency Management and Communications.
The parade will conclude with a fireworks show over the Chicago River at Michigan, OEMC said. Spectators will not be allowed to watch the fireworks from bridges.
Several street closings will be in place for the parade, including:
- Michigan between Oak and Wacker from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.;
- Oak between State and Michigan from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.;
- Upper Wacker between Michigan and the east turnaround from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.;
- Upper Illinois between Michigan Avenue and the Hotel InterContinental from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.;
- Dearborn between Delaware and Maple from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.;
- Walton between State and Clark from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.;
- Oak between Clark and State from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Southbound Columbus between Wacker and Randolph from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and
- Northbound Columbus between Wacker and Randolph from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Parking restrictions and bus reroutes will also be in effect in the areas surrounding the parade route, OEMC said.
The CTA will operate added rail service until 7 p.m. Saturday on the Red, Brown, Blue, Orange and Pink lines, the transit agency said. The No. 3 King Drive, No. J14 Jeffery Jump, No. 29 State, No. 65 Grand, No. 66 Chicago, No. 124 Navy Pier, No. 146 Inner Drive/Michigan Express, No. 147 Outer Drive Express and No. 151 Sheridan bus routes will all be detoured in the vicinity of the parade route.
