Thousands of people packed the Chicago Riverwalk on Wednesday for the city’s first-ever nationally televised New Year’s Eve celebration.
Chicago native Chance the Rapper is headlining the festivities, which will be part of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” including the countdown from Times Square in New York. After the Eastern Time Zone countdown, Chicago will take center stage to ring in the New Year from the Central Time Zone.
Beginning at 11:30 p.m. and continuing until 12:15 a.m., the Chicago River will be closed to boat traffic between Franklin Street and Columbus Drive.
Also at 11:30 p.m., the LaSalle Street, Clark Street, Dearborn Street, Wabash Avenue, and Columbus Drive bridges will close. The State Street Bridge is already closed for emergency repairs that have been going on for months and were supposed to be finished in the fall, but still are not.
Thousands of people will gather downtown to watch a drone show and roster of entertainment headlined by Chance the Rapper at the main stage at Wacker Drive and Franklin Street starting at 11:50 p.m., followed by a fireworks show along the Chicago River at midnight.
Before the big New Year’s Eve celebration, the Merchandise Mart will host a New Year’s Eve edition of its ART on THE MART show, featuring projections of Chicago-based artists on the side of the building along the Chicago River, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., when the on-stage performances will begin at Wacker and Franklin. Visuals will continue on the Merchandise Mart as a backdrop to the musical performances until the fireworks go off at midnight.
“We’ve never done anything this big in Chicago, I don’t think, for New Year’s Eve. So I’m here for fireworks, I’m here for the drone show, I’m here for the lights on the Mart. I’m here for all of it,” Nicole Thomas said ahead of Wednesday night’s festivities.
Thomas and her daughter, Zoe, started their night at dinner. The two will be among thousands expected to gather along the Chicago River for Wednesday night’s festivities.
To get into the entrances for the main event along the Chicago River, at West Wacker Drive and Wells Street, and around the bend at North Wacker Drive and Lake Street, people will have to go through security.
Chicago police plan to step up patrols for the event.
“Our officers will be policing responsibly and constitutionally, but they will also be on the lookout for anything that could cause anyone harm, and we will act upon it immediately,” Police Supt. Larry Snelling said.
Police also are urging parents to keep track of their kids and be mindful of the 10 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18 unaccompanied by an adult.
Teen safety is also a top priority for a number of community groups, who said they have been in touch with officials in the Mayor’s office about partnering with the city to keep the peace New Year’s Eve night.
“We believe that message is clear — have a good time, have a great time, but do it all while you’re being safe,” said Jermaine Anderson, founder of I Am A Gentleman.
The goal is to make sure the violence that transpired downtown following the Chicago tree lighting ceremony in Millennium Park doesn’t happen again.
“As we’ve seen in the past, this has led to violence where people were hurt and even killed,” said Chicago police Supt. Larry Snelling. “Chicago police department will be on top of this.”
After the tree lighting, 14-year-old Armani Floyd was killed in a shooting at Adams and Dearborn streets, while seven teens were shot near State and Randolph streets.
Some community groups looking to prevent such outcomes plan to hold a news conference outside Chicago Public Safety Headquarters later Wednesday morning. They are hoping to expand their partnerships with local police and city officials.
How to get around on public transportation
The Chicago Transit Authority will have service on both buses and trains, which will be free on New Year’s Eve from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., CPD Supt. Snelling said there is enough manpower on the CTA to do everything possible to keep people safe.
Purple and Yellow Line trains to and from Evanston and Skokie will only run until 2 a.m.
Metra will offer free rides on all trains arriving at or departing from its downtown stations after 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Alcohol will be banned on trains after 7 p.m. that evening.
All Metra lines will run on reduced schedules New Year’s Eve. To allow those ringing in the New Year enough time to get on, the last trains for the night from the BNSF, Metra Electric, Milwaukee District North, Milwaukee District West, Rock Island, Union Pacific North, Union Pacific Northwest and Union Pacific West lines will leave downtown after 1 a.m. New Year’s Day. The last Southwest Service train will leave downtown at 12:42 a.m.
In the suburbs, Pace buses are also offering free rides on New Year’s Eve, beginning at 10 p.m. Wednesday and continuing until 4 a.m. Thursday. Pace is also offering free paratransit rides during that period.
Pace reminds riders to review holiday schedules, since regular routes will be limited over New Year’s.
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