Watch CBS News

2013 Chicago Blackhawks Parade: New Details

Parade_Route
(Credit: City Of Chicago)

WATCH: The parade live on CBS 2 or cbschicago.com, starting at 9 a.m.

CHICAGO (CBS) -- New details are emerging about Friday's parade and rally for the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks.

The parade is scheduled to start 10:30 a.m. at Washington Street and Des Plaines, and the main route will be east on Washington Street--just like the parade in 2010, sources say.

From there, the parade will head east to Michigan Avenue and north to Randolph Street. However, instead of continuing north to the Chicago River like in 2010, this time, the route will head east to Columbus Drive, then turn south to Hutchinson Field in Grant Park, for a rally at 11 a.m.

The area at Hutchinson Field will be fenced off with two entrances for the public on Michigan Avenue, one at Congress Parkway, and the other at Jackson Boulevard.

Officials at a Wednesday news conference told people to not bring backpacks or alcohol.

The parade will pass into the Loop on Washington and stop near Wabash and eventually get to Columbus Drive to Hutchinson Field in Grant Park.

At a news conference, officials weren't immediately clear how the parade would get from Wabash to Columbus Drive. However, the city said in a news release, the parade will stop at Wabash and Washington and then start again along Columbus Drive near Monroe before entering the rally area.

The city is telling parking garages along the route to expect lots to be full by 9 a.m. Metra is offering a special $5 ride pass on Friday for people opting for public transportation to get to the rally.

Another big difference from last time: The city will keep the crowd off the parade route streets. In 2010, fans filled the streets behind the buses and ran behind them all the way to the rally on Michigan Avenue.

That won't happen this time, sources say. The open double-decker buses carrying the team will also drive much faster than they did in 2010, sources say.

Also, fans will not be allowed to carry backpacks--in response to concerns following the bombings at the Boston Marathon in April. The Miami Heat NBA championship parade had a similar restriction.

Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said there are no known threats to Chicago or the parade. However, there will be bomb sniffing dogs.

City officials say the rally itself will be about 50 minutes long.

The stage at Grant Park will be located at the south end of the field and will face north toward downtown.

Hutchinson Field itself can hold about 70,000 to 80,000 people, officials said. In 2008, when President Obama held his presidential victory party there, people spilled over into Grant Park north of the field, near Buckingham Fountain.

There will be several video screens placed in Hutchinson Field as well as on Columbus at Balbo and at Congress to accommodate the crowd.

The parade will be carried live on CBS 2 and cbschicago.com at 9 a.m.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.