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No coolers. Anyone bringing them will be turned away.
Think twice about bringing backpacks or large bags. They will be searched.
Don’t even think about bringing alcohol. Anyone caught with it will be arrested.
Lastly, take public transportation; be prepared for street closures and gridlock.
Such are the city’s dictates to the public regarding Friday’s victory parade and rally celebrating the Blackhawks’ second Stanley Cup championship in four years.
“The city of Chicago is so proud of our Blackhawks, and we are looking forward to celebrating their championship with the best fans in the world,” Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement Wednesday. “We also ask fans to enjoy the celebration responsibly by respecting the city and each other.”
The parade starts at the United Center and is set to arrive at Des Plaines and Washington at 10:30 a.m.
The rally will be held at 11 a.m. at Hutchinson Field in Grant Park.
Parade-goers can catch the double-decker buses carrying the players and their families, starting at Des Plaines Avenue, on Washington Street, and ending at Wabash Avenue. From there, the motorcade will go east to Michigan, north to Randolph, and east to Columbus.
Rally-goers can begin entering the checkpoints into Hutchinson Field at 8 a.m.
The rally will have only two entry points — both on Michigan Avenue, at Jackson and Congress.
In 2010, the parade and rally drew an estimated 2 million fans downtown.
Hutchinson Field and its environs can safely hold up to 100,000, officials said.
Several Jumbotrons will be set up around Grant Park for the crowd, including at either side of the stage, and on Columbus Drive, at Balbo and Congress.
All east-west streets between Roosevelt and Randolph and between Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive will be closed, except Congress.
Streets are not expected to re-open until the evening rush hour, officials said.
The CTA will provide additional service on all eight rail lines following the morning rush and continuing through mid-day; and due to street closures, 30 CTA bus routes will be detoured at various times. Details on CTA bus and rail service for the celebration are available at transitchicago.com.
Metra will be adding service on most of its lines and is offering a special one-day, $5 unlimited-ride ticket valid on all trains Friday to ease lines at ticket counters. Bikes and alcohol will be banned from Metra trains that day.
The Chicago Fire Department urges rally-goers to bring water. The rally is expected to last no more than 45 minutes. The crowd then will be dispersed.
“We have been preparing for a Blackhawks championship for some time. The Boston Marathon factors into our plan, as we’ve been discussing best practices in law enforcement and the briefings coming out of there,” Police Supt. Garry McCarthy said. “In 2010, there were some folks who jumped the barricades to get closer to the Cup and the Hawks. If you do this, you will be arrested.”