Early Thursday morning, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in 2016, making for their first historic win in over a century. Celebrations erupted then, and as more individuals woke up to the news on Thursday, fans began to wonder when a Chicago Cubs championship parade will be held? The latest details are tentative, but it looks like that celebratory event for Cubs fans is coming very soon. For many, just the fact their team has finally won the World Series is still sinking in, while Indians fans are anxious for next season to begin already.
Last night’s win for the Cubs came in dramatic fashion. After battling back from a 3-1 deficit to force a Game 7, the Cubs were able to maintain towards the later innings. The team held what seemed like a solid two-run lead into the eighth inning, only for the Indians’ center fielder Rajai Davis to answer back with a game-tying two-run homer. Things eventually moved to a 10th inning, and a 15-minute rain delay gave the teams and fans a brief intermission.
Once they were back on the field, the Cubs were able to score two runs to get back in front 8-6, thanks to a Ben Zobrist double and a Miguel Montero RBI single. Cleveland managed to answer with a run in the bottom of the 10th inning but ultimately ran out of chances to get a tying or winning run. As CBS Sports reported, Kris Bryant delivered the final out for his team on a grounder play giving Chicago an 8-7 win in Game 7.
Now it’s time to celebrate. A report via Sports Illustrated notes that Chicago team owner Tom Ricketts wasn’t able to provide an exact date for the Cubs championship parade but gave preliminary details . The parade is tentatively scheduled for Friday, November 4 and would, of course, take place within the city of Chicago and span its streets.
Ricketts gave a short answer on the upcoming event when asked by SI about when the parade might be.
“I have no idea, either Friday or Monday, I imagine.”
In an update, Mayor Rahm Emmanuel told The Chicago Tribune that a Cubs parade will officially be held on Friday , with specifics being worked out. The event is expected to take place sometime before noon local time in the city on Friday.
Emmanuel talked about the nature of this celebration, which will obviously be a big deal.
“Here’s the thing: we’re going to have a parade in Chicago that will stand the test of time. It will be a parade that 108 years have waited for. It will be a parade and a celebration that all of Chicago for 108 years in their mind’s eye, have been envisioning. We’re going to make it a reality in the city of Chicago.”
The latest time the city of Chicago celebrated a professional sports championship for the Chicago Cubs was 1908. However, the team’s NHL franchise, the Chicago Blackhawks, have won several championships in the past years. In fact, the team captured three titles in just a six-year time span. Their most recent Stanley Cup win came in 2015.
The team had a celebratory parade and rally, with approximately two million fans showing up to help cheer on their hockey champions, the Chicago Tribune reported in 2015. With the Cubs having finally captured another title after a 108-year drought, it should be expected to be just as crazy, if not crazier for the MLB franchise’s parade and accompanying rally.
The 2015 championship celebration moved down the streets near the United Center, the home of the hockey franchise, and ended up at Soldier Field, the home of the city’s Chicago Bears NFL team. It’s unknown if the Cubs parade route would follow a similar route at this time or somehow involve Wrigley Field.
As of now, all that seems known is the possibility of a parade being held on Friday or Monday. However, if one were to look at the most recent championship parade that the Blackhawks had in 2015, it began at 10:30 a.m. local time. The Blackhawks’ parade went down Monroe Street, from Jefferson Street to Michigan Avenue, according to ABC 7 in their report . The Chicago championship rally began as of 11:30 a.m. local time at Soldier Field on the Chicago River.
Today is our day. #FlyTheW pic.twitter.com/F3yTo6gjcA
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) November 3, 2016
When the Chicago Cubs parade finally takes place, fans who are unable to attend due to other commitments, or being out of state, are likely to watch online via a live stream. There are multiple network channels with coverage of the event. These include WGN-TV, which may offer live stream coverage on their website . Additional stations that could offer coverage of the celebratory event are WLS ABC 7, NBC 5 News, and/or CBS 2 Chicago.
Chicago Cubs Championship parade details:
Date: Friday, November 4
Time: 10 a.m. CT
Live Stream: NBC 5 Chicago
Route: The official Cubs parade route beginning at 11 a.m. will move down Michigan Avenue between Oak and Ohio Street. The parade will continue along Columbus Drive between Monroe Street and Balbo Avenue. The rally will be at Lower Hutchinson Field in Grant Park at approximately 12 p.m. local time.
[Featured Image by Scott Olson/Getty Images]