CTA’s trains and buses are the best and most affordable ways to get to Chicago’s Annual Holiday Festivities and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and Parade on Michigan Avenue; Construction work to temporarily close main station entrance at the Francisco Brown Line station
Avoid traffic and parking hassles and hop aboard the CTA to get to the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and other festivities across Chicagoland. Customers can save money by purchasing an unlimited rides pass, either the 1-Day ($5) – far more economical and convenient than the price of gas and parking - or the 3-Day ($15) pass – a real budget-saving move.
Service for Upcoming Events
Christkindlmarket
Daley Plaza, Washington between Clark and Dearborn – Start date is Fri. 11/21 at 11 a.m.
Last day – Wed. 12/24
Service:
- Rail: All rail lines downtown will get you access to the market.
- Loop Elevated: Exit at either Clark/Lake or Washington/Wabash
- Red Line: Exit at Lake/State
- Blue Line: Exit at Washington/Dearborn
- Bus: Multiple CTA routes will provide the closest service to the market including the following:
- #J14 Jeffery Jump
- #20 Madison
- #22 Clark
- #24 Wentworth
- #36 Broadway
- #56 Milwaukee
- #60 Blue Island/26th
- #62 Archer
- #124 Navy Pier
- #157 Streeterville/Taylor
For additional route information check our website: https://www.transitchicago.com/schedules/
Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Millennium Park, Near Michigan Avenue & Washington Street. – Fri. 11/21 at 5 p.m.
Service:
- Rail: All rail lines downtown will get you access to the event.
- Loop Elevated: Exit at either Washington/Wabash or Adams/Wabash and walk east
- Red Line: Exit at Lake and walk east
- Blue Line: Exit at Washington and walk east
- Bus: Multiple bus routes in the area will be rerouted. Check out the alerts on our website for more information: https://www.transitchicago.com/alerts/
Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and Parade
Michigan Avenue between Oak Street and Wacker Drive – Sat. 11/22
- Festival: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Parade: 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
- Fireworks: 7:15 p.m. – 7:20 p.m.
Service:
- Rail: Take the Red Line and exit at the Chicago or Grand stations.
- Bus: Several CTA bus routes that serve the area will be rerouted, including the following:
- #3 King Drive
- #4 Cottage Grove
- #J14 Jeffrey Jump
- #65 Grand
- #146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express
- #147 Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express
- #151 Sheridan
For additional route information check our website: https://www.transitchicago.com/schedules/
United Center Events
- Seattle Kraken vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Thu. 11/20 at 7 p.m.
- Miami Heat vs. Chicago Bulls – Fri. 11/21 at 7 p.m.
- Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls – Sat. 11/22 at 7 p.m.
- Colorado Avalanche vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Sun. 11/23 at 6 p.m.
- Paul McCartney – Mon. 11/24 and Tue. 11/25 at 8 p.m.
- Minnesota Wild vs. Chicago Blackhawks – Wed. 11/26 at 7:30 p.m.
Service:
- Rail: Take the Green Line and exit at the new Damen station or exit at the Ashland station from either a Green or Pink line train.
- Get to and from these events via the #20 Madison and #50 Damen bus routes. Customers can also take the #19 United Center Express route post event.
Wrigley Field
- College Football: Northwestern Wildcats vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers – Sat. 11/22 at 11 a.m.
Service:
- Red Line: The Addison station is located just a half block east of Wrigley Field.
- Yellow Line: Take the Yellow Line and transfer at Howard to the Red Line; continue to Addison station.
- #152 Addison: The #152 route will provide additional service on major event days, with more frequent service two hours before and one hour after all games.
- Adjacent bus routes: Several CTA bus routes serve the Wrigley Field area, including:
- #8 Halsted
- #22 Clark
- #36 Broadway
- #80 Irving Park
- #151 Sheridan
There is a possibility that service can be rerouted. For additional route information check our website: https://www.transitchicago.com/schedules/
Soldier Field
- Pittsburg Steelers vs. Chicago Bears – Sun. 11/23 at 12 p.m.
Service:
- Rail: The Red, Orange and Green lines provide the closest access to Soldier Field. Exit at the Roosevelt station.
- Bus: Service on the #128 Soldier Field Express and #146 Inner Lake Shore/Michigan Express routes.
Construction Work to Temporarily Impact Brown Line Station
- Between Wed. 11/19 and Wed. 11/26, the main entrance to the Francisco Brown Line station will be temporarily closed. (More details)
- Please use the station’s auxiliary entrance located one block west at Sacramento Avenue.
- For accessible boarding/exiting of Brown Line trains, use the accessible Kedzie station.
- The main entrance to the Francisco station will be temporarily closed to make repairs to an outdoor concrete ramp.
Know before you go!
The CTA strongly recommends customers allow extra travel time and plan ahead by downloading the Ventra app, which allows you to manage your Ventra account, and also features a new trip planning tool powered by Google Maps.
Fare payment options: We offer a variety of convenient payment options—from smart devices to contactless credit cards. Learn more about payment options and ways you can maximize your dollars with our lower-priced unlimited-ride passes by visiting: transitchicago.com/fares/
Service updates: Stay in the loop on CTA service changes and alerts by subscribing to CTA Updates. For details about all CTA service, call 312-836-7000 or visit the CTA website at transitchicago.com.
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