City Celebrating Chicago Sky WNBA Championship In Millennium Park Tuesday
CHICAGO (CBS)-- Chicago will celebrate the Sky's WNBA Championship win Tuesday with a parade from Wintrust Arena to downtown, and a rally in Millennium Park.
As CBS 2's Jackie Kostek reported, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the Sky's win is really something the city needs right now, and it deserves a celebration worthy of this historic moment in Chicago sports.
"The City of Chicago could not be prouder of our winning Chicago Sky," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in a statement Monday afternoon. "We are thrilled to throw a celebration worthy of this historic moment in Chicago sports and congratulate the Sky for bringing our city its first WNBA title. Let's get ready to paint the town #SkyTown!"
The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. at Wintrust Arena, in the South Loop, followed by a parade up Michigan Avenue north to Randolph Street, into Millennium Park at Pritzker Pavilion.
Sky fans are encouraged to line up along the parade route to watch and cheer on the team.
The rally at Pritzker Pavilion will begin at noon, and is free to the public. Visitors must pass through a security screening at select entrances off Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street, and are asked to leave bags at home.
For security, health, and safety information, please visit MillenniumPark.org and click on "Plan Your Visit."
Fans are not required to be fully vaccinated to attend, but vaccinations are highly encouraged, according to the Mayor's office. You should not attend if you are feeling sick or recently tested positive for COVID-19.
Fans are encouraged to use public transportation to attend.
The parade route also means you should expect rolling street closures on Tuesday mid-morning as the parade is underway. The streets of the parade route will be closed starting at 10 a.m., including Indiana Avenue near Wintrust.
The celebration began at Wintrust Arena Sunday as the Sky staged a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback. Remember, this was a team that ended the regular season 16-16 and was a sixth seed heading into the postseason.
It was two local heroes - Candace Parker and Allie Quigley - who led the team to victory after overcoming a 14-point deficit in the fourth.
Chicago has not had a championship parade and rally since 2016, when the city estimated that 5 million people came out to celebrate the Cubs' World Series win. That became one of the largest in human history.
