COVID Pandemic Forcing Some Chicago Families To Start Different Kinds Of New Year's Eve Traditions
"We can't do most of the things you'd do in a new city."
Watch CBS News
"We can't do most of the things you'd do in a new city."
Logistically it's just easier and cheaper. In some cases, translating into thousands of dollars more in donations for these groups.
The State of Illinois says what you should be doing is staying home and partying with the people with whom you live. But others are still hosting small gatherings, and as CBS 2's Marie Saavedra reported Tuesday night, that means opportunities for certain industries.
"We've come a long way on this journey together and we cannot let up now. We got to continue through the end of the year."
The normal large gatherings on New Year's Eve won't be happening this year but cities across the U.S. are holding virtual celebrations for adults and kids.
We're on track to have a chilly, but slightly warmer-than-average New Year's Eve.
Navy Pier said it has not hired a new security firm since the debacle on the Fourth of July, but the facility added additional private security companies to the mix and learned some lessons from this summer.
Tens of thousands of people will pack downtown Tuesday night and Chicago police area ready to keep you safe.
CBS 2 meteorologist Ed Curran is warning commuters to be aware of slick driving conditions with snow on the roads and high winds.
An additional 1,300 officers will be deployed across the city on New Year's Eve, to help handle any trouble if it pops up.
New Year's Eve is coming up on Tuesday night. Are you planning fun party with fun cocktails?
The Chicago Transit Authority is helping Chicagoans travel to New Year's Eve plans safely.
he rain is relentless for New Year's Eve partygoers, but that isn't stopping people from celebrating the holiday and coming out to see the fireworks.
In addition to the midnight fireworks show at Navy Pier, a private company will be launching a midnight fireworks display along the Chicago River.
The CTA is offering free rides on trains and buses from 10 p.m. New Year's Eve until 4 a.m. New Year's Day.
Three, two, one, party!
For some people, the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day is a time to go outside and fire guns into the air. Police are hoping to discourage the practice.
With some New Year's revelers planning to celebrate on party buses this weekend, city officials said they plan to check buses to make sure no one is illegally carrying drugs or guns, and the companies have the proper licenses.
Chicagoans, leave your car at home this New Year's Eve — the CTA will offer free train and bus rides for revelers.
For your complete holiday recipe guide, consider items that would work for all the holidays from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.
Families with young children welcomed 2017 at the stroke of noon on Saturday at Navy Pier's Chicago Children's Museum.
New Year's Eve celebrations are happening across the city on Saturday and Chicago police are already preparing.
As CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports, church services were moved up in an attempt to escape street violence.
It'll be party time around the world tomorrow night and thousands of people will be doing it up big downtown, too.
City officials have been working to make sure everyone rings in the new year safely this weekend.
The sprawling 20-acre campus in Jackson Park, just blocks from the lake, includes buildings, gardens, playgrounds, and a 225-foot museum tower.
Pope Leo addressed the crowd standing in the cold and rain at Saint Peter's Square ahead of celebrating the first Christmas mass of his papacy.
From his hospital room at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Gilkey talked about his recovery and his fear of getting back on the CTA again.
Police said they believe he might have been experiencing a medical issue at the time of the crash.
Police said an unknown man pushed a woman into her vehicle and attempted to pull her pants down.
Pope Leo XIV has revealed he privately urged Gov. JB Pritzker not to sign a bill legalizing medical assistance in dying in Illinois.
President Trump invoked a law called Title 10 to bring members of the Illinois National Guard under federal service over the objections of state and local leaders.
A host of new laws in Illinois will take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. From gun safety to rogue towers, protection from squatters, medical assistance in dying, protections for immigrants and more, here are some of the most notable changes in the new year.
Mayor Brandon Johnson on Tuesday declined to veto a $16.6 billion spending plan passed by his rivals on the City Council, allowing it to go into effect without his signature.
The U.S. Department of Justice is suing Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul over a state law restricting immigration arrests.
A new report shines a light on electricity shortages that Illinois could face in less than 10 years.
With less than two weeks until Christmas, if you're sending gifts to people far from home, the deadlines to get them there on time are fast approaching.
A condo owner in Country Club Hills says he's forced to sell his home after his condo association failed to reimburse him for repairs to his leaking roof. Edward Hadnott's condo has sat empty since a major roof leak in 2022.
The U.S. stopped minting pennies this week, and some groups have issued a warning about the headaches that can create for some businesses and consumers.
Why is one school in the west Chicago suburb of Lisle paying a water bill three times higher than another? The answer has to do with a private utility company.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
It's the holiday season, which means it's the most common time of year for norovirus to spread. Here's what you need to know about this winter stomach bug.
A study conducted in part by Chicago's Northwestern Medicine found that tanning beds not only triple the risk of melanoma, but can also damage DNA across nearly the whole skin surface.
An investigation into the case of a Michigan man who contracted rabies after an organ transplant provided more details on the infection's origin.
The newest measles vaccination numbers released by Chicago Public Schools shows immunizations are finally moving in the right direction.
The Chicago Bears are expanding their search for a new stadium to Northwest Indiana, even though they already own land in Arlington Heights and have also proposed a new lakefront stadium in Chicago.
A Culver's is coming to Chicago's South Loop, a real estate broker has confirmed.
A new vision for passenger rail is on track in southeastern Wisconsin. The MARK Passenger Rail Commission held its inaugural meeting on December 5, 2025, at Racine City Hall.
U.S. Steel says it'll resume making steel slabs at its Granite City Works plant in Illinois amid strengthening demand.
Traffic at O'Hare International Airport is growing faster than expected, and this has Chicago city leaders wanting to make big changes to future construction plans at the airport.
The singer said an MRI showed a cancerous spot on one of his lungs after he recovered from a lengthy bout of bronchitis.
James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series "The Wire" and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died.
Chicago's Cadillac Palace Theatre is hosting "The Phantom of the Opera," and staff offered a firsthand look at the iconic chandelier inside the theater this week.
The special features interviews with Kathy Bates, Annette Bening, Albert Brooks, Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Jerry O'Connell and Mandy Patinkin.
The Oscars ceremony is moving to YouTube starting in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced on Wednesday.
They have 621 trees, filling their entire house, even the bathroom.
Areas of fog, with cloudy skies overnight and temperatures settling into the upper 30s to low 40s.
The world-renowned institution is expected to attract nearly 800,000 visitors a year.
Authorities are especially concerned about neighborhoods burned by wildfires last January and urged residents onTuesday to evacuate.
Chicago Catholics attending Christmas mass at Holy Name Cathedral downtown said they are filled with pride seeing Pope Leo XIV leading the church.
From his hospital room at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Gilkey talked about his recovery and his fear of getting back on the CTA again.
The sprawling 20-acre campus in Jackson Park, just blocks from the lake, includes buildings, gardens, playgrounds, and a 225-foot museum tower.
NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, tracks Santa's Christmas Eve flight around the world each year. Follow a live map of the tracker here.
Pope Leo addressed the crowd standing in the cold and rain at Saint Peter's Square ahead of celebrating the first Christmas mass of his papacy.
Police said they believe he might have been experiencing a medical issue at the time of the crash.
Cameras not working, video evidence missed by police and a psychic that leads a hit and run victim's son to a clue that changes the case
Some Chicago area hospitals are at risk of significant flooding both in and around the buildings, according to new KFF Health News/Fathom models.
Lawmakers in Springfield are looking to address the high water bills being reported in some suburbs from customers of Illinois American Water.
Electric bills in the Chicago area could go up as much as $70 in the next three years because of data centers, according to the Citizens Utility Board.
Advocates and legislators are seeking solutions and and accountability for a pattern of Chicago police arresting Black gun owners on firearms charges despite valid FOID and CCL licenses.
As the 11-4 Chicago Bears prepare for their Sunday night matchup with the 11-4 San Francisco 49ers, one player earned an extra Christmas present from the league thanks to his impressive performance against the Green Bay Packers.
Travis Konecny scored and added his 300th career assist, leading the Philadelphia Flyers past the Blackhawks 3-1 and handing depleted Chicago its sixth straight loss.
The Bulls trailed 117-107 but closed the game on a 19-6 run.
Three Chicago Bears players have been named to the 2026 NFC Pro Bowl roster: safety Kevin Byard III, center Drew Dalman, and left guard Joe Thuney.
Murakami, or "Mune" as he likes to be called, was introduced on Monday on the South Side after signing a two-year, $34-million contract.
A woman was released on electronic monitoring Wednesday after authorities said she drove drunk and caused a crash that injured a family of four in Lombard, Illinois.
Multiple cars were broken into this week in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood.
Four women have been charged with leading police on a high-speed chase after stealing from a retail store in the west Chicago suburb of Villa Park.
A woman has been charged with attacking four people at a CTA bus stop in the Lawndale neighborhood, including a woman she allegedly slashed with a broken beer bottle after threatening that woman's mother.
Three teens have been charged with sexually assaulting a classmate this past summer at a graduation party for St. Viator High School students.
