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Baseball was back at Wrigley Field Thursday as the Cubs took on the Pittsburgh Pirates on a chilly Opening Day 2021 – though with reduced crowds. It was the first mega-event Chicago has seen since the pandemic began.
"They have zip ties on these four seats and on these two next to us then no one can sit in front or behind us."
For the Chicago Cubs' opening day, there will be fans in the stands.
For small business owner Mel Nelson and others on her block, it's been a struggle with not many shoppers since the pandemic and fan-less games in 2020.
Changes have been made to keep everyone safe, including a new touchless entering system. Fans don't even have to hand over their phones or keys before going through metal detectors.
The Chicago Cubs today announced the launch of a presale opportunity for fans to register for random drawings to win a chance to purchase tickets to limited-capacity regular season home games. Attendance will be limited due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The Cubs and White Sox will be allowed to have roughly 8,000 fans at the ballpark to start the season next month.
For the first time in a year, fans will soon be heading back to the stands at both Major League Baseball parks in Chicago.
With a normal capacity of 41,374, Wrigley Field will be limited to 8,274 fans per game. With a normal capacity of just over 40,000 guests, Guaranteed Rate Field will be limited to 8,122 fans per game.
"I think there will be a point sometime this season where you'll see fans in the stands at both Wrigley [Field] and Guaranteed Rate Field, which I still call Sox Park," Lightfoot said Tuesday afternoon
College football is scheduled to return to Wrigley Field this coming fall, with the Northwestern Wildcats playing host to the Purdue Boilermakers.
Chicago's buildings will go dark Tuesday night in participation of the National COVID-19 Memorial Service.
"The historical significance of Wrigley Field is interwoven into our nation's story and a key part of what has become America's beloved pastime for over a century," Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said.
Playoff baseball is back at Wrigley Field, but because of COVID-19, fans are not.
A retired Chicago doctor and diehard Cubs pounded the pavement Sunday to raise awareness for patient and caregiver safety.
While Major League Baseball is beginning this season without fans in its stadiums, the famed ballhawks of Wrigley Field remain at their post amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In Chicago, tickets to the 16 rooftops come at a hefty price — about $300 to $440 compared to the usual $150. They can seat at about 200 to 250, but a 20% capacity limit has them selling 40 to 50 per game.
The games will start counting when the 2020 Major League Baseball season begins on Friday, but this weekend was just about fun.
"We're excited to be playing baseball again. It's good to be back on the field, even without fans in the ballpark," Cubs executive vice president Mike Lufrano said.
Northwestern University athletic director Jim Phillips cited the possibility of a limited crowd at the famed ballpark even if fans were allowed.
The Cubs were back to work practicing at Wrigley Field on Sunday, and the weather has certainly been cooperating.
Tickets are still being sold for some large shows in August, and the city of Chicago is not ready to rule it out.
Protesters marched from Wrigley Field toward the downtown area Tuesday afternoon, calling for justice for George Floyd.
A Cubs fan is suing her favorite team, after she said she was hit in the face with a ball.
We exposed Wednesday night how few people are working the phones in Illinois to help those struggling to get through to finish filing for unemployment. On Thursday night, we were happy to report that number is getting a much needed boost.
The item is believed to be one of only a handful of Titanic life jackets still in existence, the auction house said.
Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest in connection to a deadly mass shooting in West Garfield Park.
A United flight from O'Hare International Airport heading to LaGuardia was diverted to Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.
Many areas across Illinois are dealing with flooding threats after storms Friday night brought heavy rainfall.
A man was seriously injured in a shooting in Humboldt Park on Friday night.
Former Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, who served 40 years in the General Assembly, died Thursday at 85.
President Trump spoke with CBS News Friday in a new telephone interview.
The House OK'd a short-term renewal of a controversial surveillance program used by U.S. spy agencies, after Republicans revolted and refused President Trump's push for a longer extension.
Chicago residents, businesses, and city employees altogether owe the city more than $8.1 billion in overdue debt, some of it dating back to the 1990s, according to a report from the city's inspector general.
But underground construction work on a presidential bunker underneath the ballroom can continue, the judge said.
A passenger on an American Airlines flight from New York to Chicago has been charged with making a false bomb threat that forced an emergency landing at Detroit Metro Airport last month, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Skyrocketing property taxes continue to be a hot-button issue in Cook County — particularly since last fall, when many residents saw their tax bills increase by 100% or more.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias this weekend issued a warning about a surge in text messages that falsely claim to come from his office or the DMV within it.
Tenants at a South Loop luxury high-rise that has been plagued with problems like broken elevators are vowing to fight five-day eviction notices.
It's become an annual March Madness tradition at CBS Chicago, pitting our city's best eateries in direct competition in a foodie bracket challenge. We did pizza, we've done Italian beef, we've done Chicago dogs. This year, we're taking flight with wings.
It has been several weeks since West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, Illinois, abruptly shut down — and then on Wednesday, it just as swiftly partially reopened, with some services available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says more than 80% of deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
The United States has long struggled with understanding and finding ways to help treat mental illness. A new documentary, which is screening Saturday in Chicago, examines the reality of living with mental illness in America.
Allergy season is here, and the dreaded pollen can trigger sneezing, congestion, wheezing, and shortness of breath.
Northwestern Medicine and the American Red Cross teamed up for a community blood drive in Chicago on Monday morning.
Philz Coffee will once again sport the Pride flag at its cafés after a directive to have them and other flags removed created a backlash.
A new restaurant has joined the busy stretch of Halsted Street toward the south end of Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood that is also home to Alinea and Boka.
The federal government is suing Illinois, Connecticut and Arizona over efforts to regulate prediction market operators such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
The owners of the popular Uncommon Ground restaurant, live music venue, and brewery in Chicago's Wrigleyville community announced this week that they're looking for a successor to take over the business.
Chicago consistently ranks in the top three cities in Fortune 500 company headquarters, and now a competition has been launched to build on Chicago's power in business.
Blues icon and world music pioneer Taj Mahal will be headlining the Chicago Blues Festival this June.
The United States has long struggled with understanding and finding ways to help treat mental illness. A new documentary, which is screening Saturday in Chicago, examines the reality of living with mental illness in America.
Afrika Bambaataa, a rapper and producer, was best known for breakthrough tracks like 1982's "Planet Rock" and for founding the Universal Zulu Nation art collective.
Mozart's "Don Giovanni," the local premiere of the 2022 opera "Omar," and a fresh production of "Guys and Dolls" are among the highlights of the 2026-2027 season for Chicago's Lyric Opera.
Federal magistrate Renee Harris Toliver told Pooh Sheisty that the evidence against him is strong.
Celebrate Record Store Day in Oak Park at Val’s Halla Records.
Many areas across Illinois are dealing with flooding threats after storms Friday night brought heavy rainfall.
A man was seriously injured in a shooting in Humboldt Park on Friday night.
Meteorologist Mary Kay Kleist has the extended forecast.
A tornado touchdown has been reported in Lena, Illinois, about 48 miles west of Rockford, part of a massive storm system that is barreling toward Chicago.
Many areas across Illinois are dealing with flooding threats after storms Friday night brought heavy rainfall.
A flight from O'Hare International Airport heading to LaGuardia was diverted to Pittsburgh on Saturday afternoon.
Recovery efforts are underway on Saturday after a tornado touchdown has been reported in Lena, Illinois, about 48 miles west of Rockford.
A man was seriously injured in a shooting in Humboldt Park on Friday night.
The item is believed to be one of only a handful of Titanic life jackets still in existence, the auction house said.
A specially designed playground in the West Pullman neighborhood is making a difference, addressing flooding and the impact of climate change across Chicago.
A tree planting initiative has kicked off in Chatham, among the Chicago neighborhoods most plagued by flooding, to help with the persistent problem.
Chicago residents, businesses, and city employees altogether owe the city more than $8.1 billion in overdue debt, some of it dating back to the 1990s, according to a report from the city's inspector general.
Some parents in southwest suburban Oswego are fired up, saying the school district invited all non-white students to participate in summer remedial programming, regardless of how they're doing in school.
New proposed Illinois legislation would allow renters or people who can't install massive rooftop panels to also harness the power of the sun.
Moisés Ballesteros, Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ homered, and the Chicago Cubs handed the Mets their ninth straight loss, pounding New York 12-4.
The University of Notre Dame and Villanova will kick off both their men's and women's 2026-2027 basketball seasons with an international game in Rome.
Junior Caminero homered and the Tampa Rays scored twice on bases-loaded walks in the ninth inning, rallying for a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox.
The Blackhawks won four of their last 15 games and three of their last 11 home games, but finished with 72 points, 11 more than last season.
Nico Hoerner drove in a career-high five runs, Shota Imanaga struck out 11 in six strong innings and the Chicago Cubs routed the Philadelphia Phillies 11-2 on Wednesday night.
Three people were killed and one other was wounded in a shooting on Friday afternoon in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.
A well-known café and newsstand in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood was damaged early Thursday morning when a stolen car that police were pursuing crashed into it.
Gregory Morgan Jr. of Temple Hills, Maryland, was charged Thursday morning with two counts of second-degree assault in the Feb. 5 incident.
Members of the Cook County State's Attorney's office visited CTA train stations across Chicago on Thursday.
Former Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax shot and killed his wife and then turned the gun on himself what police described as a murder-suicide in their home in Annandale, Virginia, police said Thursday.
