The Holiday season is in full swing with the Annual Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 24, stepping off at 8 a.m. on State Street. Residents and visitors can expect crowds during the Thanksgiving Day weekend throughout the city, including at the Christmas Tree and ice-skating rink in Millennium Park, Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza, the Chicago Turkey Trot in Lincoln Park, the Grant Park Turkey Trot and “Black Friday” on November 25. This will also be a busy travel weekend at the city’s airports and on the roadways. Travelers are urged to use caution.

The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) is reminding everyone to be safe and vigilant especially in crowds and report suspicious activity to 9-1-1. OEMC will monitor all citywide events from the Operations Center and coordinate public safety resources with the Chicago Police Department, Chicago Fire Department and City of Chicago infrastructure departments.

OEMC offers the following safety tips for large-scale events:
• Have a designated meeting place if kids or family members get separated in the crowds. Be sure everyone is clear on the meeting spot and knows ahead of time.
• Be aware of your location, escape routes and general surroundings in the event of an emergency.
• Create an online Safety profile at www.SMART911.com now to provide essential details and information should there be a need to call 9-1-1 in an emergency. Smart911 is a service that allows anyone to provide information such as medical conditions, physical disabilities, photos of family members, etc. to assist 9-1-1 call takers and first responders get you the help you need quickly.
• Follow OEMC on Twitter at @ChicagoOEMC and subscribe to Notify Chicago, the City of Chicago’s emergency alert system to receive notifications about extreme weather and traffic disruptions, at www.notifychicago.org.
• Report Suspicious Activity: If you See Something Say Something. The city reminds the public to be aware of their surroundings and to report suspicious activity. If you notice something suspicious, notify onsite security or call 9-1-1. If You See Something, Say Something™ is a national anti-terrorism public awareness campaign that emphasizes the importance of reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities.

Chicago Police Department Safety Tips for Holiday Shopping
• Keep your purse close to your body, preferably in front of you or under a jacket or coat.
• Be aware of where your purse is when you go to restaurants or hotel lounges. Thieves prey on purses hung over the back of a chair or left on the floor.
• If you carry a wallet, keep it in your front pants pocket or coat breast pocket.
• Always be alert and walk confidently. Be mindful of those who pass you on a crowded bus or train or bump into you on a sidewalk. These individuals may be pickpockets.
• Do not leave packages or other valuables on the car seat where they can be seen. Lock them in the trunk.
• Do not carry valuables in backpacks, which can easily be accessed in a crowded elevator, on an escalator or in a checkout line.
• Keep an eye on credit cards and the paper trail they generate to avoid becoming the victim of identity theft. To reduce the risk, people should destroy extra copies of credit card receipts. It's also best not to carry personal information in a wallet or purse. This includes a social security number, an old credit card, ATM receipts or seldom used credit cards.
• Keep pertinent information, including credit card account numbers, banking information and social security numbers, in a secured but accessible place at home. That way, in the event that a credit card is lost or stolen, the information will be handy for reporting to authorities.
• Use caution when making online purchases, especially when the vendor is an individual rather than a known retailer.

Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade, State Street from Ida B. Wells to Randolph Street
The annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in downtown Chicago on Thursday, November 24 is set to be broadcast live at 8 a.m. and step-off at 8:45 a.m. on State Street ending at 11a.m. The popular downtown parade will start at Ida B. Wells and head northbound on State Street to Randolph Street. There will be over 80 units consisting of giant helium balloons, floats, award-winning marching bands, equestrian units, local and national celebrities, animals, and various performance groups. The impacted area is from Roosevelt Road to Wacker Drive and Wells Street to Michigan Avenue. Residents can expect intermittent street closures between 5 a.m. and 2 p.m. and parking restrictions will be in effect in the area. Spectators are encouraged to use public transportation. For Complete details, visit ChicagoThanksgivingParade.com.

Turkey Trot Chicago 5K/8K, Lincoln Park, Diversey Harbor
The Lifetime Turkey Trot Chicago run/walk on Thursday, November 24 in Lincoln Park starts at 9 a.m. at Fullerton Pkwy and Cannon Drive heading east on Fullerton to the Lakefront Trail and finishing just south of the Diversey Driving Range. For complete details, visit TurkeyTrotChicago.com.

Edison Park Turkey Trot, 5K Fun Run and Walk
The annual fun run and walk on Thursday, November 24 in Edison Park starts at 8:30am with a kids race followed by the 5K at 9:30am. Street closures through the neighborhood include:
N. Northwest Hwy from Devon to Overhill, N. Oketo to W. Onarga, W. Onarga to N. Octavia, N. Octavia to W. Ibsen, W. Ibsen to N. Odell, N. Odell to W. Birchwood to N. Ottawa and back to the finish at N. Northwest Hwy. For complete details, visit EPTurkeyTrot.enmotive.com.events/2022edisonparkturkeytrot

Grant Park Turkey Trot, 5K/10K, Run/Walk in Grant Park
The annual run/walk in Grant Park on Saturday, November 26 begins at 9 a.m. The course is entirely along the Lakefront path and sidewalks, with the start and finish at DuSable Harbor (111 N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive). For complete details, visit AllCommunityEvents.com/GrantParkTurkeyTrot.

2022 Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza and Wrigleyville
The annual Christkindlmarket is open now through Saturday, December 24 on Daley Plaza located at 50 West Washington Street. NOTE: For weekend programming, there will be a full closure of W. Washington Street, including the CTA bus lane, between Clark Street and Dearborn Street starting at 5 am each Saturday morning and ending at 11 pm Sunday night on the following dates: November 19–20, 26–27, December 3–4, 10–11 and 17–18. Hours are Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m. –8 pm and Fridays and Saturdays, 11 am – 9 pm with special hours on holidays. The Christkindlmarket in Wrigleyville at Gallagher Way, located at 3635 N. Clark Street is also open now through Saturday, December 31. Hours are Mondays-Thursdays, 3 p.m.–9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. –10 p.m. and Sundays, 11 am – 7 pm with special hours on holidays. For complete details, visit Christkindlmarket.com/

Lincoln Park ZooLights 2022 Opens Saturday, November 19, Lincoln Park Zoo
The annual ZooLights Festival at the Lincoln Park Zoo opens this weekend from 4:30 – 10 pm nightly from November 19 through January 1. For details, visit lpzoo.org/event/zoolights/

Traffic Control Aides (TCAs) will be on hand at events citywide to direct flow and impacts from increased traffic. Public transportation is encouraged. For more information on CTA services and reroutes, visit TransitChicago.com or call 312.836.7000 from any area code/1.888.YOUR-I CTA. TransitChicago.com

Weather
OEMC advises Chicagoans to be aware of weather conditions and to follow instructions and heed all warnings from public safety officials. We encourage residents to check the weather before heading out. For the most up-to-date weather information, please tune into local media or download a weather app.

OEMC will issue any alerts and notifications needed to keep residents and attendees up to date on weather conditions and emergencies. Sign up for NotifyChicago alerts at NotifyChicago.org. OEMC also issues TEXT alerts for lakefront notices, issues affecting businesses or COVID-19 updates:

• CHILAKE: For lakefront notices, TEXT “CHILAKE” to 7-8-0-1-5
• CHIBIZ: For alerts affecting businesses, TEXT “CHIBIZ” to 6-7-2-8-3

CDPH – Holiday Season Health Guidelines

• Stay up to date with COVID and flu vaccination. Everyone age 6 months and up should receive a flu shot to protect against flu viruses.COVID-19 vaccination should include all primary series doses and boosters for your age group.For those 5-years and up, if you haven't had a new updated COVID vaccine (bivalent booster) since Labor Day, you are not be up to date.
• Stay home if you are sick, even if you are vaccinated for COVID and flu. Do not attend parties or events and test yourself for COVID-19. Even if your test is negative, stay home until you are feeling better.
• Speak with your doctor if you are sick. If either flu or COVID is diagnosed, treatments are available.
• Wear a mask if you have symptoms, a positive test for a respiratory virus, or exposure to someone with COVID-19.
• Consider masking on public transportation, in indoor public settings where vaccine status is not known, and when visiting high risk family members.
• Test yourself for COVID-19 five days after an exposure.
• Host gatherings outdoors when possible, or open windows to improve ventilation.
• Remember to wash your hands.

The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) is preparing to welcome large numbers of travelers at both O’Hare and Midway International Airports throughout the holiday week, and there is no greater priority than providing a safe, secure and reassuring environment for airport travelers and employees. For everyone planning to travel through the airports, please keep in mind the following travel tips:

• Arrive early–With added security measures and resurgent travel demand, you may encounter longer lines at airline check-in, TSA screening and concessions.
• Prevent traffic congestion–Avoid the busy curb drop-off and consider arriving at O'Hare on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue Line or getting dropped off at the Kiss 'n' Fly area at the Multi-Modal Facility, now served by the Airport Transit System (ATS) to all terminals. Midway is accessible via the CTA Orange Line or the Kiss 'n' Fly area at 59th St and Kilpatrick Ave. For those picking up travelers, avoid circling and utilize the cell phone lots available at each airport (560 N. Bessie Coleman at O'Hare and 61st St/Cicero Ave) to wait for your arrivals to call you.
• Visit www.flychicago.com– The website contains real-time information about flights, parking updates, taxicab wait times, available concession businesses and other special alerts for the traveling public.

For additional information on emergency preparedness information, visit the OEMC website at Chicago.gov/OEMC. Follow the Office of Emergency Management and Communications on Facebook (@coemc), Twitter (@ChicagoOEMC) and Instagram (chicago_oemc_911).

# # #