You’ll hear the roar of their engines first.
But then you’ll see and feel the impact on traffic if you happen to be driving anywhere near Western Ave. this Sunday.
That’s because Sunday is Chicago’s 32nd annual Toys For Tots Motorcycle Parade.
The motorcycle parade takes place along Chicago’s famous Western Avenue, stepping off at Dan Ryan Woods (8300 South) and proceeding nearly 18 miles all the way to Addison St. (3600 North) where the parade ends up at Lane Tech High School.
The parade begins at 9:30 AM, with Santa Claus riding his very own Harley, and ends at approximately 2:30 PM, with thousands of big-hearted, but insane motorcycle riders braving freezing temperatures to make sure a bunch of kids have a happy Christmas.
The Geek recommends that drivers try their damndest to avoid Western Ave at all costs on Sunday.
Western Ave. will be closed for the parade so if you need to travel north or south, take parallel alternatives like Ashland, Damen, California, Kedzie, Kimball, etc.
It will be VERY difficult to cross Western going east or west. Drivers will only be able to cross at major intersections, where traffic will be police controlled. So expect long delays. Otherwise, it would be advisable to use some of the local bypasses for Western or the expressway.
Don’t Park On Western Avenue!!!
I have not seen signs along Western Ave., warning of this, but assume that any cars parked along all 18 miles of the parade route along Western, early Sunday morning, will be towed prior to the event. So just to be careful, DON’T park your car on Western Ave. this weekend or move it EARLY (and I mean EARLY) Sunday morning. You really don’t want to chance spending your Sunday hanging out at the auto pound and donating to $150 of your hard earned cash to Mayor Daley.
My best advice is to avoid Western Avenue from late Saturday night until late Sunday night.
Of course, if any of you generous Santa’s helpers want to donate to Toys for Tots, check out their website for all the details.
Photo of Santa courtesy of Toys for Tots Chicagoland Motorcycle Parade.
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while this parade is nicely predictable, there is a similar event on the last Friday of each month: the “critical mass” bicycle ride. This occurs in downtown and the path is unpredictable. Unlike Toys for Tots, their aim is to encourage bicycle use, a losing proposition. After all, riding a bicycle in traffic requires you have balls like soccer balls!