SOUTH LOOP — If you planned to camp out overnight in order to snag tickets to President Barack Obama's farewell speech at McCormick Place, you can put your tent away.
Tickets to the Jan. 10 speech will be handed out Saturday morning at 8 a.m. on a first-come, first-served basis with only one free ticket per person allowed.
"Loitering, camping or other overnight activities will be prohibited outside of McCormick Place prior to 6:00 a.m. CST on Saturday, January 7th," according to the event listing.
To get a ticket, you'll need to enter McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive., through Parking Lot A and the Gate 4 entrance on Jan. 7.
Obama will head to Chicago Jan. 10 for his farewell speech, which will be a thank you to supporters and his thoughts on where to go moving forward.
In a letter sent to the White House email list Monday, Obama said he is beginning to write his remarks for the speech.
"I'm just beginning to write my remarks," Obama wrote in an email. "But I'm thinking about them as a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways you've changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here."
The speech will start around 5 p.m. on Jan. 10, and stream live here.
Obama ends his term as president and leaves the White House on the morning of Jan. 20. As President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, large-scale protests are planned in Washington, D.C., and in Chicago.
Read President Obama's full letter to supporters here:
In 1796, as George Washington set the precedent for a peaceful, democratic transfer of power, he also set a precedent by penning a farewell address to the American people. And over the 220 years since, many American presidents have followed his lead.
On Tuesday, January 10, I'll go home to Chicago to say my grateful farewell to you, even if you can't be there in person.
I'm just beginning to write my remarks. But I'm thinking about them as a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways you've changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here.
Since 2009, we've faced our fair share of challenges, and come through them stronger. That's because we have never let go of a belief that has guided us ever since our founding—our conviction that, together, we can change this country for the better.
So I hope you'll join me one last time.
Because, for me, it's always been about you.
President Barack Obama
