WRIGLEYVILLE — With postseason games starting on Friday, the Cubs said plans for the Park at Wrigley are being finalized and will be rolled out this week, including away game watch parties as the Cubs start the playoffs.
The first event is Tuesday: "W"ville, a free, family-friendly event celebrating the team's race to win back-to-back championships.
"W"ville is 3-7 p.m. on the Park at Wrigley, and it's open to the public.
The event will feature Cubs and #FlyTheW gear (thanks to a pop-up "W Shop" next to the Cubs Store), Cubs-inspired games, activities for kids like a balloon artist, face painter and more, miniature robots from the Museum of Science and Industry and a whiffle ball challenge with the chance to win postseason tickets.
Free giveaways will include #FlyTheW cardboard posters, stickers, temporary tattoos, rally towels and W stencils.
Immediately following "W"ville, guests can watch the American League Wild Card game between the Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees and participate in special programming at Budweiser Brickhouse Tavern or Lucky Dorr Patio and Tap.
Bennett Lawson, chief of staff for Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), said there were a series of meetings last week to put the Park at Wrigley's postseason programming into place, and final plans will be announced soon.
Because of the city's sports plaza ordinance, the Cubs had to reenvision the Park at Wrigley to meet restrictions, like only allowing ticket holders to access the plaza on game days and during concerts at the ballpark and only allowing for 12 special events per year.
Originally, the Cubs hoped the Park at Wrigley would be open to the public on game days and serve as a gathering place for fans, even if they didn't have tickets.
But safety concerns and worries over pulling too much business from the bars in Wrigleyville led to the city's restrictions.
"We want to make sure we're crawling before we walk and before we run," said Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) when the Park at Wrigley opened in April. "We definitely have some concerns about how [the plaza] is going to be managed — especially on game days — and that's why it's restrictive."
