As part of Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s all-hands-on-deck public safety strategy, the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), the Chicago Police Department and other City departments and agencies have  joined together to emphasize that safety is a priority when celebrating the 2020 Memorial Day weekend.  

“Even as we face an unprecedented public health crisis, our first responders, City workers and street outreach partners from across Chicago are coming together in an all-hands-on-deck effort to keep residents safe this weekend and throughout the summer,” said Mayor Lightfoot.  “While I encourage all residents to celebrate the holiday, it remains imperative that we do so by staying inside and social distancing so we can continue to save lives and keep our fellow neighbors safe and healthy.”

What’s open

Chicago parks will remain open with social distancing and wearing cloth masks required.

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is open, with restrictions:

• All public events and volunteer activities are banned through May 31, and permitted events through June 25.
• Some locations (including all public restrooms, nature centers, campgrounds, nature play areas will remain closed. Check locations for information on your local preserve

Public transit, regional transit, ride share and taxi are running.

Illinois state parks are open for wildlife observation, hiking, biking, fishing and more with social-distancing guidelines.

Whats not (open)

The lakefront and its adjacent parks will remain closed through Memorial Day weekend and beyond (probably until early June).

In order to enforce this regulations, CPD’s Bike Unit and Marine Unit will patrol the area to ensure residents are complying with the closure and Stay at Home order. 

All city sponsored events and festivals including the Memorial Day parade and Bike the Drive have been cancelled. 

City golf courses remain closed, however many suburban golf courses are open with new regulations.

Playgrounds, bars and lounges, and large venues (stadiums, indoor theaters, music venues, convention centers), the Lincoln Park Zoo will remain off-limits (closed). 

Safety precautions

To supplement on-the-ground public safety resources, the Police Department will increase its patrol beyond its regular deployments and individuals can expect to see a heavier presence of uniformed officers in and around major transit hubs and thoroughfares. While the Department is focused on crimefighting prevention efforts, officers will continue to enforce the Stay at Home order by dispersing any large gatherings and issuing citations where necessary. 

To support the City’s services efforts, the Mayor’s Office of Violence Reduction has launched the first-ever Violence Reduction Dashboard, which is designed to enable City departments and street outreach organizations to use crime data to not only centralize strategic police missions and street outreach deployments but also inform various department operations and resources.

Local police districts continue to partner with the violence interrupters, block clubs and street outreach organizations on the ground to curb gun violence in Chicago’s neighborhoods.

For the latest information and public health guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19, please visitFor the latest information and public health guidance visit Chicago.gov/COVID.

A Look Back

Click here to look back on some Chicago Memorial Day weekends from more normal times

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