Baseball has officially returned to the North Side -- and so has the rain tarp.
While the Chicago Cubs kicked off their season last week on the road against the World Series reigning champs Texas Rangers, their home opener takes place Monday.
The Cubs will host their home opener at Wrigley Field on April 1 when they take on the Colorado Rockies at 1:20 p.m. CT. And if you're headed to the stadium, you're going to want to bring a raincoat.
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"We're hoping the ballgames get in, but be prepared for rain," NBC 5 Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes said, of Monday's forecast.
According to Jeanes, temperatures Monday were expected to hit highs in the upper 40s. And though overnight rain came to an end Monday morning, another wave was expected to move in beginning around 1 p.m., with rain chances increasing as the afternoon goes on.
"It’s possible the Cubs game gets started, but the chance of rain is going to be going up through the game if it does," Jeanes said.
Early Monday morning at Wrigley Field, the rain tarp was already down.
Chicago Cubs
"It's a brisk morning, but its pretty on par with with what we expect for Spring in Chicago," NBC 5 reporter Lexi Sutter reported live from the field.
According to team officials, gates open two hours before first pitch, which means fans will be able to enter the ballpark at approximately 11:20 a.m. Monday. For all other games, gates will open 90 minutes before first pitch.
Ahead of first pitch Monday, an Airforce flyover is planned, team officials said, as long as the weather cooperates. The National Anthem is set to be sung by John Vincent.
If you're heading to Wrigley Field for Monday's home opener, or for any other home game this season, here's what to know.
Tickets
Cubs tickets purchased through the team’s website can be downloaded to the MLB Ballpark app.
If fans want to receive special commemorative tickets for their visit, they can take advantage of a new MLB service that will print and mail ticket stubs. However, those stubs cannot be used to gain entry into the stadium.
According to mlb.com, some single game tickets are still available for the Cubs' home opener.
Bring a credit card
Wrigley Field is a cashless facility. Payments can be made via credit or debit card, or via mobile wallet apps.
Reverse ATMs are available for fans to convert cash to cards that can be used inside the ballpark.
Getting to Wrigley Field
Parking at Wrigley Field: Free remote parking is available at 3900 N. Rockwell St. for night and weekend games, with a free shuttle service to and from Wrigley Field. More parking options and a map can be found here.
Public Transportation for Wrigley Field: The CTA runs extra trains and buses before and after Cubs games. Tickets for the train are $2.50, and $2.25 for the bus.
By train:
- Red Line: CTA’s Addison station is located just a half block east of Wrigley Field.
- Purple Line: During weeknight games, southbound Purple Line Express trains will stop at Sheridan, where riders can either walk three blocks south on Sheridan/Sheffield to the ballpark or transfer to a southbound Red Line train and exit at the Addison station.
- Yellow Line: Take the Yellow Line southbound and transfer at Howard to the Red Line; continue to Addison station. To accommodate fans returning home, the Yellow Line will run for an hour later from Howard – until midnight – for all night games at Wrigley Field.
By bus:
- #152 Addison: The #152 route will provide additional service on Cubs game days, with more frequent service two hours before and one hour after all games.
- #80 Irving Park: The #80 route will provide extra service before the games, timed to meet the inbound UP-NW Metra trains at Irving Park.
- Adjacent bus routes: Several CTA bus routes serve the Wrigley Field area, including: #8 Halsted,#22 Clark, #36 Broadway, #151 Sheridan
2024 Wrigley Field bag policy
Wrigley Field's bag policy for the 2024 season prohibits backpacks (including clear backpacks), hard-sided coolers and bags larger than 16 x 16 x 8 inches in size. Bags smaller than 16 x16 x 8 inches in size (such as wallets, drawstring bags, fanny packs, lunch bags, briefcases and soft-sided coolers) are permitted and do not have to be see-through.
Exceptions will be made for medical bags and diaper bags that accompany guests with young children. All bags are subject to inspection.
More information on the stadium's 2024 bag policy can be found here.
Starting lineup
The Cubs' starting lineup for the home opener was announced Monday morning:
Promo items
On Monday, the first 30,000 fans will receive a 2024 Cubs magnet schedule on April 1.
Here’s a full list of everything you can get for free this Cubs season.