Wrigleyville usually goes quiet around the ballpark in late October. This year the 2027 All-Star Game reached the corner of Clark and Addison a year early. Crews began installing crash-rated security bollards on all four streets around Wrigley Field on October 12. Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville opens at Gallagher Way on November 20, about when the closure of the Clark Street sidewalk in front of it begins.
So the block's busiest winter stretch shares the street with its biggest construction project in years. Then the work winds down in stages, one street at a time, with the last closure scheduled to lift in early March.
Why the Work Is Happening This Winter
Major League Baseball made enhanced security a condition for awarding the Cubs the 2027 All-Star Game. Specifically, it asked for security bollards on all four streets surrounding the ballpark. That's according to Bleed Cubbie Blue's October 8 report, carried on Yahoo Sports.
The plan isn't new. In May 2025, the Chicago Sun-Times described a proposal for removable, anti-terrorism-rated concrete bollards, wider Addison sidewalks, relocated light poles, and utility work. The paper put the projected cost above $30 million. The city capped its share at $10 million or one-third of the final guaranteed maximum price. Illinois was expected to contribute $12 million. The Cubs committed at least $8 million plus overruns and future maintenance.
That deal ended a long standoff. The same Sun-Times story traced earlier rounds to the Cubs' request to close Addison and Clark on game days, which city leadership and the ward's alderman at the time opposed. The work had to fit between the last home game of 2026 and Opening Day 2027. That puts the heavy lifting in exactly the months when Gallagher Way turns into a holiday market.
What Is Closed, and Until When
The 44th Ward's newsletter lists four phased restrictions. The Cubs sent neighbors the same schedule.
| Street | What is restricted | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield Avenue, Addison to Waveland | Closed to cars; west sidewalk closed | October 12 through early December |
| Waveland Avenue, Clark to Sheffield | Closed to westbound traffic; south sidewalk closed | October 12 through early March |
| Addison Street | North sidewalk closed to pedestrians | October 22 through mid-January |
| Clark Street | East sidewalk closed to pedestrians | Mid-November through mid-December |
Every closure is on the ballpark side of the street. The Sheffield, Waveland and Addison sidewalks that close are the ones right against Wrigley. The Clark sidewalk that closes is the east side, along Gallagher Way and the ballpark's west face. The far side of each street stays open to pedestrians throughout.
The end dates are approximate. "Early December" and "mid-January" are the ward's own wording, not fixed reopening days. The only firm commitment is the finish line. The Cubs told neighbors the work will be done by Opening Day 2027, and that "Gallagher Way and the surrounding businesses will remain open throughout construction."
The Market's First Month Lands on the Tightest Block
Christkindlmarket Wrigleyville runs November 20 through December 31 at Gallagher Way, 3635 N. Clark St. Entry is free. Regular hours, per the market's Wrigleyville page:
- Monday through Thursday: 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Sunday: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Line the market calendar up against the construction windows and the winter falls into a clear order:
- October 26 through 31: Gallagher Way is closed to the public every day while the market is built.
- Mid-November: The east Clark sidewalk closes, just ahead of the market.
- November 20: The market opens. Sheffield is still closed to cars, Waveland westbound is still closed, and the north Addison and east Clark sidewalks are both shut.
- November 26, Thanksgiving: The market is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Early December: Sheffield is scheduled to reopen to cars.
- Mid-December: The east Clark sidewalk is scheduled to reopen, giving the market's last two weeks a cleaner approach.
- December 21 through 23 and December 28 through 30: The market opens early, running 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on those weekdays.
- December 24 and 31: The market is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve is the final day.
- Mid-January: The north Addison sidewalk is scheduled to reopen.
- Early March: Waveland westbound traffic and its south sidewalk are scheduled to reopen, the last of the four closures.
The first four weeks of the market get every closure at once. The weekday early openings in the last two weeks of December fall after the Clark and Sheffield work is scheduled to wrap. If you can only pick one visit, late December should be the easier walk, though the market's last days have their own holiday hours to plan around.
Getting There Without a Car
With Sheffield closed to cars and Waveland one-way for months, transit is the simplest way in. The Cubs list the accessible Addison Red Line station as the ballpark's train stop, with the #152 Addison and #22 Clark buses stopping at Clark and Addison. The closures cover streets and sidewalks. None of the construction notices mention any change to train service. The CTA's alerts page is the place to check before you leave.
From the Addison stop, the market is west along Addison toward Clark. The north Addison sidewalk along the ballpark is closed until mid-January, so use the south side of Addison, across the street from Wrigley. From Clark and Addison, Gallagher Way is up the block on the east side of Clark. During the mid-November to mid-December window, expect to walk the west side of Clark and cross over where the construction allows. Neither the ward nor the market has published a pedestrian detour map, so allow a few extra minutes on the first visit.
What Else Is Open on Clark and Addison This Winter
The block's year-round businesses are open through the work, and a few things around the ballpark are new since summer.
The Cubs store across Addison. A large Cubs store opened September 22 on the south side of Addison Street, across from the ballpark. It sits on the sidewalk that stays open all winter.
DraftKings Sports Bar. DraftKings closed the betting portion of its sportsbook at Wrigley Field earlier this year and rebranded the space as DraftKings Sports Bar, Bleed Cubbie Blue reported.
Santa Baby at 3505 N. Clark. The holiday bar runs from November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027. It opens the same day as the market and stays open three days after the market closes. On December 12, regular reservations open after 7:30 p.m.
Winterland at Gallagher Way. The market is part of Winterland, which Gallagher Way has confirmed will return in 2026. So far, Gallagher Way's Winterland page says only that more information is coming soon, so any rink, programming or ticketing for this season has not been announced.
Ballpark tours. Public tours check in at the Gallagher Way gate on the ballpark's west side. The Cubs say dates missing from the tour ticket schedule are not being offered, so check the schedule before planning a winter tour around the market.
The Block After the Bollards
By March, the last closure on Waveland is scheduled to lift. By Opening Day 2027, the bollards are due to be finished on all four sides of the ballpark. The 2025 plan also called for wider Addison sidewalks and relocated light poles.
If you own near the ballpark, a project like this affects how buyers see your block during a showing, and that shifts as each street reopens. Questions about how the bollard work fits your sale timing are worth a direct conversation with Millie Rosenbloom, who has spent four decades pricing Chicago homes. Start with a free home valuation.
