President Barack Obama confirmed Monday that he will deliver a historic farewell address at McCormick Place on Jan. 10, but how do Chicagoans get tickets?
A public ticket distribution will take place at McCormick Place on Jan. 7, according to the White House. Tickets are free, and one ticket per person will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Ticket distribution will begin at 8 a.m., the White House said, but no one will be allowed to line up at McCormick Place before 6 a.m. Saturday.
Doors for the speech are scheduled to open at 5 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to arrive at or before that time. Those arriving late may not be permitted to attend.
All attendees will be subject to "airport-like security" and should bring as few personal iterms as possible. Bags, sharp objects, umbrellas, liguids, and signs will not be allowed in the venue.
Obama, in a written statement released Monday, explained that the American people have helped him lead during his presidency, a theme he plans to highlight in his speech.
"I'm thinking about [my remarks] 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 thought on where we all go from here," he wrote.
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The sitting president offered encouragement to his fellow Americans, who he said have hit obstacles since he took office.
"Since 2009, we've faced our fair share of challenges, and come through them stronger," he said. "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.
The U.S. president's farewell address, Obama noted, is a tradition that dates back to 1796, when George Washington said goodbye to Americans before transferring power to his successor, John Adams.
