Central Road in Des Plaines closing today for feast

Central Road in Des Plaines will close at 4:30 p.m. today as up to 100,000 people begin making their way to the annual celebration at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the grounds of Maryville Academy, 1150 N. River Road.

This religious holiday is celebrated Friday, Dec. 12, throughout Mexico. The Virgin of Guadalupe is one of the country's most iconic religious images, said to have appeared to S. Juan Diego outside Mexico City in 1531.

In Des Plaines, the celebration will begin at 6 p.m. today with a rosary followed by Mass in the gym, fireworks at 10 p.m., a procession at 10:30 p.m. traditional singing, or "mañanitas," at midnight and Masses both outdoors and indoors at 12:30 a.m.

On Friday, there will be Masses outdoors at 5 a.m., 8 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., and a rosary at 7 p.m., followed by a final Mass at 8 p.m.

Thirty additional police officers will be assigned to work traffic in the area, Des Plaines Police Cmdr. Tim Veit said.

Central Road between Wolf and East River roads will be closed from 4:30 p.m. today to 6 a.m. Friday, and again from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday.

Virtually no parking is available on site. Seven satellite parking locations have been set up with shuttle service to the shrine costing $1 for adults and free for children.

Most people arrive between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., Veit said.

For more information, call the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at (847) 294-1806 or visit motherofamerica.org.