Parents across Chicago (and nearby suburbs) celebrated the new year by welcoming their babies on the first day of 2026.

Details: TAO Chicago is hosting a New Year’s Eve celebration featuring light bites, premium cocktails and a midnight champagne toast. Tickets include access to both the restaurant and nightclub floors. FOX Chicago will host a live broadcast throughout the night.

Chicago will once again ring in the New Year with an epic fireworks display over the Chicago River. The city's official event opens at 5 p.m. on New Year's Eve and will continue through midnight, culminating in the explosive display.

For the first time, “Rockin’ Eve” brought the Central Time countdown to viewers coast to coast. While that meant no “Countdown Chicago,” ABC7’s Terrell Brown and Cheryl Scott unveiled a new dance routine Wednesday as part of their annual tradition.

Chance the Rapper led the New Year’s Eve festivities at the corner of Wacker and Franklin in the Loop. Chicago was featured for the first time in the national broadcast of “Dick

Each year, Chicago rings in the New Year with a massive midnight fireworks display -- and 2026 will be no different.

Neighborhood bars and restaurants across Chicago are prepping for their New Year's Eve bashes on Wednesday. It's a process that starts months before the actual celebration gets underway.

HARVARD, Ill. - A man died in a car crash on New Year's Eve in Chicago's northwest suburbs. The 29-year-old was driving westbound on Route 173, west of Oak Grove Road, when his Nissan Rogue ran off the roadway and struck a tree, according to the McHenry County Sheriff's Office. The vehicle became fully engulfed in flames after the crash.