South Side vs. North Side: The 2026 Crosstown Series Just Wrapped at Wrigley — And the Reds Are Next Up This Friday
By Socialhood News · Wrigleyville ·
Wrigleyville neighbors, the North Side just hosted one of the most emotionally charged homestand stretches of the entire summer — and the block around Clark and Addison is barely catching its breath before the next chapter begins this Friday. The Cubs' 2026 Crosstown Series at Wrigley Field ran Monday, August 17 through Wednesday, August 19, bringing the Chicago White Sox to the Friendly Confines for three games that — as always — split households, offices, and friend groups straight down North Side and South Side lines.
The Wrigley Field leg of the annual rivalry concluded Wednesday, August 19, with a 1:20 p.m. CT afternoon finale. The 2026 series was split between the two ballparks: the first portion was played in May at Rate Field on the South Side, making the August home dates the Wrigleyville chapter that Cubs fans circle on the calendar every spring. The CTA Red Line Addison stop, right at the ballpark's front door, made game-night arrivals seamless for neighbors and visitors alike — one of the genuine advantages of Wrigley's deep roots in the urban fabric of the North Side.
The Crosstown Series carries stakes that go well beyond the standings. Because the Cubs play in the National League and the White Sox in the American League, the two clubs only meet in interleague play, which concentrates all of the city's baseball bragging rights into a handful of games each year. The all-time series between the two clubs remains remarkably close heading into 2026 — a tightness that keeps the rivalry genuinely tense and the neighborhood bars packed well past last pitch on game nights.
But before neighbors fully exhale from the Sox series, Wrigleyville's next homestand is already on the horizon. The Cincinnati Reds arrive at Wrigley Field this Friday, August 28, for a three-game set, with games also scheduled Saturday, August 29, and Sunday, August 30. Friday and Saturday first pitches are both set for 1:20 p.m. CT, while Sunday's finale goes at 7:20 p.m. ET — an evening cap to what should be another lively late-August weekend on Clark Street. Tickets are available through the Cubs, with seats starting from $32 according to current listings.
And if you missed the Savannah Bananas when they rolled through Wrigley Field the last weekend of July — the viral exhibition baseball touring act known for trick plays, dance routines, and tweaked rules — you weren't alone in feeling the buzz. The Bananas and the Firefighters faced off in a series of three games at the Friendly Confines, and the event carried a community sweetness beyond the on-field spectacle: the Bananas partnered with Dairy Queen for Miracle Treat Day, tying the Wrigley appearance to DQ's annual fundraiser that benefits Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. It was the kind of crossover between neighborhood fun and genuine civic good that Wrigleyville does especially well.
Taken together, this final full week of August is a reminder that the Friendly Confines never really slow down — not when the Crosstown rivalry has just electrified the block, not when the Reds are days away from pulling into town, and not when a neighborhood that runs on baseball energy is approaching the final stretch of the regular season. With the 2027 MLB All-Star Game already locked in at Wrigley, every homestand this summer carries a little extra weight as the organization and the neighborhood continue to build toward that national moment.
Neighbors, did you make it out to any of the Crosstown Series games this week? And are you grabbing tickets for the Reds this weekend? Drop your seat section and your game-day spot in the comments — and let your neighbors know where to be on Clark Street this Friday.
Sources:
1. https://www.mlb.com/cubs/guide/crosstown-series-at-wrigley-field
2. https://www.axs.com/venues/102560/wrigley-field-chicago-tickets
3. https://americanarenas.com/venue/wrigley-field/
4. https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/savannah-bananas-wrigley-field-summer-2026
5. https://www.fox32chicago.com/tag/us/il/cook-county/chicago/wrigleyville