Taste of Chicago Fireworks - Chicago, IL - Fireworks Displays on Waymarking.com

During the annual Taste of Chicago food festival, every July 3rd is the night for the BIG fireworks. The fireworks display is launched from Monroe Harbor and can be seen best from Millennium Park and Grant Park and elsewhere along the Lake Michigan shore.

The fireworks are an awesome display of pyrotechnics and it is all choreographed with the music played by the Grant Park Symphony.
For instance, when the song is America the Beautiful and the line is "Purple Mountains Magesty," the sky is decorated in purple.

Here is how I recommend viewing the fireworks along with all the other events during the day with your family and friends:

You need a least two adults, four or more works best, though. Reserve a hotel room at a Chicago Loop hotel.

Arrive before noon at the hotel and storage check your bags with the bell hop (costs around $1.00 per bag) if your room is not ready, yet.

Go graze on lunch at one of the many food vendors from local restaurants at Taste of Chicago (and take notes for dinner ideas).

Stake your claim on the best available patch of land in Grant Park or Millennium Park with blankets, camping chairs, and a cooler of water since July in Chicago is usually hot and very humid.

(This is where 2 or more people come into play. If you think it is crowded now right after lunch, you haven't seen anything, yet.)

One person or couple stays with the campsite, while the rest of the group either explores the local parks, gets more food, checks into the room, or cools off in the hotel room (Remember: July in Chicago is usually hot and very humid).

As the group rotates guard duties at the campsite, everyone enjoys the day, but as the day progresses, the crowds get thicker and thicker. At this point the group should remain at the campsite and designate one person at a time to run and get food for dinner and snacks at the food vendors. One person can negotiate the crowds easier than two - because you will get separated, trust me.

The coordinates listed are important to us for four reasons.

1) We are close to the portable bathrooms, but not too close to smell anything.

2) We are close to the food vendor for a quick food run, but not too close for others constantly trampling on you trying to get their food.

3) We are close to the bandshell to hear the symphony play during the fireworks without a radio delay, since the fireworks are timed to the music. The 1812 Overture is stupendous!

4) We are close to the hotel where we normally stay so the walk back through the mass of humanity (which closes down the roads for hours) is fairly quick and we don't have to take an overstuffed train back home. Just lie down to sleep in air conditioned comfort after a long day while everybody else is still trying to get home.

You can get a better viewing location on the east side of Lake Shore Drive, but amenities are important, too.

Date of the Fireworks Display: 07/03/2009 Starting Time of the Fireworks Display: 9:30 PM Who is putting on the Fireworks Display: City of Chicago - Office of Special Events Web Site for more info: [Web Link]

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