hi fodorites,

as a canadian, we get a lot of US influences so i'm fairly aware of the 4th of july celebrations that our neighbours to the south partake in ... (at least what we hear from our american friends and what we see on TV each year)

DH and i (early 30's, well-traveled) may be in chicago at the beginning of july this year. i'm trying to plan a rough itinerary as we wait to see whether this pans out (waiting for some things to go through at work)...

would we want to fly home (to toronto) on saturday, july 4th and MISS (or perhaps AVOID???) the festivities? or would we want to stay and partake in the celebrations (i'm thinking fireworks, music, etc.???) and head home on the 5th instead? i should note that we are NOT party animals ... i'm happy when i'm in bed by 11 pm!

DH and i tend to hang around at home with family/friends for canada day (i would say it's the equivalent of july 4th but canadians are likely more subdued). in otherwords, we wouldn't partake in heading to ottawa or even downtown toronto for fireworks etc.

can anyone comment about any celebratory events taking place in chicago for the july 4th event? i'm leaning towards flying home on the 5th ...

if we go, we'll likely grab a hotel on/near mag mile through hotwire ... so i'm hoping any july 4th events would be easily accessible (no plans to rent a car)...

thanks so much!

lilaki

oh - and i should've specified ... we will be arriving on july 1st...

tks!

The Taste of Chicago runs June 25-July 5. It's a festival in Grant Park with several entertainment venues and booths run by many of the city's restaurants that offer small portions of items from their menus. You can get a complete schedule of entertainment and info at www.tasteofchicago.us.

On the evening of July 3, there is a concert in the Pritzker Pavillion in Millennium Park which ends with the fireworks display over Monroe Harbor. You can view the fireworks from almost anywhere in the Grant Park and everyone has his/her favorite spot.

That weekend always draws large crowds, so you should book your hotel ASAP.

Navy Pier has regular fireworks shows on Saturday evenings thoughout the summer, so you could catch their display on the evening of July 4. It's a much more modest display so if you left on Saturday, it wouldn't be a big disappointment.

hi citylights,

thanks so much for all of the info ... i hope everything falls into place so we can go.

i think given all the stuff we want to see/do, we'll likely leave on the 5th anyway ... regardless of the festivities.

tks!

lilaki

lilaki, you should be made aware of the fact that whether you go on the 3rd or 4th, you are likely to encounter 1,000,000+ of your closest friends at the Taste of Chicago each day. The 3rd will most likely have the larger attendance.

Navy Pier will have tremendous crowds as well.

hi ep...

thanks for the head's up ... i'm hoping to snag a hotel room with views of the fireworks!

lilaki

Hotel rooms with fireworks views are at a premium and you may find many booked already. As most hotel windows don't open, you lose the sound part of the experience and pay astronomical rates for the night.

Also without getting into too much of the mechanics, fireworks are designed to work with gravity, so if you're too high off the ground, you lose the three-dimensional effect.

While some areas are crowded, you can view the fireworks from almost anywhere in Grant Park, Northerly Island or along Michigan Avenue. Naturally, some vantage points are better than others but you have over 300 acres to find a spot. I always head down to watch and have never had problems finding space or catching a train back home.

hi fodorites,

we booked our hotel and our flights ... our trip is a GO!

we've decided to stay until sunday, july 5th and we're staying in the swissotel. i'm not sure if we will get a room with any kind of view but we'll take our chances.

a few questions that i didn't even think of before ...

1. what is open on july 4th? shops? restaurants? or is it pretty much just tourist attractions and touristy restaurants? we were hoping to do some shopping during our trip, so if the shops are all closed on the 4th, we'll have to do it before.

2. any tips on where we can watch the 4th of july fireworks near our hotel (if not from our room)?

THANKS!!!

Most stores and restaurants will be open on July 3 and 4 though some may have shortened hours. I like to watch the fireworks near Millennium Park along Randolph. You're not in the thick of the crowd at the Taste, but can see well.

Almost anyplace in Millennium/Grant Park, Navy Pier or the Museum Campus is good to watch. All the streets around the park will be closed so you can stroll around until you find a spot.

hi citylights,

thanks for the tip about randolph ... i'll make a note of that!

lilaki

another question ... from left field this time! what is the mosquito/bug situation like at night in chicago? i swell up like crazy and don't normally venture outside after dusk in toronto ... and if i do, i'm covered either in clothing or deet or both! i'm most concerned about the fireworks night(s) as we'll be pretty stationary ...