Chicago Fourth of July -- a mistake??
 

We're headed to Chicago on Saturday, July 2 and staying until we fly out on Tuesday morning, the 5th. I assumed (having been there on the Fourth Weekend a number of years ago) that there would be a lot planned. Now I'm thinking I was wrong. I read that the annual Grant Park Fireworks were cancelled last year and this year due to lack of funds and costs of crowd control. Instead there will now be a 15 minute show at Navy Pier on the 4th at 9, but last year sounds like a nightmare, when police cut off access at 7:30 even to those who had reservations at Navy Pier restaurants. So it sounds like those fireworks are something to be avoided. I keep googling to look for things like outdoor classic concerts, but am finding nothing. I do know about Taste of Chicago which will end on Sunday during the day and that's fine -- we'll probably do that during the day.

But is there anything special we should be doing that weekend? We're definitely going since plane reservations can't be changed and we already have our hotel (the Dana in River North). I've been to Chicago a number of times, but my partner only twice for business. I'm thinking the architectural boat tour on Saturday afternoon, and we'll do a lot of walking/exploring. Not really looking to do theatre that weekend and we're really not into all those improv and comedy clubs.

Have you looked at www.explorechicago.org? Everything's listed there. Consider taking the commuter train to Ravinia Park for the Joshua Bell concert on 2 July. That's in our plans. Don't forget the Museum Campus and Lincoln Park zoo.

I am really surprised to hear of the cancellation of fireworks! It used to be an annual event for us when we were in boating.
Since you have been to Chicago many times you may not be interested, but one of my favorite things to do there is to have cocktails in the Signature Lounge in the John Hancock Building. I think the view is incredible and I never tire of it. I also like to just walk the shoreline, maybe starting at the Shedd Aquarium, which you could have lunch at overlooking the water.

I don't know if it is too late to inquire but volunteers offer free neighborhood walking tours through Chicago Greeters. The Architectural Foundation also offers walking tours.

I have walked Astor St. and the Gold Coast neighborhood many times and also did a Bobby's Bike Tour through the neighborhood but I have always wanted to do one of those walking tours. That is such a beautiful area. There are other very interesting neighborhoods in Chicago.

Marija, my brother just saw Joshua Bell perform while in Florence, Italy and enjoyed him immensely. I've liked him for years.

NP - Re: fireworks. Last year, the city moved them from the 3rd to the 4th and there were three different locations for them - one on the north side, one on the south and one at Navy Pier. This year, there are no city fireworks. Only the ones at Navy Pier.

So, yes - all of the tourists will be trying to get into Navy Pier until they call it quits (I personally think it will be probably earlier in the afternoon). I don't know a single Chicagoan who is planning on going down there on that day/evening. And, yes, IMHO, it's something you might want to totally avoid.

But, beyond that, Navy Pier also has fireworks on the 2nd as well. I personally think that it might be - not quite as bad as, but close to - similar to the 4th.

RE: Taste. My suggestions...Remember, this is no Gourmet Chicago event - just so you are prepared. Look at the food vendors and what they are offering on the Explore Chicago website. Make your plans ahead of time what you are getting. Most of the better entree items will probably run in the 8-12 ticket range (12 tickets to a strip for $8). Take extra wet-naps, napkins, etc. It's wall-to-wall people down there at the busiest of times. You can get some reprieve from them over at Buckingham Fountain - it's water show is on the hour, every hour.

Keeping in mind that isolated and scattered thunderstorms are forecast for most of the days you are here. There is the Independence Day concert at Millennium Park by the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. The concert itself is on the 3rd. This has always been a QUALITY concert in the past. Not sure if you are interested in choral works, but they will be performed at the Harris Theatre at Millennium Park. Here's their calendar: www.grantparkmusicfestival.com

It's too late for you to reserve the free Chicago Greeter service (you need 7-10 days) - but look at the InstaGreeter option (right side of home page - hyperlinks into more details): www.chicagogreeter.com

Chicago Architecture Foundation - they have MANY tours from which to choose. Go down to the ArchiCenter - across S. Michigan from the south end of the Art Institute. caf.architecture.org

Kurt Elling is performing at the Green Mill this coming weekend. (For you, only possible date would be on the 2nd.) This will be a POPULAR show, so I'd go early if you are interested. And, if you go, you can take the Red Line up to Lawrence, but I recommend that you take a cab back. www.greenmilljazz.com

Are you going to any theatrical performances when you are here?

Also, don't know if you like Cirque du Soleil, but their "Ovo" will be performed - over at the United Center is where they pitch their tents.

It occurs to me that we were last at Taste of Chicago ON July 4, 1995 -- my how it must have changed since then. I went with some local friends, spent the day on blankets and lawn chairs, concerts, various entertainment, great inexpensive food, and tremendous fireworks at the end. I guess that's what I was hoping for when I was first thinking about Chicago for the Fourth, but times DO change!

The Sunday concert sounds great, are there seats? Is this a sit on the lawn, first come first served thing? I am unfamiliar what the Jay Pritzger Pavilion is. I did finally find information thanks to the link, exiled princess. When I had entered "concerts" for my dates in the exploreChicago site, I got a "no matches found". Odd, they don't include things like that! Meanwhile I'm not finding anything about choral works at Harris Theatre. Did you mean that as part of the 5:30 Sunday concert, or is it something else?

And no where was I finding anything about Josh Bell (I guess Highland Park doesn't come up in any Chicago searches?) but we'll have to pass on that as we do have Saturday night plans.

Ovo would have been fun on the Fourth, but they don't have a show. And we just booked a Cirque in Montreal in a couple weeks anyway.

Neo, I don't know about seats vs. lawn seating, but I do know the Pritzker Pavilion is an absolutely beautiful (architecturally speaking) outdoor music pavilion in Millenium Park (right next to the "bean" sculpture).

NP - I'm going to give you just a little brief info here but further details about Millennium Park and the concert are on the Grant Park Music Festival website (hyperlink above), including a map of Millennium Park and where the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and the Harris Theatre are located, info about the seating (including pictures of the various types), and the calendar:

The Jay Pritzker Pavilion, as well as the BP Bridge beside it, was designed by Frank Gehry. There is regular seating (subscription at the front and free towards the rear) and seating on the ground on the Great Lawn, the free seats being first-come, first-served basis.

You can take picnics to Millennium Park, if you wish - actually I do recommend it. If you are interested, take a look at Pastoral's website for information on a picnic basket or at least sandwiches/salads: www.pastoralartisan.com. NOTE: Order picnic baskets in advance - you'll see it on their website.

If you are planning on going to the Art Institute beforehand, there is the Nichols Bridgeway, a walkway from the Modern Wing (opened in 2009) which sweeps down right onto the Great Lawn at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Both were designed by Renzo Piano.

Re: the concerts, on the Grant Park Music Festival website, look on the left side of the home page. You can pull up the entire calendar there. You'll note that not only do they have the regular concerts dates but when they have live rehearsals as well (although that doesn't really apply to you).

Yes, the Taste has changed substantially over the years. In the past, on the 3rd (when the city's fireworks display was - except for last year) and 4th of July, typically the busiest days, the crowds were so dense, you were lucky to just be shuffling after the folks ahead of you - when you were moving at all! Of course, the Taste is all different this year because some of the city's smaller fests, which didn't have as large of an audience, have been assimilated into the Taste (for budgetary reasons). Also, the Taste used to run over the 4th but now it ends on July 3 at 6 p.m.

It's really hard to give a definitive answer how busy it actually will be - this being different than the past - but I'm assuming that any visitors will be heading out there.

That's too bad about Ovo. I'm going on the 2nd myself.

Re: Joshua Bell. The performance is going to be at Ravinia (the oldest outdoor music festival in the U.S.). Ravinia is also the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, when they aren't on tour.
www.ravinia.org
cso.org

You can take Metra there, if you wish.

Are you looking for any special walks?

Glad to see you coming back to CHicago, NeoPatrick! Hope you enjoy the weekend!

Holey moley. We are going to be in downtown Chicago this weekend as well. I knew Taste would be crowded, but didn't realize it would be as ridiculous as some have described above. I was HORRIFIED to read in the paper the other day that Chicago is the No. 1 July 4 destination nationwide. Yikes.
Like you, NeoPatrick, I was looking for some other diversions in addition to Taste (we have been to Chicago previously as well). But now I'm thinking the sensible thing to do might be to spend a lot of time at the hotel's outdoor pool. Of course, I see that there are now thunderstorms forecast for Sat & Sunday. Hmmm..
(FYI, as of this afternoon, there were still plenty of tickets available for the architecture cruise, which is wonderful). Anyway, thanks all of you for the info & tips!

Would anyone know if there is a restaurant that has a view of the fireworks at Navy Pier, other than Cite in Lake Point Towers? I'll have a teenager with me, so I guess rooftop bars won't work. Suggestions?

The Taste of Chicago is probably still the largest food festival in the world, although the attendance has declined over the past couple of years.

The reasoning behind why the fireworks were split into three locations last year was to try and split up the tremendous crowds for security reasons.

Before the changes in how the fireworks were handled by the city, there were between 1-1.5 million people there on the two busiest days (the 3rd and 4th) *each day*.

Actually, the attendance at last year's Taste dropped last year by about 700,000. But the total attendance was still around 2.65 million people for the length of the festival, though.

I'll wager that there are a lot of tickets still available for the CAF River Cruise because people don't want to buy them if there is the possibility it is going to be stormy/raining. Once you purchase them, they are yours rain or shine, no refunds or exchanges.

Oops! That was supposed to be "between 1-1.25 million people...". Sorry.

Travel_Gato, are you saying that Cite will guarantee you a window seat overlooking the fireworks?

@exiled_princess:
No, no guarantees. I'd just seen that the restaurant is at the base of Navy Pier, and that the views are mentioned time & again in reviews. (That being said, yelp & tripadvisor reviewers were quite unhappy with the service, & often with the food as well). I might have taken a chance & eaten there just to see the fireworks from such a nice vantage point, but 2 of the people in my party wouldn't enjoy the menu items.

I don't know what to suggest to you. There's no way of telling what *ANY* vantage point (interior or exterior) will be like because you've got this huge crowd of people all jockeying to find someplace to see the the fireworks - for as little cost as possible.

All I can tell you is that it's been years since I've even heard of any restaurant in Chicago, even high end ones, that guaranteed a window seat like that and those were on *not* on the 4th of July. That's why I was surprised when you mentioned Cite.

No chance that you have any options at your hotel?

My above comments on the Taste are about the busiest times there in the past - not *all* the times. If you are planning on going to visit the Taste it can all be in the timing what your experience will be like.

For example, you usually will have more managable crowds if you go *as soon as it opens* and *in the middle of the afternoon* mid-week (not particularly Fridays, though) than if you go at lunchtime, after work (on weekdays) or on weekends. And, of course, this year, there won't any Taste on the 4th of July. It closes on the 3rd.

But, I also know that a lot of visitors do not come mid-week. They visit on weekends, long weekends or holidays.

I have just read an article online from the CBS local affiliate speaking with the manager of the Taste on the size of the crowds at the half-way point. Perhaps you'd like to read it yourself.

Of course, with the situation substantially different than what it was in the past, there's no way of knowing for sure. Can only guess.

I looked at the architectural cruises yesterday and yes there are tons of available tickets. But I'll join the others not buying in advance since so many thunderstorms are expected, and the tickets are non refundable. We'll just play that by ear. The Macy Fireworks from NYC on TV are looking better and better -- but that's at 8 Central Time -- which would cut into dinner time.
Oh well, no doubt we'll have fun.