What time should you get there to get a decent place to hang out and watch the boat parade? If we bring a cooler with food and beverages, can we bring alchohol/beer?

anyone?

Try using your search engine to find things like this...

http://metromix.com/top/1,1419,M-Metromix-VenetianNight-mmxfrontpromo!Front,00.html

http://www.ci.chi.il.us/SpecialEvents/Festivals/VenetianNight2002/

http://travel.yahoo.com/t/destinations/north_america/united_states/illinois/chicago/95394.html

Thanks, Sandy. I had already tried that but it doesn't answer these questions. I thought with 500,000+ people maybe someone could answer from personal experience.

I don't know what time you should show up -- hopefully, it's not like the fireworks where people show up at 6 am and stake out a HUGE spot with rope.

Regarding alcohol, it is illegal in the park. At the Taste, they have cops standing on all the bridges to check your bags for beer, etc. I don't know whether they'll have them for Venitian Night. If they see you with it, they will confiscate it (and yes, they have a big party at the end of the summer and drink all the confiscated booze).

So it's at your own risk -- maybe bring cheap beer to minimize your potential loss?

HTH,
Racy