If you\u2019re planning to watch fireworks light up the sky over Lake Michigan on the Fourth of July, we\u2019ve got some news that might fizzle your sparkler.<\/p>\n
Despite being the country\u2019s third-largest city, Chicago will not host an official fireworks show on Friday, July 4 this year. That\u2019s right: no pyrotechnic finale over Navy Pier, no synchronized booms echoing down Michigan Avenue. But don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s not a fluke and it\u2019s not new.<\/p>\n
Navy Pier never does fireworks on July 4 unless it lands on a Wednesday or Saturday, because that\u2019s when they always do fireworks. The free summer fireworks series<\/a> has followed a Wednesday and Saturday cadence for years, and this summer is no different. That means: Yes to fireworks on Wednesday, July 2 at 9 p.m. and to an extended, extra-patriotic show on Saturday, July 5 at 10 p.m., but no to Friday, July 4.<\/p>\n Why the holdout? The city of Chicago stopped hosting its own official July 4 fireworks show downtown years ago, citing logistical challenges and budgetary priorities. According to the city\u2019s Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events, this has been the case \u201cfor several years.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, Navy Pier carries the torch (and the fuses) with regular summer displays that just happen to land near Independence Day. Saturday\u2019s show, which will last 15 minutes instead of the usual 10, will feature a soundtrack of patriotic hits and is being billed as an \u201cIndependence Celebration\u201d show in partnership with Choose Chicago and the NASCAR Chicago Street Race<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you still want your fireworks fix on the actual Fourth, Suburban Chicago\u2019s got you covered. Evanston, Skokie, Mount Prospect, Tinley Park, Oak Lawn and a dozen other municipalities will light up the skies on July 4, with festivities ranging from petting zoos to live music to remembrance ceremonies.<\/p>\n