Taste of Chicago Fireworks 2009
By Chris • Updated Jan 15th, 2009 • Category: Chicago Events
The Taste of Chicago Fireworks display will take place on July 3rd, 2009. Officially named the “Independence Eve Fireworks Spectacular”, the evening is nothing short of chaotic and I believe you should avoid it at all cost. The already huge crowd from The Taste of Chicago 2008 will be complemented by additional families and high school kids, all clamoring to get a good view of the lake.
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Taste of Chicago Fireworks
If you refuse to avoid this mess and absolutely want to experience the Taste of Chicago Fireworks Spectacular, there are a two options that I would suggest:
1) Come very early and plan to stay very late. If you arrive less than 2 hours before the start of the fireworks show, you will have a hard time finding a seat and navigating the crowd. If you try to head home right when the fireworks end, you will be met with even more insanity as people try to flood the streets and train stations.
2) Try viewing from another location. People have told me that you can escape the crowds and get a good view from the northern beaches such as Fullerton or North Avenue Beach.
All in all, I suggest totally avoiding The Taste of Chicago Fireworks. The police act as if they have never encountered this before and have no sense about how to control the crowds after the fireworks end. The streets are flooded and the train station (CTA and Metra) are crowded to dangerous levels. Avoid The Taste of Chicago Fireworks and go to one of the twice weekly shows at Navy Pier shows instead.
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We used to listen to people telling us to avoid the taste and the fireworks. A few years ago an out of town visitor insisted we go. It was spetacular and extremely well run. People were friendly well behaved and we found finding a seat to see the fireworks no problem at all. We have made it a must see for the last 5 years. We have visitors come from out of town every year and use this festival as a showcase event for Chicago. Everybody we have taken has told us it was the highlight of their vacation. The “taste” portion at the booths enable us to try many different foods. Everybody we have taken has been impressed with the behavior of the crowd and the professionalism and effectiveness of the police.
There are som tips to making it more enjoyable.
We usually get a hotel downtown or stay with my daughter who lives just off the park. We go to the taste early before the crowds get too bad and then leave for a few hours. On Fireworks night we carry fold up chairs just an hour before the fireworks start. One thing the reviewer does have right is that commute home is a zoo but the rest of the review is 180 degrees out from what I have experienced.
If you are from Chicago and you want to showcase your town this is the right event to do it at. It truely shows a “city that works.”
John
Thanks for taking the time to leave your comment. I really don’t agree with what you say, but your point of view is just as valid as mine. My experience with The Taste of Chicago has been nothing short of chaotic. We arrived an hour before the fireworks and it was very difficult just to find a spot to sit. People were sitting on the sidewalks (due to overflow) so walking around was a task unto itself – then there are the people who arrived much earlier in the day, and think that it is okay to rope off a 10×10 foot area of the park for themselves.
I’ll take your word for the early-day crowd being better than the late day, but The Taste of Chicago is nothing more than a way for restaurants to sell you over-priced and under-sized portions of food. The only reason I would bring a visitor to The Taste of Chicago is if there was a big name musical guest playing for free. In my opinion, there are an infinite number of events that better showcase our city.
-Chris
2008’s Independence Eve Fireworks Spectacular was anything but “spectacular”. What a let down! Not one song had anything to do about INDEPENDENCE much less patriotism. Just because being loyal to one’s country and one’s country’s roots isn’t popular right now, doesn’t mean that all people feel the same way. And much to the disappointment of people who feel that way, it is not ignorant or stupid to be proud of this country. There are millions of people around the globe who owe their freedom and very existence to this country and don’t even appreciate it. Now that is the true definition of ignorance!
Does anyone sell seats to the fireworks?
It sure would be nice if everyone would get the information correct before they post a comment in a public forum. I was at the Taste of Chicago 2008. On the evening of July 3rd 2008 their where an estimated one million to possible as many as one and one half million people in Grant Park and downtown Chicago. The shooting which occurred was not at Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park. The shooting took place in the downtown “Loop” area west of Grant Park, after the Independence Eve Fireworks.
I have seen Chicago’s Navy Pier fireworks from the Congress Hotel 6 times….including the 2001 NYE fireworks at Monroe Harbor. Chicago’s lakefront fireworks are pretty good. So if you want to avoid the crowds outside this July 3rd as the fireworks detonate, if you are staying at the Congress Hotel to avoid the fireworks crowds, the perfect view of the fireworks will be just outside Congress Hotel’s Rafael Restuarant, which has big windows looking out over the 2 big pillars in Congress St. This is the approximate site where you can see those big fireworks.
If you want to get a “fireworks teaser” of the July 3rd fireworks to come, I have to inform you that Navy Pier will have its own fireworks display on July 1 at 9:30 p.m. That is tonight!. An additional Navy Pier firework show will fall on the perfect date for a big fireworks display that follows on the heals of the July 3rd fireworks at the Taste…..Saturday, July 4 at 9:00 p.m. (Note the time change: Navy Pier’s summer fireworks on Saturdays are usually at 10:15 p.m., but not on July 4…..it is 1 minute and 15 minutes earlier!! This is because most 4th of July fireworks displays go off around 9pm, hence the change.)
Planning on going to July 3rd fireworks tonight and haven’t been in years. I remember chaos as far as seating but would hope that I can find somewhere not too far from lakefront to view. Any suggestions?
The area above the Monroe street garage would seem likely but requires walking across Monroe for food.
I am planning on bringing my girlfriend and her 8 year old. Am I crazy?
I agree and disagree it is CRAZY and I would avoid it at all costs…it is far from a family event, take a look around you folks…go stand at State and Jackson after the fireworks and you will be fearful of your life! Do it from North Avenue or wait until July 4th and go to Navy Pier.
attended the 2009 fireworks and I was awed and amazed at the display. But, the music once again, left so much to be desired. Will someone tell me what happened to all the patriotic songs? NO national anthem, no Sousa marches to be found. Why? Are we afraid of insulting some foreign visitor? Has the traditional music just evaporated to be replaced by John Mellencamp singing “Pink Houses” ? I love John, but the I still long for the old days when the “1812 Overture” was performed by the Symphony and accompanied by the cannons. I think folks rely on their flag pins instead of the more overt displays of patriotism held for decades in those old songs. Chicago, bring it back
HAPPY 4TH CHRIS.THANKS FOR YOUR BLOG. IT IS VERY HELPFUL. FOUND IT BY MISTAKE BUT IT PROVES TO BE WORTHY. HOW CAN I GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU TO ADD A FEW OTHER CHICAGO RELATED CATEGORIES? I ALSO LIVE IN THE WEST LOOP.
Fireworks? Check
Pink Song? Check
“Sweet Home Alabama?” Check
Michael Jackson Song? Ummm…..
The man just died, he’s from a suburb of Chicago, and his death has dominated the news. EPIC FAIL
We braved the fireworks this 3rd of July on the request of my in-laws who were in town from rural, southern Indiana. We have avoided them over the last 7 or 8 years now because we have 4 kids and have always remembered how crazy it got down there. I was very pessimistic and just barely agreed to do it. I was SO pleasantly surprised. It all went off without a hitch. We took a cab from their hotel around State and Ohio down to about North Pier, which was as close as we could get. We walked from their up Columbus to Bicentenial Park and then right out to the lake front. We arrived at about 8:30 and the fireworks started at about 8:55. We stood right on LSD which had been closed to traffic since sometime earlier. That, I think, is the key to it being so easy now. I don’t remember LSD being blocked off a few years ago. It made it a breeze and gave everyone plenty of room to spread out. Bathrooms had long lines, but what else would I expect? We actually heard no music at all, which was a disappointment. But, otherwise, it was great. We walked back to the Embassy Suites and were in our car headed back to Lakeview at about 10:15. Outstanding! I think the key is to not have to worry about parking. Get into town early and figure out a plan to be done eating dinner around 7 and start heading toward the lake.
Here’s my question…can you see the Saturday night Navy Pier fireworks from Monroe Harbor? This weekend we want to take my brotherinlaws family to Millineum Park for the concert then see the fireworks. Any suggestions? Thanks!