Celebrating Our Nation At 250
.png/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1209,cg:true)
Dateline: Chicago- Due To Severe Thunderstorms And Flooding, Fireworks To Celebrate Our Nation's 250th Birthday Are Cancelled.
Two days of torrential rain and destructive wind forced many of the municipalities in the Chicago area to cancel their fireworks displays this past 4th of July, leaving the citizenry deeply disappointed.
I myself, was looking forward to gazing up at the rockets' red glare, as did Francis Scott Key, the author of "The Star- Spangled Banner," our national anthem. I wanted my heart to stir, as his did, when on the morning of September 14, 1814, after 25 hours of bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British fleet in Baltimore Harbor, Francis Scott Key, an American citizen who was being detained on his vessel by the British in the harbor, could see by the "the dawn's early light," that the fort had held, "that our flag was still there."
Oh well, that was a local misfortune. (For the record, the rain stopped in the evening on the 4th and Chicago's fireworks celebration went on as scheduled at Navy Pier, though no one got to enjoy it because of dense fog that rolled in off the lake.) The photo above is from the city's fireworks display on July 3rd, 2024. That was a Wednesday. As a rule, Navy Pier hosts a fireworks show on Wednesdays and Saturdays throughout the summer months. So, the 4th of July fireworks were held on the 3rd, which was really a blessing. I got a chance the next day to meander down to the beach here at Loyola Park to see how the locals celebrate the 4th. I was amazed. I expected to see a few bottle rockets, Roman candles and sparklers. But the size and quality of the exploding rockets being fired off by no one in particular was truly thrilling. Multi-colored rockets were exploding everywhere above a nearly mile-long stretch of beach, as friends and neighbors wandered ghost-like through the smoke and haze.
This year, the 4th of July fell on a Saturday, which meant I'd have to choose between going downtown to view fireworks or watch the local show. I like the formal, "official" fireworks show at Navy Pier. It's considered one of the finest 4th of July fireworks shows in the country, ranked #1 by USA Today for four consecutive years. But it lasts all of 15 minutes. Or I could meander along that local stretch of beach, under a multi-colored canopy of light for hours on end. For me, there really was no choice. But the weather made the choice moot this year.
So, in the absence of photos for this year, I offer my favorite 4th of July pics from both locales from the past couple of years. They have never been published and are beautiful in their own right. I hope you enjoy them. Oh, I did get some fireworks pics this year. I had a feeling it might rain on the 4th; the forecast wasn't very positive. So, I went downtown to shoot the Wednesday fireworks show on July 1st. They didn't come out particularly well. But I included a few that were interesting.
(Note: Some of the pics have captions imbedded, usually to point out something of interest, or at the beginning of a series of like photos. Just tap the photo to see the caption. Tap again to hide it. And as always, rotate your mobile to get the full landscape perspective.)
Section 1: Chicago's Award-Winning 4th Of July Fireworks Display, Hosted By The Navy Pier Nonprofit Organization
The 4th of July fireworks display just south of Navy Pier is considered one of the finest fireworks shows in the country. The towering explosions reflect brilliantly on the body of water at the mouth of the Chicago River. Boaters and Kayakers alike, park to watch the show. This photo was taken from a point on the Lakefront Trail, on a bridge just under DuSable Lakeshore Drive. All around, people are cheering as the explosions build to a crescendo of light and sound. But in 15 minutes, it's over.
Section 2: Theater On The Beach, Under A Multi-Colored Canopy Of Light
As a teenager, I developed an aversion to fireworks. I used to ride my bike everywhere. And riding my bike on the streets of Chicago on the 4th of July was like riding in a war zone. The only safe place to discharge firecrackers, M-80s and Silver Salutes was in the middle of the street, which made it rather harrowing if you were on a bike on those streets.
But one recent 4th of July, I meandered over to the local park. It was a beautiful night, and I was curious to see how the locals celebrated the 4th. I expected to see a few bottle rockets, Roman candles and sparklers. But I was amazed by the size and quality of the exploding rockets being fired off by no one in particular. In other words, it wasn't an organized show. But what a show it was. I hope I captured the essence of the night.
(Don't forget that some of the pics have captions imbedded. To view, tap the pic. To hide it, tap again. And don't forget to rotate your mobile to get the full landscape perspective.)
Section 1
Facing east from DuSable Lake Shore Drive, you can see the Chicago Harbor Lock at the mouth of the Chicago River.
Chicago's fireworks are hosted by Navy Pier, Inc., and produced by Pyrotecnico.
Boaters position themselves for best viewing along the north wall of the channel that forms the mouth of the Chicago River. Kayakers will generally park along the wall.
A crowd of spectators, by land and by boat, gather along the south wall of the channel to view the award-winning fireworks display.
July 1st, 2026: The fireworks are launched from a barge in Chicago Harbor, just southeast of the channel.
Section 2
July 4th, 2025: Loyola Park, Chicago, ILL.
The beaches at Loyola Park are actually a series of beaches that begin at Loyola University to the south and extend to just south of the Chicago/Evanston border to the north.
Looking north along the beach to the fireworks display by the city of Evanston.
The sand and the water, and the wide-open spaces of the beach, provide a perfect open-air theater, whether you're launching rockets, or just enjoying them.
This father and daughter are positioned to capture every explosion, every color.