As it turns out, I live in the best place to enjoy fireworks in Chicago on 4th of July. My luck continues to astonish me!
I walked out to the Pratt Street Pier around 8:20 last night to see what I could see. There were people grouped along the beach, having picnics and enjoying the break from the rain we’d had earlier in the day. Around 8:40, while it was still light, the fireworks down at Navy Pier (downtown) began. I could see them clearly, but my camera ran out of juice so there aren’t any good pictures of the spectacle. Then, as darkness began to creep north along the lakefront, I watched each neighborhood’s show. Oak Street Beach, North Ave. Beach, Lincoln Park, Belmont Harbor, Montrose…. it was wonderful to see a new show begin just as the show to the south was shooting off their grand finale! By the end of the night, I could see the fireworks display as far north as Wilmette and Winnetka.
The best display of the night, though, was right on my own beach. People from the neighborhood bought fireworks and set them off right along our lakefront. The “oohs” and “aahs” came out in unison and the comeraderie of it all reminded me of the neighborhood park we used to frequent on 4th of July when I was young. As I stood on the pier, smiling at the sparkling sky, I hummed a few patriotic songs to myself and was thankful for my freedom.
A Journey of Kilometers 
July 6, 2009 at 12:04 pm
that’s so great!!! I just told the story of the childhood July 4ths, including the fireworks at the local park and how worried I was every year that we were too far back to be able to see them. Dad was always right, they were high enough for all to see. missed you – loved hearing the personal trumpet! xoxo
July 6, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Personal trumpet? Oh, that was me. Pass the beano please.
July 6, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Love the trumpet and the fireworks. You really do live in a magical area of Chicago!
I was quite nostalgic over the weekend for childhood 4ths, your childhood and mine.
July 13, 2009 at 3:39 am
So was I! Remembering our hand-cranked ice cream, fireworks in the park and returning to set off our own small but fascinating bunch of sparklers, rockets, and “Laurie-chasers” and then wondering if kids on the street where you were are having a parade like you did when you were a child. I always thought it would’ve been fun in our neighbor-hood since we had so many kids around the same age, but nobody thought of it. 😦 Of course, I also watched the Washington DC spectacle and thought of the year Susan was there with her friend (Kelly?) From your report, we may have a July 4th celebration next year in Chicago!
July 13, 2009 at 5:28 pm
ah yes, Gram – that was definitely one of my great 4ths! I was in Vienna, VA with Kelli and her family the summer I was 13, and I remember we went to her friend’s house to swim in the pool and we couldn’t b/c it was raining (since when does it rain in July??? asked the SoCal native naively). then on to the Iwo Jima Memorial hill to watch the Capitol fireworks. I took a whole role of pictures with my old point-and-click camera, and Kelli’s dad assured me none of those would turn out… he was right, of course, but I took them anyway. hmmm… apparently I need to get these memories back into my own blog instead of hijacking Karen’s! xoxo