Chicago City Wire

The City of Chicago will celebrate the 4th of July holiday with fireworks at Navy Pier on Wednesday, July 3 at 9 p.m., alongside multiple festivals, Cubs games, parades, and more. The celebrations will be followed by the NASCAR Chicago Street Race in Grant Park on Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7.

The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) advises residents to stay vigilant and celebrate the holiday safely. The city will have citywide deployments over the July 4th Holiday to ensure public safety. OEMC will monitor weekend events and weather conditions from the Operations Center and coordinate public safety resources with critical stakeholders.

OEMC will activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) for Independence Day and the NASCAR Chicago Street Race. The Chicago Police Department and Chicago Fire Department will deploy additional special event resources for the race to ensure no degradation to response resources across all city neighborhoods.

"If You See Something, Say Something" is a national anti-terrorism public awareness campaign emphasizing reporting suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities. Residents are encouraged to download the Chicago OEMC app for alerts, safety tips, weather forecasts, street closures, event information, and more.

The Chicago Fire Department reminds everyone that fireworks are banned statewide; sparklers and bottle rockets are also banned in the city. Injuries range from minor burns to severe injuries such as loss of fingers or damage to eyes. Residents are encouraged to attend professional fireworks displays instead.

The Chicago Park District urges patrons to enjoy beaches safely by observing “No Swimming Allowed” signage where swimming is not sanctioned. Swim hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., daily through Labor Day when lifeguards are on duty.

For public safety along the lakefront, residents should be aware of pole markers throughout Grant Park and DuSable Lake Shore Drive for reference during emergencies.

Independence Day events include:

- **Chicago Cubs vs Philadelphia Phillies:** Tuesday, July 2 at 7:05 p.m., Wednesday, July 3 at 7:05 p.m., Thursday, July 4 at 1:20 p.m.

- **Chicago Cubs vs Los Angeles Angels:** Friday, July 5 at 1:20 p.m., Saturday, July 6 at 1:20 p.m., Sunday, July 7 at 1:20 p.m.

- **July 3rd Fireworks at Navy Pier:** Wednesday, July 3 at 9 p.m.

- **International Festival of Life:** Thursday-Sunday in Washington Park

- **4th on 53rd Parade:** Thursday in Hyde Park

- **Craft Beer Festival:** Friday-Sunday in Jonquil Park

- **NASCAR Chicago Street Race:** Saturday-Sunday in Grant Park

Significant street closures related to these events begin as early as Tuesday morning through race weekend.

Public transportation is recommended for large-scale events like these; CTA and Metra will provide additional services. For updates on weather conditions or emergencies during these events sign up for NotifyChicago alerts or text CHILAKE or CHIBIZ for specific notices affecting lakefront areas or businesses respectively.