Five local fireworks shows that will dazzle you
In most of our hometowns, we can celebrate our nation's birthday with a fireworks display with our neighbors in a community park.
In many, we also can enjoy a parade or a community picnic or a concert or even a festival.
But what if you want even more bang with your boom, more ooh with your aah?
What if you're looking for the largest and loudest Fourth of July weekend pyrotechnic celebrations in the suburbs?
Everybody's got his or her favorite, of course, but if you're a real Yankee Doodle Dandy, here are five fireworks shows that are always designed to dazzle.
Itasca
Here's your chance to celebrate not only our nation's birthday but also Itasca's 125th anniversary on July 4 at Hamilton Lakes, Route 53 and Thorndale Avenue.
“For a number of years we've had one of the premier fireworks events in the state,” Itasca Mayor Jeff Pruyn says. “With our 125th anniversary, we've brought in even bigger musical acts.”
The park opens at 4 p.m. Saturday and live music begins at 5:30 p.m. with Pat McKillen taking the stage. Maggie Speaks performs at 6:30 p.m. ahead of headliner American Authors at 8:15 p.m. Picnic-style food will be available and Westin Chicago Northwest Hotel is operating a beer garden.
Fireworks, synchronized with music, begin between 9:45 and 10 p.m. and last about 25 minutes in what organizers call “the largest, most dramatic display of pyrotechnics” in the 'burbs.
Admission is free; on-site parking is $25. For details, visit Itasca.com.
Elgin
There's a lot more than fireworks involved in Elgin's Fourth of July celebration, with events starting in the morning and running throughout the day.
You can start by attending the Fourth of July parade, which steps off at 9 a.m. and marches down Douglas Avenue from Slade Avenue to Highland Avenue.
Beginning about 10 a.m., revelers can join the Americana Jubilee, a celebration of the all-American picnic, featuring pie baking and eating contests along with a tug-of-war, potato sack and three-legged races, and a dunk tank where you can send your favorite dignitary splashing into a tub of water. The jubilee is centered at Side Street Studio Arts, 15 Ziegler Court.
Grand Victoria Casino's Fourth of July Celebration opens at 4:30 p.m. at Festival Park, 132 S. Grove Ave. Concerts begin at 5:30 p.m. featuring Herman's Hermits with Peter Noone, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, and Gary Lewis and the Playboys. Lawn seating is $5, with premium seating going for $39.50 and $29.50.
Fireworks will be launched from the National Street bridge over the Fox River in downtown beginning about 9:15 p.m. Saturday. The display can be seen from Festival Park as well as from outside the grounds.
“The fireworks are absolutely amazing,” says Doug Yorke, who was on hand for the show last year. “We were on the Riverside Promenade last year and the view with the river and the boats was just incredible.”
For details, visit CityofElgin.org.
Arlington Heights
Independence Day at Arlington International Racecourse features a fireworks show and plenty of other entertainment options.
The gates open at 12:30 p.m. and the first race begins at 3 p.m. Dave Tamkin and Co. performs live music throughout the day. Face painters, caricaturists and a magician will be on hand to entertain the rest of the family, and the first 5,000 guests receive a complimentary Fourth of July accessory. Live music and performances will fill the winner's circle after the day's racing has ended.
Fireworks, choreographed to a mix of popular songs and classics, begin at dusk Saturday and have been expanded this year to fill much of the racetrack's infield.
Admission is $18; $4 for children. For details, visit ArlingtonPark.com.
Naperville
You can enjoy all the sights, sounds and tastes of Naperville's Ribfest before settling in to watch the fireworks display on the Fourth of July at Knoch Park, 724 S. West St.
On the third day of the festival's four-day run, gates open at noon for fest-goers to sample ribs from 12 ribbers, enjoy the thrills of a carnival, play in the family area and groove to bands on two stages, including headliner Kellie Pickler at 6 p.m.
Admission is $15 for everyone 12 and older and free for younger children. Family Fun Time admission is $10 from noon to 3 p.m.
Admission is free for everyone beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in advance of the fireworks display expected to start about 9:30 p.m.
Parking can be challenging near the festival, but Ribfest runs shuttles from parking locations around the city.
“It's Ribfest,” fireworks organizer Marty Walker says. “What can I say?”
For details, visit Ribfest.net.
Great Lakes
Independence Day weekend at Naval Station Great Lakes is always a patriotic affair. The two-day Fourth of July celebration includes live music, roving entertainment, the Firecracker 5K Rock and Run, fireworks and more.
There also be juggling, a puppet show and a magic display on the Family Entertainment Stage. The Red Bull Air Force Team will offer more sky-high entertainment, featuring experienced sky divers, BASE jumpers and paraglider pilots. Admission is free to the base off Sheridan Road near North Chicago.
Fireworks displays are scheduled for 10:40 p.m. Friday and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. For details, visit mwrgl.com.
Want to see fireworks?
Here's a <a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150628/entlife/150629282/">list</a> of all the shows and times for displays in the suburbs: <a href="http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150628/entlife/150629282/">http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150628/entlife/150629282/</a>