The Blue Angels, U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, and other mind-bending performers will grace the city’s skies this Saturday and Sunday as the 57th annual Air and Water Show attracts more than two million spectators to the lakefront.
The festival, which dates back to 1959 and is one of the most popular in Chicago, features both military and civilian teams in performances that are free for the public to enjoy. Spectators can expect to see the Blue Angels “defy gravity with their famous diamond formation and precision flying” while watching new acts such as the Breitling Jet Team coordinate seamlessly through high-speed acrobatic performances.
The show center takes place along North Avenue Beach, but sight lines are good anywhere along the lake shore from Oak Street Beach to Fullerton Ave. and at Ohio Street Beach. Things get kicked off with the national anthem at 10 a.m. each day with festivities lasting until 3 p.m. While no official schedule is released, organizers assured that the headliners would be going last.
Be sure to get there early on Saturday as the national anthem will be sung by Laura Bell Bundy, an actress and singer whose Broadway credentials include roles in “Hairspray” and “Legally Blonde.” The goal is to help raise awareness over hearing loss, the top disability among military veterans.
The Chicago Air and Water Show takes place Aug. 15 and 16 from 10:00 a.m. — 3:00 p.m. For more information on this event, visit cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_air_and_watershow.
