A fireworks extravaganza lights up the Chicago skyline along the river in 2022. The event is set to return for this year’s New Year’s Eve celebration.
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Chicago will ring in 2024 in grand style, with the announcement Wednesday heralding the return of a New Year’s Eve fireworks spectacular along the Chicago River at Wacker Drive.
The event will be held in partnership with Art on the Mart projections on the Merchandise Mart’s facade (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza), featuring highlights of artists’ works from the past five years.
The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 31 with the Mart showcase, followed by a countdown to the new year at 11:55 p.m. and midnight fireworks displays from six bridges along the river.
A fireworks display/countdown at Navy Pier will take place at the lakefront as well, starting at 11:59 p.m.
“Chicagoans have the unique ability to find hope and resilience in each day and New Year’s Eve is the foundation of beginning a new year with the same unbridled optimism,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson, via the official announcement in conjunction with the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
To accommodate the riverfront extravaganza, bridge closures will be in effect at Franklin, LaSalle, Clark, Dearborn and State streets as well as Columbus Drive, from 11:45 p.m. to 12:15 a.m. (The Wabash and Michigan Avenue bridges will remain open for the duration of the event.)
For optimum viewing, visitors are encouraged to gather along the river on Upper Wacker Drive from McClurg Court to Franklin Street. Riverwalk access will be closed starting at 11 p.m.
Chicago Black Dance Legacy Project presents “The Big Bang — Movement Theory + the Black Dancing Body” at Art on the Mart. The work will be among a series featured during New Year’s Eve festivities along the Chicago River.
Courtesy Art on the Mart
The Mart projections will feature the following artists and works, according to Wednesday’s announcement:
For more info, visit Chicago.gov/NYE.
At Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave., a 10-minute fireworks celebration takes place at midnight following a countdown to the new year. Arrive early (crowd capacity may be reached as the evening goes on); admission to the pier is free, but there is a fee for parking. Visit navypier.org for more details.
The Centennial Wheel at Navy Pier shares the midnight sky with a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve as Chicago revelers welcomed 2023 at the lakefront. The event returns Dec. 31.
Victor Hilitski/For the Sun-Times
