Attending the Chicago Air and Water Show

For one weekend every August, fighter jets scream past the lakefront high-rises and the whole North Side stops to look up. The Chicago Air and Water Show is free, and the city bills it as the largest free show of its kind in the US. It usually falls on a Saturday and Sunday in mid-August, and the city's page has this year's dates.

It started small. The first show, in 1959, was a Chicago Park District day camp's "Family Day" at Chicago Avenue and the lake, with a Coast Guard rescue demonstration, water skiers and a budget of $88, according to the city's history of the show. The Air Force Thunderbirds and the Army's Golden Knights parachute team turned up the next year, and it's been a summer fixture ever since, apart from 2020, when the pandemic cancelled it. These days the city says it draws millions of people over the weekend.

What you'll see

Kids love the planes, obviously. They swoop low over the water, circle over the city and roar past the skyscrapers, and the noise is something you feel in your chest. Adults tend to be just as impressed by the flying itself. The headliner is one of the two big military jet teams, the Navy's Blue Angels or the Air Force Thunderbirds, which have traded off year to year. The Thunderbirds headlined in 2026. The Army Golden Knights usually jump too, and the rest of the lineup mixes military demos (the Coast Guard's search and rescue, a C-17 cargo jet, a refueling tanker) with civilian aerobatic pilots and the Chicago police and fire department helicopters. The planes take off and land at the Gary/Chicago airport in Indiana, and the stunts are flown over the water in a set safety zone.

The show runs from 10:30am to 3pm on both days, and it's the same program Saturday and Sunday.

Is there a schedule?

No. The pilots decide the order on the day. What you can count on is that the headliners go last, so if you can only make part of the show, be there for the last hour or two. WBBM Newsradio (780 AM and 105.9 FM) carries play-by-play for the whole show, and it's a lot more fun with someone telling you what you're looking at.

The pilots also fly a rehearsal on the Friday, when the lakefront is a lot less packed. If you're in town that day, go. It's close to the real thing without the fight for sand.

Where to watch

The show happens on and over Lake Michigan from Fullerton Avenue to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach as the focal point. My preferred spot to watch from is on the couch at my friend's 34th floor apartment, looking through her floor to ceiling windows as I sip a cold beer and enjoy the AC. If you're not lucky enough to know someone with that kind of real estate, your best bet is to hit the beach. The lakefront opens at 6am on show days, and the best stretch of sand near North Avenue goes early, so get there in the morning with your blanket.

If North Avenue is shoulder to shoulder, walk north along the lakefront trail. The grass and sand toward Fullerton, on the edge of Lincoln Park, still has a good view and more room. Oak Street Beach, at the south end, puts you right under the skyscrapers.

You can also watch from a boat. The Playpen, the favorite spot for boaters, gets crowded. The show area itself is closed off with orange "Do Not Enter" buoys and patrolled by the Coast Guard, police and fire department, and the restrictions start at 7am. Everyone on board needs a life vest, and the Coast Guard can board you to check your safety gear and your sobriety.

This page used to recommend the Signature Lounge on the 96th floor of the Hancock as an indoor option. It closed in September 2023. The observation deck in the same building, 360 CHICAGO, looks straight down on Oak Street Beach and the lake, if you'd rather pay for a ticket and some air conditioning.

What to bring, and what to leave at home

Blankets, beach chairs, coolers and beach umbrellas are all allowed. Bring plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen, a hat, binoculars and a radio or phone for the WBBM feed. The city also recommends earplugs, especially for kids, and that's good advice once the jets are low and close. If rain's in the forecast, pack a poncho. There are "cooling buses" at the North Avenue Beach entrance on hot days.

The city's visitor FAQ lists what's banned on show grounds at North Avenue Beach:

• alcohol
• grills and open flames
• drones, which are also barred by an FAA flight restriction over the show
• pop-up tents and canopies
• balloons, kites and flag poles
• fireworks, weapons and illegal substances
• pets, except service animals

Bags and coolers get searched, and you can't ride a bike on the show grounds.

Getting there

Don't drive. There's no parking at the beach and only a little at Lincoln Park Zoo. The Red Line's Clark/Division and Chicago stations are both within walking distance, and CTA adds trains and buses for the weekend. The #72 North Avenue bus runs extra service, though on show days it only goes as far east as Clark Street, and the #151 Sheridan runs close to all the action. If you're coming in on Metra, the #151 connects from Union Station and Millennium Station. Rideshare drop-offs work better a few blocks from the beach entrance, and the official pick-up and drop-off point, at LaSalle Drive and Inner Lake Shore Drive, can get shut when the crowd's heavy.

In 2026, there was a free shuttle to the beach from the Millennium Park Garage, so check the FAQ to see whether it's running. There's an accessible beach mat for people with mobility disabilities near the Castaways concession, plus ASL interpretation and audio description.

Food nearby

Most people pack a lunch, and that's the easiest way to do it. Food vendors set up along the lakefront, and the North Avenue Beach House, right at show center, sells food and drinks too, though you'll wait in line. If you want to escape the heat before or after, walk west into Old Town, where Wells Street has plenty of bars and restaurants. See our guides to Old Town and River North and outdoor dining in Chicago, and how to plan a summer picnic in Chicago if you're packing your own.

For the rest of the month, see things to do in Chicago in August and Chicago in August, and the full year is on our holidays and events page.

Photo by JanetandPhil