Navy Pier offers new attractions

By Shirley Davis/QUAD-CITY TIMES | Thursday, June 05, 2008

Chicago’s Navy Pier is turning into an even-more-popular tourist destination as families decide not to travel cross-country on vacation this summer.

There’s so much to do in Chicago — just a three-hour-plus drive from the Quad-Cities — that we imagine some couples and families are planning to catch up on its attractions that are closer to home. Actually, Navy Pier is already drawing 8 million visitors a year to its unique, 50-acre lakefront location, so it really isn’t a “new” pace to visit, but there are some new attractions.

Here’s a peek at what’s new this year:

n The “Segway Experience of Chicago” is a two-hour guided mobile tour of the lakefront that begins at the Pier’s Gateway Park.

n The “Transporter FX” virtual reality simulator involves four hi-definition, three-dimensional films combined with action.

n “Cirque Shanghai” has an all-new production, “Gold,” featuring acrobats direct from China. The world premiere at Navy Pier’s Pepsi Skyline Stage began June 4 and continues through Sept. 1.

Souvenirs? The Pier has 80 merchants.

If it’s food you want, the Pier has a number of dining options. If you like Ferris wheels, the Pier has one of the largest around. It’s five stories high.

And, as for live entertainment, there’s the Bud Light Beer Garden Stage that has been transformed into a “live” jukebox. More than 85 bands have been booked to perform there this summer, including a U2 tribute, a ‘70’s tribute, a Blues Brother tribute, hip-hop, Latin, rock, blues and more. The free entertainment features the Navy Pier Buccaneers and Patch the Pirate Dog at the Family Pavilion and Dock Street stages.

Fireworks? Sure. You can watch them every Wednesday and Saturday night from now through Labor Day.

There’s a six-story-high IMAX movie screen at Navy Pier, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theater presents productions in its state-of-the-art theater overlooking Lake Michigan.

Then there’s the Children’s Museum, where admission is free if you show up with your Putnam Museum card.

Navy Pier is an ideal place to sign up for a sightseeing cruise, too, because it juts out into Lake Michigan.

Tall Ship Windy is the resident 148-foot schooner that offers several 90-minute cruises each day through October. (Note: Its 150 passengers are encouraged to help raise and trim her 11 sails.)

Four 70-foot-long Seadog vessels (the fastest speedboats in the country) cruise daily through October out of Navy Pier’s Dock Street. The 75-minute architectural tours are also available.

Shoreline sightseeing can be done via an affordable water taxi, and there are dinner cruises on the Spirit of Chicago. The Odyssey cruise features live entertainment, and there also are private charters aboard the Anita Dee I and II. Details of all these boating events can be found at navypier.com/things 2do/boats.html on the Web.

The “new” Navy Pier came into being as a major tourist attraction in 1995. For more information, go to  navypier.com.

Chicago dates

If you want to plan a Chicago vacation around a specific date, here are a few to consider:

June 27-July 6 — Taste of Chicago, the city’s premier summer event, takes place on Columbus Drive from Monroe to Balbo. Free admission.

June 28-29 — Randolph Street Market Festival in the 1350 block of West Randolph. This festival is home to the Chicago Antique Market and the Indie Designer Market and is a European-style, indoor-outdoor market staged in the historic West Loop neighborhood with 200 select purveyors of high-quality and beautifully priced “finds.” This particular event happens once a month. For more information, go to  www.randolphstreetmarket.com on the Web.

July 15-Aug. 26 (Tuesdays) — Chicago Outdoor Film Festival at Butler Field, south of Monroe between Columbus and Lake Shore Drive. Classic films are shown in the lakefront setting of Grant Park. It’s a drive-in movie theater without the cars, with pictures projected on a 50-foot screen and a state-of-the-art sound system. Films begin at dusk. Free admission.

July 26 — Venetian Night, a parade of theme-decorated boats set to music proceeding along the lakefront between the Shedd Aquarium and the Chicago Yacht Club. It ends with a spectacular fireworks display.

Aug. 1-3 — Lollapalooza 2008, a music and art event in Grant Park with festival food and a family-friendly area called Kidzapalooza.

Aug. 23-24 — Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival on Columbus Drive and Jackson Boulevard. Expect performances by international Latin superstars, dance to salsa, meringue, cumbias and Spanish rock. Visit the art fair, too.

Aug. 28-31 — 30th Annual Jazz Festival 2008 in Grant Park. Performances take place at the Petrillo Music Shell stage, the Jazz and Family Heritage stage and the Jazz on Jackson stage.

Shirley Davis can be contacted at (563) 383-2281 or sdavis@qctimes.com.