Navy Pier celebrated the beginning of summer a little early this year with its first ever pre-season fireworks show.
The "surprise" show will began at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday to kick off the twice-weekly fireworks shows that have become a hallmark of Chicago summers. From May 20 until Sept. 5, fireworks will light up the sky every Wednesday and Saturday near the Navy Pier Ferris wheel.
Memorial Day weekend usually marks the official start of the summer season in Chicago, with the first fireworks show and the official opening of Chicago beaches. But this year, after a grueling winter -- and some chilly days in May, too -- summer can't come quite fast enough.
For those hoping to kick start the season early, Navy Pier and Aon, the pier's corporate sponsor, encourage spectators to use the hashtag #SummerStartsNow when posting about the fireworks show.
To make a night of the show, for the rest of the summer, you can book a fireworks cruise on one of Chicago's many Lake Michigan cruise lines and watch the spectacle from the water.
Wednesday shows begin at 9:30 p.m. each week, and Saturday shows start at 10:15 p.m., with the exception of Saturday, July 4, when the show starts at 9:30 p.m.
