Chicago Air and Water Show

Chicago Air & Water Show
Military aircraft perform over Lake Michigan
Genre	Air show
Location(s)	Chicago, Illinois
Country	U.S.A.
Established	1959
Attendance	2,200,000 (2005)
Organized by	Mayor's Office of Special Events

The Chicago Air & Water Show is an annual air show held on the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois. The show has been held each year since 1959 and is Chicago's second most popular festival. In 2005, 2,200,000 watched the Chicago Air and Water Show.

The air show is a free event that showcases daredevil pilots, parachute teams, and jets flying in formation, as well as a water-skiing and boat-jumping component. Because of its proximity to city beaches and skyline, the demonstrations are visible from almost everywhere along the Chicago lakefront. Grandstand seats for the water show are located at North Avenue Beach. WBBM AM (780) broadcasts both days of the event every year.

The air show features both civilian and military pilots. Flying teams have been sponsored by companies including Oracle and Red Bull. Many of the Air Show performers utilize Chicago's third airport, the Gary/Chicago International Airport in nearby Gary, Indiana, for ground support. The U.S. Army Golden Knights have participated each year for several years running. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds alternate annually as headliners.

The show was first held in 1959 under the name "Lakeshore Park Air & Water Show," on a budget of $88. The event featured a Coast Guard Air Sea Rescue demonstration, water skiers, a water ballet, games and a diving competition. The following year, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and Golden Knights Parachute Team were added to the show.

Since 1989, corporate sponsorship participation has underwritten production costs of the air and water show. The event has been managed by the Mayor's Office of Special Events since 1994.

In 2008, for the 50th annual show, the event was extended from two days to three. The Friday show, which is typically an unofficial preview and rehearsal show, became a part of the scheduled performances. Actress Florence Henderson opened the airshow with the singing of the American National Anthem. The show featured Chicago theater alumni Bill Murray, who parachuted in to the event with the Golden Knights in promotion of the United Service Organization, and Gary Sinise, who performed a live concert with his Lt. Dan Band. The concert concluded with a B-1 bomber fly-by and an evening of fireworks. Several freestyle jet skiers also competed at the 2008 show. LXF Pro Tour champion Gary Burtka lead Team Twangled teammates Greg Brock, Mike Hoffman, and Michael Niksic. The Mayor's Office of Special Events estimated that the show drew a record crowd of approximately 3.1 million spectators.