The Chicago Grand Prix at Meigs Field
(click to enlarge)
Key Benefits
 | Meigs Field Open House |
| Chicago Grand Prix |
| Expanded Chicago
Air and Water Show |
| Fly-ins of Exotic Aircraft |
| Aerobatics Exhibitions |
| Fishing tournaments |
| Outdoor museum events |
| Bicycling excursions |
| Air-Sea Rescue Demonstrations |
|
Events, Activities, and Programs
One of the keys to this proposal is that it offers to the
public a wide variety of experiences unavailable in any other venue in
Chicago. A rich calendar of programming, including special events,
activities, and programs will complement the new attraction, bringing
opportunities for enjoyment, recreation and education to all Chicagoans.
The juxtaposition, on a peninsula, of lake frontage,
harbor frontage, a yacht club, a sailing school, a functioning airport, an
aviation museum with exhibition and presentation space, a beach, and open
green space provides a unique opportunity for fascinating programs and
special events for Chicagoans.
A year-round schedule will provide a constant source of
entertainment and events, many of which can be held nowhere else, yet all
located on the Museum Campus in the heart of downtown Chicago.
Below is a listing of a few of the possibilities:
| Major Public Events (over 10,000 attendees)
 | Meigs Field Open House -- Voted
Chicago's third most popular street festival in a Chicago Tribune
readers’ poll, the Meigs Open House includes static displays of vintage,
military, and state-of-the-art aircraft, aerobatic flying, and
aviation-related presentations and informational booths. An expanded
Open House will incorporate the new Chicago Air Museum and Aircraft
Restoration Annex. |
| The Chicago Grand Prix – The
unobstructed asphalt of an improved Meigs Field in proximity to the
center of a major U.S. city will make an ideal venue for auto racing
annually. Other Great Lakes cities regularly host similar auto racing
events, and Grand Prix organizers have already approached the City of
Chicago about the possibility of conducting annual races at Meigs,
bringing thousands of visitors to the city and millions in tourism. Once
a year, Meigs Field’s runway will close for a long weekend to become the
“speedway of downtown Chicago”. |
| Chicago Air and Water Show –
Chicago’s annual Air and Water Show is the largest free air show in the
world, attracting nearly 2 million attendees annually. An improved Meigs
Field will play host to civilian air show acts, and provide an
opportunity to meet and greet air show performers personally. The
addition of secondary aerobatics exhibitions at Meigs will provide a
larger venue for the event, presenting the event to a wider audience,
reducing congestion on the north side, and spreading some of the
economic activity to the south side. |
| Other flight-oriented events |
|
| Medium Public Events (500-10,000 attendees)
| Fly-ins/Exhibitions |
| Fishing tournaments |
| Outdoor museum events |
| Bicycling – At least annually,
the runway at Meigs will be closed on a temporary basis, similar to Lake
Shore Drive, to incorporate large group bicycle rides like the
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation’s “Bike the Drive” event and the
“L.A.T.E. Ride,” providing the public with the opportunity to experience
and enjoy this unique piece of lakefront aviation history first-hand.
|
| Boat exhibitions |
| Air-Sea Rescue Demos |
| Aviation College and Career Days -- Aviation colleges
and employers will be invited to Meigs to expose the youth of Chicago to
the fascinating career opportunities of aviation. |
|
| Small-scale Public Events (under 500 participants)
| Camp Outs – Periodically,
various youth groups like the Boy and Girl Scouts and the Boys and Girls
Clubs of Chicago will host overnight camping on Northerly Meadow and
Lookout Point. |
| Ping Pong Tournaments |
|
| Monthly Programs & Activities
| Young Eagles flight rallies –
The Friends of Meigs Field will continue to hold monthly flight rallies
under the auspices of the EAA’s Young Eagles program to introduce
Chicago children to the wonders of flight. |
| Regular aerobatic demonstrations |
| Plane-of-the-Month changeover –
Every month the arrival of a new aircraft for the Chicago
Air Museum Plane-of-the-Month Pavilion will create excitement and
activity on the Museum Campus. This “changing of the guard” will become
a regular event that aviation followers will look forward to on their
calendars. |
| Monthly lectures and historic aviation celebrations |
| Earth Sea and Sky Picnics |
| Aviation Safety seminars |
|
| Weekly Programs & Activities
| Sailing and boating schools |
| Scuba and snorkeling lessons |
| Cross-country skiing lessons |
| Group Meetings |
|
| Daily Programs & Activities
| Skyline Aerial Tours |
| Restaurant and Gift Shop |
|
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