The inaugural Great Chicago Fire Festival is expected to draw thousands to Chicago’s riverfront on October 4 for a fiery spectacle celebrating Chicago’s resurgence following the Great Fire of 1871. The MacArthur-supported festival is presented by Redmoon Theater in partnership with the City of Chicago and Chicago Park District. The event will feature fiery cauldrons lowered from Chicago’s bridges onto the main branch of the Chicago River, joining a parade of flaming buoys and three floating sculptures resembling pre-1871 homes that will be set ablaze, each revealing a symbolic interior core. The finale will feature a fireworks display set to music and tribute to Chicago’s neighborhoods. Leading up to the festival, Redmoon Theater is leading a city-wide conversation about resistance, renewal, and celebration of Chicago’s neighborhoods. The stories are being mapped and captured in a photo and video series.
