It's my pleasure to announce Kevin Huang as the new head of the Chicago Events Department!  He resided in a short role as the Assistant Events Coordinator and was found to be best suited to fill the role and continue the department in an upward direction.  Thank you Kevin for stepping up to the task, we're all counting on you!

ZAU presents a VFR pilot's dream, Minor Field Monday.  We will be staffing most, if not all minor fields in the center, including Great Lakes (AZO, GRR, MKG, BTL), Cedar Rapids (CID), Quad Cities (MLI), Southbend (SBN), Fort Wayne (FWA), Milwaukee (MKE), and many more!  How many airports can you land at before time is up?

Date: November 27, 2023
Time: 2359Z-0300Z
Airports: AZO, GRR, MKG, BTL, MKE, MSN, MLI, CID, CMI, FWA, SBN, ALO, RFD, JVL, DBQ, DEC

The Chicago ARTCC is back for another round of Midway Monday!  Fly the busiest square mile in the world and try not to end up in the EMAS!

Event Field: KMDW
Date and Time: October 9, 2023; 2300Z-0300Z

ZAU wants to give you the most realistic O'Hare experience we can.  Runway changes, takeoff clearances where the preceding aircraft literally just rotated, 170 knots or greater to a 5 mile final, triple simultaneous independent approaches, etc.  So we bring you "The O'Hare Special!"  The city also brings a rich history for you to explore, and public transportation directly from the airport to downtown.

Airport: KORD
Date: October 15th, 2023
Time: 2300Z-0300Z

ZAU's popular Midway Monday event is back!!!!  We will be running MDW fully staffed from 2300Z to 0300Z (6PM-10PM CDT) with Center and South Sat open.  Get a break from O'Hare and fly into the former busiest airport in the world and the current busiest square mile in the world!

Event date: July 24th, 2023
Event time: 2300Z-0300Z (6PM-10PM Central Daylight Time)

Ferris Wheel, cruises, cultural events, ice skating, etc.  Navy Pier is a staple of Chicago history, being the longest public pier in the world, and among one of the most visited places in the world.  Inspired by the vision of Daniel Burnham, the Pier was originally opened in 1916 as Municipal Pier #2 as a place "Built by the City, for the People."  As the US entered World War 1, the Pier housed soldiers, Red Cross workers, and home defense workers while serving as barracks for recruits and a jail for draft dodgers.  In honor of the Navy personnel who served in World War 1, the pier was renamed "Navy Pier" in 1927.  Throughout the years, the Pier has been home to the Navy again, the University of Illinois' first Chicago Campus, and trade shows.  In 1960 when McCormick Place took over as the home for trade shows, the vacant Pier was found to be useful for large scale events, but failed to continue in popularity as more and more events and the shipping industry moved away from it.  It fell into disuse in 1966 until 1976, during the bicentennial celebration, the City reconsidered breathing life back into this historical building and was designated a Chicago Landmark.  Explore more about the history of Navy Pier here: http://www.100yearsofpier.com/ and come join us by flying into Chicago O'Hare International Airport and taking the Blue Line to downtown!

Event Field: Chicago O'Hare Int'l Airport [KORD]
Time: 2300Z-0300Z [6PM-10PM CDT]

Every year, Chicago Plumbers Union Local 130 dyes the Chicago River green for St. Patrick's day.  Since 1962, it has been a Chicago tradition, and in 1966, the recipe was changed to a vegetable based dye to protect the environment.  This new recipe is an orange powder that turns green in the water, credited by locals to be the work of leprechauns!  Fly into Chicago O'Hare International Airport and take the Blue Line downtown to see the original green river and enjoy some deep dish pizza!

Date and Time: March 20, 2023, 2300z-0300z
Event Field: KORD

ZAU is finally back on January 16th for round 3 of Midway Mondays!  As usual, we will be fully staffing Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW), this time a full 4 hours to allow time for a turnaround or two! 

Event airport: KMDW; Time and date: January 16th, 2023.  2359z-0400z.