If you haven’t heard yet, Chicago is hosting its very own massive NYE event called Chi-Town Rising.
Chicago’s Premier New Year’s Eve experience will feature plenty of live entertainment, fireworks, and a large star rising up the Hyatt Regency Hotel (hence the name). The event is free, though tickets to the private areas are available for purchase. Everything begins in Millennium Park before shifting primarily to the Chicago Riverwalk.
Here’s the timeline of events from beginning to end (thanks to NBC 5 Chicago):
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.: The family-friendly portion of Chi-Town Rising will take place in Millennium Park for an entire three hours. Events include free skate rentals for ice-skating at the park’s rink.
7 p.m. to 11 p.m.: iHeart Radio will broadcast the Countdown Stage live on KISS-FM while local Chicago artists and DJ Sye Young take the stage. You can view info on all of the musical performances here.
7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.: If you’ve purchased a special ticket to the Corona Beach House, you’ll enjoy a live DJ, dinner buffet, complimentary glass of Ruffino Proseco at midnight, and a cash bar. Plus, you get the best seat in the house for viewing the Countdown Stage and Rising Star.
8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.: During this time, Broadcast Boulevard will be open to guests staying with Chi-Town Rising’s hotel partners. Here, you can experience the TV Audience Zone.
11 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.: Beginning at 11 pm, the event will be broadcast live by NBC 5 and Telemundo Chicago. This includes all the highlights: musical performances, a 2015 recap, NYE toast, the Rising Star and an enormous fireworks show to close things out.
11 p.m.: The American Authors begin the TV coverage with a performance on the Countdown Stage.
Midnight: What band is more fitting to bring in a Chi-Town new year than Chicago? We can’t think of any. The legendary rockers will take to the Countdown Stage as the Rising Star climbs 36 stories up the Hyatt Regency, same time as the fireworks.
Complete info is available at chi-townrising.com.