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Navy Pier’s annual outdoor movie series, Water Flicks, and live jazz music series, Water Colors, are set to return to the Lake Stage in Polk Bros Park in July. Water Flicks will kick off on Thursday, July 8, while Water Colors will launch on Friday, July 9. Both programs are free and open to the public and will run through August.
For the first time this year, Water Flicks will expand to feature two movies each week, with sports-themed films shown on Monday evenings as part of Motivation Monday and romantic comedies shown on Thursday evenings as part of Date Night Thursdays. Guests are welcome to bring blankets and cozy up on the lawn to catch the free screenings all summer long. While all movies begin at 6:30 p.m., guests are encouraged to arrive early as seating space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Select films are presented in partnership with Chicago International Film Festival and Black Harvest Film Festival. The full Water Flicks schedule is outlined below.
WATER FLICKS: MOTIVATION MONDAYS
| DATE | MOVIE |
| July 12 | 42 (presented by Chicago International Film Festival) |
| July 19 | Mighty Ducks |
| July 26 | Caddyshack |
| August 2 | Creed (presented by Black harvest Film Festival) |
| August 9 | Cars 3 |
| August 16 | A League of Their Own |
| August 23 | Invictus (presented by Chicago International Film Festival) |
| August 30 | Rocky IV |
WATER FLICKS: DATE NIGHT THURSDAYS
| DATE | MOVIE |
| July 8 | Boomerang |
| July 15 | Pretty Woman |
| July 22 | Trainwreck |
| July 29 | The Big Sick (presented by the Chicago International Film Festival) |
| August 5 | Love and Basketball (presented by Black harvest Film Festival) |
| August 12 | Stranger Than Fiction |
| August 19 | Bridesmaids |
| August 26 | When Harry Met Sally |
Water Colors is set to bring live jazz back to the lakefront with two-hour sets performed by prominent and rising local jazz musicians every Friday, starting at 6:30 p.m. Guests can have a seat on the Polk Bros Park Performance Lawns and enjoy free tunes throughout the summer to the beautiful backdrop of Lake Michigan.
Select concerts are presented in partnership with the Jazz Institute of Chicago and local jazz festivals. The full Water Colors schedule is outlined below.
WATER COLORS
| DATE | ARTIST(S) |
| July 9 | NextGenJazz: Emerging Artists (presented by Jazz Institute of Chicago) |
| July 16 | Isaiah Collier & the Chosen Few, featuring Angel Bat Dawid & Sistazz of the Nitty Gritty (presented by Hyde Park Jazz Festival) |
| July 23 | Blueshift Big Band with Guy King |
| July 30 | Sam Trump & Acoustic Audile, featuring Nashon Holloway |
| August 6 | Latin Jazz Night: Papo Santiago & His Infraverde Orchestra (presented by Jazz Institute of Chicago) |
| August 13 | TBD (presented by Englewood Jazz Festival) |
| August 20 | Junius Paul (by presented by Jazz Institute of Chicago) |
| August 27 | Reginald Robinson’s Ragtime & Early Jazz Jam, featuring Taslimah P. Bey Trio |
Please note, all events are subject to change. Programs may be canceled in the event of rain or inclement weather; cancellation notices will be posted on the Navy Pier website and social media channels earlier that day.
Water Flicks and Water Colors are part of Navy Pier’s nonprofit mission and ongoing commitment to offer guests free, year-round arts and cultural programming, designed to inspire, educate and connect communities across the city and globe. While at Navy Pier, guests are encouraged to check out other Pier-wide experiences, including the iconic Centennial Wheel and other Pier Park rides and attractions. The Pier also features more than 70 local businesses in dining, retail, boat cruises and more. Guests can now extend their visit with an overnight stay at the new Sable hotel. Visit the Navy Pier website for a full list of open and available establishments.
Navy Pier is operating in accordance with the State of Illinois’ “Restore Illinois” plan and City of Chicago’s “Protecting Chicago” outline that is currently in Phase 5, as well as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. Navy Pier will no longer require face masks on site. However, face masks may still be worn based on the comfort level of each guest and business on the Pier. Click here to view Navy Pier’s COVID-19 operations and updates.
For more information, visit www.navypier.org.
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About Navy Pier
Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is the top nonprofit tourism destination in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and typically welcoming nearly 9 million annual guests. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases more than 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities and more.
The Pier celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016 with the unveiling of the iconic Centennial Wheel, Polk Bros Park, Family Pavilion and Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion. In 2021, Navy Pier continued to usher in its second century with ongoing Pier-wide redevelopment efforts—including Sable, a 223-room Hilton hotel, new restaurants and partnerships, and thrilling additions to Pier Park. The Pier is also proud to continue providing free, year-round arts and cultural programming designed to inspire, educate and connect communities across the city and globe. Click here to donate to Navy Pier, a mission-driven 501(c)(3) organization, in support of the organization’s post-pandemic revival and free public programming. For more information, visit www.navypier.org.