An acrobatic spectacle of unmatched athleticism has descended upon the Pier! Meet Cirque Shanghai: Dragon’s Thunder, the amazing show featuring the talents of Chinese tumblers, jugglers, and all sorts of other acrobatic magicians. While Cirque Shanghai may look like fun and games to the audience (and it mostly is), there’s no discounting the years of training that have gone into the truly rigorous acts. Help us welcome the largest troupe ever to tour the U.S. as they kick off their very first performances today!

This year’s production will feature audience favorites like “The Chinese Flex Bar”, the “Gravity Swings,” the “Wheel of Destiny,” and “Imperial Thunder,” the daredevil motorcycle troupe returning with not two, not four, but five motorcyclists riding at break-neck speeds within a steel globe! And debuting for the very first time in North America are the heart-pounding Chinese “Dragon Drums,” an incredible spectacle that will leave everybody speechless.

In so many ways, Cirque Shanghai: Dragon’s Thunder is going to be bigger, better, and more daring than ever before! And of course we recommend that you make a whole day of it at the Pier by buying a special Cirque Shanghai package!

Discover real fun with the Navy Pier Fun Pack, including an Emperor’s Court ticket, a Ferris wheel voucher, a Shoreline Sightseeing Skyline Lake Tour voucher, a $5 Pepsi Skyline Stage Concession voucher, and a voucher for 20% off food at Riva Crab House or City Porch.

Hit the town with the rest of the night owls with a Nightlife Package. Enjoy Cirque Shanghai with an Emperor’s Court ticket and then take in the skyline with a Ferris wheel voucher and finish off the evening with your $10 voucher to the Navy Pier Beer Garden.

Or find romance at the Pier with the Date Night Package, which includes an Emperor’s Court ticket, a Mini Golf voucher, a Shoreline Sightseeing Lake Tour voucher, a City Porch voucher good for a glass of wine or champagne, and a Haagen-Dasz voucher good for two scoops of ice cream.

For pricing on these one-of-a-kind packages, head here. We hope you enjoy the show!

Cirque Shanghai: Dragon’s Thunder at the Pepsi Skyline Stage

Have you ever wondered what kind of capital and resources your business needs in order to succeed? Join us at Navy Pier for Access to Capital: Money to Mainstreet this Wednesday, May 22, and find out the answer to this question and more!

During this one-day conference, you’ll learn what banks are really looking for, discover a variety of funding options available to your business, meet one-on-one with a loan officer, and gain access to community resources that specialize in helping small businesses in Chicago.

Access to Capital is organized by the Los Angeles-based Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp., a leading provider of credit building and credibility solutions for businesses. The products Dun & Bradstreet offer are used by tens of thousands of companies interested in protecting their business reputations so we assure you that you’ll be in very capable hands during the conference.

The Access to Capital panels will include presentations on getting traditional loans in today’s economy, alternative funding and whether it’s the right route for your business, strategies for startups, and crowd-funding success stories and how this model could work for you.

The Town Square area will allow guests to partake in roundtables as well as one-on-ones with a variety of lenders and legal and business advisors. Specialized communities will also be on hand to advise start-ups and small businesses on how to access capital and where to obtain legal advice in a comfortable and modern Main Street setting.

Additionally, a Town Hall area will give conference goers the chance to attend informative panel sessions covering topics like the ins-and-outs of lending opportunities and local services.

If you’re attending, definitely make sure you leave yourself some time to enjoy the Pier. We’ve got great shopping, dining, and entertainment options that will make your day complete!

Access to Capital: Money to Mainstreet

We had an incredible weekend celebrating Armed Forces Day and the brand new World Record set by our very own Pier Park Operations Manager (and Superman), Clinton Shepherd! Congrats to Clinton on making it all 48 hours 8 minutes and 25 seconds on the Ferris wheel; you’ve made us at Navy Pier, and the entire city of Chicago, very proud!

Here are some highlights from the weekend!

And you definitely won’t want to miss any of our videos. Watch Clinton answer questions about his first night and give a shout-out to fans. We even captured the moment when Clinton broke the World Record on camera, the spectacular fireworks show that followed, and of course the amazing presentation of his official GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS certificate! Talk about history being made at the Pier!

A New World Record at Navy Pier!

There’s just a few days left until Navy Pier welcomes the 2013 Chicago Green Festival! Join us this Saturday and Sunday for one of the city’s largest events celebrating a commitment to green, sustainable living!

And what better setting for an event like this than Navy Pier? Enjoy a scenic walk through Gateway Park or down Dock Street before heading inside Festival Hall A to experience the green offerings of over 350 local and national businesses!

So who will be on hand? Get ready to network and learn from exhibitors like Clif Bar, Simply Wood Rings, the Sierra Club, Hoy, Clear Channel, Democracy Now!, Yelp, Zipcar, Yoga Journal, Ford, and many more. Grab a bite in the Organic Food Court or a drink in the Organic Beer & Wine Garden. Learn all about fair trade and ways you can become an environmental advocate for your own community. Take a free yoga class! Bring the kids and let them play eco-carnival games and make recycled crafts. Enjoy some live music, dancing, and eco-art installations. Settle in for one of the day’s amazing speakers. We can’t mention it all here so you’ll just have to come see it for yourself!

So what kind of difference has the Green Festival already made? Hundreds of thousands of pounds of materials have been diverted from landfills; instead of being thrown out, plastics, aluminum, glass, mixed paper, and cardboard have been processed at recycling plants. Thousands of pounds of fresh, organic soil have been produced and composted by local agencies. And many valuable resources, like metal and wood, have been recovered and donated to local organizations. Pretty amazing stuff!

If this is your first time visiting the Chicago Green Festival, please keep in mind these helpful practices to help us meet our goal of a zero-waste event and spread the fun for everyone!

• Bring your own water bottle, plate, and utensils.
• Bring old cell phones, batteries, and e-waste to recycle.
• Compost all food-ware at the event at a Resource Recovery Station.
• Take only the handouts you’ll read and recycle them when finished.
• Ride your bike or use public transportation options when possible!
• If you need to drive, carpool.
• Spread the message: sustainable living is possible!
• Be sure to thank our volunteers.

We look forward to seeing you all this weekend, and remember – stay green!

Chicago Green Festival:

Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Be Green at the 2013 Chicago Green Festival

Navy Pier is going big this weekend when we celebrate not one, but two major events here at Navy Pier!

Beginning this Friday, May 17, we’ll be honoring our military for Armed Forces Weekend and cheering on our Pier Park Operations Manager, Clinton, as he attempts to break the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® feat for longest Ferris wheel ride and get his name in that book of all books, recognized by GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS!

Here’s what you need to know:

Beginning on Friday at 2:30 p.m., Clinton will settle into his very own Ferris wheel gondola, which will become home for the next 30 hours. Clinton will attempt to remain awake until Saturday at 8:30 p.m. when he officially sets a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS number!

But because Clinton’s a bit of an overachiever and he wants this record to stick, he plans on putting in another 18 hours on the Ferris wheel. Join us as we welcome Clinton back to solid ground at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday!

Along the way, Clinton will share his gondola with celebrities, live tweet answers to all of your most pressing questions, celebrate his four-year anniversary with his girlfriend over a romantic candlelit dinner, enjoy meals and snacks from many of the great Navy Pier tenants, and for a $25 donation to the USO share his gondola with all of you, his biggest fans!

Plus, our Ferris wheel will be running all night long! From 10:00 p.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, ride the Ferris wheel for a suggested donation of $3; all proceeds will be donated to the USO!

KISS FM and B96 will also be broadcasting live over the weekend. Come out on Saturday from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. to see the KISS FM broadcast and Sunday from noon – 5 p.m. for B96!

And like we mentioned above, this very same weekend will be Armed Forces Weekend! Active members of the military and their families are invited to the Pier for fun and freebies! Check in at the USO office inside Navy Pier on Saturday to receive a family fun pack and wristbands good for free and discounted offers from the Pier and its vendors, like free Pier Park rides and a free visit to the Chicago Children’s Museum or Amazing Chicago Funhouse Maze!

In conjunction with PepsiCo, free refreshments and children’s activities will be offered all day long inside the USO Center and the first 250 military families who check in at the USO booth on Navy Pier’s South Dock will receive a special Pepsi Pack Gift Bag!

Plus at noon on the Navy Pier Grand Staircase along the South Dock, the Armed Forces Day Salute Ceremony will kick off! Pay your respects as the Color Guard, a military band, and keynote speaker, Brigadier General Daniel M. Krumrei, Adjutant General of the Illinois National Guard welcome everyone to the Pier!

Check-in for military families will take place as follows:

Saturday, May 18

10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – USO Table on Dock Street for military check-in

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. – USO Center at Navy Pier open for military

And you definitely won’t want to miss out on our patriotic-themed fireworks show on Saturday, May 18 at 8:30 p.m.! This will be our first show of the season and the perfect way to honor our men and women in uniform. Plus, as we mentioned above, it’ll mark the point where Clinton breaks the old GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS mark. If you’re lucky enough, you may just be able to claim a spot on our Ferris wheel and watch the show from on high with Clinton!

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS and Armed Forces Weekend!

After the success of last year, the Green Festival is headed back to Chicago! Put May 18-19 on your calendar and get ready to head to Navy Pier for an amazing weekend full of networking, shopping, learning, and, most important of all, lots of fun with a diverse community of passionate participants.

The Green Festival is a nationally renowned traveling green marketplace featuring products and services from sustainable businesses and organizations across the country. Experience delicious eats in the organic, vegetarian, and vegan food court, take in an inspiring film at the Sierra Club Green Cinema, check out the eco-fashion exhibit, learn about DIY projects like urban gardening and energy efficient renovations you can make to your home, and enlighten yourself with 100 keynote speeches on everything from social justice to green kids!

And if you want to get even more involved in the Green Festival, think about volunteering! Green Festival volunteers are an essential part of every successful festival and offer the exciting opportunity for everyone, ages 10 and up, to get involved with an amazing cause. Join in on something great and help the Green Festival promote environmental responsibility and social justice to the greater Chicago community! No matter your motivation—to make new friends and connections, to receive school credit, to add more depth to your resume, or to learn a new skill—the Green Festival would love to have you!

Navy Pier can’t wait to host another wonderful Green Festival weekend packed with local advocates, national and international award-winning social and environmental authors, industry thought leaders and experts, celebrities, cultural icons, and YOU!

Make sure you pick up your tickets now! One-day passes only cost $10, so what are you waiting for?? Purchase your tickets here.

The Chicago Green Festival Heads Back to Navy Pier!

There are things we know and things we don’t know. For example, we don’t know if the weather will cooperate all summer. We do know, however, that one of the Pier’s awesome summer staples will be performing for audiences, rain or shine.

Straight from the Far East, the members of Cirque Shanghai are gearing up for their annual Navy Pier run, complete with all your favorite acrobatics, stunts, and…dun, dun, dun…dramatic music, please… the return of the edge-of-your-seat thrill-ride known as the “Wheel of Destiny.”

“Dragon’s Thunder,” the latest production from Cirque Shanghai, performs at Navy Pier’s Pepsi Skyline Stage from May 22­ through September 2. With more than 36 performers, this show promises to be even more spectacular than last year’s critically acclaimed “Year of the Dragon.”

And here’s a little fun fact: “Dragon’s Thunder” boasts the biggest cast ever to visit the U.S., so get ready for surprises-galore.

Among the awe-inspiring acts you’ll see: “The Chinese Flex Bar,” the heart-stopping “Gravity Swings” and the pulsing sounds of traditional “Dragon Drums.” It marks the first time in the history of Cirque Shanghai’s North American engagement that traditional Chinese Drums will be an integral part of the performance.

Of course, let’s not forget the members of the daredevil motorcycle group “Imperial Thunder.” The stunt team ups the ante with up to five riders dodging each other inside a giant steel globe.

The all-ages, family-friendly performance serves as a great highlight for a daylong family outing. Grab some food at one of our many restaurants, ride the iconic Navy Pier Ferris wheel, catch the 75-minute show (no intermissions), and cap things off with our summer fireworks display on Wednesday and Saturday nights!

Tickets go on sale now! Purchase by calling 800-745-3000, or visiting www.ticketmaster.com/shanghai. Discounted tickets for groups of 10 or more are available by calling GroupTix at 773.327.3778 or at www.grouptix.net.

Cirque Shanghai Returns With “Dragon’s Thunder”

Whenever you’re down and out, the one person you can count on is Mom. She’s supported you through it all from your terrible two’s to your wild teenage years to all those days you made her so incredibly proud (and we bet there were many). So doesn’t Mom deserve the very best? Bring her to Navy Pier this year! With an array of restaurant, shopping, and entertainment options, we have all the ingredients to make your day with Mom into a special one.

Does Mom feel like discovering her sea legs? She’s in luck! Both Odyssey and the Spirit of Chicago are hosting Mother’s Day brunch and dinner cruises this Sunday! All cruises include a beautiful flower for Mom, an amazing lunch or dinner buffet, a complimentary glass of champagne (or mimosa for those brunching), live entertainment, and one spectacular view of the city!

Or maybe Mom prefers to stick to land. If that’s the case, then why not take her on a shopping trip at Navy Pier!? No Mom’s going to turn down beautiful and fragrant soaps and candles from Abbey Brown Soap Artisan. Or stop by the eco-friendly shop, Earthly Elements, where the beauty of the planet is captured in jewelry and other accessories. And we can probably stop at purses. Handbag Couture has some exquisite offerings that Mom is sure to go gaga for.

After all that shopping, it’ll be time for lunch! Grab something casual in our food court or enjoy a sit-down meal! Those of you lucky enough to snag a reservation at Riva will be able to enjoy a delicious Mother’s Day brunch feast with fresh oysters, shellfish, champagne, and more! Of course if Mom is more of a burgers and beer type of gal, we won’t leave you hanging there either. Try out Harry Caray’s Tavern or Billy Goat Tavern for a burger that will definitely hit the spot. And don’t forget to stop by the Haagen-Dazs Cafe for dessert!

As you bring your Mother’s Day afternoon or evening to a close, take Mom on our world-famous Ferris wheel. We know she won’t forget the view from the top or the incredible day you shared together.

We hope everyone joining us for Mother’s Day this year enjoys their visit. And to all the Moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day! You deserve it!

Celebrating Mother’s Day at Navy Pier!

The summer movie season doesn’t wait until June to start.

Come May, studios begin churning out the hits and sci-fi, superhero, and big blockbuster fans all over the country begin selling out movie theaters and buying copious amounts of snacks and drinks for each new Friday night movie release. But as always, the most epic movie experience in town can be found at Navy Pier IMAX Theatre!

The IMAX motto is “Seeing is believing,” and with this year’s amazing summer movie lineup, you’re definitely going to need to experience it for yourself on the big screen. So grab some popcorn, find a seat, and take some notes because summer 2013 is truly going to be one for the movie lover in all of us!

The most recent release to open at Navy Pier IMAX is Iron Man 3, starring Robert Downey, Jr. as your favorite lovable arrogant billionaire and Gwyneth Paltrow as his love interest, Pepper Potts. What are we most excited for? Well, besides the fact that new Iron Man armors will be unveiled in this installment, Pepper suits up to try and help save the day this time around too! Will Tony Stark have what it takes to stand up against his enemy, the Mandarin? Will he finally be able to answer the question: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man? No spoilers here! You’ll just have to get your tickets and find out for yourself!

And next up, Navy Pier IMAX will premiere Star Trek Into Darkness, the sequel to the 2009 Star Trek franchise reboot, directed by the visionary mind of J.J. Abrams. You won’t want to miss the next part of the saga as Captain Kirk and the rest of the Enterprise must once again bond together to save the planet! And did we mention that Navy Pier IMAX is giving fans a sneak peek on May 15?? That’s two days before any other theater in the city and you know the only way to see this film is in crystal-clear IMAX 3D!

The Navy Pier IMAX summer movie schedule continues to grow so make sure to check here often. We’ll see you at the movies!

Big Blockbusters at Navy Pier IMAX

We here at Navy Pier would like to extend our warmest welcome to the Print Services & Distribution Association (PSDA) who will be hosting their 2013 PSDA Distributor Solutions Expo on May 8-9 (yes that is a bit of a mouthful). This two-day show will feature and showcase more than 150 exhibiting companies and their offerings from commercial and digital printing to plastic, paper, and vinyl cards. The expo is open to both PSDA member and non-member distributors in the print, marketing, and communications industries and is promised to be the most comprehensive print solutions convention in the nation.

This year, the expo will be split up into three components. Full conference workshops and sessions will be available to those with the 2-Day All-Access Full Conference Pass and the Conference Education ONLY Pass. Four different “Solution Zones” (Marketing & Technology / Signage, Display & Wide Format / Promotional Products / Packaging & Direct Mail) will be available for short demonstrations and impromptu networking and discussions. And the Expo Theatre, located in the center of the show floor, will be hosting short presentations and expert panels.

While attendees are taking advantage of everything the PSDA Expo has to offer, they definitely shouldn’t miss out on the Pier’s awesome entertainment, shopping, and cuisine options. Impress your new expo contacts with a visit to Riva Crab House with its premium seafood, steaks, and wine selections, and amazing view of the Chicago skyline. Take a ride on our world-famous Ferris wheel to check out the city from a different altitude! And if that’s not enough, you can conclude your convention day by swinging by the Navy Pier IMAX Theatre to see the latest movies in the biggest cinema format in the city!

So welcome to all you PSDA attendees and we hope you enjoy your stay here in Chicago and your time at the Pier!

PSDA Distributor Solutions Expo | Navy Pier