Buckingham Fountain Bash — weekend celebration

ComEd and the Chicago Park District turned on Buckingham Fountain for the 2026 season on Saturday, May 9, at a free public event in Grant Park. The ceremony, billed as “Switch on Summer,” ran from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the fountain site along Columbus Drive and doubled as the kickoff for this year’s Night Out in the Parks programming. Organizers scheduled live performances, maker activities and family programming around the fountain ceremony, according to the Chicago Park District. The event highlighted a landmark that the park district says operates daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. during its regular season. ### When did the fountain switch on, and what was the event called? May 9 was the date for the 12th annual Switch on Summer event, according to the Chicago Park District and event listings published by Special Events Management. The park district scheduled the fountain ceremony for 11:55 a.m., with the overall event beginning at 11:30 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) Grant Park was the setting for the ceremony, with the park district listing the location as Grant (Ulysses) Park near 331 E. Randolph St. and Columbus Drive. CBS Chicago and other local outlets also reported that the fountain would switch on around noon as part of the public celebration. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) ### What was on the program besides the fountain ceremony? The Chicago Park District listed three scheduled performances during the event: Clinard Dance with the Steadfast Dance Center at 11:45 a.m., Hearing in Color’s Chroma at 12:20 p.m. and Bollywood Groove at 12:40 p.m. The park district said the event also included art and maker stations, children and family resources, and ComEd customer-support resources. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange, Jabberwocky Marionettes and Point Theatre Project were among the groups named for on-site activations and interactive programming. The park district described the event as open to all ages and free to attend. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) ### How does this tie into Night Out in the Parks? The Chicago Park District said the Buckingham Fountain event also served as the official kickoff for the 14th season of Night Out in the Parks. In a May 9 news release, the district said the summer series would bring more than 600 cultural events to all 77 community areas, with 102 Chicago-based artists performing in 200 parks citywide. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, the Chicago Park District’s superintendent and chief executive, said in the release that the district was providing “free, world class cultural programming” in neighborhoods across the city. The district said the 2026 season includes more than 1,200 hours of cultural programming, and that Movies in the Parks launches June 9. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) ### What should visitors know about Buckingham Fountain itself? Buckingham Fountain is at 301 S. Columbus Dr. in Grant Park, according to the Chicago Park District. The district says the fountain is one of the largest in the world and that its major water display runs for 20 minutes every hour, with the center jet reaching 150 feet. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) The park district says the fountain’s major displays begin daily at 9 a.m. and continue every hour on the hour. Beginning at dusk, the hourly display includes lights and music, and the final nightly display begins at 10:35 p.m., with shutdown around 10:55 p.m. The district also said new chairs around the fountain are scheduled to arrive on May 30. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) ### Where can people find the next events? Night Out in the Parks schedules are posted at nightoutintheparks.com, the Chicago Park District said in its May 9 release. The district said Movies in the Parks begins June 9, and the broader summer series will continue across Chicago parks through the season. (chicagoparkdistrict.com) (chicagoparkdistrict.com)