After a one-year hiatus, the suburban fireworks show once touted as the largest in Illinois will return this summer with a “slightly different feel,” the DuPage County village said in its quarterly newsletter.
Itasca’s iconic Independence Day fireworks celebration will return to Hamilton Lakes this summer with a “more community focused feel,” the village said.
“For Itascans, the fireworks have been a hometown tradition for decades,” said Mayor Jeff Pruyn. “This year is about celebrating that tradition in a way that fits today’s space while still bringing people together.”
The evening filled with food, live music and fireworks is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. and continue until the end of the fireworks show, that is scheduled to kick off at 9:45 p.m., weather permitting.
“This year, the event will have a slightly different feel. The event space is more limited and the number of people allowed inside the park will be reduced,” the village said in its quarterly newsletter.
In 2024, the celebration was confirmed by a spokesperson to be the largest in the state based on the total dollar value of the show. That is no longer the case and likely never will be again, Itasca village administrator Carie Ann Ergo said.
“It is highly unlikely that Itasca’s display will ever be the largest in the state moving forward, due to continued development on the site. This year’s fireworks display had to be scaled down to fit within the event’s smaller footprint,” Ergo said.
The event, that previously drew roughly 40,000 attendees, “will accommodate significantly fewer people” this year, village officials said.
The show was paused in 2025 because construction in the park made the celebration “logistically unfeasible,” Ergo said in March 2025. Prior to the pause, the annual fireworks show had taken place at Hamilton Lakes Business Park for nearly three decades.
“Planning ahead will help make the evening easier. Arriving earlier in the night and reserving parking in advance will give you the best chance to get in before capacity is reached,” the village said in the newsletter. “Street parking will not be permitted in nearby neighborhoods, and additional traffic controls will be in place to help keep things moving.”
Live music starts at 5 p.m. and will continue throughout the evening. Popular band Maggie Speaks will take the stage at 7:30 p.m.
More details on the event and how to get tickets can be found here.
