Blue Bunny, Halo Top Help Celebrate Navy Pier’s Birthday
Two Wells Enterprises ice cream brands are sponsoring a free drone light show to help celebrate Navy Pier’s 107th birthday in Chicago.
The “Sweeten Your Summer with Blue Bunny and Halo Top” show will take place at 9:45 p.m. on July 15 at the 3,300-foot-long pier located on the shoreline of Lake Michigan. It will be Navy Pier’s first-ever drone light show, and will precede Chicago’s regularly scheduled Saturday fireworks display at 10 p.m.
The production, produced by Sky Elements Drones, will consist of 10 minutes of ice cream-themed animations in recognition of July as National Ice Cream Month and July 16 as National Ice Cream Day. Three hundred drones will illuminate the sky, spinning at over 20,000 RPMs (i.e., revolutions per minute).
The show will end with the drones forming a scannable QR code large enough to cover an entire city block. That will give guests access to a special offer at Albertsons Cos.’ Jewel-Osco just in time for National Ice Cream Day.
"Navy Pier's 107th birthday promises ‘a pageant of progress’ pairing the ancient art of fireworks with a futuristic light show featuring choreographed drones,” Navy Pier president and CEO Marilynn Gardner said in a media release.
In addition, Blue Bunny and Halo Top will also host a free ice cream social from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on July 15 in Polk Bros Park at the entrance to Navy Pier. Guests can enjoy a treat-sized Bomb Pop, Blue Ribbon Classics, Halo Top or Blue Bunny ice cream and then explore Navy Pier ahead of the main event at night.
“Part of our culture is to give back to the communities that support us, and Chicago is certainly full of loyal ice cream enthusiasts who love our brands,” Santhi Ramesh, chief commercial officer of Wells Enterprises, said in the release. “We’re excited to partner with Navy Pier to provide a free ice cream social as part of our promise that together we can create a world where everyone can feel joy every day.”
In July 2022, Ferrero Group agreed to acquire Wells Enterprises, its operations and its ice cream brands, which also include Blue Ribbon Classics and Bomb Pop. At the time of the announcement, the deal was expected to close in early 2023.