Photo by Bea Bosco

Day 2 of load-in went quite smoothly. The weather was on our side and as a result we were able to be much more efficient with our assembly. Working with power tools in the rain yesterday hampered our speed significantly. Today, we spent the better part of the day assembling the largest scenic pieces: the floating tree, the big water wheel and the streetlamps. These will be the first pieces towed out to the stage and anchored tomorrow, so there was a push to finish them before the end of the day.

A good part of my 2nd load-in day was spent in logistics meetings with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Chicago Police Marine Unit. Both were onsite throughout the morning to discuss escort needs, communication plans and rescue scenarios. The latitudinal and longitudinal details of our safety zone were reviewed to make sure that all enforcing agencies were on the same page. Beginning Thursday morning, a broadcast to mariners will prohibit any boat traffic from entering our performance space, and both Coast Guard and police boats will enforce the perimeter in the hours surrounding the performance.

Photo by Bea Bosco

Tomorrow, Day 3 of load-in, is also a busy day. We will begin to lower all of the floats and set pieces into the water, and start the lengthy process of rigging the pyrotechnics. Our first load of lighting gear begins installation at the stage early in the day, as do the audience bleachers. Big thunderstorms are expected later in the day, so it ought to keep things interesting!