Sweepstakes Now Open for Illinois Residents to Switch On Historic Buckingham Fountain

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ComEd is teaming up with the Chicago Park District for the eleventh consecutive year to announce the return of Switch on Summer. The public is invited to Chicago’s Grant Park to celebrate the switching on of historic Buckingham Fountain and welcome the symbolic start of the summer season.

The free event on Saturday, May 10, runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and will feature a preview of the 13^th anniversary of the Park District’s popular Night Out in the Parks summer event series lineup, and access to ComEd customer resources including bill assistance, energy efficiency programs, home energy saving tips and more. Enjoy family friendly entertainment from featured performance groups including NAJWA Dance Corps, Jabberwocky Marionettes, Cielito Lindo Family Mariachi, and many more.

In advance of the event, ComEd invites northern Illinois residents to enter a sweepstakes for the chance to be selected to switch on Buckingham Fountain at the event. All entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on April 18, 2025.

“Summers in Chicago are glorious – but the season doesn’t start until water is flowing through Buckingham Fountain,” said Gil Quiniones, ComEd President and CEO. “Switch on Summer is an opportunity to come out of winter hibernation, gather around a world-famous Chicago landmark, and maybe even get some pointers on how to conserve energy and reduce your electric bill by accessing ComEd’s new bill assistance website."

Grant Park’s Buckingham Fountain is a major tourist attraction, welcoming millions of visitors every year as the scenic backdrop for summertime events and activities along Chicago’s lakefront.

“For almost a century, the reawakening of the historic Clarence Buckingham Memorial Fountain from its long winter slumber is undoubtedly one of the premiere summer events,” said Chicago Park District CEO & General Superintendent Carlos Ramirez-Rosa. “I'm excited to celebrate my first summer as Superintendent and even more thrilled to kick it off by bringing our famed Buckingham Fountain back to life and officially launching our Night out in the Parks event series. This event serves as a symbol for all the fun and joy that comes along with summer in Chicago, and is a celebration of our longstanding partnership with ComEd to ‘Switch on Summer’ and invite the public to one of the city’s most popular destinations.”

Chicago Park District’s Night Out in the Parks makes every summer in Chicago even more fun by offering a free series of events accessible to all ages and abilities. Celebrating the vibrant cultures of Chicago and supporting emerging and seasoned arts professionals, this citywide event series will bring world-class entertainment such as outdoor movies, dance performances and theater productions to all 77 Chicago community areas in 250 parks throughout the city.

For the latest Switch on Summer updates, visit ComEd.com/SwitchOnSummer.

About ComEd

ComEd is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon Corporation (NASDAQ: EXC), a Fortune 200 energy company serving more than 10.7 million electricity and natural gas customers – the largest number of customers in the U.S. ComEd powers the lives of more than 4 million customers across northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's population. For more information visit ComEd.com, and connect with the company on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

About Chicago Park District

The Chicago Park District is the Gold Medal Award winner, recognized for excellence in park and recreation management across the nation. For more information about the Chicago Park District’s more than 8,800 acres of parkland, more than 600 parks, 26 miles of lakefront, 11 museums, two world-class conservatories, 16 historic lagoons, nearly 50 nature areas, thousands of special events, sports and entertaining programs, please visit www.chicagoparkdistrict.com or contact the Chicago Park District at 312/742.PLAY. Follow us @ChicagoParks & @ChicagoParkDistrict on social media. Want to share your talent? Volunteer in the parks by calling, 312/742.PLAY.