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Buckingham Fountain To Be Turned On Before Memorial Day After Sitting Dry For Over A Year Amid Pandemic

CHICAGO (CBS) -- After sitting dry for more than a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Buckingham Fountain will be turned on again sometime this month.

The Chicago Park District web page for the fountain said it will be turned on before Memorial Day, though a specific date has not been specified.

City officials announced on April 29 that Buckingham Fountain would indeed be turned on this summer, with a "Switch on Summer" contest to flip the switch.

"We are ready and eager for the return of summer in Chicago as we know it. From leisure activities, like walking along the lakefront and watching Buckingham Fountain's nightly light spectacle, to music, theater, dance, and movies in our neighborhood parks, rediscovering the outdoors and reconnecting with the arts in Chicago will be an enriching experience for everyone this summer and fall," Chicago Park District Chief Administrative Officer Juliet Azimi said in a statement on April 29. "It is imperative, however, that we collectively continue to follow the safety guidelines that have been instrumental in our progress and will be part of these experiences for the immediate future."

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