The skies above the Chicago lakefront will be painted green, white and red this month when the Frecce Tricolori pays an aerial visit. The legendary military aerobatic team will put on a show at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 27, to the east of Navy Pier, followed by a reservations-only reception.

The event is being hosted by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans, which will provide bus transportation to and from the event. The JCCIA will host several other events in conjunction with the visit.

“In the same vein as America’s Blue Angels, there’s nothing that says Italian pride in the sky like the Frecce Tricolori,” says Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans President Ron Onesti. “We’ve all seen them on the internet, now we can see them live in our own downtown. It’ll put goosebumps on top of goosebumps.”

The flight group will be touring the United States this summer, thanks to Onesti’s diligence. “We had been courting the Italian Air Force for three years and they finally committed to the tour,” he shares. “They were originally slated for the Chicago Air and Water Show but that was moved because of the Democratic National Convention and they weren’t able to reschedule. But because of the warm relationship we developed with them, they agreed to perform while they were in the area for the Milwaukee Air & Water Show.”

The South Beer Garden at Navy Pier will be the official viewing site for the flight. Buses will depart from Casa Italia at 7:30 a.m. The cost to take the bus is $10 per person. Parking is available in the East Lot at Navy Pier. Reservations for the bus and the reception afterward are a must.

The city of Chicago will salute the Frecce Tricolori pilots and their accompanying Italian Air Force officers with a flag-raising ceremony at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, July 29, at Daley Center Plaza. The JCCIA will honor the Italian pilots and officers and America’s Blue Angels at 7 p.m. that evening.

The Italian pilots and officers will be the guests of honor at the JCCIA’s monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31. Tickets for the meeting are $25. Reservations are required.

For additional details and to make reservations, visit www.jccia.com  email [email protected] or call 708-450-9050.