Chicago Auto Show Now Scheduled for July

Last year, the Chicago Auto Show was held as scheduled in February. It was the last major auto show held in North America before the coronavirus turned the world’s schedule upside down.

This year's February event was postponed, as the pandemic continued to rage and the fledgling vaccination campaign was just ramping up in the U.S. However, things are evolving rapidly and a return to normalcy is beginning to take shape south of our border.

We saw the first sign of this yesterday when the organizers of the 2021 Chicago Auto Show announced that their annual event will be held from July 15 to 19. If all goes according to plan, it will be the first major U.S. auto show to return after the pandemic-enforced hiatus.

Organizers posted an announcement on the show's official website describing the scope of the special “Summertime Edition”, which will move to McCormick Place's West Building where it can spread out outside and take advantage of the summer weather. This will be very different from anything we know about a show usually held in the middle of winter in often brutally cold Chicago. This will allow for unique outdoor activities and a reduction in transmission risks, too, although one can imagine that proof of vaccination might be required for access.

We're still swimming in uncharted waters on this.

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