The story began in 1992. Things looked pretty grim. The “Boys from
Boston” (as they were unofficially known) were short on funds. They realized they
would not be able to make the trip home for their usual July 4th celebration. It looked
desperate until they conceived a bold and daring plan. If they could not go to the party,
they would bring the party to Chicago. After much thought, consideration, and beer, they
circulated an invitation to twenty of their closest friends asking the following simple
question, “Why spend July 4th away, when you can watch the Red Sox play in
Chicago?” and with that simple question the 4th of July Bash was born.
From these twenty people, word has spread
and now people from all over the country plan their July 4th celebration in Chicago. With
the festivities scheduled around events like the “Taste of Chicago”, the Grant
Park Fireworks, a baseball game, booze cruise, backyard bash, and the pub crawl-scavenger hunt, it is
easy to see why this has grown into an annual event. Other events such as the Twelve
Bars of Christmas holiday pub crawl and Sunday Afternoon Beach Volleyball have also been
added. The same group of friends eventually evolved into what is known today as the
PPC (which stands for Party Planning Committee).
While the responsibility of planning and
hosting the party has changed over the years, but the main theme remains the same:
“Great friends, good booze and the City of Chicago as our personal
playground!” |