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Photos: The Spectacular 'Chicagohenge' Phenomenon Is Back This Week

By Stephen Gossett in News on Sep 22, 2016 5:58PM


A couple of times each year, the setting sun perfectly dovetails with Chicago’s street layout, framing vivid explosions of light between the city’s already magnificent architecture. It’s the kind of naturally occurring lily-gilding we can’t help but thrill to—and the stunning phenomenon is right around the corner.

Chicagohenge,” as it’s appropriately known, should be viewable all week long if you stand in just the right places at just the right time in the Loop. The phenomenon technically returns this Sunday evening, Sept. 25, as the fall equinox puts the final punctuation on summer in the most grand fashion imaginable. The ideal viewing time should be around 6:42 p.m., according to this Facebook event, but you can also trying catching a sight of it anytime between now and Sept. 30, according to Reddit.

If you were ever interested in starting a Chicago-focused postcard business, you could begin and end here.

But sweetening the pot, a deal being presented by the Chicago Loop Alliance will give out special offers from select Loop businesses to shutterbugs who share their shots—using hashtag #Chicagohenge—on social media between now and Friday, Sept. 30. Participating businesses include Thrive360 Eatery, Protein Bar, Goddess and the Baker, Intelligentsia Coffee at Millennium Park and more. Check out the full details here.