SDC Summerfest — Skydive Chicago
- Dates
- Jul 25 – Aug 2, 2026
- Location
- Skydive Chicago, Inc. · Ottawa, IL
- Organizer
- Heroes Skydiving
- Price
- $185–195 registration; $38/jump
- History
- Annual flagship boogie at Skydive Chicago.
SDC Summerfest is Skydive Chicago's flagship event and one of the biggest boogies in the US Midwest — a nine-day gathering for licensed jumpers running July 25 to August 2, 2026 at the DZ in Ottawa, Illinois. The event runs a serious fleet — three Twin Otters and two Skyvans — with wheels up from 8am to sunset every day.
The week is built around headlining load organizers across every discipline: movement, freefly, wingsuit/XRW, and formation skydiving, with names like Andy Locke, Christopher 'Ace' Acevedo, and a deep LO roster. Daily highlights include age-group record attempts (Skydivers over Sixty, Seventy, Eighty, and Women's POPS/SOS), themed costume days, a media team featuring photographers like Norman Kent, and nightly entertainment — from air-guitar contests to the closing fireworks and SF party.
Off the loads, Summerfest leans into its festival side: the Tiki Bar, rotating food trucks each evening, an on-site campground, and the Jump Run Cafe. Licensed jumpers need a USPA A-license or higher, current reserve, and an AAD (required at SDC).
Highlights
- 9 days of jumping
- Age-group record jumps (60/70/80, Women's POPS)
- Themed costume days
- Closing fireworks & party
- Tiki Bar + nightly food trucks
- On-site campground
Aircraft
- • 3 Twin Otters
- • 2 Skyvans
Load organizers & camps
- • Andy Locke
- • Christopher 'Ace' Acevedo
- • JRuss
- • Doug Barron
- • Full movement/freefly/wingsuit/FS LO roster
Sponsors & vendors
About the dropzone
Skydive Chicago, Inc. — Ottawa, IL · # Skydive Chicago, Inc. Skydive Chicago, Inc. operates from Skydive Chicago Airport (BN2) in Ottawa, Illinois, located 70 miles southwest of Chicago and just 1.5 miles from the nearest hotel. The dropzone is equipped with a fleet of specialized aircraft for…
What is a skydiving boogie?
A boogie is a multi-day skydiving event hosted by a dropzone — typically a mix of organized loads, big-way attempts, freefly camps, canopy courses, novelty aircraft (helicopters, hot-air balloons, high-altitude jumps), and a serious after-hours party scene. Boogies pull jumpers from across the country to one DZ for a long weekend of jumping you can't get on a normal Saturday.
A camp is narrower in focus — a coached event aimed at a specific skill (4-way formation, head-down freefly, big-way, canopy piloting). A competition is exactly what it sounds like: USPA-sanctioned or open competition where teams or individuals compete in specific disciplines.
If you're newer to the sport, boogies are the most fun way to see what the jumping community is really like — and where you'll see what camps and disciplines you might want to chase next.
Sources