Navy Pier celebrating its100th birthday Friday

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Friday, July 15, 2016
Navy Pier celebrating 100th birthday
It is marking the occasion with free cheesecake and fireworks.

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Navy Pier - a Chicago landmark -- is celebrating its 100 birthday Friday.

Hundreds of people lined up to get free pieces of the 1,000-pound birthday cake created by Eli's Cheesecake.

"It took about two weeks' worth of baking in our ovens because we had to kind of switch out pans and then it took a couple of days to build and I've been working out so I have nice strong arms and now it's going to take us a couple of hours to cut, so we're excited," said baker Laurel.

There will be a free performance of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" at an outdoor stage on Navy Pier's East End Plaza at 6:30 p.m. and a fireworks show. A free fireworks show is scheduled to begin at 9:25 p.m.

The celebration lasts into Saturday, with a presentation of Chicago Beatbox LTD at 2 p.m. at the Wave Wall.

Navy Pier was known as municipal pier when it opened July 15, 1916.