The Friday Morning Swim Club was canceled this week, but hundreds still showed up to jump in, with police monitoring, at Montrose Harbor.
The organizers announced this week there would be no official jump. Still, at about 6:30 a.m. Friday, hundreds arrived at the harbor to swim.
Police were called over to the 4400 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive and found the group was “gathered peacefully,” but officers remained on hand to monitor.
Friday Morning Swim Club’s growth started in 2021 by word of mouth as a way for friends to catch up before the start of the weekend. By the end of that summer, it had grown from eight to about 700 people who would show up each Friday.
With thousands joining the 7 a.m. gathering recently, Friday Morning Swim Club has been breaking almost every rule the Chicago Park District has about swimming — and getting away with it.
The swim club takes place hours before swimming is allowed — and in an area that regularly attracts swimmers but is never patrolled by lifeguards, making it a non-permitted swimming area. Blow-up floats, which are prohibited by the park district, are a staple.
Parks officials say they have approached organizers of the swim club about getting the event permitted, but never heard back from the group.
Organizers previously said they were never contacted by the Park District.
Nicole Novotny, the club’s co-founder, said the organizers had looked into getting a permit but didn’t apply for one since the harbor where the club takes place isn’t listed in the permit application.
