Approaching the dock
Event: Reggae Wednesdays – Jamrock
200 W Montrose Dr., Chicago, IL 60640
Every Wednesday July 1st – October 7th
Time: 5:00pm to 10:00pm
All Ages
Price: Free to attend/Food and Drinks for Purchase at Restaurant
Great for: Date Night, Friends, Family, Chill Mode
Description: DJ Shottas and a rotating line up of live Reggae bands keep your summer nights going with music, libations, and dancing alongside the beach.
Wednesday nights in Chicago are no joke. There are so many events to choose from and I had Reggae Wednesday – Montrose on the Dock on my list for a while now. Finding the beach itself is easy, but finding the actual stage location can be difficult if you’re not familiar with the area. Just make sure you go away from the boats and towards the actual sand beach. Finding free parking is possible if you arrive on the early side. Around 7:00pm or later parking is hard to come by. If you don’t luck out on the free parking, there is a cheap lot across from the beach on Montrose.
When my friend and I arrived the band was playing…”One Love” The night was beautiful, and the crowd was diverse in age and appearance. Every Wednesday it’s live Reggae with a line-up of rotating bands each week. The mood was relaxed and the atmosphere energetic. There’s a full service restaurant/bar on the dock. We got there around 6:30 and oops too late for restaurant dining. They stopped taking reservations because the wait was already over 2 hours. We were told we could still order food to go and drinks at the bar area. It’s hard to be in a bad mood though at an event like this. Drink prices were decent compared to most places (around $8.00 for cocktails). The food wasn’t gourmet by any means, but reasonably priced. I got the Veggie burger with a side of fries for $12.00.
Now for those of you that have no control over what time you arrive: fear not…see tips below:
REWIND: in retrospect this is the way to go
1) Get there early – around 4:30/5:00 so you can get a table at the restaurant and watch the band up close. Rotating bands each week, but always good music.
2) Get there around 6:30. Possibly find free parking and bring your own set up. Lots of people had lounge chairs, blankets, tables, and brought their own feast. They were set up in the grass and having a great time.
3) No food/no lounge chair…no problem man! Grab a blanket from your car or head over closer to the beach and sit along the jutting rocks. You can still hear the music and look out towards the beautiful sunset and sandy beach.
CONS:
– Remember this is ALL ages…be prepared to deal with the adolescent. I’ll keep it at that.
– Full service restaurant, but can take a long time for food due to number of patrons.
– Parking can be free or cheap, but remember leaving event around 10:00pm and trying to get back on lakeshore drive can be torturous. Try to leave a little earlier.
See you on the Dock!
Tavi J.
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