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The popular Friday Morning Swim Club, which drew thousands to the waters of Lake Michigan near Montrose Harbor each summer, has been canceled this year after organizers said the Chicago Park District charged six figures to permit the event.
In a video posted to the club’s Instagram account, co-founders Nicole Novotny and Andrew Glatt said that the Park District had made “unreasonable demands” as they tried to reach an agreement.
Safety concerns led to the unsanctioned event’s early cancellation last year.
“It seemed clear to us that the Chicago Park District was not interested in making this work,” Glatt said.
Participants first plunged into the harbor with the Friday Morning Swim Club in 2021. Glatt told the Tribune two years ago that the club drew 600 to 800 swimmers weekly and continued to surge in popularity. By last summer, thousands came out for the weekly swim. Most events with over 50 people require permits, according to the Park District’s website.
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