Chicago beaches to reopen Friday for Memorial Day weekend

Chicago beaches to officially reopen Friday

After a year of pandemic-related closures, 22 city beaches will reopen Friday along Lake Michigan.

CHICAGO - After a year of pandemic-related closures, 22 Chicago beaches will reopen Friday along Lake Michigan.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Park District announced Wednesday that beaches would open again for the first time since September 2, 2019.

"As the weather warms up and our city begins to safely return to a sense of normalcy, reopening our beloved lakefront beaches is the perfect way to turn the page on spring and get back to our favorite outdoor activities," Lightfoot said in a statement.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 NEWS APP FOR BREAKING ALERTS

Juneway, Roger, Howard, and Fargo beaches will remain closed to the public due to high lake levels and erosion.

Under the city's current guidelines for Chicago Bridge Phase, beachgoers can expect a typical experience with the exception of drinking fountains, which will remain shut off due to public health guidance.

"While we are excited for folks to return to our beaches this summer, we still encourage everyone to be safe and continue to get vaccinated," Lightfoot said. "This exciting announcement is the result of the tremendous progress we've made in our efforts to slow and stop the spread of this virus and I urge everyone to keep up the good work so we can reopen even more of our iconic summertime attractions in the near future."

The summer’s beach season runs through Labor Day — Monday, Sept. 6.