Memorial Day weather lures crowds to Montrose Beach

With vaccinations continuing and coronavirus cases ebbing, a three-day weekend and temperatures near 70 drew many outdoors.

SHARE Memorial Day weather lures crowds to Montrose Beach
People play catch and let their dogs loose at the dog-friendly area of Montrose Beach on Monday, May 31, 2021.

People play catch and let their dogs loose at the dog-friendly area of Montrose Beach on Monday.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

What a difference a year makes.

Last year, with the pandemic raging, a COVID-19 vaccine still months away and the lakefront officially closed, most people were staying home for the holiday.

Now, one can walk into many vaccination sites without an appointment, the number of new coronavirus cases in Illinois continues to decline and Chicago’s lakefront beaches are open again.

Temperatures hovered near 70 most of Monday afternoon, and crowds flocked to Montrose Beach in Uptown to take advantage — with some bringing their dogs along.

The sand isn’t the only lure at Montrose Beach on. Memorial Day; some preferred hanging out on the grass for a picnic on Monday, May 31, 2021.

The sand and water aren’t the only lure at Montrose Beach on Monday. Some preferred hanging out on the grass for a Memorial Day picnic.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

The water was still on the cold side, of course, but there was plenty else to do at Montrose Beach on Monday, May 31, 2021.

The water was still on the cold side, of course, but there was plenty else to do at Montrose Beach on Monday.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

The Latest
The man was found unresponsive in an alley in the 10700 block of South Lowe Avenue, police said.
The man suffered head trauma and was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center, police said.
Another federal judge in Chicago who also has dismissed gun cases based on the same Supreme Court ruling says the high court’s decision in what’s known as the Bruen case will “inevitably lead to more gun violence, more dead citizens and more devastated communities.”
Women make up just 10% of those in careers such as green infrastructure and clean and renewable energy, a leader from Openlands writes. Apprenticeships and other training opportunities are some of the ways to get more women into this growing job sector.
Chatterbox doesn’t seem aware that it’s courteous to ask questions, seek others’ opinions.