A man kneeled to propose to his girlfriend with the Chicago skyline as their backdrop. Yards away, strangers formed a line along North Avenue Beach Pier to scream as they stood facing Lake Michigan. This duality perfectly encapsulates the city’s vibrancy. I joined the popular Scream Club recently for my first group scream. I, like many others, had heard about the club on TikTok and clips from a news station that covered the group’s activities.
I was nervous to attend. Would I really scream in front of strangers? What if I can’t? Is it awkward? I decided to push through my insecurities and head to the lake anyway.
In the summer, Scream Club meets at 7 p.m., but it switched to 6 p.m. in the fall. The group meets near Castaways Beach Club and then walks over to the pier together at about 6:15 p.m.
The founders, Manny and Elena, say a few words welcoming everyone, offering a layout of how things will flow. They hand everyone pens and biodegradable paper for us to write down what we want to let go of during the session. Everyone then takes several breaths together, let out a couple of practice screams, and throw the paper into the lake before letting it all out in a final scream (or screams).
Scream Club will meet until November, when it will be replaced by an indoor event, according to the founders. Stay up to date on the Scream Club website.
Marette Flora is the founder of Floradise blog and personalized gift shop. Marette is a passionate storyteller and creator. She attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and obtained a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication.
She is passionate about creating helpful and meaningful things.