Port Barrington

A suburb in the Chicago area

Port Barrington's live-music identity is essentially one address: Broken Oar Marina-Bar & Grill, situated on 7 riverfront acres along the lower Fox River, has drawn customers from across the Midwest. Family-owned and operated since 1985, the venue features a spacious SkyDeck, the Oar Stage and party tent, and the largest beer garden in McHenry County. The Broken Barn, a 3,000-square-foot covered stage space, anchors the summer season's entertainment. Live music runs every Friday and Saturday year-round, with a DJ dance party every Thursday. All shows are no-cover, rain or shine. Top genres at the venue include rock, pop, and country, with bookings ranging from tribute acts like Kashmir (a Led Zeppelin tribute) to cover bands like Hairbangers Ball and Hi Infidelity, plus metal acts such as Blackened. Original acts like Bella Cain also appear on the calendar. The Broken Oar is reachable by boat directly from the river, making it a natural stop for the Fox River boating crowd as much as land-based music fans.