Parking tips for Berks Jazz Fest at West Reading (Reading 03/19)

so the berks jazz fest is coming up starting 03/19 and if you have been before you know the parking situation in west reading and downtown reading is always a total headache. since the shows are spread out across a few different spots like the miller center, the santander arena, and the doubletree it gets really crowded fast and finding a spot can take forever.

honestly the best move is to check out Prked first. it is an app where you can rent out driveways or garage spots right near the venues from local people who live there. it is way cheaper than the official city garages and you get to skip all that post-concert traffic since you are not stuck in a massive exit line with everyone else. plus it is usually just a short walk to the stage which is way better than trekking across downtown.

if you are heading to the miller center at racc they usually have some parking lots right on campus but they fill up way before the music even starts. for the shows at the doubletree or santander arena there are a few city garages like the ones at 4th and cherry or 6th and cherry. just be ready to pay event rates which can get pretty pricey if you are attending shows throughout the whole ten days. the reed and court garage is another option but it is a bit further of a walk.

west reading is even tougher to deal with especially around south 5th avenue and penn avenue. street parking is mostly metered and the local enforcement is super strict so do not let your time run out or you will definitely get a ticket. most of the side streets are residential and a lot of them require local permits or have specific street cleaning schedules so you really have to watch the signs closely or you might get towed.

traffic on the penn street bridge and around the 422 exits gets backed up heavy especially on the weekends and around 5 or 6 pm when the evening shows are starting. if you can find a spot in one of the downtown garages early in the day you can usually just walk between the main reading venues since they are fairly close to each other. some of the hotels run shuttles but they are usually only for guests and stay pretty packed.

just make sure you give yourself an extra thirty minutes to find a spot because circling the blocks in west reading will eat up your time fast. hope this helps you guys have a great time at the festival.