Chicago Sailors! Great way to get to know fellow vendors, college teams, and meet amazing sailors…read morefrom all over the area.

The Adventure Run was awesome. I had a great time and won two raffle prizes, a $10 gift certificate…read moreto Last Hackensack and a gift bag from Spex I didn't look in the gift bag until I got home. Besides a glasses case and some other glasses cleaning stuff there wS a gift card for $100. Yes $100. Wow! What a great night. There were tons of raffle prizes including at least 4 pairs of free shoes.

I've been attending this since they started a couple of years ago. What started out fairly small…read morehas truly grown to be a great community. Think of this as a scavenger hunt but instead of find things, you are finding places. When you reach the check point you get a raffle tickets, so visit as many check points as you can so you can more tickets for the raffle. You can earn extra tickets by wearing their Adventure Run shirt, sometimes by dressing in theme, and/or doing a challenge (push ups, sing a song, etc.) Just make sure you get back to Road Runner Sports in an hour so you can actually enter the raffle. Each month they raffle prizes from local vendors as well as national vendors. The best raffle prize is RUNNING SHOES...which I have yet to win, but I have fun trying!! This is not just for runners!! There are plenty of check points within walking distance, and I've seen plenty of families with toddlers doing this. If you're looking for a fun way to spend an evening outside this is it!!

Course is the same as almost all weeknight 5Ks in the city. Start at Soldier and run down the…read morelakeshore trail and loop back. Somehow, because the run was affiliated with the Bears, starting at Soldier, felt appropriate. Well organized event. Event was run in waves to limit the amount of congestion on the course. Descent post party activity, with post race beers. Nice Bears branded tech t-shirt.

I was really impressed with this event. It was a Monday night after work and wasn't crazy big so…read morethe service was great! Line for the beer and hamburgers was a 2 min wait! We got lucky -weather was great and the route was nice. 1.5 miles south of Soldier Field and back. Very organized and I liked that you could hear all annoucements clearly from the festival area. DJ was great too -had a fun personality and was interacting with the crowd! Happy I tried this one out -will be added to my annual list!

Seriously, $14 for a scoop and a half of gelato ice cream. Doesn't that sound absolutely absurd it…read moreis absolutely absurd. Sorry not gonna buy with you anymore. And I'm a neighbor down the block and I just can't support that ridiculous

NEWSFLASH: In 1970-this park was named in honor of Chicago…read moreDaily News Reporter and Editor Louis Mariano (1906-1970)!!!!!! About Louis Mariano in the Community- "[H]e also served as associate editor of the World Book Science Year Book. He organized the annual science fair at nearby Ogden School, the library of which also bears his name. For years Mariano spent his evenings at a restaurant across from the park, holding court and seeking out stories for his North Loop News column." According to the Chicago Park District Web Site. See: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/mariano-louis-park Park Revitalization and Mayor Jane Byrne's Involvement- The Triangular Park is a nice tribute that was part of Mayor Jane Byrne's, (Chicago's First Female Mayor) urban revitalization program focusing on parks and public spaces for everyone in the city to enjoy. There is a placard/small monument detailing this within the park. What I like about Mariano Park- The fact that Reporter Louis Mariano often spent time in the area seeking out possible news stories for his local North Loop News column. ***That this is a FREE PUBLIC PARK operated by the Chicago Park District.*** Amenities: 1. Numerous Round Tables with Chairs and Umbrellas to seek respite from the direct sunlight on hot Chicago summer days and bring a sandwich, or grab some local nearby food or coffee for some great "people watching." 2. A fountain that people often drag chairs around and talk to each other or enjoy the cool water as it splashes into the air around its rim. 3. Whispers Cafe- which is on-site and offers (in my opinion) one of the BEST fresh squeezed lemonade recipes in the City of Chicago, as well as Coffee, Gelato, Smoothies, packaged snacks like pretzel/chex mix, among other treats. FYI-There are actual Corn (on the cob) plants growing in the park flanking either side of top-point of the triangular area of the park!

I wish that there were more stars to give this review. This has been my most difficult review to…read morewrite. I'm just caught up in my emotions and can't find enough gracious words to put into writing. OTSC has touched my heart in so many ways. I have met the most polite and kind hearted kids to be around. Off The Street Club is a boys and girls club that provides a safe haven for kids who are living in the most dangerous neighborhoods. The boy's and girl's club provide many different programs for kids to enjoy while providing a safety net surrounding them. Including a mentorship program, sports and other athletic activities, music, art, woodshop theater and a computer center for afterschool to finish up school work. OTSC even has a program doing the summer camp Mathieuv where kids can go and enjoy being kids. Lots of fun and laughter. I'm just grateful and honored to give my time by volunteering here at OTSC. The smiles on these kids faces is priceless. For each warm hug and beautiful smile that I see on these kids faces makes my day. Great place to volunteer, well mannered kids and the atmosphere is always full of warm hugs and love.

From about 1975 thru 1981 I attended the Off The Street Club (OTSC). I was also a student at St…read more Mel Grammar School which was located about four blocks away. The OTSC was situated between my home and St Mel. My siblings and I would walk there most days right after school. I participated in the Jessie Owens track & field events and later joined the Chicago Zephyrs track club through the OTSC. My siblings and I also regularly attended a sleep away summer camp via OTSC. The neighborhood was though when I was growing up. I don't think we thought of it that way at the time. For a while there was a kid a few years older who would try to rob me of any money I might have who must have lived near the club. But once we were in the club we were safe. By traveling in groups of three or more we felt safer. The OTSC was a great place to play. There was a supervisor named Bo Rogers who I admired. Bo was an outstanding basketball player. He was 6 feet 7 inches tall and clearly had played high level competitive basketball for many years. He ran the gym, organized tourneys, it was great. On Saturdays we would roller skate in the gym. I became a pretty good skater. There was an administrator named Ms Holmes who was a real sweet heart and beautiful too. She would be tough if the situation required but mostly she was nice. She seemed to keep the whole operation in check. About 12 years ago, upon returning to Chicagoland area from NYC, somehow I walked into the OTSC briefly and saw Ms. Holmes. She was busy as always so we didn't say much. I kinda regret that now. I recently learned there's an annual fund raiser, most recently it was at the Art Institute of Chicago, named the Flyer Fly Ball. I will plan to attend the next one. There was an extended period when the OTSC was the funniest part of my life! I loved meeting the other kids, competing and just playing in a supervised and safe setting. Every child should have that place. I've done a lot since my time at OTSC. It's great to see that the OTSC is still doing well and meeting a tremendous need for the community! My very best to the people who have helped to make it so, Paul Burton, JD, MBA Chief Executive Officer ResQ Pharma, Inc.

This year, 2026, the Cinco de Miler 5 mile race moved to Union Park. I absolutely loved this move…read more It has historically been at Montrose Harbor, but the new route was amazing and showed off a neighborhood rarely seen during popular Chicago races. I would argue that the parking was better here, as it can be a bit of a cluster now with the parking gates newly installed at the harbor. You just have to find street parking and walk on over. I loved that we ran by popular restaurants, the corridor of murals and ended in a park that is centralized in the city. The burritos were fantastic this year. Stuffed and fresh (it's a breakfast burrito, so it's egg and potato), you throw a little of the Cholula hot sauce packets they give you and it's GREAT. They give you a little cup of horchata too. I have to say, this year's race rekindled my love for the Cinco de Miler.

Great race! Not very big, but put on well, for it being a neighborhood race. The course route was…read morevery well marked, with mile markers, and cones along the way. Edgewater 5k, is one of those races that attracts members in the neighborhood; some surrounding. Majority of the runners were elementary students, that attend the neighborhood schools in the Edgewater neighborhood. Some of the older runners were former students, or teachers at Edgewater schools What interested me about this event, was that some of the proceeds benefited the local schools; which ever one you chose to donate to. No, I'm not a former student of any of the schools, but i do attend church at Swift Elementary, which is one of the schools that participated in the race. I've also volunteered at Swift Elementary, so I felt the need to support Swift. Lots of post run food at the finish: bananas, pancakes, water, etc. ATHLETICO, was even on site, giving out massages to finishers which was great. Overall this event was great, and I look forward to running it again in the future. Enjoy, if you are considering this event in the future.