Chouffe Fest is a great concept and being as it was the first time they've done it in Chicago, I'm…read moregoing to be a bit lenient on them. The coolest thing was they gave you a gnome hat when you entered with a jingle bell. It was hilarious to see everyone in the place wearing these little gnome hats! Plus of course, the beer was awesome. I tried all three beers they had on tap but my favorite was the La Chouffe. We also got a souvenir gnome cup for the beer which was great. Another positive was how friendly the ticket people were! They were fabulous and even said bye when we were leaving which is not typical fest. Decent music at the fest, as well. The postcard pressing was super cool, as were the posters being printed and the caricatures being drawn. Thank goodness we grabbed a poster when we first entered as we weren't able to do any other activities (they had some oversized games for a couple people to play at a time) because it was just so darn busy. Now the not so positives- Only three tables in the whole place to sit down. Completely packed beyond belief. They way oversold this event. It's as if there was no capacity & they just kept selling tickets. We didn't get to try the food from Wagyu Wagon because the line was over a 30 minute wait. 30 minute wait for them to refill your beer. No cool oversized garden archway like they mentioned in the advertisements. The only oversized item was a chair (and the aforementioned games) but we couldn't even get over to it because the place was so crammed full of people. All in all, I don't know if I could say I'd go again. The main deterrent would be the crowds. Festivals are not much fun when you can't walk around at all because people are packed in so tight. They definitely should put a cap on how many people can attend. Also they had just one station for the beer! With so many people...and having to wait 30 minutes for a refill....Probably should another a few more stations next year. That said, Chouffe Fest has potential and I'll be keeping an eye on it to see where it goes in future years!

How can you not like North Coast?!…read more This is hands down my favorite festival in Chicago. I was going even before they switched over from Union Park in Chicago to Seatgeek Stadium in Bridgeview/Summit. I will say the change at first sucked since it's easier to get down to the city, but truly after going here a few times this location is great! Very spacious, no sound bleed, and there are a lot of hotels in the area that a lot of attendees stay at. Two years ago I stayed at a nearby hotel which was great. This year my friends and I drove back and forth each day; it was fine, but I recommend staying somewhere nearby or within walking distance to avoid the clusterhell of Ubers after the fest ends! Ubers cannot get to the grounds, so you'll have to walk a while to get out of the area to connect with one. There are a lot of random drivers offering rides there, too, but you've got to be careful accepting rides from them since they're random people. I always make sure they have the Uber/lyft sticker and will ask them to pull up their profile. The one bad part of North Coast is the getting out of the fest after it ends. The parking lot is a total nightmare and finding an Uber is impossible since police close off a lot of roads within the residential areas, which sucks for residents, Ubers, and the attendees! But that's not the fest's fault, plus it's a nightmare after every festival ends trying to get out. The lineup for North Coast never disappoints, and the pricing is incredible. I think I paid around $250 for a 3-day pass which is such an amazing price. The employees and security here are always super nice and fun. It's more of a lowkey festival compared to other Chicago fests which I prefer. They have various drinks, food trucks, and retailers. I love the merch here so much! You already know I'll be going next year!

This festival was awesome…read more The good ---the musical artists. Being able to face one way and see Lupe Fiasco in concert and when his set ends being able to watch Nas & Damian Marley...wow! It was just amazing!!! Added bonus, I love Mayer Hawthorne! --how close you can get to the stage! I've never been so close to a music artist before. The people in the front could reach out and touch Lupe or Nas and everyone pays the same price for the ticket. Love it. --the atmosphere. Everyone is having so much fun!!! As one of the only sober people there, the entire grounds reeked of weed and everyone was passing it around openly...which led to a lot of people having fun... but also a lot of crazy dancers obviously on something a bit stronger & also some rude people. I loved being able to bring chairs/blankets/whatever and just chill earlier in the day for Mayer Hawthorne. The bad --the food options. I had a very overpriced plate of what they called Pad Thai that was $11 for some pretty gross food. I know, I know, the festival isn't about the food but goodness. They need more food options more readily available and better options. --they need more bathrooms! --the parking. There is none. Zero. We parked over a mile away. I wish there was some type of solution to the parking problem. --after the last show it's madness. As expected tons of people are leaving but it's dark and everyone is high or drunk so at the very least I need to bring a flashlight. --It was odd going to a lounge/bar to pick up our will call tickets. Not sure what was up with that. If groupon offers tickets again and they have another sweet lineup, I'm down!

I went to this event yesterday and ended up spending more time there then I originally anticipated…read moreI would! It was such a well put together event and such a fun, relaxing time. This event celebrates street food & artistry in Chicago, just as the event title suggests. It brings together art, music and delicious food! This was the first year the event went out and it was held at the Galleria Marchetti. This was a great location with an indoor section, fancy tented area that was wedding reception-esque, and two outdoor areas. I loved the outdoor areas! The weather was perfect so it was so pleasant to grab some bites, listen to some music and soak up the sun in a decent temperature! They had a silent auction going on and I wish I knew it was because they had some great items for sale! A signed Justin Bieber album!??!? Ummmm amazing!!! And other artists on the same level as him like Michael Jackson! hehe I'm only kidding! Half kidding. Really some amazing items with low starting bids. Seriously wish I had known! Tickets were $31 and I think well worth the price! They had a kid's cooking demo, some amazing musical acts plus an awesome hip hop tap dance group M.A.D.D. Rhythms! I loved all of the music and bands that played!!! On to the yummies! There were some food trucks & carts representing and the best part for me was trying new ones I haven't tried before! I had never had any of these before! The coolest part was talking to the people who ran the trucks & carts. It's not often you get that privilege and for a foodie like myself it was a good thing. Homage Street Food - New food truck to Chicago! The owner was super nice and enthusiastic about what he is bringing to the city and how different it is. Both dishes we tried had some kick to them. I had the buckwheat noodles and really enjoyed them! Arrf Scarf Cart - Treats for dogs! Friendly group and have yet to say how the dog likes these treats. I got treats to give to one of my BFF's dogs Minion...I'll keep you posted on how Minion likes them! Bergstein's NY Deli Truck - I tried their slider and potato pancake. Both were yummy! Puffs of Doom Cart - Super friendly people here! I'm not a huge fan of cream puffs but these little guys were cool. Interesting choices in flavors and I opted for the oreo, yum! Uptown Pie Company Truck - I think they were a no show! Sad. Herby Pop - Gourmet popcorn and it was tasty! I just had my onion & dill popcorn sample after dinner tonight and really enjoyed the savory taste of it. Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen - Now that was some good naan! The hummus was some of the best I've ever had! Everything on this HUGE sampling plate was delicious! Adding this to my list of restaurants I must visit. English & Porkchop both had pulled pork sandwiches. Both were good but it was kind of funny they had the same dish and were right next to each other. I have been to English a bit for the bar aspect of it so was interesting to see them at a food event Old School Root Beer Float Carts - Awesome! Root beer floats are the bomb diggity! A root beer float sitting outside on the grass was the perfect treat! Dark Matter Coffee Company had hangover coffee! It doesn't get cooler then that! Wow Bao is always good! They had pulled pork buns and some other flavors which I didn't get to try! e.leaven had some yummy food plus amazing brownie bites! They were so thick and delicious! Macy's Chefs A-Go-Go Tour - Takashi!!! My friend and I are big Takashi fans and it was so cool to see him there and walking around the event. I wish I would have had more courage to ask for a picture! Either way, I ate his cold noodle dish for lunch today and loved it! Yum.Yum.Yum. The Macy's truck was also handing out Bananas Fosters Pops from Emeril! They were beyond delicious and I don't like bananas! Forever Yogurt Truck - Ended the night with some strawberry lemonade frozen yogurt with no toppings. Delicious and I loved the cute, colorful truck! All in all, a fantastic event and I hope they throw it again next year!

Thankfully we have the foresight to get VIP tickets! There was some confusion about where we had to…read moreenter; and that probably wouldn't have been that big of a deal if it had not been raining. Because here was the issue with that - you got your wristband and glass and then had to go upstairs for coat check. So if you were holding an umbrella, coat, hat (all the things you need for winter in Chicago) it was just a lot to juggle. As always the Field puts on a great event. The breweries seemed to be spread out enough that you didn't feel like you were on top of people. High-octane brews were the theme of the evening, so in no time, there were sloppy glazed-eyes chubby gamers everywhere. What was unfortunate, some of the breweries didn't have their beer kegged - they were pouring tasters out of cans. This is fine, as we got there early, but I can't imagine what some of the wheat beers tasted like later in the evening after sitting in a can on a cart all night. Lots of flavorful stouts and porters and a metric fuck ton of IPA's. I get it, you guys, IPA's are easy to brew and are the "new thing". Searched high and low for an Amber as a pallet cleanser - not one to be found. Always fun to walk around the museum with no children and with a slight buzz. Shout out to the DJ! Acoustics arent fantastic in the great hall, but we appreciated your set that was full of 90's hits!

A group of friends and I came here last night and had such a fun evening! We all opted for the VIP…read moretickets, and it was definitely a good decision. We skipped the line to get in and got an extra hour of beverages (relatively free of lines too). You had to have a ticket to get in, and they sold out a few days before the event. It seemed like they let in just the right amount of people too because although it was crowded, we never had to wait too long to get a drink. The Field Museum was the perfect venue for this event - beautiful and roomy, and we could look at the exhibits as part of the ticket price for the evening (in between drinks of course because they wouldn't allow beer into the special exhibits). They had such a great variety of beers, and most venders had a selection of 2-4 beers, including both dark and light options. Many of the breweries were local or from the Midwest, but some were from a little farther away (like Sweetwater from Georgia). I only saw a couple of venders run out of beer, but for the most part, it seemed like they were all well-stocked. They had a fantastic DJ. As part of the ticket, you got to keep your little sampling cup. The cafe was open and sold snacks too in case you got hungry throughout the night. We had a wonderful time and will definitely come back next year!

What a freakin blast!!!…read more Wine Riot was an amazing event! The location of Union Station was perfect. A great central location to accommodate the event. You know what that means - the typical annoyance of Downtown Chicago parking, but whatever, it's Chicago, get over it! The place was PACKED! There were so many booths to go and sample wines from, as each worker educated you on the brand that they were representing. Wines were from all over the world and varied between whites and darks, drys and sweets. Maps located by most stations gave a direct look at where the wine was from as well as other facts about the brand. Every representative I interacted with was very patient and cheerful. There was a Bubbly Bar that was strictly for champagnes, mini classes were taught on wine knowledge, temp tattoos were cool, and went well with your pic if you decided to jump in the picture line. The amount of people stumbling around due to being tipsy?! HUH-LARIOUS! One chic fell flat on her face and tried to blame it on the floor being slippery. Yeah. Okay. Then as she walked off, someone mentioned that she'd been there drinking since the event started..... almost 5 hours ago. Sheesh! This was totally worth the $55 I paid. Only thing is, I wish there were Port and Ice wines. That would've been awesome. Needless to say, I will be back when the event returns in October. #ChiTownFoodieChic #WHONEEDSLOVEWHENYOUHAVEBOOZE

Oh my goodness, this was SO MUCH FUN…read more How could you not have fun drinking various wines for four hours straight and hopping on the train afterwards so you don't have to worry about driving!? YES. This is my kind of thing. Wine Riot had a tattoo booth (I might have gone a little crazy there), a photo booth/Instagram station with fun quotes and props, a cool phone app to keep track of all the drinks you liked (and didn't like), and dozens of wine to sample. The cheese sample table was pretty sweet, too. Somewhere, a DJ was playing music, free bottled water was given away, and a food truck had food to purchase. All in the beautiful setting of Union Station. It was a great place for this event -- close to public transportation and not too crowded or chaotic. Some of the vendor spokespeople were very sweet, sharing information with us about the wine/company and pouring us generous samples. Others were standoff-ish, not saying anything and generally ignoring us. You can bet my friend and I returned to the tables with the nicer workers (and generally preferred those wines anyway). I thought that the four hours that Saturday afternoon would be more than enough time, but my friend and I ended up staying until closing (and could have stayed longer)! I left the event with a nice buzz and a list of new favorite wines. Thank you so much for the tickets, Candice/Yelp!! Much love! They were definitely put to good use. ;D

The Winter Fest is an excellent annual evening of fun for the whole family! The main event is in…read moreUptown Park Ridge right outside the library on Black Friday at 6pm. Santa comes in via fire truck and you can get his photo taken in the library. You will need to go in beforehand and get a ticket for one of the groups (every half hour). There are several activities in the library and also some cookies / cider. The event is on both sides of town and connected by a trolley. You can also easily drive across and avoid the long wait. In South Park there are live Reindeer at PNC Bank to get your photos with. The fire station has an open house with refreshments and equipment tours. Many local businesses open their doors during the event. They offer some discounts for Black Friday along with refreshments. You can stop by Perry's for a sample of pizza or any of the local businesses for more cookies than you should eat the day after Thanksgiving.

We've been coming to Winterfest every year for maybe the last 5 years and I realized that I never…read morewrote about it before. Park Ridge Winterfest always takes place on the Friday evening following Thanksgiving. It consists of many shops along Prospect, Northwest Highway, and the shops around Hodges Park, plus the strip south of the Metra station. The shops around town are open late. Many offer cookies, cocoa, candy or other treats for people who stop in. There are special sales and promos at many shops as well. On the street, there are carolers. Even Santa makes a stop at the library where the line goes out the door for people and kids waiting to see him. Trolleys shuttle people around the fest area, or between the South Park portion of the fest and Uptown Park Ridge. For the first time, I have to say it was poorly executed, mostly centered around how the trolleys worked. We got there at 6:30 and started exploring the shops. We were going to hop on the shuttle to head to Whole Foods from the Five Guys area maybe half a mile away. It was supposed to be coming at 10-15 minute intervals. A police officer at the crossing told us it should be any minute since the trolley was there maybe 10 minutes ago. So we waited... 15 minutes and the trolley finally came. We could have stopped at Iannelli Studio on the west end of the trolley route but decided against it since we figured the trolley would leave us stranded there away from the other sights, just far enough outside the boundaries of the main part of Winterfest. Looking at the folks gazing at the trolley from inside Iannelli Studios, I presume they were hoping someone would come out to visit but nobody on the trolley did. Even if we visited, what would be there to see? We were not sure. When stopped at a location near the Northwest Highway boutiques, a woman from one of the stores came on the trolley and told us they have special offers in each shop if people stop in. Nobody got off the trolley. What offers? I had no idea but I won't wait for the next trolley to get back to the main strip of Uptown. We didn't bother going to South Park's shops at all since the trolley line for that was very long and would have required more than one trolley to get everyone there. We finally stopped at Whole Foods and got to sample some of their chili, bought a few things and then waited for the trolley - about 25-30 minutes from the dropoff time. By then it was nearly 8:30 and no new people came to see Whole Foods, as the trolley was on its last run. Now if this fest goes from about 6 till 8:30 PM, you can see how much time is wasted with these trolleys being so inefficient at circulating people around town during the fest. So to any Park Ridge Chamber of Commerce folks reading this, perk up your ears. To make this fest better next time, I got a few suggestions: 1. If you use trolleys to get people around, make it quicker or more frequent. Too much time is wasted waiting or wondering if a trolley will come to take you back. If the 25 minute intervals were reduced to 10-15 minutes as promised, more people would be able to see more things and not worry about taking a long walk back or waiting for the next one. Better circulation of people = better $ales at more shops. Don't leave festgoers stranded or having to sacrifice seeing some places in favor of others. 2. How about an itinerary of all the things to see and do during Winterfest? If every participating shop gave a short summary of their specials, more people would be curious or know where to go and what to expect. Why not post these in some spots or hand them out to people on the trolley? I am sure we will be back next year, but how much we will be able to see will depend on the planning that goes into the event.

This is by far one of the may big and most diverse art fairs around, featuring glass art, jewelry,…read moresculptures, paintings, and so much more. The diverse food options meant no huge lines to wait in, and they also sold drinks and offered activities for kids to enjoy. I definitely recommend coming, even if you don't think you'll buy anything. The talent here is incredible, and the work is truly inspirational and worth experiencing firsthand.

This is so much a late-spring tradition that it's hard for me to look at it critically. It's a…read morelovely area and there's some interesting art here, but nothing that compelled me. Maybe if I were in need of expensive artisanal jewelry I'd have been more engaged with the offerings but mostly I just enjoy the music and architecture. Right after the pandemic the crowds in the area were insane; things have calmed down considerably. The whole thing is habit-forming in a good way.

Not having known much about this event to begin with, I had little expectations. With that being…read moresaid, when I heard the chef lineup representing at the Cookoff, I felt like a starstruck groupie. It was a stellar portrayal of Chicago talent featuring some of my faves like Fat Rice and Seoul Taco. The creativity was buzzing from booth to booth. I took so many insta-worthy photos. Food was delicious, and that signature drink of mango and spice is something that I will forever try to replicate until I get it correct. This might have been my first time here, but I can assure you, it won't be my last. It was a casual, comfortable atmosphere free of pretension, but full of incredibly talented chefs that are there to chat with you because that's how grounded and cool they are and this event is. Well done Taste Talks!

Could not have asked for a more perfect day for an outdoor food fest in October! Amazing weather,…read moregreat food, friendly people and a well organized event! First and foremost we cannot compliment the organizers enough for such a well thought out event! Hubby and I go to our fair share of these and can usually count on long lines, drunk people and general mass confusion. We had none of this here. The lines were short and moved quite quickly. With the well organized check off system you didn't have people insisting on getting more than their fair share. And finally, the crowd control was well orchestrated so that the event space was never over crowded. It was smart not to serve much alcohol so us foodies could concentrate on the food and no one got out of control. Our favorites were the Bulgogi taco from Seoul Taco followed by the Smoked and grilled salmon with risotto, succotash, mole and poblano from Good Fortune! This was bill as an "All Star Cookout" and it was!