I'm surprised there's no listing yet, so I made one…read more I went to OP Brewfest 2023 and had a good time. They had 22 beer and cider vendors to choose from with a good variety of beers. They also had a booth with wine and spirits for people who like those. Food was catered by Beggars Pizza and was tasty. Pizza, beef sandwiches, sausage, pasta, pretzels, salad, etc. Bags and other games were set up around for people to play with and everyone got a complementary beer glass. It's held inside the public works main building, so the acoustics aren't excellent for the live music but overall it's a good event that didn't run too long and was a decent value.

If you know me at all, you know that I love little neighborhood events and such - what Yelp calls…read more"Local Flavor". So the Lakeview East Tree Lighting is just perfect for me! You would think that a neighborhood tree lighting in the parking lot of a grocery store might be lame, but it is seriously NOT. They had several local businesses selling stuff, free mulled wine and hot chocolate, tea sampling, ice sculptors, Santa and (really awesome) carolers. This was a very festive, happy event. And while it was very well-attended, there was enough room to actually move around and not be packed in like with so many other events in this city. The Lakeview East Tree Lighting is now on my "do this every year" list!

This event is so fun!!!…read more We didn't know what to expect, but we were so happy to be a part of it! We arrived a bit before starting, but things were set up, and Santa got there just as we did! The Chamber of Commerce was giving out canvas bags filled with all kinds of offers and ads from local businesses, which was really cool, actually. They also gave out delicious gingerbread man and star-shaped sugar cookies from Bittersweet. They ran out about halfway through, and started giving out frosted sugar cookies from Treasure Island. There was free cider and hot chocolate, as well as hot roasted chestnuts! There were real life gingerbread men bouncing around, dancing and posing for pictures, super fun stuff. There was a guy doing ice sculpture the whole time - he did a gingerbread man on a gingerbread house, and then a Christmas tree. Very cool! The entire time, they showed the cartoon Grinch Who Stole Christmas special over and over using a projector on the wall of the next building - it was spectacular! Santa let me sit on his lap and take our picture - and he complimented my Christmas scarf! The first half of the event had carolers - really great group. We have seen that group at Lakeview events before, and they are just fantastic. The second half was a brass band, and they were also just fabulous. The tree lighting was brief but awesome, and the tree was beautiful. We had a truly wonderful time - it was so fun, and we were really happy to have been a part of the evening. We will definitely go again next year, and so should you!

I only caught a small glimpse of what was a momentous celebration! I am an ally and felt all the…read morelove and support in the air! What a great experience:)

Before the rain started, it was a fun time! I have a relative that lives on Diversey, so I was over…read morethere. Unfortunately the SAME group of gay-haters (or closet cases, take your pick) set up shop in front of 7-11 and held a counter protest with Bible quotes and poor taste jokes. Luckily they were drowned out and mocked (a guy dressed like Jesus saying "I'm Not With Them" was an awesome affect, just like LAST year). Everyone was happy and festive (sometimes read as 'drunk') and the costumes didn't disappoint. It was more family friendly than a while back, and while I usually disdain politicians coming for show and votes, I was dying to see our first openly gay mayor as Grand Marshall! We saw her but she wasn't looking at us. I don't live in the area so I can't speak to how it affects living there, but coming home on the train with litter and puke everywhere has me in the weird duality of being proud of the city for holding the parade, but glad it doesn't take place near me.

Chicago is a summer of festivals and I love exploring each and every one. We saw a Groupon for…read morePorky's rib fest and decided to give it a shot! At $15 for two adult entrance tickets and free parking, it was pretty reasonable for festival pricing. As you do at a rib fest, we ordered a bunch of ribs from the following places: - Rasta Joe's: The best out of the bunch. The ribs were cooked perfectly and the sauce was great, with a hint of Caribbean flair. The portion size was also quite generous as we received 6(!) ribs for the 1:3 size that cost $10. This is what I expected a half slab to be. We were extremely happy with this! - Chicago BBQ: Decent. The ribs are quite fatty and fall or the bone. I would equate this to like Barnellis ribs. They're tender and BBQ-ey but nothing extraordinary. I would eat them again though. At $8 for 3 ribs, I'd go for Rasta's. - Texas Lightning: Ew. Ew. Ew. Complete regret for this one. So glad we got a sampler because I think I would have shed a tear if we bought a full slab. High expectations for the Texans but they failed to deliver. The ribs were extremely dry, flaky, and flavorless. It was like someone microwaved a slab of ribs and drizzled some sauce over it. The Jamaican Pork at Rasta's was pretty good too! Good spices. We would definitely give Rasta's an A++ for their ribs. The carnival itself looked fun but also very expensive. Overall, it was a decent event with live music and booze.

Another long overdue review: It was my 2nd year in a row going here and I came back determined to…read moretry the ribs I remember liking so much last time! Me, my cousin, niece and nephew went here on a Thursday around 7pm. Chicago BBQ company: we tried their Beef brisket, Pulled pork, Cornbread and Half slab ribs(unfortunately it wasn't fall-off-the-bone like at Ribfest Chicago, beef brisket seems like pulled pork) Uncle Bob's: we tried 1/2 slab ribs, Pulled pork, Beef brisket, and Cornbread( didn't measure up to Chicago BBQ company) Howling coyote: we tried 1/2 slab rib dinner(they claimed their ribs are more tender than a mother's love! It was tender but Chicago BBQ had more flavor) Rasta joes: tried their 1/2 slab ribs and Jalapeno cheese cornbread (had flavor like Chicago BBQ but not as tender as howling coyote) Porky chicks BBQ: we tried the Big porky- had most meat and very tender and they gave generous portions, sauces were good too!

Great race course- nice and flat, a large loop through town that didn't have any awkward turn…read morearounds, and allowed for running in the shade some of the time. This race is smaller than some of the others I've been in- busier streets are not blocked off, but instead traffic is stopped for the runners by police. This is not a chip-timed race, but there are mile markers with volunteers standing to call out the time to you. After the race, they have water, bagels, and fruit. The location at the school allowed for a lot of fun items to be set up for the kids- music, raffles, games, etc, which kept my nieces entertained while they waited! The sponsors donate gift cards, which was a fun incentive to stick around too. Money goes to support a scholarship fund. All around great time, will run this again!

September 22-23, 2018 was the inaugural of the annual Windy City Blues Fest, a joint project of the…read moreWindy City Blues Society, the Village of Lyons and the Cook County Forest Preserve District. For two days, Saturday and Sunday, two stages, located in the picturesque and spacious Cermak Woods Park in the close-in Chicago suburb of Lyons, hosted over 40 performances of some of the finest blues musicians in Chicago - the home of the blues - as well from down South where the blues originated. Superbly organized, everything executed flawlessly, an amazing accomplishment for such a first-time event. A true testimonial to the organizers and working relationship. It was a must-see for blues fans and families and rivaled blues festivals anywhere and looking forward to continued success in the years to come.

Scams galore. People at front of the event will ask you for money but you legally don't need to pay…read moresince it's on a public street. Venue was extremely packed (literally elbow to elbow with people so no room to eat, walk, or anything). Ended up being scammed at one of the food stands. Was charged $55 for two flautas when the vendor said $15. I came back to give my food back and he said "no you already took a bite" so I called him a scammer and he started cussing at me. Will be charging this transaction back, especially since they are a fake business with no real address or working phone number.

Pray to God the weather holds up because this is worth going. Entrance is $10 for the whole family…read more- that's a bargain. There's supposed to be high‐flying masked wrestlers (Mexican lucha libre) at 1 pm this Saturday May 25 - don't miss that. I went May 24. This place was alive - the music, the people it was hoping like summer is finally here. Yes, they have lots of Mole sauce to pour on whatever dish you buy. Some have free tasting. It's actually very good. The $9 20 ounce Sangria's don't hurt either. This experience is a twofer. First, you get the fest to eat, drink, and be entertained just like any fest. Second, the whole thing is a cultural experience from the food to the shopping it's not your usual fare. So go now. Summer won't last long in Chicago.

what a well run, family - friendly parade. The spirit is very upbeat and appropriate for all ages…read moreand audiences. So nice to see people of all walks of life and all colors present and smiling. It was just this past Sunday, but I already can't wait until next year.