Animals + Craft Beer = Happy Sarah…read more I love animals ever so much, from tiny little fish to huge walruses and lions. The zoo is one of my absolute favorite places so I was beyond stoked for this event. Tickets were $50 but that included the usual parking fee + zoo admission fee. The band, Modern Day Romeos, was awesome. I didn't know what to expect but they were a fabulous cover band and seemed to bring some groupies with them. About 15 minutes into the event, it started raining quite hard and a hour & a half in, a torrential downpour started. Umbrellas were of no use and we were all soaked from head to toe. The beers & breweries were all listed on the event page so although the selection was not vast, I wouldn't criticize on that fact when it was all laid out prior. Lines got super long because of the crazy rain so I'm hoping it won't be quite that bad next year. I will absolutely go again next year. I was super sad to see how upset the lion was by the bass from the band though. He was so visibly agitated by the noise, he was pacing back and forth in the 2 foot glass area of his outdoor habitat. The lion's den was the closest to where the band was playing of all the animals...Poor big kitty! :( Pro Tips for next year: Go earlier~! Brookfield Zoo is huge and I need to make the most of my free admission. I went at 230 this year so only had an hour and a half before the event to look around. It was not nearly enough time! I wasn't sure what to expect with this event, but you're in a roped off type of party area. You don't have full zoo access near the beers. They need more seating! Or covered seating. There were some picnic tables that were not covered so were completely being rained on. Bring cash for the silent auction! They had some pretty cool items!

Easily the best beer festival we've ever been to…read more My wife and I have now been to zoo brew several years in a row and it is easily our favorite beer festival. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this beer festival. We've always done VIP which means you get an extra hour, access to a few exclusives beers, buffet style meal provided, and a chance to meet amazing ambassador animals! They set up all of the beer vendors under one giant tent which we really love. Everything is in close proximity which makes it easy to be able to visit every single vendor. They always have a band for entertainment and the bands have always been amazing!! We always try to make a day of it by getting to the zoo early to enjoy the whole zoo and finishing with a beer festival. I highly recommend this event for everyone. It truly does offer something for everyone.

It was more like a neighborhood block party with some carnival rides and games than it was a…read moreOktoberfest. Spent about an hour there since it was just me and my husband and had done everything. The beer wasn't too expensive and they did have some good music. Not really the Oktoberfest German experience you would really want.

The Berwyn Oktoberfest is a blast! Sure, it's not a real Oktoberfest, it is more of a HUGE block…read moreparty like the other reviewer said, but what makes it great is that there are so many local restaurants and vendors. This is a true community festival that has retained its character. The music acts are also great and they have ample seating and security for the event. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the event, especially from the Mayor and his presence. They had a great 80s band last year that really got the crowd going! Look forward to this festival every year as a 30 something year old.

Fitzgerald's is an iconic venue and a perfect place to spend some time taking in a show (I've seen…read moreeverything from local live music to fleetwood mac tributes to a presentation of haunted artifacts there lol). The venue is huge with both indoor and outdoor spaces so it's a year-round affair. The patio is the perfect place to spend a warm summer afternoon, and the side bar or nightclub areas are spacious, cool areas to take in a set indoors. Staff are always attentive and hustling about to ensure everyone is having a great time. The food onsite is also super good - the pulled pork, sweet potatoes and crispy brussels sprouts were favorites on the last visit.

It's a large patio with space for lots of people. The music was good, but wayyy too loud. This…read morewasn't originally constructed with having a band in mind, so they just play on a little makeshift stage so close to the tables, and I got a headache from how loud it was. I like how they have these fun steps for children to dance or adults to sit and chat. Its very low key and casual! The food was really pricy. $15 for a very basic Cesar salad. The pork meat was very good!!! The cornbread was dry and hard- prob the worst I've ever had lol. The service is mostly younger folks and no specific assigned seatings for them to work. We had one girl, and she took our drink order, and then 15 minutes late, a younger lad took our food. They were all nice, but the way they just serve anyone can get chaotic. The older male host literally kicked us out. As soon as we paid, a my husband went to use the restroom, and he came over and said, "are you almost done? We need that table soon as we have to start rotating for reservations". We weren't even there for long! There were others who were seated before we arrived. I thought it was rude to kick us out. Overall, I would come again, but there are things they should work on. It's good if you're meeting groups of people here.

I had the pleasure of hanging out with my family at the Oaktoberfest. We walked around and enjoyed…read morebeautiful weather, food and live music. Located in the downtown of Oak Park on Marion Street. There were activities for the kids and giveaways. There was a live music lineup where different bands came out and performed. Lots of people dancing and enjoying the music. A seating area with tables and chairs. Local restaurants and liquor stores to purchase beer and wine. A nice end of the summer festival to enjoy with your family and friends. Or just come out to mingle and have a good time.

Good food, good people, good times…read more This event was HUGE. Literally 100 times more lively than I would have expected, which is great for the township of Oak Park. Lots of neighborhood businesses selling their wares, several beer vendors, and a massive crowd of people enjoying a beautiful weekend in late September. $20 got you three booze tickets and a 22oz refillable Oaktoberfest mug, which came out to about $7 / beer. Not bad, especially considering that a few choices were IPAs and darker, hoppier lagers that could fudge up your vision in a hurry. Hundreds of tables and chairs were set out for fest-goers, most of which were facing the stage just east of Marion Street. The two bands that played during the time we were there had decent sounding stuff. The first one had more of a rock/alternative edge to them which I loved to hear, but the following act was more folksy rock and did absolutely nothing for me. It would've been nice to have heard some more recognizable tunes (covers of Bon Jovi, Mumford & Sons, anything really) instead of the indie nonsense that was played. After a few high ABV% beers, I decided that eating something sustainable would be a good idea. I got a rice and beef shish kabob plate from Jerusalem Cafe for something like $6.50, which absolutely hit the spot. Tasty and a great portion size for the money. Other places sold pizza, bratwurst, meatball subs, pad thai and popcorn, a reasonably good selection overall. Bread = 4.5 Circuses = 4 I didn't check-in or even take photos, as I didn't think this event page even existed on Yelp, but I guarantee next time around I definitely will. However I did leave the festival with my commemorative beer cup and.....well, something else. Can't say what exactly, but it's roughly 10' x 2' and hanging in my apartment. #stickyfingers #kleptomania A fun town event that attracted a giant crowd of locals. Would highly recommend and will return in 2017!

This is a yearly event every September on Ogden Ave which is also Route 66. Participants show off a…read morewide variety of cars from rusty old pick-ups to original 57 Chevy's to low riders. If you like cars, it's definitely worth the trip at least once. There were some awesome rides!

The Z Orchestra just performed at our Wedding on June 18th. They are just the best! We had a…read morevariety of styles - something for everyone. Paul is very easy to work with and makes a tremendous effort to give you the music you want. He is also a wonderful MC. All of the band members were top notch- the singers were awesome. Everyone danced the night away! Thank you -Paul Zimmerman and the Z Orchestra. Andrea and Bill

Paul and his band were absolutely fantastic at our wedding. They ROCKED all night long and put on…read morean overall GREAT SHOW! They were super easy to work with throughout the process and then totally exceeded our expectations on the big night. I could not recommend them more highly

Parking available on the street or in the adjacent commuter lot. Clean! Lots of vendors for arts,…read morecrafts, food and miscellany. Booths are spaced out a bit, so the shopping experience is not crowded and close, definitely a plus in the summer heat and humidity! There are a few picnic tables in a grassy area, with a bit of live entertainment. Nice!

I really enjoy the Brookfield Farmer's Market…read more Nice variety of fruits and vegetables from local farms and farms from MI. You also have a variety of baked goods, deserts, sauces, and my favorite...toffee from Kory's Kandies...OMG it's so good. A fantastic addition this year has been the coffee vendor. A father/son team from Cicero comes by every Saturday with freshly roasted coffee. They even roast coffee on site, way cool. Buy a cup of freshly brewed coffee and peruse the vendor's offerings at the market. Only thing missing this year is a vendor for meats and cheeses. Other than that it's a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Fun, fresh, and tasty. Cheers!

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.

Inspirational, beautiful, meaningful art and artists are tucked away in this arts district;…read moregrass-roots businesses with unique productions. Karen Schuman's Dancing Krow Studio, artist collective and gallery, is free to artists to show their work; Expressions Graphics is a working/teaching studio and gallery; Whatever Comes to Mind gallery features the 3-D creations of artist Tia Etu, to name a few of the galleries. An eclectic mix of restaurants, specialized shops, art galleries, and teaching studios in dance, crafts, and children's education are all there for the people. It's worth an afternoon visit!

There has been a recent revitalization happening in this part of the village. It's very exciting to…read moresee all the new additions to Harrison street including Happy Apple, Rare Bird, Centre PT, Actors Garden, Jake' Books, District Kitchen, Mora and more in just the past year to two years. There is a big annual community festival every year, "What's Blooming on Harrison", that's always very festive. Free parking. Easy Blue Line access. A great way to spend a couple of hours. We especially enjoy shopping at the Brown Elephant then lunch at Eastgate, followed by PIE at Happy Apple Pie Shop! So many cute galleries, too many to name.