I saw JG's reptile show about a year ago. Very informative, I was at work and stepped in to see…read morewhat the show was about. The children at camp were excited to learn about the animals, their habitats and what kind of food they eat! What a great experience for the kids! They were allowed to safely handle the reptiles and get all kinds great information regarding reptiles, their habitats, and how they should safely handle them! Great Job!

We attended a birthday party with JG's Reptile Roadshow, and it was awesome! I was so impressed…read more It was the perfect balance of educational, fun and interactive. I enjoyed it just as much as the kids.

This garden area is Divine. The love, loyalty, giving & hardworking is beyond average. It feels…read morelike home & like family to me. In my honest-to-God opinion, I don't think there's anywhere on the planet, could compare to or is equivalent to what is done, accomplished and shared at this garden.

I wanted to wait to write this review until I had more information about it, but, alas, that hasn't…read morehappened. Nevertheless, I want to share the goodness that Sweetwater shares with the community, so here goes! As you can see from the pictures, there is an abundance of verdant goodness being grown here, and a portion of it is free to the community and general public for the picking. Apparently, there is also a farmer's market of sorts with very reasonable prices on Saturdays around noon-ish. I first learned of the Sweetwater Foundation during my undergrad years when the director was one of my Community Development professors. SWF is all about regenerative social justice, and does awesome work teaching aquaponics, urban agriculture, and the like to inner-city students. Anyhoo, I was looking for organic greens for a client, and a friend directed me here. Upon arriving, I saw the plethora of veggies growing, but couldn't locate a soul! I called my friend back, because I knew I had to be in the right place. I didn't, however, know how/who to pay, or just how to go about procuring my goodies. I was told to merely pick what I needed and keep it moving. How amazing is that?! UPDATE ALERT***UPDATE ALERT****UPDATE ALERT***UPDATE This farm is, actually, a part of the Perry Avenue Commons complex. See link below for full details. https://www.sweetwaterfoundation.com/perry-ave-commons/

It's actually way too far away from where I reside . I've been there before!! I love the atmosphere…read moreand how helpful the staff has been- A alas, it's too far away from me KNITTING RULES

Tried rug tufting for the first time and honestly... best date I've been on in a minute. I was so…read morenervous at first (curvy lines had me fighting for my life), but HUGE shoutout to Emily for being the sweetest, most patient guide ever. By the end I was locked in fr. The studio had everything - tons of colors, multiple craft options, and it's BYOB.

This market is on the smaller size but there is lots of variety and not many repeating offerings. I…read morewas there for the first day of the season. They had lots of flowers, herbs, tomatoes, bread, desserts, and cheese to name a few. I hope to come back in the summer to see if they have more fruit options. All the stands accept credit They don't allow dogs btw which makes sense.

Removing 2 stars because today JUDY who is head of organizing this particular farmers market in…read moreStreeterville approached me and my service dog not just once but TWICE when my poor pyrenees puppy was doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! She had all her assistants harass not just me but other women who had their service animals with them. She Finally crossed a line when she grabbed me by my shoulder with an air of Authority to insist I keep my poor submissive dog on a tighter lead. I've been shopping here regularly and Judy intentionally harasses anyone with a dog ruining their shopping experience. I've asked the farmers here on numerous occasions if dogs are not allowed and why Judy holds so much aggression and contention for dog owners and they all told me they love dogs and they have NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER if a dog attends this market. My dog doesn't bark, never has "accidents " here, doesn't do anything destructive and if anything he tends to hide from strangers here who try to pet him. I'm allowed to have a dog here and Judy who runs Soar's makes everyone with a dog absolutely miserable. If you want to see a change perhaps write a truthful review of how you were treated while bringing your service dog here to this particular location! Soars is a 5 star experience but I'm deducting the two extra stars because I don't like complete strangers grabbing me by the shoulder especially now with monkeypox going rampant here! The flowers, fruits, vegetables, iced coffee and breads are wonderful here. If Judy is allowed to harass and grab us at will I'm not sure i feel safe here. I feel so sorry for my new puppy . Judy absolutely spoiled our shopping experience and she needs to keep her hands to herself

AMAZING butterfly room. There's sooo many butterflies I was surprised. We were able to watch them…read morerelease a few too. Sometimes they will also land on your arm. It costs money to get into the museum, then an extra $5 to go to the butterfly room.

We had a wonderful time exploring the Nature Museum with our two kiddos (2.5yrs & 5.5yrs old)…read moretoday! There was tons to do - water play (in multiple areas), living & taxidermy creatures to see/learn about, two play spaces to get the wiggles out, and of course the beautiful Butterfly Haven. We went on a weekday around 11am during spring break and it was moderately busy, but there was no line to get in. We paid extra to visit the butterfly haven (100% worth it!). The 1st exhibit included water play, which our kids loved, but def bring a change of clothes for when they get wet. There is another water play zone on the 1st floor next to the play area as well. The highlight of our visit was the Butterly Haven. It's very beautiful and I honestly could sit there forever watching butterflies flutter around. They release butterflies daily at 2pm, but we didn't see that. We also enjoyed the digital interactive butterfly exhibit, where kids color a butterfly on paper, scan it, and it appears fluttering on a giant digital screen. Street parking was full, but there is a small lot across the street from the entrance and it was $24 to park. It was a short walk to the entrance. The gift shop is super cute and has snacks/drinks, but nothing fresh-made (mostly pre-packaged options). They have tables & high chairs near the entrance for snacking/resting. Also family restrooms, stroller parking, & an elevator. Super kid/family friendly and we'll definitely be back!

The Wilder Park Conservatory is located in Wilder Park. My husband and I went there to see the…read moreflowers on display. The conservatory also hosts a pond with fish. Although small, this is a fun place to bring the whole family. I highly recommend the Wilder Park Conservatory.

Very cute! Stopped by with husband and baby for a nice…read moreSunday stroll. Tiny but lovely! Located in Wilder Park. Conservatory is free, donations are encouraged, open daily I believe, free parking close by. Very well maintained, has a small fish pond. I believe they have flower shows from time to time. The nearby walking area (I think they use it for weddings also) is absolutely lovely! Beautiful green arches, flowers, garden, and a small tent for events. Wilder Park is also a large park where you can stroll, has a large child play area, and the Art museum is close by. The mansion is also located very close by (didn't get in to see it but seems interesting). Would definitely recommend!

Purchased Steaks from them at Hinsdale's Farmers Market and upon defrosting and opening they were…read morerancid. I reached out to them with no response and haven't wasted my time going back to the Farmers market to complain .. beware

Bought some burgers and sausage (without looking at the dates because I figured no one would be…read moreselling expired meat)... come to find out, the meat was expired. When I opened the package to the burgers, the meat was almost grey and smelled rotten. Disgusting. Horrible first impression. I will not be coming back, and I will make sure no one I know does either.

A winter farmer's market on the 4th floor of Water Place Tower that's only open from 12-4pm on…read moreSunday afternoons and ends at the end of March. With it being winter, there isn't a whole lot of produce, but plenty of food vendors so come hungry. I was really happy to see Yvolina's Tamales from Pilsen there. I just made tamales yesterday, but couldn't help but buy one still. I do love her tamales and don't make it to Pilsen often enough. I was really hoping to find jars of jam because I only have 1 jar left of my own jam. There was only one vendor selling jam and it was sugar free. I like eating healthy but jam should be sweet IMO. There are plenty of pastry vendors. The usual farmers market representation. A lot of them looked really good, but I was too full to partake. I brought home Ube cookies, sugar scrubs, and local honey I really look forward to spring and summer farmers markets when produce and flowers are in abundance. Not to mention vendors with jam ;)

I was a bit skeptical about going to the South Loop Market when a friend suggested we meet up here…read more I don't really need much at a farmer's market right now, and paying for parking to go to this one in Water Tower Place made me grumble but it was something to do with a friend, and with the kids, which can be difficult to find at this age. I was totally wrong and was really surprised at how great a market it was. It took place on the fourth floor of WTP and it was huge; I have most often been to the Ravenswood or Lincoln Square and those are a fraction of this size. There were booths with their foodstuffs--salsas, produce (including eggs, of course a hot item in 2025), bread and pastries, donuts, and so on. There was a section with prepared foods (the burgers looked really great). There was even live music happening at one end of the market, advertising the Chicago Blues Fest. There's a kids section in with the food court, but we didn't let the kids out since it was just blocked with stanchions and these two are too young to really understand they need to stay nearby. Overall the market was very well done. Fortunately, it didn't feel too terribly overcrowded except for when we were going over by where the band was. And we found out as we were wrapping up that they had a free two-hour parking offer. Not sure if that's just for the first time you download this parking app or what but I'll be keeping it in mind since I plan to attend again if I can before the winter market wraps up. The worst part is not the fault of the market but the elevators at Water Tower Place are still terrible. They're incredibly slow, and one was out of service! Hopefully they have that fixed now because it was painful. If you're able-bodied the escalator will be a better bet, instead of standing around with the masses looking longingly at the third elevator which only goes to a few floors (the fourth not being one of them).