Great space and affordable studio time or space you can rent out. Classes are super affordable.read more

We held an event here and it went perfectly. Lilly and Vic made the planning and execution so easy…read morefor us. The event space was large enough for our big crowd but we also had the flex space for overflow which people took advantage of for quiet conversations, plus there was a really interesting art exhibit up to look at. The event was seamless thanks to them. I've also gotten to play around a bit in the dance studios and they're very high quality. Couldn't recommend enough!!

Any time you put local art, Cevapcici Chicago, Revolution Brewing Co craft brews, Lula Cafe's…read moresangria and Balkan brass outfit Black Bear Combo together, you're guaranteed a good time. Add my sidekick Brett D and me to the mix and it gets that much better! Kidding, of course. It was 92 degrees in the shade, but at least we had shade to speak of. After taking in the band and lounging lazily in the grass, we checked out the Wagyu Wagon (they seem to have a fast following between their tacos, burger and bahn mi), Jameson soft serve ice cream, Taquero Fusion (Mexican corn on the cob!) and the Gaztro-Wagon's naan-wiches. Best food lineup I've seen at a festival... ever! Cevapcici has my sausage-lovin' heart, but it's nice to know I have other delicious options should I want them. It's kind of a bizarre layout with the beginnings of the festival starting some six city blocks away or so at California, but having the room to sprawl out and not play bump and grind was definitely appreciated. Check this one out next year, it's a good one!

Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival is yet another great summer festival that runs down Milwaukee from…read moreDiversey to Kedzie. The usual $5 suggested donation is encouraged for entrance. This festival, as it is named, includes art of all kinds. They have the regular pop up tents with jewelry and paintings but they also have some indoor exhibits as well along Milwaukee. Come check out some of the beautiful sights and sounds of the Logan Square neighborhood as they have musical performances on the North and South ends of the Milwaukee Avenue fest. Unlike many other festivals this fest does not require the purchase of tickets. Bring some cash and fill up and food and drinks. Also, they only offer 312, which is not a bad thing but is different than most festivals that have the $5 Bud Light choice as well as the $6 Goose Island option. From BBQ to pizza to ice cream, this festival has all of the food options for you to choose from. Sangria and mixed lemonade drinks are also very popular at this event. There is plenty of space to find an area to sit or stand to eat and drink. There are also some areas designated with picnic tables so you can enjoy your meal that way if you so choose. This festival does not get as busy as the Chicago Ribfest but still draws a large enough crowd to keep it entertaining.

I cannot say enough about Scott and Trigger Chicago. The space is amazing. Beautiful and eclectic…read morewith all the right vibes. Scott is probably one of the coolest guys I've met in a long time. Additionally, his professionalism and continued support, even throughout the day of, were second to none. My wife and I celebrated our 10 year Wedding Anniversary with a Vow Renewal celebration. Friends and family aging from 15 years old to 70+ (my Dad) all had an amazing time! Trigger Chicago, our staff (from Carol's Staffing) and our booze selection (from Carly w/ Bottles & Cans) were outstanding!! Everything was Top tier... 10 out of 10, and highly recommended!

The facility is modern, spacious, and thoughtfully designed to accommodate a wide range of…read moreproductions -- from photography and film shoots to live performances and private events. The equipment and amenities are first-class, making setup smooth and efficient, while the lighting and acoustics are exceptional. Every corner of the space feels intentional, offering both functionality and aesthetic appeal. It's clear that Trigger was built by people who understand the creative process and what professionals need to bring their visions to life.

DO NOT consider a winter wedding here, and absolutely DO NOT expect transparency or flexibility…read morewith any hiccups in their formula. Also, they apparently blocked my account on Zola -- I can't find them in a search when I'm logged in anymore. Thankfully I was able to leave a review without being logged in, and am also sharing here. TLDR: they can't accommodate winter weddings, despite including those months as available on their website, and they aren't transparent about their inability to do so. They can only provide half a venue, with 40% decreased capacity, but still expect you to pay full price. I was appalled by their poor communication and business practices throughout our experience trying to book them for our January wedding. -- -- The issues started when booking a tour -- their availability is challenging if you work a day job, and we were also limited with my partner's 24/48 shifts for the city. But I rearranged my work to accommodate their schedule. The day of the tour we received a vague cancellation with 3 hours notice, saying they would work with our schedules to get a new tour on the calendar. They very much did NOT work with our schedules, declined several options I requested that would work without us making major concessions on our end, and only offered a small window later than their once-a-week evening slots. We were once again rearranging our schedule to work for theirs after their cancellation. When we finally had the tour, I'll admit it's a gorgeous venue. We were excited about booking there, but concerned about how they'd handle January events. Since their website includes Jan in their off-peak season rates, I figured they had a plan for accommodating cold weather (they have a tent for the yard, but it's insufficient for temps under 30 degrees and that's a heavy gamble for evenings in January). They didn't seem to have any ideas outside using that tent. They do have an upstairs to the venue that reflects the ground floor footprint, so I asked if they would include these in the base rate (they're usually an add-on expense) because we were losing space in the yard. They said they would "compromise" by including just one of the rooms, but would reduce capacity to only 70. We had been straightforward that our guest list was 80-90, and their website advertises up to 120 guests for a buffet or cocktail reception, which was our plan. I understand they don't do a ton of events in the winter, so I thought maybe they just didn't have a well-designed plan for colder months and we could find a way to work one out. But they refused to work with us to expand capacity beyond 70 guests AND made no concessions on price. I have no idea what they would have done had we moved forward and temperatures were too cold for a tent (leave our guests shivering? cut our guest list week-of? at the door?) -- I asked and and they couldn't answer. On top of it all, they made me feel like I was a problem for having these concerns. At the end of the day, I can't believe that a venue would expect clients to pay full price for half a venue and 40% decreased capacity, especially in a season they admit having little to no bookings. They clearly do not want business in their winter months, but will jerk you around for a month pretending they do.

Exceeded our (extremely high) expectations at every step, turn, and touchpoint!…read more We worked with the AMAZING Teddy and Sarah and from the start knew we were in the right place, space and best of hands. First of all, Firehouse is charming as all HECK. This isn't your drab hotel ballroom where partition walls, lighting rigs and bunches and bunches of flowers can barely start to cover the lack of character. This space has personality and soul, every last inch. Classic Chicago neighborhood setting, we didn't want to leave the beautiful courtyard space. Everything about the venue is built to make your guests feel at home, comfortable and intimate to the party. Did we mention the firepole?! Best entry ever for a groom to make. We can't recommend enough - Teddy and Sarah listened to all our thoughts/concerns/ideas and custom built a space and flow that complimented the night in every possible way.

My husband and I hosted an intimate celebration with our closest friends (20 people total) at…read moreMaharlika 360 after our recent civil wedding ceremony, and it was everything we dreamed of. Rose and her husband were incredibly kind and responsive to our questions and requests throughout the planning process. The place itself is already beautiful, so we barely needed any decorations! Parking was convenient for us and our guests. When we arrived, Rose greeted us right away and made sure everything was ready. Clean up was simple thanks to the clear directions provided. Our guests constantly complimented the space, and the karaoke made the night even more fun! We keep looking back at our photos and videos and can't stop smiling, seeing how beautiful everything turned out and how much fun we had with our guests. We highly recommend booking Maharlika 360 for your next event!!

If I could give Maharlika 360 ten stars I would!! Booked the venue for our daughter's 1st birthday…read moreand it went great!! Good price for a nice and clean venue with plenty of space for our 50 guest. I would definitely look into them again for any future events!! Don't hesitate go see it if you're looking for a venue!

Such a pleasant surprise when we ended up at the art fair while in search of the Ikebana walk at…read moreSouthport Corridor. Love the exhibits of local Illinois artisans from Chicagoland and elsewhere, great talent , affordable prices and good vibes . Will certainly try come back next year . It's not overly crowded and quick moving traffic . I fell in love with a couple of pieces of art and ended up getting some paintings

Nicely laid out Fest. Wide enough area to walk. Nice mix of art, jewelry, decor, and clothes…read more Perfect summer outing. Great shops & restaurants nearby.

Home is where the art is, and there's few better places than Firecat…read more The unique approach the owners take is that every single month, there is a new installation, new premiere, new talkback with the artist(s). Although I'm not an avid art gallery visitor, I do pop in at least once a month to see what has taken over the space. Well worth a visit.

Firecat Projects is an independent art gallery in Wicker Park. A friend and I attended their…read more"Fourth Friday" monthly event, in which they have a reception (free admission) for a new and upcoming artist. There are complementary appetizers and alcohol (But you should tip, people. That child support can wait). So many studios take 40 - 50% of what the artist sells but Firecat Projects is unique because, like the artists' hair, they don't get a cut. This is a great, nonchalant crowd. Although most folks there are in the art scene, I didn't feel compelled to make profound, mind-numbing observations about the art. However, I did note that one piece was "transcendent" and another "really ties the room together." There were also a handful of freeloaders. They are the ones sucking down bottles of beer like piglets ferociously attacking their mom's teet. But overall it is a friendly place, and unlike the MCA Friday events, ladies don't need to worry about looking away and then discovering their drinks so bombarded with roofies, if you threw said drink at a charging rhinoceros, it would immediately collapse in its tracks. By the way dress code is way casual. The fashion bar is set so low even Stephen Hawking could jump over it. We are talking about artists after all. My friend and I spent 15 minutes talking to a guy wearing a tin foil sweater and shoes that would've gotten him kicked out of a bowling alley. The conversation about lake toxins and the city's antiquated tax code were interesting nonetheless. So get on out to this event and help local artists fulfill their dreams. Don't worry -- Starbucks will find someone else to make your mocha-cookie frappuccinos.

I attended my niece's wedding here and it was the most gorgeous venue I have ever seen in my life…read more Grand main dining area with cozy spots all over. It felt very personal and can I just say- you will never find another backdrop for pictures such as this place. We all enjoyed staying locally in Evanston as there were plenty of nice things to see in the area.

The Halim Time & Glass museum has been hosting events such as birthday parties and weddings for a…read morewhile now. We are going to celebrate my wife's 60th birthday party here in May. Working with Jessica, in the events department, has been wonderful. The location is beautiful, and our guests are free to explore the floor used for the party at no additional cost. The only part of the process that I still don't comprehend is that we can't take home the leftover food. Jessica claims it is due to liability issues. Not sure what liability they are referring to... If I hosted the event at Maggianos our we would be able to take leftover food home. Jessica mentioned the staff will thoroughly enjoy our leftovers. Makes me wonder if that is the reason for the policy? I'll update this review in a few weeks after the event. I'll let everyone know how the event went and how the food was...