It has become a tradition to come, meet friends, drink a beer, eat a thuringer and enjoy. Crowds can be large on nice days but for the most part everyone is relaxed and happy. Sunday afternoon is a great time for families. read more

Maifest is one of my least favorite fests in Chicago, but it's close to home so I find myself here every year. The problem with Maifest is it is so insanely crowded. There is a thin row of standing tabletops, and other than that, there's just lots of people congregating on the (closed off) street. There is only one food stand offering sausage, pretzels, sauerkraut, etc. There is also only one beer stand offering one type each of domestic or import, the latter being $2 more. Expect long lines as there is only one tent for each. Music is lively and gets the crowd pumped. I'm always surprised how many pregnant women and babies are there; I get nervous they will get pushed or trampled. And definitely expect at least a little beer to get spilled on you, as a lot of the songs call for lifting your beer in the air, and you're surrounded by drunk people... #gross Overall, come for a beer, explore the neighborhood, and don't expect too much, otherwise you're sure to be disappointed. read more

Maifest Chicago - Cheers! - Local Flavor Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is usually the first opportunity to drink beer in the street for the summer. That's a good thing, however, I'm not sure I'll run back to this fest. First of all, they really need start limiting the members of the Stroller Brigade that are let in. How many times to clueless moms/dads need to run into the back of your heels (this HURTS when one is wearing sandals), or run over your toes with a ginormous stroller before one is admonished to get a damn babysitter and leave the kids at home. This is supposed to be a festival FOR ADULTS. It's just not that fun being shushed from swearing because rugrats are present. Go on over to KiddieFest. read more

Maifest Chicago - Local Flavor Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was excited about this festival, but it was really underwhelming. Located in Lincoln Square, specifically on Western and Lincoln, this festival is rather small. What irked me are the inconsistencies of the festival; there were entrances, depending on where you entered, you either got carded to get it, or not at all, or you were greeting a sign that said "No Dogs allowed", or no sign stating such at all. Btw, dogs are apparently allowed (?) because there were definitely dogs there. Can't find that information at all on the website. The festival featured a giant tent where they have live music, and a medium-sized tent where you can drink some more. Another section had a few carnival games, such as throwing darts at balloon targets, and other scamming traveling carnival games. Meh. read more

Maifest Chicago - Local Flavor Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Our winters are brutal. They often times leave us with the feeling that Chicago is not a place that was meant for people. At least once, you will hear us say, "I'm moving south!" We often have to dig our cars out of several hundred inches of snow while fighting frostbite and shedding tears of misery. Could the creator be this cruel?!?! Then comes the summer. Which shows up whenever it wants to. It decided to show its face to Chicago just a few days ago. Ridiculous. I know. My festival season kicked off with Maifest - a festival in my old neighborhood of Lincoln Square. This fest celebrates German culture. The local bands played a mix of alternative and traditional German songs. There are small bites to eat which include Brats and Pretzels. A few vendors are around selling their German gear. And there are games to play in your drunken stupor and question yourself as to why you failed miserably. Tickets for food or drink is a buck a piece. Large commerative cups for imports or local beer range from 12-13 bucks and small cups go from 10-11. I really wanted my cup so I coughed it up. It gets packed. Like foreal. And there are plenty of inebriated people stumbling around. Go on the first night to avoid the port a potties being something out of a living nightmare. Take the train or a uber to not have to worry about parking because it gets together than 2 fat girls trying to squeeze through a door. Enjoy!!! #ChiTownFoodieChic #WhoNeedsLoveWhenYouHaveBooze #WhoNeedsLoveWhenYouHaveFood read more

Maifest Chicago - The Brew that cost $11 bucks. I wanted my cup. - Local Flavor Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

While the music was great and the beer was cold, there is a glaring lack of German desserts to enjoy! This is such a nice idea for a summer activity if you're ever looking for something a little different to do. read more

Maifest Chicago - Local Flavor Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It's just getting out of hand here!! What used to be great fest with fun-loving people, perfectly cooked brats, good beer, and a enthusiastic bands. Now it's one crowded smelly stink hole of rude, nasty, ignorant people more concerned about getting hammered then appreciating the festival. I have been coming to this fest and October fest for years now but after this weekend, I don't know if I will be coming back. I have to give major props to the people who work the fest, they have to put up with soooooo much. read more

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Gemütlichkeit I have attended Maifest for about 14 years now. It has remained the same, for the most part. German bands on the main stage singing German classics like "Ein Prosit" and "Edelweiss", Hofbrau Maibock pouring like a river, Brats and Kraut a-plenty and people, lots of people. The more the merrier I guess. Maifest is always a great time and for 12 bucks you get a giant (plastic) stein of Maibock. And for 8 bucks you can get a brat with sauerkraut and for 4 bucks you can get a German Chocolate Cake for dessert. Don't forget to get your tickets at the booth and more importantly, don't forget to get out at least a hundred dollars from the ATM as well. I live in Lincoln Square and this fest has always been a fest I attend. Albeit, expensive, this fest is always a great time. So if you want Maibock, Brats and fun, Maifest is the fest for you. See you next year. Prost ihr Säcke! read more

Maifest Chicago - Dancing and fun at Maifest! - Local Flavor Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Am I just getting too old for large crowds? I mean, I will always love Maifest for being one of the kickoffs to the greatness that is street festival season in Chicago. And the beer, of course, is the main attraction, and it's plentiful. Yes, it can be pricey to get a big mug of brew (about $13), but one of those plus a refill and you're pretty much set for the night. Unfortunately it's just way too packed to really be enjoyable. First you have to fight your way through lines to get tickets. Then you have to fight through lines to get your beer - and for some reason they put one set of the lines in the worst spot possible, to the point that you're tip-toeing around mud and tent poles. And getting food is a battle so troublesome it's not even worth it- there are plenty of great eats in the area. Will I still go? Sure. It's a fun tradition. And enjoyment goes way up once you down your first giant stein of beer. It's just a pain to get to that point. read more

A great summer street festival to start the summer season. Been going to this event for years, and it never disappoints. There is decent beer (although not a lot of variety). The food is acceptable, but the bands are what make the event. Good bands from open to close. As I have gotten older I appreciate that this event caters to different audiences depending on the time of day. During the day, into early evening, a family friendly event. In the evening, things get more adult oriented (typical of most Chicago streetfests after 8ish.) Prices and lines could be a little more attractive, but it is a streetfest in Chicago, so they are not completely out of whack. Note: If you save your mug, you can save the couple of bucks it costs to get a new one for Maifest and Oktoberfest every year. read more

Always have a good time every year I go, though credit has to goes to my awesome group of friends. Normally, I hate crowds and Mayfest is no exception. You walk in and it's just lines everywhere - ticket booth, beer, food and those nasty port-a-pottys!!! This type of scene is fairly typical, but it's not so bad if you go before 4pm right before the crowd turns into utter chaos. Assuming you got in a few suds and sauerkraut, once your in the hoopla of singing Edelweiss, ziggy ziggy ziggy, oi oi oi, prost-ing to every man, woman and dog near and far, it's not so bad, in fact it's kind of fun. It's one of the few times that it's perfectly okay and even expected to chat up with everybody, giant plastic beer stein in hand. We are ALL amongst friends! Did I mention it's free entry. Noteworthy crowd: handsome men and cool chicks who can hold their own. read more

Eek... this festival kind of frightened me. I've seen some people compare this to the Taste and it's better in that it's not as expensive (which is outrageous) but why did it have to be so crowded? We arrive only to have to wait in line to get a beer bracelet. Then wait in a ridiculously long line to purchase tickets for drinks and food at one of three ticket stands (that's just not enough for the amount of people). Then force your way over to a beer tent (almost impossible) to wait in a third line to get one of two beers (you better like Hofbrau or PBR). $10 for a large PBR and $8 for the refill - OK price considering you get a cool souvenir cup. Still kind of pricey, but I can deal. The food was very delicious but it was so hard to get it that we almost gave up. That was line number four for us of the evening. Once we got our brat dinner, I was glad we ordered it. The brat was yummy and the sides (especially kraut) were awesome. We topped it off with a pretzel - good choice. However, there was NO WHERE to eat. I mean, even at the Taste you can find a spot to just get out of the line of traffic for a minute. You know that spot where no one is walking in to you, you're not in the way - you can just stand in an open area and not bother anyone. This space was almost impossible to find at Maifest. We could barely eat our food because there was literally no place to do it. We just had to go crowd over with a group of a dozen other people trying to do the same but I don't really enjoy touching other people while I'm trying to eat. It's just weird. The crowd was obviously the really big turn off of this entire event. By 8 p.m., every douche with a popped polo shirt collar was blitzed. I don't think I've ever been surrounded by more drunk annoying people. I was especially annoyed when a guy barfed around 10 right in the middle of a sidewalk full of people in front of a family of five. Since there were games and food, this technically was family friendly (and I'm sure it was better earlier in the day) and I don't think that's what those kids wanted to see at the end of their night. Said barfing guy later fought with his friend when his friend tried to get him out of there - classy. I just don't think it'll be worth it to go back. The beer was tasty, the souvenir cup was fun and the food was delicious, but I don't think I can tolerate being manhandled by hundreds of trashed idiots out in public. It just doesn't seem like the way I want to spend my night. Sorry, Maifest. read more

Wanna get drunk with thousands of people outdoors? Wanna drink a liter of beer out of a boot-shaped glass (That's actually plastic?)? Wanna get beer spilled all over you? Wanna use port-a-potty's - that DON'T have working water to wash your hands with? Come to Mayfest! Two beer options: domestic (PBR) and imported (Hofbrau). Different sizes of steins, including a boot. I opted for a regular stein full of domestic - $10 in tickets. You buy an amount of tickets at the entrance and cash in your tickets for booze and food. The later it gets, the more difficult it is to get a refill at the other tents...and the more likely you'll have drunkies tripping all over you. This fest gets PACKED, as do most festivals in Chicago, so it was no surprise to me. Luckily me and my pack of friends found space past barriers in an alley-type area. Apparently there's games and other things to do here, but I wasn't too concerned with non-beer related things. read more

After ten years, I think I've found the best way to enjoy May Fest. That would be the "Geezer Way." Go to the fest during the day, maybe around or just after noon, before the music begins. Buy tickets when there is virtually no line (and do this even if you are attending later in the day or evening,) cop a seat in the tent when it's more relaxed and you can talk to people, and get your standard Brat plate with the worst most bland potato salad ever and the thank-God-for-some-flavor here sauerkraut. Hang out for awhile with your big old stein of beer. If you hang outside the big tent, it's the best way to cop a tan and a buzz simultaneously. For me, the fest at night is just too crowded and noisy, and the likelihood of being vomited upon increases by the hour. I know that being a Square resident, I should be all rah-rah about May Fest (which took place in June this year,) but I think it's best enjoyed in the day, with more of the locals, when you can just be with friends or family and enjoy the rare treat of being outside in Chicago. I just wish there were more and better food options. And maybe more than just two beers. If my eyes read the sign correctly, it appears that the carbon copy Octoberfest will take place in August this year. Guess they just can't wait. read more

The positives of this fest is that the bands are fun and although they use a ticket system, it's fairly easy to shortchange the bar keeps for refills of beer. If they remember to ask me for tickets in the first place, I'll always give them half the amount that they request and no questions are raised as the keeps never count them anyway. Unfortunately the negatives outweigh those few positives. The street fest is held on Leland ave, in between lincoln and western, which is an extremely small foot print compared to other Chicago streetfests which means it gets just way, WAY too crowded. Lastly for a German based beer celebration, their brew selection is atrocious!! Their menu says domestic or import until you see that those mean the two choices are simply PBR or Hofbrauhaus respectively. So basically,you get a choice between crap & crappier beers. Where are the steins filled with DAB??? FRANCISKANER??? WARSTEINER??? STEIGEL??? SPATEN??? Instead of shelling out a monstrous amount of dollars at this poor excuse of a drinking fest, I went instead to Laschet's for a much better food and beer menu. read more

Congratulations on another LINCOLN SQUARE DRUNK FEST. It is great that these fests are what the area is known for. Maybe move the fest to Wells Park next year so that the drunks can pee and vomit on a tree. Anyone know if pee/vomit has any enviromental/green value for the trees? I also think the neighborhood should park their cars on the surrounding streets and offer $25.00 garage parking like they do for Cub games. This compensates us for vomit throughout the neighborhood, speeding cars trying to find parking and parking in crosswalks. I'm praying for rain next year. read more

Hands down without question my favorite streetfest of the entire year. This is THE streetfest in Chicago and this year's was great. I brought my stein from 2008 and quickly entered line to get me some Hofbrau beer. While in line I spoke with a hipster and declared this to be the greatest streetfest of all time! I also made fun of a girl who was trying to look busy and was deleting text messages on her phone. While walking through the fest, I ran into a random guy I played darts with a month ago, we talked as if we had just played yesterday. I ran into other random friends since I inevitably run into people I know at German Mayfest. The Polka tent was a bizzle to squeeze through, but gently nudging people usually moved them out of the way. I finished my stein much quicker than my friends and got a refill without much hassle. There were lots of drunken people crowded around the bend where Lincon turns in front of the tent and food, but I knew better and headed towards the northern tent where more breathing room was available and you didn't have someone rubbing against you trying to get through every three seconds. The other aspect of Mayfest is that there is also a gallery of carnival games. Last year I shot 6/6 shots on dart balloons and myself a giant picture. This year, I got so drunk I shot 0/3 shots and lost $5 and hung my head in shame! I then walked over to the D30 dice rolling game and paid $1 for 4 quarters and starting putting the quarters on what I thought would win. After I lost $1, I put another $1 in and won myself a Kung Fu Panda stuffed doll which I gave to my nephew today. If i didn't have any friends, I would find Mayfest to be obnoxious, crowded and overpriced. Since I have lots of friends, Mayfest to me is always the crowned jewel of all Chicago streetfests, other random drunk people be damned. Some people bring kids, some people bring friends, and I always know to bring a six pack in my bag to load up the wagon while waiting in line for tickets and beer. Mayfest is the mother of them all, king of the hill, the once and future king and the defending, reigning, streetfest champion of Chicago. read more

alright, seriously, it was SO PACKED. SO PACKED. like, whoa. nuts to butts. it took forevs to get a beer and a brat (which was awesomely delicious, btw.) and on top of that you gottta get in line for tickets before you get in line for everything else. i get it, but i hate it. and filling one of those huge cups takes FOREVER!!!!!!!!!! FOREVER. there was a huge line to the potties, i opted to drink less for fear of pants-peeing. we ate a brat, had some wine, and peaced out so hard. read more

The food and beer were good, but there wasn't much to do other than eat and drink. Since we went in the afternoon the crowd wasn't too big and the lines weren't too long. There were a lot of drunk people though so I can only imagine how bad it gets at night. The brat and beer I had were quite tasty though. One of the better brats I've had in a while (well, actually the only brat I've had in a while... but it was still really good). Since you can't have a brat without a beer I was pleased with their offerings. It made for a tasty lunch and a nice place to hang out for an hour. The actual Maypole they had though was pathetic... obviously no one had run around it with ribbon prior to our arrival. That made me sad. read more

I don't like how they make you buy tickets to order food when each ticket is worth $1 and you don't get a discount for buying a book of tickets. It seems like a waste of paper to me. My friends told me it's probably so people buy a couple books at once and end up with leftover tickets (which they will NOT refund). PSHHH not cool. As for the food, I tried the Bratwurst dinner (Brat, German potatoes, & Kraut), Landjaeger pair (my first time trying this. Yum. A pair of sausages), pretzel (eat this quickly - hardens fast!), & beer of course. You have the option of buying a small or large cup and you can get a discount if you get a refill. read more

Gotta disagree with the previous reviewers. Mayfest in LS has been my favorite of all the street fairs for several years running. Good wursts, decent (if pricey) big-ass beers, a fun oompah-type music vibe happening. No kidding it's crowded, it's a STREET FAIR. I'd hate to see what one without port-a-potties would look like. I didn't find it too dudebro-heavy, but I went on Sunday so maybe that had something to do with it. It seemed pretty family-oriented, which suited me since I brought the family. Plus I just plain really like the surrounding neighborhood. Lincoln is very quaint and nice up that way. I shall definitely return next year. read more

I had a feeling this particular Mayfest would be fouled up based on it actually being held in June. I was right. When am I not? This Mayfest was the most crowded and disorganized fest I've ever attended. I walked into this fest off of Western into total gridlock. Since my friend told me to meet him at the ticket booth, I knew this fest was going to be using the ticket system, which is almost always a huge headache, including in this case. Finding anything at this fest was basically a Federal case, with the exception of the obligatory unwitting finding of the ex 90 seconds after entering the grounds. It just always has to happen in the big city, small world that is the north side of Chicago. I digress. Finding anything else at this fest turned out to be a real chore, as there were no signs placed up high so you could see them and know where you were going. Finally, I found the ticket booth. That's when utter chaos befell this fest as far as I'm concerned. Usually, when fests have the ticket system, the signs will say food runs a certain price range and beer is either five dollars for a domestic or six for an import. That wasn't the case at Mayfest. I didn't look at the food prices, as I wasn't there for the food. The beer prices had ticket prices for a small domestic, a large domestic, a small domestic refill, a large domestic refill, a small import, a large import, a small import refill and a large import refill. That's eight different prices for beer. ****sake. That's totally unnecessary and, frankly, confusing, especially when you have 15 minutes left to get your tickets and your beer before cutoff. I got seven tickets because I misread the board (who didn't?) and thought seven tickets would get me a large import. Wrong. After getting my tickets, I began to search for the beer tent. There were no signs to direct me to it, including no signs up high beckoning me to refreshment. It took me at least 10 minutes to fight the crowd and finally come to a beer tent. Then, it was another 10 minutes of waiting in line before I got up to the front and told the guy to give me whatever he could for seven tickets. I think I got a PBR - a small PBR. Goodness. To make things worse, because of the crowd as well as AT&T inexplicably giving me zero reception, I never could find my friends in the crowd. I did run into a few acquaintances and talked to them for a bit to pass the time. Well, about a half hour later, the clock struck 10, and I was done. Without any cell phone reception, and being peeved from the crowd and utter disorganization of the fest, I bolted for the exit and made my way home. Absolutely brutal. Worst city street fest I've ever attended, and I've attended scores. I won't be back. One star. read more

Mayfest, for lack of a better description, really kicks off the summer street fests in Chicago. Especially in my little neighborhood of North Center, I typically try to go each year because: 1. There's German food. 2. There's German beer. 3. You can re-use your Mayfest mugs from previous years for cheaper beer refills. 4. There's German music. Last year I came here and there was no one here. I must have come early because I got food and drinks quickly, and even had a table! Yippee! Then came the weekend of June 2, 2012. Holy crap, was this place packed. I was afraid the wooden barricades would burst open due to the masses of people pushing against them. Word must have gotten out quick that this is the place to be because as soon as we entered we were at a stand still. The food line was just masses of people clamoring for food like a zombie horde looking for flesh. There was one lady serving food on our side which meant we waited at least 45 minutes for some stale pretzels and brats. My boyfriend's dinner plate was served to him without a fork and he didn't realize it until we were out of the line madness. We then sent another friend to go get us some beer refills. I think i could have had a better time if I were with friends who hadn't brought children, and who can handle crowds better. But really, if you go to one of the several German restaurants in the area, you'll get the same thing with better service, seating, and prices. Seriously, the crowd capacity at least doubled from last year and I am not joking. If you want to go, then go solo because then the only person in your group that you might lose is yourself! read more

I used to love Mayfest. It was my favorite festival of the year. German beer, drunken polka, bratwurst galore? Sign me up. Sadly, as time has gone on, the festival has gotten more and more crowded. Last night, I waited at least a half hour for a beer. Now I like beer, a lot. But very few beers are worth waiting a half hour in line for. And the beer served here is definitely not among them. Also, the crowd has gotten more and more fratty. On last night's visit, a dude with a popped polo collar said he'd let me in front of him in the beer line if I'd "show him some titty". I may like beer, but I don't like beer that much. I'll probably continue to go in hopes that it will someday not suck anymore, or that I'll be drunk enough to not care. read more

This festival is nothing to write home about. It took me 30 minutes to get a beer in the beer tent. THIRTY MINUTES. I love me some Lincoln Square but I am not going to wait that long to drink overpriced beer with piss-drunk old men. read more

TLDR: people drinking in a parking lot It's ok. This was my first time here as it has always coincided with something else going on at the end of May. For the record, it was really hot this year. We went on Saturday around 7pm. There were some puke puddles here and there, but when we got off the brown line all I saw was people. It's literally a lot party, as in a parking lot, with people drinking out of overpriced plastic mugs. Your choice of beer is international or domestic. $9 refill on the domestic, $2 more if you need the cup. Yeah.... I did get the sausage platter and I have to say it was pretty good, but I was also 8 beers in. However, the pretzels were absolutely horrific. You may need to check the wattage on the easy bake oven back there- total waste of money/tickets. Ticket lines were long, and I wouldn't even suggest going to the bathroom there. I wasn't really aware of what was going on at either stage since it was so packed. It's worth checking out once... read more

Am I glad I went? yes! Was it a waste of time? Pretty much! Am I amused by drinking beer out of a giant stein? All the time! Mayfest turned out to be more like Douche Fest. Scary looking people, crowded, obnoxious. I suppose that's what I should expect when you base a festival on beer. Buying tickets for beer was obnoxious. Especially since most of the bartenders were accepting cash anyway. My brat was tasty but I didn't get any sauerkraut on it! The vendor made a big deal that I didn't have exact change for my meal either. Why not price things at easy to round up numbers. When the hell am I going to be carrying one $5 and 2 $1's. read more

I'd rather give a 3 1/2 star review. I love these local street festivals. This one is within walking distance of my house, so I attend each year. It's your typical German festival with brats and another kind of delicious sausage (thuren...something). I ate the non-brat. DELICIOUS. You have your choice of PBR and Hofbrau (sp?). If you save your beer stein from the last fest (Mayfest or Oktoberfest), bring it so you can save a dollar on your beer purchase. I was able to go to the fest early when it the sky looked threatening...so I got seats for my group of friends who were meeting me there. We stayed for a few hours and left when it got too busy. This festival is always fun. I do have to say, though, that there were SO many pregnant women there. I can't imagine I'd want to go to a beer-soaked festival if I couldn't drink any. Oh well, that was just an observation. Yay for May Fest. Next up, my favorite festival of the summer; Northcenter RIBFEST!!!! read more

I've been going to this feast for years. After last year, I almost vowed never to return. However, I gave it another chance on a drizzly day, and it was almost the Mayfest I remembered from the past - smaller crowds, friendlier people, and just a better time in general. Last year we experienced overflowing port-a-johns, waiting an hour in every line with hammered douches and assholes, walking (more like shuffling, too crowded to really walk) around vomit and garbage, and lots of other unpleasant things. This year the weather definitely kept away some of the previously-mentioned elements. I have no problem with this fest serving its original intention of being a family fest, and it was great to see whole families, including grandparents, in attendance. It's a nice change over an abundance of wasted ex-fraternity members. I went on opening day after work, and had a nice time. Unfortunately, the fest wasn't granted its food license yet, so we couldn't have dinner. Also, for the entire time I was there on Saturday afternoon, there was no music. No "Roll Out The Barrell," no "I Don't Want Her You Can Have Her," nothing. My mom's side is very Polka-oriented, so a big reason why I and others come is to hear our favorite non-politically correct Polka hits. Another reason why I come to this fest is because it celebrates Chicago's still-large German population. I love ethnic fests in general, and this is still an ethnic fest which I hope will endure, hopefully not as a live version of the movie "Beerfest." read more

Went to Maifest with my friend this year for the first time and it didn't disappoint! We had a great time enjoying food, beer, and watching all the fun dancing! Similar to other Chicago festivals, Maifest uses tickets for purchases. This can get a little tricky unless you're aware of costs and what you want to buy. My friend and I were able to pick things wisely and didn't end up with any left over tickets. The beer selection wasn't the greatest (PBR or Hoffbrau), but it was decently priced for the size of the beer you get (always go with the bigger one!). Maifest was also nice because it had rained the day before and it was a bit chilly the day we went, so there weren't too many people, which made for short lines and optimal seating for the performances. Maifest did feel a bit small, but it was still a great time! read more

Maifest Chicago - Dinner and a beer - Local Flavor Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I am a huge fan of Mayfest. I know it gets insanely crowded, beer is expensive and yes...tis true you will see everybody you've never wanted to see..still, it's one of my favorite fests... This is due largely in part b/c I volunteer as a beer wench. That's right...yours truly pours the perfect pint at the beer tent for 3 hours. In return...I get a free meal and free drink...all.night.long. It's a pretty sweet deal. I take full advantage of the free drink too I might add... The beer is always cold and man, those volunteers really do work hard and do a super job of changing out the kegs so that no one has to wait for their brew. Also, the food is pretty good. I've volunteered in the food tent as well (imagine this very Asian looking girl yucking it up with a bunch of old school German men & women...nice). I love the brats and the landjaeger...and of course the pretzels. The Dankhaus does a really good job of putting this fest together...so give it up to the staff. And shit...the Polkaholics perform all night long in the tent. How can you not be down with that? Ein Prosit! read more

Did I learn something or did Mayfest learn something? Maybe both. The first time I was there, it was packed body-to-body, it took a good half hour to get to the front of the beer and food line, and everyone stank like sweaty beers. This time, I went on a day where it was raining on and off. Crowds don't like getting rained on (I say baaaah - that's why hats were invented, right?), so the normal disgusting overcrowding was simply not the case this year. They also offered a much bigger selection of food - several sausagy things, liebercasen, and herring sandwich (a whole fish on bread! weird), plus three kinds of cake. I got to the front of the line and got a libercasen sandwich then asked the girl, "What's the best cake?" She gave me something covered in almonds with a middle layer of custard about two inches thick that was AWESOME! Plus beer line took 10 minutes, tops. I may never know if I learned something (rain + Mayfest = way more fun) or if they staffed things out better, but if things get drizzly on this particular weekend in subsequent years, you'll find me outside with an enormous beer, stuffing my cake hole with a custard cake whose name I can't remember. I'll be the one with the hat. read more

A reasonable time. I'm not there for the beer, but the food was tasty if not exceptional. It was pretty speedy on the post rainstorm Saturday evening I went - way speedier than beer and bathrooms. People in our group kept disappearing for an hour at time and would come back with...one beer. So...maybe more servers, or more speed? Not sure, but if I went again, I'd be prepared to wait. I do want to point out how amazingly poor their beer delivery was - one guy in particular, wheeling carts of kegs through the crowd, which I understand does have to happen, was puffing on an obnoxiously loud whistle, blowing it in people's ears on purpose, swearing violently at anyone who didn't get out of his way. Look - I know you have a terrible job, and I know you're a terrible waste of humanity. But you don't have to take it out on others. A little reorganization so that the keg delivery didn't have to go through the crowd would be a great idea. All in all, I'd consider returning for an easy evening. Admission was free, and if the weather's nice? Good way to just chillax. read more

Annual tradition, great fun. Wear clothes you either don't care about, or are the color of beer. Be prepared to run into everyone you never wanted to see. Tips for after-bar: head to the lesbian karaoke bar around the corner (on Western), then head up to the Hidden Cove (on Lincoln), then get your friend to ride you home on his handlebars. Good times. read more

Fun fun fun and beer

Okay. So I was just in Germany and went to this thing called Kiliani Fest. In traditional German fashion, St. Kilian came to Wurzburg to convert the heathens to Christianity and when St. Kilian told the duke of Wurzburg he breaking gods law by marrying his brother's widow, the duke sent his guards to the town square and beheaded St. Kilian. Then they partied, thus Kiliani Fest. Being at Kiliani Fest reminded me a lot of going to Maifest in Lincoln Square. Chicago's local German festival is full of beer, brats and people wearing lederhosen. As many others have mentioned the place was packed this past year. But as the night went on, the lines were not really much of an issue. There were plenty of people serving beer. I'm a fan of HB, so it was all good to me and I got plenty trashed off 4 liters of beet. So trashed that at some point I spiked my plastic mug like a football, which was probably a my brains way of telling me I've had enough to drink and I should cut myself off. Also, the Dankhaus is a really neat place and it's good to know that all this debauchery was going to a good cause. This was our first summer in Chicago and first experience with the festivals. I will certainly make this a yearly haunt. read more

I had a blast -- both last year and this year. The food is good, HB is off the chizzain (priced @ 12 tickets, it better be!), and the crowd is diverse/fun. And the music -- those polka-natics on stage rocked the house. Love them. The port-a-potties are disgusting, but what port-a-potties aren't? Last year -- 2 and a half steins; this year -- 4 steins I wonder what will happen NEXT year... read more

Those pesky rain drops couldn't keep us from having a German good time on Saturday night! Giant plastic steins of HB (and PBR) for 12 tickets (or whatever you feel like counting out..) Yayy! Smaller steins for gals who prefer daintier day drinking? Yes ma'am! Meat sticks? Yep, although I appreciate the irony I can't force myself to try one. Cake? Wait why was there cake there? I saw what I pressume to be chocolate and vanilla of some double-layered sort. Sausages galore? Woo boy, yep. Lots of drunks? Yep, not of the obnoxious persuasion. Strollers? Yes, and I judge you slightly for that. I prefer not to have five year olds critizing my drinking. Good music, not too crowded HOORAY!, and fabulous little hats and "beer goggles" for $5. It's in a great location as well. I love that stretch of Lincoln Square with the bars and shops lining the square. The brown line is just feet away, as is the Lawrence bus. We ducked into the pet shop smack in the middle of the festival for half off cat toys and a break from the drizzles. There were also games, but couldn't tell you what kind. This Maifest kicked the other Mayfest's boo-tay this year! read more

This festival is so much fun!!! As a resident of Lincoln Square, I had to check it out with some friends. My roommate wanted to visit a friend who was working at the festival, so all the more reason to head over. I have to say, I'm not always a fan of crowded outdoor festivals, but this one was so much fun. We were there on a Friday night and sure, it was packed, and the crowd was rowdy, but not in an obnoxious way. It seems like a huge hassle to get beer, but it really isn't bad. Getting food was fine too. And, believe it or not, everyone working there was friendly. If you can stand the crowd and the lack of space, definitely check out Mayfest this year! read more

This was my first Mayfest and hopefully I'll be able to attend next year so I can venture around a bit more and grab a bite to eat. I didn't even see the carnival type area until I had to find one of my friends. When we got there we immediately bought tix and got in the beer line. We then found a decent spot that wasn't too crowded and just hung there for a bit to enjoy our treats and listen to the tunes. It was so packed we didn't want to move. We went on Saturday evening and even though it was crowded I still had a good time. Enjoyed my beer and pretzel while hanging with my man and one of our best buds and watched a bunch of drunkards ...practically everywhere. Note to the drinkers: Don't try to climb over a fence after you've been drinking all day. Some chick attempted to make a clean straddle over one of the bordering fences by the beer/music tent. It was not successful. She fell over and looked like an idiot. I'm sure she was having the time of her life though. I do agree that the space is a little tight, but it all depends on what time you're there. A friend of mine was there the following afternoon and it was fine. But a thank you goes out to the Germans for making yum beer. And to those that hopped on the Brown Line heading towards the Loop after the beer sales were over, cheers! It was a nice ride singing along to the Family Ties theme song and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. read more