Multiple attempts to contact this organization to hold an event have gone unanswered. The space…read moreseems to capable of holding many more events, but does not.

Madonna Birthday Celebration. Music, videos, retro clothes, drinks and empanadas! Fun vibe!read more

I chaperoned a large group to the Evanston History Center in the Charles Dawes House on a weekday…read moremorning and we had a great time. Susan, our tour guide, was very informative and knowledgeable. I easily could have listened to what she had to say for another hour. The house itself is truly amazing. Everything, including the contents are as they were in the 1950s when the Dawes family last resided there. Prior to visiting the EHC I had no idea that Charles Gates Dawes was the Vice President to Calvin Coolidge or that he had won the Nobel Peace Prize for 1925. I really enjoyed the "Milestones & Memories: An Exhibit of Evanston History" on the 2nd floor. Many famous actors hail from Evanston and some of our favorite toys were created in the city. Free parking. If you reside in or around Evanston or you're just visiting the area I highly recommend visiting the Evanston History Center; for it's rich history and so much more. Make a day of it and check out some of the many other unique museums in Evanston: The Frances Willard House Museum, The Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, The American Toby Jug Museum, the Prehistoric Museum at Dave's Down to Earth Rock Shop or the Illinois Holocaust Museum.

At first I balked at the $10 entrance fee. I mean, I figured that it was probably more than just a…read morecreaky old house, but it also had the potential to cost me ten bucks for a brief, boring tour and a few dusty artifacts. I was wrong though: in the end I felt that we got our money's worth. This kind of attraction is best partaken in a small group with a guide; on a solo tour, you might wander around nodding admiringly at each of the cool old rooms and then call it a day after fifteen minutes. Thanks to the organized tour, we learned a lot that guests would miss on their own. Our docent gave us a thorough general history of the house, and the Sheppard and Dawes families, but she also highlighted many extra details--architectural, historical, and personal--that made the tour worthwhile. The house itself is intriguing and handsome, although, on a November late afternoon, perhaps a little too dark to appreciate fully. The main hall is an impressive sight to see upon first entering. Another fascinating room is the kitchen, which they have preserved mostly as it would have been in the 30s. There is a display case full of period cookbooks, some with whimsical titles such as "What Shall We Eat Tonight?" My favorite room by far--just like Dawes himself--was the library. This is the kind of antiquarian, bibliophiliac fantasy playroom that hardly exists anymore, much to my chagrin (until I win the lottery that is). It's the classy, English-manor version of the ultimate man cave. There is a third floor with ballroom and servants quarters, that is not open to the public because the main staircase was never finished. That's a shame. Also, the second floor is used for offices and the "modern" museum portion of the Evanston History Center. The main exhibit room is well worth some time. I spent about 30 to 40 minutes up there and still didn't read every single piece. But I learned many interesting tidbits that I never knew despite 17 years of living in and around Evanston. So, combining the house itself, the upstairs museum, and the expertise of the tour guides, the Dawes House/EHC is well worth ten dollars and ninety minutes of your time.

The Edgewater Historical Society, in addition to displaying the history of Edgewater and its…read moreenvirons, hosts on occasion events to welcome people from the neighborhood and beyond. During summer they have their Summer Nights in Edgwater program, which is when they host a band in their (incredibly lovely!) garden. I went last night with my daughter to hear a jazz-ish band and it was nice. There were quite a few more people there than I expected; though some folks were seated within the garden itself, most of us were sitting along the sidewalk and walkways. Many people brought their own chairs, but the EHS also pulled out some chairs for folks. Others, like me, chose to stand. There was ample seating at this event. You might not be able to see the band over the garden, because they're growing a beautiful native garden at this building so the coneflowers and other plants are tall--but it's a concert and what's important is hearing the music! The museum was open during the concert, so folks could wander through. There's no fee for the museum, and at this particular event they took tips but it went toward the musicians, not the historical society. They also have quite a few events happening over the coming weeks and months, from walking tours of the neighborhood, a book club discussion at the Edgewater Branch of CPL, to a walking tour of Rosehill Cemetery. They offer a membership for $5 for the first year I think they said. They currently have an exhibit about the indigenous history of Edgewater, so when I head back here for another of their summer concerts I'll hopefully be able to wander in and take a look.

Celebrating the coolness and historical audacity that is Andersonville/Edgewater/Edgewater Beach…read more We like it here, by the lake. FREE admission!

Evanston holds a lot of events throughout the year and with so many of them happening in the…read moresummer, there are many options to choose from. I've gone to a number of them over the years and find Custer Fair to be a top summer destination in the city. During our walk down Main street, Chicago, Washington, and Custer Avenues (this fair covers 4 streets) a few notable things I saw were vendors selling air plants hung from glass containers, vintage Chicago posters, handcrafted jewelry, a caricature artist, cool hand crafted toys for kids and, if you wanted to relax from all the walking, there was a booth that charged for chair massage. The food stalls had a good mix which included typical carnival fair like funnel cakes and corndogs. They also had a Taqueria stall, local craft beer, Pina colada stand, Texas bbq, Gyros, and Soba noodles. With all the savory food and tempting refreshments abound, the real hero on a hot 90 degree day was the lemonade stand. Every refreshing cup of lemonade had a whole half lemon in it. I was able to double my servings of lemonade by squeezing the half lemon and adding water and sugar when I got home afterwards. Bonus! Consider yourself lucky if you've scored a parking spot around the neighborhood. You will need to arrive an hour prior to opening to find a space. Your best bet is to take public transport by taking the Purple line train and get off on the Main Street station. It takes you right there. Pro Tip: Most stalls are cash only establishments with a few taking credit/debit cards. If you forget to bring cash, there is a Chase bank less than a block and a half across from the Main street purple line stop south on Chicago Avenue.

I had the honor to work at one of the food vendors this year. In fact, it was my first time…read moreexploring the "Custer Fair" in Evanston. I was quite impressed by the number and the variety of merchants that participated. I guess the time has changed and we are becoming a cashless society. Many vendors were able to accept credit cards (with a surcharge fee). Nevertheless, the trusty green bucks still would still get you all-inclusive access! There was at least one (1) PNC bank ATM outside the CTA Main Purple Line station for visitors' convenience. The sound quality for the music lineups was decent. Fortunately, our area wasn't bombarded with an excessive volume while the concerts were in session. The tent we set up was near the center stage, and thankfully, we didn't have to "shout" to the customers to ask for their orders. As always, most ladies can have a difficult time getting used to the porta potties. Here's my recommendation: be patient and reserve some energy by going to the nearest grocery/Liquor stores, such as WholeFoods, Target, Trader Joe's, and Binny's to use their facilities. They are not located feet away from the festival, but within walkable distances.

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.

It's pretty scare especially the cage and clown room. I loved it and the workers are incredible…read more would go back 10/10

Took the kiddos here for the family fun Halloween event. Paid $10 at the door and that included a…read morepetting zoo, a bounce house, various "carnival kid games", face painting, a balloon artist and the no scare haunted house with trick or treating. All this took place in the church gymnasium and the haunted house was in the church's basement. The latter was a bit of an oxymoron for me but to each his own. The kiddie games were okay, but seemed like it was catered for younger kids 6 and under. The face painting and the balloon artists were pretty dope. We got there close to when the event opened, so the lines were really short and we were able to take advantage of all the activities. The petting zoo was impressive also. They had a couple goats, some potbellied pigs, a GIANT rabbit (trust me that thing was HUGE!) and some normal rabbits, and a couple chickens. It was enough to entertain this animal lover. The animals were all very cute and friendly. For $1 your kids can also decorate a cupcake. And if you are lucky, you can catch Elmo and take a pic with him. The haunted house was definitely worth the $10. Loved how it was very kid friendly. They really put lots of effort into decorating that thing and i can see how it would freak most adults out during the normal scare hours. For the kids, you just walked through the whole thing and at every station, there was someone in costume with candy for the trick or treaters. No one would jump out cuz that would cause a lot of crying kids. It was pretty long too, so definitely worth it!

Came here for St Patrick's Day celebrations. Dance performance & fish & chips buffet…read more Fun ambience. When the fish is freshly fried, it's really good, so since it's buffet style, try the batch and have more when it's a better batch. They should not cover the fish or at least poke holes so it doesn't get steamed & soggy. Dance performance was really cute with the little kids. This isn't the Trinity dance company dance level but a fun experience.

Sláinte! Always good craic. I love the produce in the store from the homeland. The party around…read morethe holiday doesn't get any bigger or better.

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.