We loved this event! Very family friendly and laid back type of vibe. We got there around 4:30 and…read morehad no trouble finding some spots under the trees in some shade. We had fun decorating the lanterns and just grabbing snacks and hanging out. There were a TON of great food options and most places took card but a few were cash only. The staff was also so nice and helpful everywhere. Although we did have a great time at the lantern fest, I had to take off a star due to the disorganization. When I walked in no one scanned my barcode at all - we walked right in. We got our lanterns with no problem too, without showing our tickets. The releasing of the lanterns was very chaotic - there were no lines just a lot of people jammed trying to get to the lantern slide to release them into the water. It would've been nice if they had more slides and maybe rope or something to divide the lines. Overall, despite the organization issue, we did have a really great time and would love to return next year!

Check-in was a breeze to receive our kits. I'm glad we arrived early to get good parking. However,…read morethat left a lot of downtime at the festival. The musical acts didn't play many songs, and there was a lot of downtime in between. Thankful for regular bathrooms and not just Porta potties. Bags came with some goodies. Food trucks, well there was one bbq, one pizza, one cookie, and one ice cream. Lines for all were horrendously long. I'm glad that I ate before coming. We were one of the first to launch our lanterns, and then we left. There really wasn't that much to do. I'm glad that I won these tickets as I am not sure I would have paid for the experience.

First timer at an ale fest, and it was a fun date night (even though my husband doesn't drink beer…read moreand ended up walking around with me and/or sitting by the band all night). The drink ticket price seems pretty reasonable, considering it gets you 20 samples. But the cost for a designated driver pass is a little steep in my opinion ($19). What is that $19 for exactly?? The band? Because it didn't include free soda. They did have free boxed water - but that was for everyone, which was nice. There were a few food vendors, which were just okay. It did the job. Our favorite was Nothing Bundt Cakes. For $20, you got 4 small cakes and a zippered cooler case. They give you a lanyard with a punchcard, and a 4 oz (or 3 oz??) sample glass to take home as a keepsake. You go to each tent, pick your beer, and they fill your glass. Most vendors will mark off one of the 20 spots on your card, to keep track, but a few vendors just gave samples to me without marking my card. They have chairs set up in front of the band, so you can relax in between samples. The country singer did a nice job - he had a few folks out there dancing along. There was a large wooden block "Jenga" game set up for people to play in between sampling. The lines to the port-o-pottys weren't bad. Usually just 1 or 2 people in front of you. Just don't forget to lock the door behind you! Too many people were forgetting and having the doors opened on them (myself included...). :-O There was a pretty large selection of local beers and a few classics (Sam Adams, Guinness, etc.). I tend to lean towards wheat ales, but I didn't find any of those. Unfortunately I don't like IPAs, but I'm starting to like stouts, so it was nice to try a few of those. I'm not sure we'll be back next year. It was just something to try out once. I recommend anyone who likes beer to check it out though!

All in all the Ale Feat was fantastic this year. This is our second year in a row and we are very…read morepleased with the expansion. I would like to see a few more food booths and a better way to display the art so it was more of an event I know they're working on it and they did a really good job transitioning from year to year. We will be back next year!

Midwest Brewer's Fest in Plainfield is at the Plainfield Riverfront Park with a ton of craft beers…read morein 2 oz servings. Parking is a good distance walk on a rocky, uneven path from the fest and costs $10! Good thing we had our emergency valet money in the car because we weren't prepared for that cost as the website listed free parking. My friend wasn't all that happy with paying for parking but I reminded him that the money all goes to a good cause. :D Plus!!! We got our tickets for free (Thanks, Candice!!!) - and they're normally $40 when you prepay. It was hot as balls on the day of the fest. Being hot as balls, it would have been nice to have more tents & seating set up for people to relax. Also, they had water kegs on the lawn, but were empty when I tried to get some water. Other than the parking, water and bathroom situation, I thought the event was well put together and ran quite smoothly. Because there were so many breweries, lines were relatively short. My favorite beer was the Watermelon from Horny Goat. I've passed Horny Goat in Milwaukee many times so was pleased I got to try one of their brews. They were out of their other two offerings by 3pm (two hours in) which suited me fine as I wanted the Watermelon...but others were leaving the line a bit crabby. Because of the extreme heat, we didn't stay the full fest and I couldn't drink as much beer as I would have liked. I had 17 tickets left at the end of the fest (started out with 25) and felt a bit sad I couldn't use them. On the long walk back to the car, my flip flop broke! Eek! So I had to gimp back to the car, dying to go pee because I refused to go in the porta potties onsite. All in all, it was a decent festival but could tweak some areas to make it amazing festival. I'll probably skip the fest next year unless the weather is nice and cool and the breweries promise to offer some more unique choices.

The Midwest Brewer's Fest seemed very well planned. For a $40 General Admission ticket ($50 at the…read moregate) attendees received a beautifuly printed, perfect bound brochure containing detailed Fest info which included a foldout pocket map of the festival grounds/beer tents and a description of each participating brewery with room for taking notes; a plastic beer 'glass', and 25 tickets for 2 oz. beer pours. If you're doing the math, that's just over 3 pints of beer. Of course it's difficult to do just a 2 oz. pour from a tap, so I estimate if you used all your tickets you probably had 4 pints of beer. I'm a lightweight and so is my husband, so we were more interested in tasting a variety of brews than in quantity of beer received, so the small pours were great for us. We got to taste a lot of beers, though we didn't get to them all. Our palate and backs tired out well before we began to feel the beer. There were four beer tents (A-D) with 14 brewers each. That's 56 brewers! Each brewery brought at least two beers. There were kegs of cold, filtered water all along both sides of each tent so attendees could wash their beer glasses, cleanse their palates, and stay hydrated. There was also a VIP tent, but not having VIP tickets I can't tell you what went on there. The lines for beer were generally short. Even the long lines were not a long wait. It was smart of the organizers not to oversell tickets. There was a designated smoking area occupied mostly by cigar smokers. It was not a smokers ghetto, but rather set up under a tree with some cushy outdoor couches and chairs. Cigars were sold on site. Now I have been known to appreciate a cigar with a stout or porter, but I do wish the designated smoking area had been at one end of the grounds or the other. Having it alongside the beer tents meant I often had cigar smoke with my ale whether I wanted it or not. There were also individuals who felt the designated smoking area did not apply to them and who hit me in the face with a blast of smoke while I was waiting in line for a beer. Not appreciated. Food was exceptional for a fest of this kind. Way better than hot dogs spinning on a roller. Heaven on Seven was there, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Windy City Paella, Aurelio's Pizza. I had paella and it was delicious. There was plenty of shade and seating in the food tent too. I heard some folks paid $10 dollars for parking. We parked free near the Village Hall and walked no further than everyone else. My biggest disappointment had nothing to do with the Fest itself, but with the brewers' offerings. There was an overabundance of pale ales, IPAs, and wheat beers. There were quite a few pumpkin ales too. My husband and I had really hoped some of the brewers would bring out their less pedestrian brews. There was not one sour to be had. There were a few Belgian abbey styles. At least one porter and one stout. We thought surely with so many brewers and beers that we would be able to extend our experience of what we know as beer, but there was not the variety of styles that we had expected. We were pleased to find mead and several brewers of ciders and perrys. The purpose of the fest (beyond celebrating craft beer) was to raise funds to restore the Plainfield Riverfront (the venue for the Fest) and support Pints for Prostates. I confess I won the tickets as a (very new) Yelp Elite. Had we spent $80 to find less variety than we expected, we might have been very disappointed because $80 buys dinner and a couple choice selections of beer at a good beer bar. I would still be impressed by the organization and experience of the Fest itself. Perhaps the organizers can persuade the brewers to take more chances with their offerings next year.

Came here to see a concert of the band Kashmir. The venue is very cool. But keep in mind that the…read morefloor is not slanted towards the stage at all. The views are good, but you may have a tall person sitting in front of you. The staff here are all volunteers, but they are even more friendly and helpful than any paid staff I've dealt with at a venue like this. And major props for their sound and lighting staff. They do have good beers and other drinks, but only snack foods. Be prepared.

Went here for the first time a few weeks ago to see Terrapin Flyer and I fell in love with this…read moreplace! Sound is fantastic and not a bad seat in there. Drinks are VERY reasonable priced! People who volunteer there are all friendly and helpful. Can't wait to go see another show here!

Great juried art and crafts show. Very nice area to have a show and many people attend because it…read moreis held on 3rd street in Geneva where there are a lot of places to eat. Don't miss it. You'll be sorry if you do!

Enjoyed the annual Art Fair. Lots of new artists and a wide variety of art styles.The weather was…read moreperfect and Geneva is the perfect setting for such a great event.Cannot wait for next year!

This was our first time attending the Dupage Native Plant Sale. It is now held at the Dupage Event…read moreCenter and Fairgrounds. Parking and admission were free. This is a 2 day event selling over 150 different types of native flowers,grasses,shrubs and trees. There were many volunteers around to ask questions and get recommendations. Plants are not restocked daily so best is to go early on the first day. It gets crowded and with so many people pulling wagons and carts,patience is required! They do have a few trays to use but best is to bring your own boxes. Cash,check or credit cards are accepted but I wish the checkout area was in a different location than where the plants were being sold as the lines for checkout were very long. Proceeds benefit the Dupage Forest Preserve.

Amazing! Loved checking out all the 4-H projects! Special shout out to @ikonicglass for an amazing…read moreglass blowing experience!

Overall a decent fest. I recommend parking near the train station. (Or if you live near a BNSF…read morestop, convenient to take train to). Free admission. I have come multiple times to see a cover band. If you want to try some of the local restaurants, they have booths. It is a decent amount of walking. You can bring in your own chair to watch the bands or stand. They accept both cash and card at the beer tent. However, if you pay with card there is a fee. Vendors and crafts are same junk you see everywhere. Every year there is someone trying to sell me home improvements.

Taste of Westmont is an annual event located in the Downtown area on N Cass Ave. It offers a mix of…read morecarnival rides & games, (2) stages for live music, vendor tents, a beer tent, and food vendor area. There is no admission charge and street parking isn't too difficult to find. This is my second time attending the event and loved the atmosphere in the mid afternoon. There were about 8-10 food tents or trucks offering samples of their best items. All food venders were local to the Westmont area which I love. Most of the vendor tents this year were home remodeling companies or community organizations. While this is nice, I missed some of the mom & pop vendors offering decor, candies, artisan goods, etc. Overall, this is a great family-friendly event. It may not be the biggest festival but it's enough. It's never been too crowded when I've come and I always enjoy the sense of community!

A celebration of craft beer for hop heads, by hop heads? Though I don't pretend to know much about…read morehoppy beer, I'd like to learn... and a June day borrowed from 'A Time to Kill' (oh my mugginess!) in Two Brothers' parking lot seemed like a good enough place to begin my education. And so it began. Though the Hop Juice Festival is only in its third year, the juice is out of the bag and it's almost impossible to snag a VIP ticket unless you get on that super early (they're $65 and include five beers, admittance into the tap house, unlimited food + a special dinner buffet, a seat and access to real restrooms vs. porta potties). Otherwise, admission is free! After experiencing firsthand how wildly popular it is, I won't be surprised if it eventually morphs into an exclusive ticketed fest à la Three Floyds' Dark Lord Day. There is a point to all this madness: The fest commemorates the annual release of Hop Juice Double India Pale Ale (100 IBU's!) and also a beer exclusive to this festival, Hop Juice Black. I didn't try it, but was told it's Hop Juice's more aggressive sibling. In addition to Two Brothers brews, the much-hyped (and closely guarded 'til day of) guest beer list gets people going like Pavlov's dogs. The lines can be a bit intimidating, but don't let them deter you as they do move fast. What's important: Bring patience, sunscreen and a gypsy spirit - wandering around the grounds is fun and making new friends is easy! What isn't easy is finding parking (arrive early!) but the fantastic selection of exclusive and rare guest beer taps makes up for it... as does the food! Two Brothers serves turkey legs, housemade bratwurst, their famed fish tacos and more on the cheap - many of the items are only $4! Eight hours of live music will keep you entertained and the Brothers dedication to the Make-A-Wish Foundation makes this a feel-good affair. Well done good sirs!

Two Brothers spiced things up a bit this year with the addition of Hop Juice Black - a slightly…read moremeaner cousin to an already strong but well balanced beer. The balance in flavor helps hop juice from being feared by those who like a lighter beer but still provides plenty of punch to those who prefer something a bit heavier. This celebration is all about these beers and their release into the wild for the masses to consume. It also features the rest of the Two Brothers beer line-up, some great Two Brothers food (love the fish tacos!) and guest beers from other breweries like Lagunitas. On that topic, if you really want a guest beer get a lay of the land - there is a limited quantity of brew and there are 2 lines in a close area. I missed the Lagunitas Barrel Aged Imperial but I did get my hands on another guest brew later. The lines were a bit long this year, but nothing I wouldn't expect out of any similar event. With any kind of planning you can pick up food / beer tickets when you buy your take-home beer and avoid the other line all-together. Food lines were long earlier in the day but there was no wait later in the evening. Some of the day the Hop Juice lines were non-existent, and other times there was a decent wait. Things averaged out to be as-expected, but I wonder if there isn't some way to improve on it a bit for next year. In any case, the juice was loose and the crowd was great. It's good seeing people you know and meeting new ones while enjoying fresh, delicious, libations from a great brewer. Overall I had a great time and I'll be back again next year!