The city of Aurora did an excellent job pulling off their first ever Harry Potter Festival!…read more Tickets: This was a ticketed event ($3 cash per ticket - max 5 per person) and required in-person purchase several months prior to the actual event. Even though I arrived a few hours after the ticket purchase start time, I only stood in line for about an hour to get mine. A lot of people had complaints, but it honestly wasn't bad, especially given all of the publicity! The festival itself: They planned it out very well and had multiple events and activities, most kid-focused and friendly, but good for older fans too. Activities included a quidditch workshop, spell book creation, Ollivander's wands (x2), a potions lab, mocktail creations, Herbology, how to plant a Whomping Willow, Care of Magical Creatures, a self-guided Horcrux Hunt, Quiddich playing a, costume parade, a ride on the Hogwarts Express. Finally, there were multiple vendors in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade! Many of the activities required online preregistration, though many crafting events were free and just required you to stand in the queue. It was spaced out enough that the crowds were manageable and the lines weren't too long. Goods vendors in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade included bath bombs (including a House Reveal version - cool!), jewelry, bags, paintings, plants, wall decor, and much more! Everything was really cute and went along with the Harry Potter/Hogwarts theme. There were a few food and butter beer vendors, including 4-packs of bottled butter beer. A lot of the local businesses also got into the spirit of the festival and decorated their storefronts. I spied Wayne and Garth (20th anniversary of Wayne's World!) sporting Hogwars hats - cute! The local Paramount theatre offered four Harry Potter movie showings for $1 apiece, had Harry Potter-themed drinks and candy, and had an awesome 9 3/4 platform in their lobby! Security (and Aurora PD) was posted throughout the event and were friendly and helpful. Port-o-Johns were plentiful and stocked with hand sanitizer. By 2pm, garbage cans were overflowing.. so that's something they can keep an eye on next time. Great job on a really well thought out and organized event, Aurora!

Aurora's inaugural 2017 Harry Potter festival was a hit…read more There was plenty to do and see, and the overall vibe from all of the attendees was overwhelmingly positive, especially considering nothing like this has been held in Aurora before. The Quidditch pitch hosted tons of kids playing Quidditch which was tons of fun to watch. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade showcased tons of local, themed vendors that had lots of cool trinkets and souvenirs to buy. There were tons of fun classes to sign up for and take part in, like Herbology, Potions, and Magical Mocktails. It was also great to see a lot of the local businesses, closed or not, decorate their windows or host themed events related to the event, which definitely added to the overall spirit of the day. Best of all, eagle-eyed visitors spotted a number of subtle decorations that showed that there were true Harry Potter fans behind this event, including a "2nd Triwizard Task Vieweing Area" (overlooking the Fox River), Tom Riddle's grave, and all 7 horcruxes to hunt and find, each with a clever clue that led to the next. I can't wait until next year's event. I'm sure it's going to be even better!

July 2014 marked the 43rd year for the Aurora Puerto Rican Heritage Festival. I love going to fests…read moreof all kinds in different towns and I must admit...this was one of the best I've been to. The Puerto Rican Heritage Fest is in downtown Aurora at the River Edge Park. They couldn't have picked a better location. For one, the park is fairly new and absolutely beautiful. Two, parking was extremely easy--only $1.50 in the metra parking lot and it is right across the street from the fest. And three, they have a huge stage with seating for live bands. The festivities last two days, Saturday and Sunday, and kick off with the Puerto Rican Parade at noon. The parade itself is located in the streets of downtown near City Hall. After that, everyone walks/drives over to River Edge. It's only $5 to get in! Not bad. As soon as you're past security, it's like you're actually in Puerto Rico. The smell of delicious fried foods, red white and blue flags every where, and loud music that makes you want to stop and dance with someone. I was in heaven! First thing to do at any fest is head to liquor booths. There were pina colada and daquiri booths every where, so I picked the first one I came to. "These have rum in them right?" "No, you have to go get drink tickets at a different stand and they only sell mikes hard and beer." WHAT!? How are you gonna have all these drink stands and no booze? Not too big of a deal, but that's definitely a recommendation I would make for next year. So I grabbed a Mikes hard. It was $4 but that's typical at any fest. Next I went to all the booths where they sold puerto rican jewelry, flags, clothes, art work, anything you could imagine. It was much like Guavate, Puerto Rico. Shops everywhere but many of them selling the same stuff. I got a great flag, only $3 bucks, and a festival t-shirt, only $15 bucks. The prices were very reasonable. Keep in mind...many of the vendors only spoke Spanish. Now for the food...by far the best part of the fest! Anything I could possibly get my hands on and eat...I did. There were multiple food vendors. Again, many of them selling the same type of foods, but some times the way they make it varies (such as the beans different vendors use. And yes, the type of bean you use when making Puerto Rican food matters!!) All together, I spent only $26 bucks on food and you would not believe me if I showed you just how much food $26 bucks got me! I got two empanadillas (fried meat pies), a huge portion of lechon (pulled pork), a fried plantain, one giant rellenos de papa (fried potato ball with ground beef inside), habichuelas guisadas (pink beans with wonderful seasoned sauce), and arroz con gandules (yellow rice and gandules)! We also ordered the bacalaitos (cod fritters), alcapurria (corn fritter stuffed with ground beef), and a pastele. The pastele, however, was the only thing that was not good! It was complete mush. Everything else was AMAZING!! They also sold pinchos, sorrulitos de maiz (sweet corn fritters), mozzarepa (corn pancake stuffed with mozzarella), and funnel cakes...so many different kinds of funnel cakes like red velvet! Mmmm.... This fest is seriously a great time. The people are so beautiful and friendly (seriously every person working the fest was just so happy to be there, really friendly and helpful). The music was fun, the puerto rican souvenirs were well priced, and the food was cheap and DELICIOUS!! I can't wait for next years fest!

Some of my family members had such a good time at the first World Cup Watch party that they…read moreconvinced me to come check out the second one that the city of Aurora put on for Mexico vs. England and I have to say that I was really impressed overall with how well the event went. Although the game had a disappointing outcome I can easily say that the moments of community and celebration among the crowd still made this watch party one of the more joyful and memorable experiences I've had at RiverEdge. I have been to the park a couple of times in the past for concerts and festivals and although I was originally of the mind that the space didn't need much more but the new design and updates seem to be worthwhile improvements. I was really surprised that the park was in such amazing shape following the crazy storms and flooding the night before. We parked across the river and walked the pedestrian bridge to get to the venue. My family was happy to see that this time they had a checkpoint at the start of the bridge and we were able to just enter the venue when we reached the other side of the bridge instead of having to join a line again like they had to previously. We got there about two hours before the initially scheduled start time and the place was already filling up but there was still plenty of space on the lawns for setting up chairs or blankets and I liked the amount of screens available for viewing throughout the venue. The beverage pavilion did a great job of serving fast and keeping wait times short. Both times that I went to get a drink I was able to order within 5 mins and it was nice to be able to still see the action going on with the big screen above the pavilion. Although there was a heavy security presence all of the interactions I witnessed were very friendly even when it came to more rowdy fans. I even witnessed a police officer spring into action to help a small child that seemed to be having a medical emergency which was very encouraging to see with such a large crowd. My only criticisms for the event are that the bottom of the screen we were camped at was a little glitchy at times (maybe due to storm damage?) and the lines for the concessions and the food trucks were very long throughout the night. We brought in a Jersey Mike's sub so we were able to avoid the lines for the most part but I saw some people with bags of popcorn that looked good and after searching all over for where I could get some I finally saw that they were available at the Strawberries BBQ stand but was bummed when after waiting in line for 15 mins I suddenly noticed that that they had a piece of tape over the popcorn on one of the menu boards to the side of the window. I didn't feel like waiting another 15 mins to confirm so I just went back. I think some clearer signage that is easier to update and a separate line for the quicker to shell out food items would be a big help. Hopefully they iron this out. Despite this I was still happy to see that Strawberries was brought in as an official concession provider. Had I known this prior I would have rather saved my money and just gotten some of their delicious ribs. Some of my friends have mentioned that they are going to the Australian Pink Floyd show in a couple of weeks and I think this experience might have got me off the fence about joining in.

Everything was great. Staff, sound, seating area, food vendors, access, no long lines, waiting…read more Just all good!

A free drive thru Holiday Light Festival held in Phillips Park in Aurora…read more This free event runs from late November thru late December daily from 5-9pm. You will have to check the website for exact dates. They advise you to pre register which is not required since no one checks you in . I wish the local authorities would have been assisting with the fllow of traffic entering and leaving the park . Especially for people not familiar with the area. It a fun family event during the holiday season.

Nice, free. park district drive through lights display for a cold winter night. Good for families…read moreand the young at heart. Traffic moved pretty well but signs to find the correct entrance are not as helpful as having someone live directing. Many people showed up to the wrong entrance and had to reroute..

My family and I go to Pumpkin Daze at Abbey Farms every year. It's the most analog of the pumpkin…read morepatch places in the area and it suits us very well. The kids love it and it's usually not very crowded which makes for a very pleasant way to spend a day. The tickets are a little pricey, but it includes plenty of activities including a petting zoo and corn maze. They have an indoor and an outdoor bar as well as a lunch restaurant and shop, so you really could spend the whole day!

Came here out of curiosity, I always past Abbey Farm when I'm driving about and decided to actually…read morecheck the place out. I mostly explored the store and the front portion of the farm. When you initially walk onto the property there's a sight that has an arrow pointing towards the direction of the store and another arrow pointing towards the direction of the ticket booth. I didn't go to the ticket booth so I'm not sure what that area entails. This review will be restricted to the store and their pumpkin patch selection that's located out front. I really enjoyed the store. They have a bunch of treats and knick knacks available for purchase. I ended up buying 1/2 dozen of donuts. 3 were apple cider and the other 3 were their pumpkin donuts. The pumpkin ones were pretty tasty, but their Apple Cider donuts take the cake by far. So delicious! As far as the pumpkin selection out front I thought it was a little sad. I found much healthier looking pumpkins at Walmart. Overall, it's a cute place to bring your family especially during the holidays. Will definitely be back for those donuts!!

First visit to this event today and never again. $38 to see 5 houses is the program with tea and…read morecookies at a church. Visited one mediocre house that we toured in 4-5 minutes with the majority of that time taking off our shoes carrying them through the small first floor and putting them back on as we left. It was more of an advertisement for the florist who provided the greenery (which was lovely). Next house, line around the block to get into another seemingly mediocre house so we decided not to wait. next house - street is closed off so you have to park along the shoulder (50+ cars) and walk across a busy street into the subdivision to find the house. apparently the neighbors don't want the traffic but accept the proceeds of the walk which goes towards decorating geneva. The cottage downtown had no parking for blocks. by now, we've 'toured' one house and spent alot of time driving but seen nothing. save your money / donate it to a worthy cause but don't waste it on this house walk. so not worth it.

I have attended the Christmas House Tour for many years. This years was the worst, terribly…read morecrowded. Horribly long long lines. Frustrating.

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!

I finally had the chance to visit the Peach Festival at Windy Acres Farm, and I had a great time!…read moreThere were so many peach-flavored treats and products to browse, and I enjoyed picking up a variety of items to take home. I did think some of the produce was priced a bit higher than I expected, but overall it was still a fun experience. I also finally tasted the peach slushy. It needed more peach flavor, but it was refreshing, considering how warm it was outdoors. One of my favorite treats was the peach funnel cake. I asked them to add ice cream to make it a sundae, and it was absolutely delicious! One suggestion I'd love to see in the future would be a homemade peach puree or peach syrup to drizzle on top. I think that would take it to the next level. I didn't purchase admission to the area with the petting zoo and other family activities, so I also missed out on the beer garden and grilled food. I think it would be a great idea to have a few food trucks or additional food vendors near the farm stand for visitors who are just there to shop or enjoy the festival without entering the activity area. I definitely would have spent more on food if that had been an option. Overall, I had a wonderful visit!

We went to the blueberry festival. They hold this for two weekends in August every year for 40…read moreyears. They have a hayride, they have ski ball, they have basketball hoops, they have a bouncing, trampoline, kind of thing, they have blueberries and blueberry shortcake and pies, they have jams and jellies, and definitely lots of sweet, amazing corn. I would say that it's fun and it's great for the kids. They also had an amazing magician and he really did a great job with these tricks. But I would say that the quality of the processed foods had full of color and hydrogenated oils and soybean flour and it's not very healthy. The slushy's also contained lots of food coloring and not much fruit. And the blueberry pie had mostly gelatin like filling and not much blueberry. They had a corn Flight for $12 of four half corn ears and they had different flavors and the corn was amazing. Plenty of Free Parking. If the rain comes, it gets muddy so you might need galoshes or your Hunter boots. It's $18 per person to get in. If you're under two years old is free and for a nine dollar up charge per person you can ride all the rides unlimited.