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!

We won tickets for the Lantern Festival which is a family friendly event located at Rivers Edge…read morePark. The festival runs from 430pm to 900pm. We arrived around 7 pm after dinner since we wanted to see the lantern launch. As you enter you are given a drawstring bag filled with a floating lantern kit,LED light,marker,playing cards and conversation cards. Apparently people said the lines to get the bags were very long when they opened. They did have a few food trucks throughout the park but again very long lines. As we walked around we saw various spots where people were launching their lanterns into the river..all different with pictures or messages written on them. Lines were long but people didn seem to care. Parking in the area is limited. I'm glad we went to see the lantern launch but I'm not sure I would go again after seeing the long lines.

Thanks to the Water Lantern Festival, I am now aware of this beautiful park and venue in Aurora,…read morewhere the Fox River flows through. If more events were held here, I won't be mad. I can see myself enjoying an outdoor standing concert, weather permitting. I love how there's actual bathrooms on premise rather than porta potties, and they even have signage for going in and out, so there's no traffic jam. The water lantern festival also had several vendors and food trucks there -- the lines were long and I didn't end up getting anything. The check in process was easy and we were able to make our own with the supplies in our drawstring bag. While we were here, Isaiah Grass was performing on the John C. Dunham Pavilion, and he is definitely a local, young talent -- had no idea he was a former American Idol contestant. This place is a perfect way to admire the beauty of nature / outdoors while also being able to lounge on the grass, listen/watch a performance etc all beside the Fox River. It's also very conveniently located across from the Aurora Metra station (BNSF) line, and there's also plenty of parking there as well. I'd recommend this place to anyone in the area, event or not.

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!!

Okay, I admit it. I am a noisy person who buys tickets to the House Tour every year not to see the…read moreholiday decorations, but to see how other people live and decorate their homes. I love seeing their gourmet kitchens and remodeled basements! I get giddy when I see built-in cabinets and impressive, stone fireplaces! The House Tour is like walking through a Pottery Barn catalog or a Crate and Barrel photo shoot. It is the highlight of my December. For those who don't know, the House Tour is usually held the first weekend of December. Five Geneva homes are selected each year, and these homes are decorated by local designs and/or florists for the holidays. Other people then have the opportunity to walk through these homes, and admire the decor. The tour is a bit pricey ($30 per person), and can get crowded (you can wait outside a house for 25 minutes or more), which may be a deterrent for some. Your admission includes a "tea" at the Congregational Church, but I find the experience of sitting in a musty, dark church basement, sipping a cup of Lipton tea, to be a bit depressing. There's so much to see in the houses themselves, you're not really missing out by skipping the tea. For me, in fact, there is only one problem with the House Tour: it is extremely slanted toward the part of Geneva that is east of Randall Road (apparently those of us who live west of Randall are not really part of Geneva), and west of the river. I cannot tell you how much it irks me that the tour does not extend all over Geneva. The House Tour is also part of the Christmas Walk, which typically kicks off on the first Friday in December. That evening, Saint Lucia visits Geneva by horse-drawn carriage, and Santa and/or the mayor lights the large Christmas tree in front of the courthouse. The kids can visit Santa in his little house on Third Street, and the whole family can listen to carolers. It's a very nice experience, and one I would highly recommend, regardless of whether you decide to do the House Tour as well.

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.

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!