It was the Wurst of times, it was the Beerst of times! I had the pleasure of hitting up this brand…read morenew little festival on opening day, but torrential rains derailed the excellent music planned for the night, and kept crowds away. Still, those of us that stayed got to know each other huddled under tents, and I met way more people involved in this new festival put on by DCASE and the City, than I would have otherwise. The Wurst Festival is a celebration of bratwurst, craft beer, and quality music. Big Guys Charbroiled Sausages (Berwyn) gave a nice presentation on artisinal sausage making, answered questions from the crowd, and gave out samples of their "Bear Down" Blue Cheese & Citrus Orange brat. It was so good, we got a full order at the brat tent. We also tried the Gunthorp Best Brat, which was smooth. We met a nice vendor from Familyfarmed.org and I look forward to checking out how they connect artisinal food farms with opportunities to distribute their wares. We also met a woman from Local Flavors who explained her products from locally grown tomatoes to natural ketchup. We topped our brats with that same ketchup and a brined cabbage! The thing that brought me to the Wurst Festival was actually the great music, planned in conjunction with the Chicago Music Summit. Mazes (Chicago) gave a nice performance of a few songs before torrential rains shut down the music stage. Scott Lucas (Local H) and the Married Men were to also play, but never got the chance. We talked with Scott and the band about local music, and he was super nice. Also nice were the guys at the brat and beer tent, but a slight dissapointment was the lack of other "craft brews" other than three beers from Goose Island, two of which didn't seem very "craft". Fox Valley Wine also a great red there, a Sec Dry, so that was a nice find. Since this small festival is in its infancy, I'm sure things will improve, but I highly recommend it.

Look, I'm not Italian, I've been to Italy. Does that count? This fest definitely feels Italian…read more There's a lot of musicians singing Italian songs all over the place and the ton of food options is predominantly Italian. We had the bacon jam coal fire pizza, really thin crust with fresh buffalo mozzarella - excellent ! Most boths are run by mom and pop, so they don't flip the tablet to guilt you the mandatory 15% tip for handing you your food. Alleluia!!! The suggested entry fee is only $7! They have actual merchandise to sell here not just arts and crafts. They also have carnival games for kids.

This was a nice, pretty big fest. Great food choices, great atmosphere, singing artists, and a nice…read morechoice of small shops. Parking not far, it was $10, but considering the area it was not a price. Highly recommend this fest.

It's been a few years since I've been to the market and I was really happy it wasn't too crowded…read morelast time I was here. I feel like that makes a huge difference on the experience one has. My favorite part of this market is all the beautiful, unique items they sell. I feel like I always find the best gifts from here! I love getting to see people's unique talents and handmade goods. This year, I got a beautiful wooden ornament for my dog, a nativity lamp (gift), stein (gift), and, of course, one of their yearly mugs for myself to add to my mug collection. The biggest downside for me is the food. The food is soo expensive and the quality does not live up to what it could be. I typically skip the food now, but will get a nice cup co cocoa when the weather is cold.

Fun market with a few different food, drink, and souvenir options. I got the raclette sandwich…read morebecause I saw the long line and wanted to try. I got the beef option. The cheese was a little smellier (not in a bad way) than it tasted. I liked the pickled onions. Good flavor! $18-20 per sandwich, which is steep pricing but to be expected at this market.

Oh my word, my friends and I had an absolute BLAST at Oktoberfest Fulton Market! We committed to…read morethe bit, which I think helped our experience. We were a group of six girls, we may have had a few drinks before coming, and then add in our included beer stein - we were having a good time LOL. The very first thing we did was the spinny ride and it was absolutely hilarious. No one else was in line to go on so they let us keep going. We were cracking up, hootin and hollerin the whole time. We got a table shortly after and ordered a few things to share - giant pretzel, wurst, and a hot dog. It was a good snack to split among the six of us! Add in another round of beers to wash it all down, which explains how we ended up standing on the table and dancing. Okay, before you judge, lots of people were already doing it so we joined it. It's the tru Oktoberfest spirit! Eventually we found our ways to the front of the stage at the dance floor where the live band was amazing. The frontrunner had dances and emcee'd throughout. At one point, the did a congo line of sorts all throughout, where our friend group recruited people to join in. After that, they did a stein-holding contest, which included another free beer if you participated! This was such a fun night and a great crowd. We are SO excited to come back next year!

PROST! PROST! What a lively atmosphere with music, Beer, sausages, pretzels and games for the…read morecrowds! Some many People, including myself, dress the part for the endearment of the German culture. It was pretty Geil! Definitely a festival mood! Festival prices to be expected for the food and drinks. Portions for serving of two to three people. Plenty of bar and food stations to entice the crowd! There were lights that were decorated throughout the entire festival that gave such an amazing ambiance! It made it that much more enjoyable and memorable for my crew! Great combination if you ask me! The company you bring or meet at these festivals with the night time vibes is all you need to have a pretty memorable experience! My crew and I definitely enjoyed the Oktoberfest! Our first festival and it was amazing. Although, it wasn't many kiddos the crowd still was friendly and welcoming. Some even gave my kiddos their game winning prizes, it was so thoughtful and kind! Glad we stepped out on a Saturday to celebrate and experience a different culture. PROST! PROST! Mate!

Taste of Chicago happened to be going on when we were visiting, so we had to check it out!…read more And it was a fun time! We found several things to try, including pierogis, pizza, beer and ice cream. For the record, Rainbow Cone was our favorite, and the mac and cheese, which featured nacho cheese, was our least favorite. (Forget where the mac and cheese came from.) We found some shade under trees, which was a nice respite. And there seemed to be a great lineup of live entertainment. I also wish we had had time to better partake of the kids area. This is a must visit, especially if you like to try lots of foods and the summer heat isn't too intense.

Remember being a teenager with 20 dollars and a few friends. Going downtown to the Taste of Chicago…read morewas such a treat. You had a hand full of tickets and thought you were on top the world. It was always a good time walking around laughing, embracing the good times. Always running into someone else you knew. If you were lucky, you also enjoyed a free concert. I remember the year Stevie Wonder performed, I couldn't even get close to the stage. So glad I could hear him! As the years have passed the Taste has been through many changes; some good and some bad. It had even been cancelled before. I'm glad it's back and here to stay. A great place to visit in the summertime and get that sweet or savory bite of something new. There are no more tickets and the event is cashless but watch your receipts. Some venders are charging surcharges, including gratuities and a fee for using a card. I love that it was so crowded my most used words were "excuse me". I was on break so I only had time to stand in two lines. One for corn and another one for empanadas. They were both fresh and delicious. See you next year.

Finally in town over Wicker Park Fest weekend and could not have enjoyed myself anymore!…read more Wicker Park Fest is an annual fest that is rooted in all things local with a focus on music, food and art. Stretching from one end of Milwaukee Ave to the other with tents and booths lining the middle of the street all capped off by music stages at each end of the street. So, you enter and leave through music! The tents line the center of Milwaukee avenue and are two deep, making it a necessity to walk all the way up one side and back down the other to get the full experience. And along the way you can pop in to any of the local shops on Milwaukee, as they stay open during. We ventured to the festival to find artwork to take back home, and while we struck out there, we did find a few other things, namely fashion and accessory items, to take back...all while enjoying a few drinks and tasty bites along the way! Porta-potty's were decently plentiful and centrally located, as were trashcans. Attendance is free, however they recommend a donation at the door. With that donation you get a cool WPF pin, which doubles as a discount "card" of sorts for several of the booths and shops inside. Overall, this was our first Wicker Park Fest and certainly will not be our last!

Always a good time here at Wicker Park Fest. Donation expected $10. They do a really good job of…read morecombining performance, art and neighborhood exhibitions. They also do a good job of incorporating the kids and the dogs. The bars and restaurants are open and have specials for the occasion. On top of that there is a diverse set of food vendors. Additionally, the live music is always on point. Congrats to this neighborhood for including all the local businesses and community for a fun, safe weekend!!!

Dope event. Come hungry and pace yourself. +15 burgers to sample. VIP gets you in a hour early, but…read moreisn't worth the extra $20. No lines for food even after rush. Open bar sponsored by Amstel.

Well, this fest is probably perfect for any meat eater but I'm pescatarian and preferably…read morevegetarian and for that reason I cannot rate it higher because my only food option there was popcorn but if your boyfriend is a passionate meat eater and doesn't want to go himself, what can one do? :) I think they should always have a few more options for those that like the animals too much (for snuggling not eating). But from a perspective of meat eater, this festival is awesome!!! I also missed having a few more beers to choose from as well as dessert :-)

Scams galore. People at front of the event will ask you for money but you legally don't need to pay…read moresince it's on a public street. Venue was extremely packed (literally elbow to elbow with people so no room to eat, walk, or anything). Ended up being scammed at one of the food stands. Was charged $55 for two flautas when the vendor said $15. I came back to give my food back and he said "no you already took a bite" so I called him a scammer and he started cussing at me. Will be charging this transaction back, especially since they are a fake business with no real address or working phone number.

Pray to God the weather holds up because this is worth going. Entrance is $10 for the whole family…read more- that's a bargain. There's supposed to be high‐flying masked wrestlers (Mexican lucha libre) at 1 pm this Saturday May 25 - don't miss that. I went May 24. This place was alive - the music, the people it was hoping like summer is finally here. Yes, they have lots of Mole sauce to pour on whatever dish you buy. Some have free tasting. It's actually very good. The $9 20 ounce Sangria's don't hurt either. This experience is a twofer. First, you get the fest to eat, drink, and be entertained just like any fest. Second, the whole thing is a cultural experience from the food to the shopping it's not your usual fare. So go now. Summer won't last long in Chicago.