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.

Went to see the play, Baked. It was delightful. Staging was excellent. Story line was funny and…read morepoigant. The space is nicely set-up. There is a bar for drink purchases. It is a nice evening out. The only problem is that the area is parking challenged. Do come a little earlier to secure pay to park spots. The area has little free street parking. The venue itself is usually air conditioned to be on the cool side. A light jacket or layer is highly recommended for all performances.

Intimate space for some great shows. Bar staff is friendly, as well as other support staff…read more Acoustics are good. I was impressed. Nice job.

A Chicago Dogs game is an A+ family outing, super fun and great value…read more It's a small stadium, so easy to get around and no bad seats. You can walk the entire concourse in five minutes. There's no shade, so day games in summer can be brutally hot. Night games are delightful. + Parking in the adjacent garage for THREE DOLLARS. If that's full, you can park for free across the street, a 5-10 minute walk from the gates. + Solid concessions: hot dogs, burgers, bratwurst, grilled chicken, tacos, pizza, chicken tenders, fries, pretzels, popcorn, ice cream...enough variety for everyone to find something. I learned about something called a bosco stick, which I regret not getting. Next time! + Entertainment between every half inning: trivia, fan interviews, numerous types of wacky races. This really keeps kids engaged. + Cheap and flexible ticket options. Games don't seem to sell out (or come close), so you can buy tickets on short notice and still get to pick your seats pretty much anywhere. About 85% of the seats range from just $10 to $17.

Impact Field is a pretty good time and affordable for families. The field is close to O'Hare in…read moreRosemont Illinois and offers covered parking for $3. The baseball itself was not thrilling, the home team lost badly, but the stadium, atmosphere, Helpful staff and field activities kept everyone in high spirits. We went on a fireworks night. They actually paused the game to do the fireworks because the game was going long, and there is strict timing for fireworks as the field is close to the airport. Our group had a box upstairs, so we had unlimited food, beer and wine. The price was right and the food was good! Not a huge spread but a good one. Pasta and pork tenderloin were stand outs. Also a hot dog bar because it's a baseball game.

What a beautiful show! It's free. Some people bring lawn chairs, but most people just bring a…read moreblanket or sit on the ground. It's totally worth checking out in the evening.

Fun and fancy free - Full Moon Fire Jam will leave you in awe & amazement and hopefully allow you…read moreto chill out while enjoying the view. When deciding to go, we had no idea what to expect and thought it would be some kind of coordinated fire show. It's not that. So the show starts at 8pm but I recommend getting there by 7pm. It gets really packed - like picnic blanket to blanket tight so getting there early will help you claim your spot while the sun is still up and you aren't stepping all over people. What then happens for the next two hours is super cool! Various fire performers queue up and take turns doing their fire acts and moves as drums pound providing beats for them. There were usually 8 on the lawn at any given time and they come off and on 'stage' in a very organized and safe form. Volunteers monitor the performers with them getting about 5 minutes each time they go on and they can get right off & back into line to perform again. There must have been 100 different fire artists! Who knew the fire community was such a big thing? Your experience will vary depending on where you are sitting because you'll see different acts from various locations around the roped off section of lawn. All of these mini shows culminate in a grand finale of a fire breathing dragon and the cast fighting him, trying to defeat the fiery beast! Overall an incredibly entertaining evening not allowing for a dull moment. The drummers should get major kudos as they began playing around 630pm and didn't stop until 1030pm! My suggestions and tips... +Bring a blanket to sit on or if you bring lawn chairs, bring those low 2" off the ground chairs. Don't be a douchecanoe with full height lawn chairs, setting them up in front, blocking the view of others. +Along those same lines, sit your booty down and enjoy the show. If you stand, you're blocking hundreds of people sitting behind you. +Bring some food to enjoy prior to the show starting. I am a law abiding citizen who would never violate city rules ;) , but I did see a good amount of people drinking and smoking the cushy stuff around us. You're going to do one or both of these things inevitably...so just use your noggin and be smart with it. +You'll find Full Moon Fire Jam directly under the viaduct by Argyle. It's in the lawn before you hit the beach, just south of Foster Beach. +Though it ends around 10pm, tons of people stick around doing other type of light show mini performances. I felt like I was 18 again in an after hours club. +Be sure to check their website just before you go to ensure the show is on. The Jam can get easily cancelled due to weather conditions. Safety first! +This event attracts all types of people, mostly adults, but be open to it and leave your judgments at the metaphorical door. This event is absolutely fascinating and feels ritual like...so much so that my British friends in town kept feeling like they were going to be sacrificed to the blood moon. I really enjoyed watching the talents of all the fire performers and would go to this event again in a heartbeat. Highly recommended for a nice summer evening!

This is a great place for humor and improve The best in…read morethe area for humor and jokes. Comedians are great and

Whether you're looking for a night out of going dancing, dinner, grab a few drinks with friends, or…read moretaking the kiddos out for some fun, MB Financial Park has it all. The way that the whole park is set up is really cool. Imagine a football field in the center of it all, then all around that football field is a mixture of restaurants and bars that turn into dance clubs after dark when the kids are in bed. There is even a bowling alley called Kingpin. The restaurants found there offer different menus, and I'm sure that even for a picky eater, you'll find something for you. Adobe Gillas is catered towards Mexican food, the Sugar Factory offers American food with awesome dessert options, and the Hoffbraus is a German bar. Keep in mind that most of the bars here offer those GIGANTIC fish bowl drinks of liquor! Yes! Remember that football field I mentioned above? Well during the summer, it is a grassy field that you and the kids can choose to run around on, and during the winter, it turns into an ice skating rink! I believe admission is free and you can either bring your own skates or rent some there. Aside from all that I just mentioned, there's a comedy club located here as well. During the summer and the winter months, there are always some type of fun family oriented activities and events going on. Parking is usually free when I go and they have their own parking garage. But some dates may vary so definitely check their website to make sure. Definitely check out this awesome establishment! Oh and there is an outlet mall right across the street! :)

This was my first visit to this nice summer festival. Without any kiddos in tow, which is not…read morereally in the job description anymore except in umm special situations, I was only interested in the free concerts. The atmosphere on a pleasant Saturday evening was crowded, festive, buoyant, well-behaved, and safe with a good visible presence by the Skokie police. This festival is really great for the area and has grown in its local renown. I actually lived in Skokie from 1982 - 1995 and this event didn't exist until 2007. We saw about half of Americana singer Micheal McDermott's performance followed by alt-rock band Vertical Horizon. For the price, t'was very enjoyable. I never heard of either and it was no biggie, but I saw that the Bash drew Foghat here at least one year, so they occasionally get some big names. I also learned I didn't need to lug around portable chairs to watch the main stage. There's fold-up chairs already set up and available and it's easy to nab a couple of seats if you're there before a performance starts. Midway through one though, it's harder at prime time, but with people coming and going, the wife and I still managed to nab a couple seats pretty close to the front. Parking can be a little challenging as it's virtually all neighborhood street parking. You just have to circle around looking for an opening and be willing to walk a little. Great festival, and a great first visit for us! Thank you Skokie!

I like the fact that I could just walk to this event from my home, no car necessary, not at all…read more Downtown Skokie is experiencing a resurgence and the Backlot Bash is part of that good feeling about living close to Oakton and Niles Center Rd. And it's a three day event (Friday - Sunday) and there's a little something for everyone - kiddie rides, funnel cake, a beer garden, car show, good food (relatively speaking), live bands and you can go during the day and at night. I really have enjoyed the bands, here's a list of who I've seen - The Wailers (without Peter, Bunny and Bob), the Fixx (One thing leads to another), Blue Oyster Cult (more cowbell please), Flock of Seagulls (actually missed them as I was in Ireland) and most recently Foghat (I just wanna make, love to you - whoops, this is a PG rated review). So that's a pretty awesome list for a free neighborhood concert. I do worry though because this event is getting bigger and bigger and bigger each year. I think they need to go West on Oakton for more space. I haven't asked the home owners though, for their opinion. I do have to say that I enjoy the folks who bring their little kids or their aging parents to watch a rock concert, that just warms my heart. Like I said, there's a little something for everyone. It's also really safe, there's always the Skokie 5-0 swat truck parked right in front. Now I just hope next years band will be even better - how about Rush, REO or Cheap Trick, The Romantics, wouldn't that be great?!?

One of the best of the best summer weekend festivals around Chicago. Hungry - choose from around 25…read morelocal vendors; thirsty - no problem; games and rides for the kids - voila!; Music - nearly non-stop - vendors with clothing, crafts, jewelry, toys, beauty items, candles - enjoy. See you next year!

I have not been to Taste of Elmwood for decades and it has not changed. It had several food…read morevendors, at reasonable prices. Everything from Italian, Mexican and American. To purchase alcoholic drinks you are required to get carded and a wristband, regardless of age. Cocktails were good, but a bit pricey for the size. There were music events throughout the fest.

Imagine you're at a party. Quirky theme. Fun vibe. All of a sudden, a woman kills the music and…read moretells everyone at the party that she miscarried a week ago. Before you have time to understand what just happened, the music clicks back on. Someone yells "let's do a line dance!" No one misses a beat. Everyone starts dancing. You are bewildered and vaguely upset. You consider joining the dance, but you can't because the music clicks off again. A guy grabs a mic talks about how his uncle assaulted him when he was 14. You begin to think that maybe this party isn't intended to be fun. But then, suddenly, the party music clicks back on and someone shouts "let's play musical chairs!" It goes on like this. If you ever begin to enjoy yourself, you know that at any second a partygoer will cut the electricity and monologue about gun violence or Palestine or climate change. You try to wrap your head around it. Maybe it's supposed to be a critique of parties in general? Before you can figure it out, the party is over. Everyone says they loved it. Anyway, that's what the Infinite Wrench feels like. $25 bucks. 5 stars I guess I don't know anymore.

Used to be interesting, affordable theater but has gone way downhill over the years. Total trash,…read morephony, and a waste of money. Much better theater options throughout Chicago.