Every year, since the early 70's it seemed we had djs showcasing popular urban music. This year,…read morethey didn't even have a House music venue. I don't know if they are justifying it by saying, it keeps the gangs out but the gangs no longer really follow House music trends. Plus, they still had gang fights. As I walked my bike through the festival it felt alienating. On tv they called it America's largest latino fest and that's a lie.

The last time we visited Chicago a few years ago, we attended and really liked the Tacos y Tamales…read morefestival. This year we found we'd missed that event, but Fiesta del Sol, supposedly the largest Latin festival of its kind in the USA, would be happening during our trip instead, and both of those events take place in the exact same area of the Pilsen neighborhood. We took an Uber here on Saturday afternoon to check it out, eat some authentic Mexican food and enjoy the music and folkloric performances. This festival features streets lined with vendors selling food and merchandise, they had 2 performance stages with live bands, a grassy area with a DJ spinning, and a 2 block-long section that was set up like a carnival midway with games of chance, thrill rides and amusements. Visiting Fiesta del Sol was a good way to spend a few hours, enjoy some good food and entertainment and best of all, admission was completely free. Do know that the food at some booths is better quality than others and if I were to attend this festival again, I'd walk around and look at everything before deciding where and what to eat. Some vendors, for instance, were cooking their meat and preparing items fresh, including one stand that was grilling steak and turkey legs over an open wood fire, while others had pre-cooked everything and were taking items out of a cooler and reheating them as customers ordered - and to us, the pre-cooked options lacked flavor. Another thing to note is that Fiesta del Sol was a "dry" event with no alcohol sales. Even booths selling things like pina coladas and micheladas were selling non-alcohol versions. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but those planning to have a cold beer while enjoying the music on a hot summer day or to come and party it up with a few drinks, won't be able to do that here.

I love the quaintness of Lincoln square. I find myself hanging out here more often lately. They…read morehave such a great array of shops and festivals. The German American festival is one of them. There's plenty of regular festival vendors, local restaurants and pubs and lots of carnival games. You'll get to see lots of culture attire like people decked out in traditional lederhosen but the Oktoberfest tents are the biggest attraction long tables, beer and food. Although I don't really drink these days but there is something about sitting out enjoying a good drink and food just meeting random people.

We happened upon this festival. Not that impressed. A beer tent, some cheap carnival games, one…read morefood tent, and one small stage with a band. We ended up leaving and going to a restaurant.

2025 Review! Same Fest, New Location! Tacos & Tamales Fest…read moreis now on Blue Island Ave between Wolcott & Ashland. Their new location is so much better to space out the crowd, offer better street parking/access to public transportation, and allows for more vendors! They had the similar mix of local businesses, corporate freebies, artist tents, and (3) music stages; but, I'm already looking forward to seeing how they continue to grow next year.

I usually skip food festivals because I hate crowds, but this is one I'd been looking forward to…read morefor weeks. I don't eat good tamales very often and it was very convenient to have one location with all of the local venders so that I could try multiple restaurants at once. -Narrowing down which restaurant was my favorite to avoid future disappointments. Hands down, Yvolina's was my favorite. The chicharron tamale with green mole sauce was still in my mind when I woke up this morning. But sadly, I had to eat a grapefruit instead. ::sad face:: They run about $10 each, but are very large. I did also enjoy Yvolina's Chicken Tinga tamale, but the chicharron is the one I'd go back for. Didn't love the churros from Xurro, but I'm a pastry chef and make churros quite often. Maybe I just prefer my own. I ordered the churro s'more and wouldn't order again. It was all way too dry. Not enough chocolate either. There were many kinds of venders. If tamales aren't your thing, you aren't out of luck. With tacos, tortas, burritos, quesadillas etc.. sold up and down the streets, there's something for everybody. My only regret was not ordering the street corn that everyone seemed to me walking around eating. As much of a pain it was to be raining, it was the perfect time to go. The crowds were very minimal. It was still a lively bunch though. Many people dancing in the streets as the music blasted in the air. I very much enjoyed my evening and will definitely return next year. Parking is a bit of a beast. Prepare to have to park a bit far and walk.

Chicago is a summer of festivals and I love exploring each and every one. We saw a Groupon for…read morePorky's rib fest and decided to give it a shot! At $15 for two adult entrance tickets and free parking, it was pretty reasonable for festival pricing. As you do at a rib fest, we ordered a bunch of ribs from the following places: - Rasta Joe's: The best out of the bunch. The ribs were cooked perfectly and the sauce was great, with a hint of Caribbean flair. The portion size was also quite generous as we received 6(!) ribs for the 1:3 size that cost $10. This is what I expected a half slab to be. We were extremely happy with this! - Chicago BBQ: Decent. The ribs are quite fatty and fall or the bone. I would equate this to like Barnellis ribs. They're tender and BBQ-ey but nothing extraordinary. I would eat them again though. At $8 for 3 ribs, I'd go for Rasta's. - Texas Lightning: Ew. Ew. Ew. Complete regret for this one. So glad we got a sampler because I think I would have shed a tear if we bought a full slab. High expectations for the Texans but they failed to deliver. The ribs were extremely dry, flaky, and flavorless. It was like someone microwaved a slab of ribs and drizzled some sauce over it. The Jamaican Pork at Rasta's was pretty good too! Good spices. We would definitely give Rasta's an A++ for their ribs. The carnival itself looked fun but also very expensive. Overall, it was a decent event with live music and booze.

Another long overdue review: It was my 2nd year in a row going here and I came back determined to…read moretry the ribs I remember liking so much last time! Me, my cousin, niece and nephew went here on a Thursday around 7pm. Chicago BBQ company: we tried their Beef brisket, Pulled pork, Cornbread and Half slab ribs(unfortunately it wasn't fall-off-the-bone like at Ribfest Chicago, beef brisket seems like pulled pork) Uncle Bob's: we tried 1/2 slab ribs, Pulled pork, Beef brisket, and Cornbread( didn't measure up to Chicago BBQ company) Howling coyote: we tried 1/2 slab rib dinner(they claimed their ribs are more tender than a mother's love! It was tender but Chicago BBQ had more flavor) Rasta joes: tried their 1/2 slab ribs and Jalapeno cheese cornbread (had flavor like Chicago BBQ but not as tender as howling coyote) Porky chicks BBQ: we tried the Big porky- had most meat and very tender and they gave generous portions, sauces were good too!

The Park Ridge Park District puts on an excellent October Fest the last Saturday of every…read moreSeptember. It is located in Hodges Park which is right in front of City Hall. The fest is free to enter, but there are charges for food, beer and kids activities. A wrist band for all the bouncy castles and kids games is only $5. There is plenty of parking in the neighborhood behind the event or you can try by the library. There is live music at night and plenty of activities during the day. There are a ton great food vendors including Holts, Harp and Fiddle and a few other places that serve German fare. The giant pretzels with dipping sauce were a hit and the beer list was extensive. Prices were pretty reasonable for a festival and the lines to get food/drinks were not bad at all. You could use credit cards for beer, but everything else was cash only. This is a great way to celebrate the beginning of fall and hang out in the park.

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.

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.

Another typical suburban festival -- carnival rides, mixed with music stages, and food tents, and…read moresometimes, business vendors. To be honest, I enjoy em, and this one, called Buffalo Grove Days, or what the cool kids call it -- "BG Days" is A-OK with me. I do like how this is well laid-out. There are shuttle buses to take/drop you to where you need to be. I didn't bother looking for parking and ended up parking at wherever the Buffalo Grove Days parking signs pointed to, which ended up being at the Buffalo Grove Metra station, which was free. I do have to say that the offering of carnival rides BG Days have, compared to the other copious amounts of suburban festivals, was less. It was actually hard to use up our 22-tickets (this year it was 22-tickets for $25) and I'm glad I didn't go with the unlimited rides for $25 each. The carnival games included pop-a-shot, lucky ducks, and other typical games. Food-wise, the food tent was actually pretty big. Lots to choose from, from pizza, to Mexican, to Dairy Queen. Food prices were A-OK and definitely not like the $40 for a piece of lettuce prices you'd find at the Taste of Chicago. BATHROOM REVIEW: The couple of port-a-potties we visited were actually pretty clean! Many to choose from and there was no line on the evening we went. Sit or squat? It's still a port-a-potty after all. Squat.

Free to enter. There are various shuttles (bona-fide school busses!) to bus you from parking lots…read moreto the fairgrounds and back. Tip: Make sure to note whether your bus says COOK CO or LAKE CO on the side window so you can get back on the right bus route. Bring chairs or blankets for the parade (starts at 1). The north side of Lake Cook has craft fairs and food, while the south has rides and games (and a few food options - mostly cotton candy, elephant ears, corndogs). Ride tickets amount to about $1.25, and kiddie rides are typically 2-3 tickets. There are two sections of rides: the kiddie ones and adult. Food vendors included a lot of pizza (Nancy's, Wapaghettis...), Jersey Mike's, JD's BBQ, Culvers..also mac and cheese, chicken tenders, burritos, pretzels, etc from various other vendors. There's a covered picnic area to chill and take a break from the sun and heat, as well as a misting tent. Prices weren't TERRIBLE. My steak burrito was $7 and my custard sundae was $3. Pop cans are $1.50 and water is about $2.50. You can bring your own beverages, water, coolers, whatever (non-alc), too. There's an abundance of portra johns, and we even saw some being cleaned! Clean sh!tters?! Score!

It was more like a neighborhood block party with some carnival rides and games than it was a…read moreOktoberfest. Spent about an hour there since it was just me and my husband and had done everything. The beer wasn't too expensive and they did have some good music. Not really the Oktoberfest German experience you would really want.

The Berwyn Oktoberfest is a blast! Sure, it's not a real Oktoberfest, it is more of a HUGE block…read moreparty like the other reviewer said, but what makes it great is that there are so many local restaurants and vendors. This is a true community festival that has retained its character. The music acts are also great and they have ample seating and security for the event. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the event, especially from the Mayor and his presence. They had a great 80s band last year that really got the crowd going! Look forward to this festival every year as a 30 something year old.

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!!!