This is my second year attending/working Great Lakes Brew Fest and Curt Foreman and his crew are…read moreawesome! The only thing I could see for improvement is more help checking in the beer vendors, other than that the venue at the Racine Zoo is beautiful, there are plenty of bathrooms available and more than enough beer and food to make your day last! It is a well organized event and I would highly recommend craftbeer lover's attend in 2014. There are so many great breweries that it is hard to list them all.

As far as brew fests go, this one is ok. There are a decent number of breweries, but not many new…read moreor unique beers. Brewers also tend to run out of any new and interesting beers they brought early on, so you need to find out the beer list ahead of time and plan accordingly. The fest takes place at the Racine Zoo along the lake, which is a nice setting. If you don't get to try a lot of micro brews or don't get to many brew fests, then you'll appreciate this event.

There are a great variety of vendors. There's food, flowers , body products, home goods and even…read moreitems for pets. There's something for everyone and almost anything!

Despite the blistering hear, this was such an epic day. So many different foods to try. Some…read moreamazing tacos, BBQ galore, local vendors, shaved ice and treats. Really fun to take the family to. Plus there are three separate stages to enjoy some free live music too

It's a pretty big deal! Buy a new outfit or wear the most patriotic thing you've got. You will…read moresee everyone you know here. Two questions come up when the 4th of July hits Racine: 1) Are you going to the parade? 2) Are you going to the fireworks? Nine times out of 10, the answer is yes no matter who you're asking. The parade is one of the largest in the Midwest and, in 2008, USA Today named it 2nd as one of the Top Ten places to be in the country on Independence Day (Washington, D.C. was 1st). Viewing the parade is a somewhat competitive sport. Years ago, people would camp out along the parade route just to get a good spot! Now, though the parade begins at 9, everyone starts lining the streets at 5am (the regulated time). At this parade, you will find an estimated 100,000 viewers for the nearly 200 exhibits in a city whose population is approx. 78,000 strong. After the parade, go home and rest. Eat lots of food and prepare for the fireworks! I love fireworks in Racine because again EVERYONE gathers around one site whereas in larger cities there are more displays than anybody can count. Sure you have traffic jams to deal with so it's another thing for which you want to arrive early. But hanging out on Lake Michigan with everyone you know is the best! Bring a grill, a cooler, and a blanket/chair. Why 3 stars? Where's the beef? For a city that in my expert opinion boasts some of the best food in the country, food should be a bigger part of this festival! This city could easily set up booths along the parade route or at least on the side streets, extend the morning a little, and offer Racine's finest to our guests but they don't. In fact, most people leave the parade, go home, and come back out at dusk. In the past there was Afro Fest and a carnival to fill the gap but now there is nothing. If any opportunist reads this, know that noon-7 in Racine, Wisconsin is up for grabs! Get it!!

This was my first Ironman race. I was very impressed with the organization and execution of the…read moreentire weekend. The expo was small, but had anything you could need if you forgot something at home. The pre-race information meeting was helpful. All of the staff and volunteers were amazing. Racine was a great host with lots of the community, families, and friends cheering racers on all day long. Parking was pretty easy early race day morning. I would imagine if you're running late you may have had some issues or may have been walking a while. The race itself was a lot of fun. I saw my Ironcrew (family/friends) 3 times on the bike course (they were good at calculating where to find me) and 2 times on the run double out and back. The spectators were truly inspiring with good humor and good signs (smile if you peed in your wetsuit lol) If you're looking for a great first Ironman 70.3 I'd recommend this race. No complaints!