I'm surprised there's no listing yet, so I made one…read more I went to OP Brewfest 2023 and had a good time. They had 22 beer and cider vendors to choose from with a good variety of beers. They also had a booth with wine and spirits for people who like those. Food was catered by Beggars Pizza and was tasty. Pizza, beef sandwiches, sausage, pasta, pretzels, salad, etc. Bags and other games were set up around for people to play with and everyone got a complementary beer glass. It's held inside the public works main building, so the acoustics aren't excellent for the live music but overall it's a good event that didn't run too long and was a decent value.

Easily the best beer festival we've ever been to…read more My wife and I have now been to zoo brew several years in a row and it is easily our favorite beer festival. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this beer festival. We've always done VIP which means you get an extra hour, access to a few exclusives beers, buffet style meal provided, and a chance to meet amazing ambassador animals! They set up all of the beer vendors under one giant tent which we really love. Everything is in close proximity which makes it easy to be able to visit every single vendor. They always have a band for entertainment and the bands have always been amazing!! We always try to make a day of it by getting to the zoo early to enjoy the whole zoo and finishing with a beer festival. I highly recommend this event for everyone. It truly does offer something for everyone.

Animals + Craft Beer = Happy Sarah…read more I love animals ever so much, from tiny little fish to huge walruses and lions. The zoo is one of my absolute favorite places so I was beyond stoked for this event. Tickets were $50 but that included the usual parking fee + zoo admission fee. The band, Modern Day Romeos, was awesome. I didn't know what to expect but they were a fabulous cover band and seemed to bring some groupies with them. About 15 minutes into the event, it started raining quite hard and a hour & a half in, a torrential downpour started. Umbrellas were of no use and we were all soaked from head to toe. The beers & breweries were all listed on the event page so although the selection was not vast, I wouldn't criticize on that fact when it was all laid out prior. Lines got super long because of the crazy rain so I'm hoping it won't be quite that bad next year. I will absolutely go again next year. I was super sad to see how upset the lion was by the bass from the band though. He was so visibly agitated by the noise, he was pacing back and forth in the 2 foot glass area of his outdoor habitat. The lion's den was the closest to where the band was playing of all the animals...Poor big kitty! :( Pro Tips for next year: Go earlier~! Brookfield Zoo is huge and I need to make the most of my free admission. I went at 230 this year so only had an hour and a half before the event to look around. It was not nearly enough time! I wasn't sure what to expect with this event, but you're in a roped off type of party area. You don't have full zoo access near the beers. They need more seating! Or covered seating. There were some picnic tables that were not covered so were completely being rained on. Bring cash for the silent auction! They had some pretty cool items!

My boyfriend and I went for a fun date night to kick off the holiday season and we had so much fun!…read moreThe lights were beautiful and the VIP tent provided a much welcomed reprieve from the cold! The adult beverages inside the tent weren't included but I promise they were STRONG! defintely not an all day affair but a great way to spend a few hours getting into the Christmas spirit!

Great experience. Light show and stage show are awesome. Love that there is a place inside to…read morewarm up. And so many great pictures.

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.

I want to start off by saying that the staff was very nice and helpful; therefore my two stars…read more I have been to drive-in movie theaters in the Bay Area and Las Vegas but this location/expierance was so disappointing. This gravel field is at the end of this industrial street with a large building in front of the screen that has lights on. The are low budget scones indicating where to park. First two rows are reserved and last had a private party. The color contrast is so dull and just sad. The movie started late due to technical difficulties and half into the movie, the audio stopped and after 10 minutes, they just skipped to another scene. Im absolutely speechless that they would charge over $40 for this very low quality movie expierance. I will most definitely not be going back.

My husband and I came to see Night of the Living Dead, and had a blast. The previous movie went a…read morelittle later than expected, but they got everyone out and us in quickly and efficiently, and the staff were nice. The food is nothing out of this world, but good. If you are getting a popcorn to share, then just do yourself a favor and get two. There were no technical difficulties during our visit. The staff were nice, and out of the way for the most part. We had a great view of the screen from where we were parked. I miss drive ins, and I would come back to this one without a doubt.

First a clarification. This place is called the Allstate Arena these days and no matter what you…read morecall it the acoustics were TERRIBLE last time I was there! But perhaps there is hope. Not too long ago I met a guy who said that he worked with a company that designs acoustics for large forums and he told me that his company had recently reworked the United Center. I didn't ask him about the Allstate Arena - but perhaps they worked things out there. Seems like quite a challenge as this building was not designed for concerts!

Huge convention center! This is a great place to catch a show. However, since it so large, tickets…read moreto sit near the front row tend to be expensive. They have good food and decent licour prizes. I saw one of the best concerts here in my life: SADE. Amazing.

Great time for low cost! Parking is free, and you are able to tailgate if you choose…read more Food and drinks are very reasonable. Plenty of beer and soft drink choices. Bathrooms can be a miss either with lacking supplies or long lines. Affordable to take the family vs a MLB game.

If you are looking to have a great time at a baseball game, and not having to pay thousands of…read moredollars at Wrigley Field, or that other stadium on the south side of Chicago, a Windy City Thunderbolts game at Ozinga Field is a good bet, as it is a minor league stadium. I was there for today's 10:35 am game with the New York Boulders, they play night games and day games, and sometimes 10:35 am on a weekday morning, they only have won more weekday 10:35 first pitch for this season and that is tomorrow morning with the same team, and they have games in August at home. And if you are an Elvis Presley fan, Elvis night on August 17th.

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!