Some of my family members had such a good time at the first World Cup Watch party that they…read moreconvinced me to come check out the second one that the city of Aurora put on for Mexico vs. England and I have to say that I was really impressed overall with how well the event went. Although the game had a disappointing outcome I can easily say that the moments of community and celebration among the crowd still made this watch party one of the more joyful and memorable experiences I've had at RiverEdge. I have been to the park a couple of times in the past for concerts and festivals and although I was originally of the mind that the space didn't need much more but the new design and updates seem to be worthwhile improvements. I was really surprised that the park was in such amazing shape following the crazy storms and flooding the night before. We parked across the river and walked the pedestrian bridge to get to the venue. My family was happy to see that this time they had a checkpoint at the start of the bridge and we were able to just enter the venue when we reached the other side of the bridge instead of having to join a line again like they had to previously. We got there about two hours before the initially scheduled start time and the place was already filling up but there was still plenty of space on the lawns for setting up chairs or blankets and I liked the amount of screens available for viewing throughout the venue. The beverage pavilion did a great job of serving fast and keeping wait times short. Both times that I went to get a drink I was able to order within 5 mins and it was nice to be able to still see the action going on with the big screen above the pavilion. Although there was a heavy security presence all of the interactions I witnessed were very friendly even when it came to more rowdy fans. I even witnessed a police officer spring into action to help a small child that seemed to be having a medical emergency which was very encouraging to see with such a large crowd. My only criticisms for the event are that the bottom of the screen we were camped at was a little glitchy at times (maybe due to storm damage?) and the lines for the concessions and the food trucks were very long throughout the night. We brought in a Jersey Mike's sub so we were able to avoid the lines for the most part but I saw some people with bags of popcorn that looked good and after searching all over for where I could get some I finally saw that they were available at the Strawberries BBQ stand but was bummed when after waiting in line for 15 mins I suddenly noticed that that they had a piece of tape over the popcorn on one of the menu boards to the side of the window. I didn't feel like waiting another 15 mins to confirm so I just went back. I think some clearer signage that is easier to update and a separate line for the quicker to shell out food items would be a big help. Hopefully they iron this out. Despite this I was still happy to see that Strawberries was brought in as an official concession provider. Had I known this prior I would have rather saved my money and just gotten some of their delicious ribs. Some of my friends have mentioned that they are going to the Australian Pink Floyd show in a couple of weeks and I think this experience might have got me off the fence about joining in.

Everything was great. Staff, sound, seating area, food vendors, access, no long lines, waiting…read more Just all good!

The fest is pretty large and spread out. Sure, it's free to get in. However, they get you on the…read moreparking costs. They have different tiers depending on how close you want to park. To get in and out of the parking lots can be a pain. The food vendors accept cash or card which is nice. Food lines are long! Be prepared to wait. They had multiple bar lines that were fast. Bar lines also sold water and NA options. Plenty of porta potties. If you plan on attending bring your own chair or blanket to sit on. They allow you to bring in your own food and drinks (just no outside alcohol). Something to keep in mind to keep your costs down. Spread out, but expect crowds. Overall a good event.

We attended this event last year, we had a table set up there for our company (Westway Coach), a…read moreschool bus company. Just wanted to add that we had an amazing time there, the ambient, the music, the food, all was great, we had an amazing time being part of this event.

2026 this year was at Danada South Park, 2701 Navistar Circle, Lisle, IL 60532…read more They have a very organized website with vendors, demo and speaker schedule. Map, food court and labeled GF. The food court had lots of choices to choose from. Pay $1 for 1 ticket, so we went around to check how many tickets are needed for a drink or a meal. Then we went to purchase our tickets. Free entry, many vendors offered free samples. A few vendors found out came from out of state. So many offered to purchase online for those that sold out of the supplies they brought. Which many did get sold out on Sunday. There are Police on site and staff does bag checks, so very safe. Staff in parking lot to guide you to a parking spot, which made it very very easy and quick to park and leave. There were staff inside picking up garbage. Very organized and clean. Definitely plan to come back next year.

Me and my wife go to Veggie Fest every year and a surprise that there is a Yelp page that I just…read morediscovered. The best thing about this event is that it is free! They have complimentary shuttles though they went from school buses to scooters recently. The people here are very friendly and it features a very diverse guest, speakers and vendors that showcase themselves. I do think it's weird that this year they had a vendor that was selling beef tallow products. It didn't seem like something that would fit the mold of veggie fast. The vendors always have great free samples too. Parking could be a bit of a hassle too but overall I like coming here every year. It's generally the same event if you've been here before but overall it's worth checking out if you practice a healthy lifestyle or want to get into one.

A free drive thru Holiday Light Festival held in Phillips Park in Aurora…read more This free event runs from late November thru late December daily from 5-9pm. You will have to check the website for exact dates. They advise you to pre register which is not required since no one checks you in . I wish the local authorities would have been assisting with the fllow of traffic entering and leaving the park . Especially for people not familiar with the area. It a fun family event during the holiday season.

Nice, free. park district drive through lights display for a cold winter night. Good for families…read moreand the young at heart. Traffic moved pretty well but signs to find the correct entrance are not as helpful as having someone live directing. Many people showed up to the wrong entrance and had to reroute..

Overall a decent fest. I recommend parking near the train station. (Or if you live near a BNSF…read morestop, convenient to take train to). Free admission. I have come multiple times to see a cover band. If you want to try some of the local restaurants, they have booths. It is a decent amount of walking. You can bring in your own chair to watch the bands or stand. They accept both cash and card at the beer tent. However, if you pay with card there is a fee. Vendors and crafts are same junk you see everywhere. Every year there is someone trying to sell me home improvements.

Taste of Westmont is an annual event located in the Downtown area on N Cass Ave. It offers a mix of…read morecarnival rides & games, (2) stages for live music, vendor tents, a beer tent, and food vendor area. There is no admission charge and street parking isn't too difficult to find. This is my second time attending the event and loved the atmosphere in the mid afternoon. There were about 8-10 food tents or trucks offering samples of their best items. All food venders were local to the Westmont area which I love. Most of the vendor tents this year were home remodeling companies or community organizations. While this is nice, I missed some of the mom & pop vendors offering decor, candies, artisan goods, etc. Overall, this is a great family-friendly event. It may not be the biggest festival but it's enough. It's never been too crowded when I've come and I always enjoy the sense of community!

I went in the past but I thought it was going to be huge. It was definitely not as big as I had…read morethought. If you come later in the afternoon or evening, you'll be parking far from the entrance. That's if you go on a Fri or Saturday. They had different kinds of animals to look at. Food is your typical fair food. I didn't want to eat fried food all the time, so it was nice to see some pierogis in the mix. They do have some shows going on, you'll have to look at the schedule to see if anything interests you. We probably only spent a couple hours here at the max.

We try to go to the sandwich fair every year, and this year was pretty good. I love getting dole…read morewhip whenever I go, and the local food truck selling alligator on a stick is always a must have. It's always fun getting to pet the farm animals like goats. I enjoy looking at all the historical things around the fairgrounds, like the old fire trucks and engine displays. It does get quite packed, and lines do tend to get long so plan in advance!

The city of Aurora did an excellent job pulling off their first ever Harry Potter Festival!…read more Tickets: This was a ticketed event ($3 cash per ticket - max 5 per person) and required in-person purchase several months prior to the actual event. Even though I arrived a few hours after the ticket purchase start time, I only stood in line for about an hour to get mine. A lot of people had complaints, but it honestly wasn't bad, especially given all of the publicity! The festival itself: They planned it out very well and had multiple events and activities, most kid-focused and friendly, but good for older fans too. Activities included a quidditch workshop, spell book creation, Ollivander's wands (x2), a potions lab, mocktail creations, Herbology, how to plant a Whomping Willow, Care of Magical Creatures, a self-guided Horcrux Hunt, Quiddich playing a, costume parade, a ride on the Hogwarts Express. Finally, there were multiple vendors in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade! Many of the activities required online preregistration, though many crafting events were free and just required you to stand in the queue. It was spaced out enough that the crowds were manageable and the lines weren't too long. Goods vendors in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade included bath bombs (including a House Reveal version - cool!), jewelry, bags, paintings, plants, wall decor, and much more! Everything was really cute and went along with the Harry Potter/Hogwarts theme. There were a few food and butter beer vendors, including 4-packs of bottled butter beer. A lot of the local businesses also got into the spirit of the festival and decorated their storefronts. I spied Wayne and Garth (20th anniversary of Wayne's World!) sporting Hogwars hats - cute! The local Paramount theatre offered four Harry Potter movie showings for $1 apiece, had Harry Potter-themed drinks and candy, and had an awesome 9 3/4 platform in their lobby! Security (and Aurora PD) was posted throughout the event and were friendly and helpful. Port-o-Johns were plentiful and stocked with hand sanitizer. By 2pm, garbage cans were overflowing.. so that's something they can keep an eye on next time. Great job on a really well thought out and organized event, Aurora!

Aurora's inaugural 2017 Harry Potter festival was a hit…read more There was plenty to do and see, and the overall vibe from all of the attendees was overwhelmingly positive, especially considering nothing like this has been held in Aurora before. The Quidditch pitch hosted tons of kids playing Quidditch which was tons of fun to watch. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade showcased tons of local, themed vendors that had lots of cool trinkets and souvenirs to buy. There were tons of fun classes to sign up for and take part in, like Herbology, Potions, and Magical Mocktails. It was also great to see a lot of the local businesses, closed or not, decorate their windows or host themed events related to the event, which definitely added to the overall spirit of the day. Best of all, eagle-eyed visitors spotted a number of subtle decorations that showed that there were true Harry Potter fans behind this event, including a "2nd Triwizard Task Vieweing Area" (overlooking the Fox River), Tom Riddle's grave, and all 7 horcruxes to hunt and find, each with a clever clue that led to the next. I can't wait until next year's event. I'm sure it's going to be even better!

I believe this is an annual event. It is held on the grounds of the elementary school which REALLY…read morecauses parking headaches ~ for neighbors and attendees alike. That was my only complaint. This is a cute, little old fashion carnival that uses corn as an excuse to have a good time. There are rides for all ages but 36 inches tall appears to be the starting point for riders. There is a food section, an area for musical entertainment, a craft section, and I understand they also have fireworks, we did not stay that late. Alcoholic beverages were available, but ID was required to obtain the wristband that was required to purchase alcohol AND they were not allowed in the main carnival area. The fire department brought out the heavy equipment and the SWAT team looked very intimidating. Oh, don't mess with the K-9 squad either. This is not a 6 Flags type place, Lines were extremely short, sometimes nonexistent and the ride operators were very gentle with the little ones, even willing to stop the ride if tears started to flow. We lucked out in that it was not 95 degrees with high humidity. A nice event to take the grandkids and do a little people watching.