fun time. I'll plan my visit better next year since this time I was only walking though for one of…read morethe stores on the block that this was happening. I didn't have time to really stop and enjoy all the vendors although I did make time to grab some business cards and food. very nice.

Fun little (and I do mean little) festival in Andersonville showcasing some cool local shops and…read moreartists. Sadly there aren't that many vendors, and it was quick to check all of them out within 15 minutes. I did appreciate the food trucks and local beer flowing freely. They had some local bands playing too. We got a beautiful day and discovered some great talents that are throughout the city. I would recommend to check it out, make an afternoon of it. Just get more vendors to make us stay longer!

Thirsty Ears Festival held by ACM is Chicago's only classical music street festival. For two days,…read moretwo blocks of Wilson Street between Hermitage and Ravenswood were closed to traffic, with the main stage featuring stellar ensembles and soloists performing classical music. This year's festival took place on Saturday, August 22, from 2:00-11:00 pm, and Sunday, August 23, from 1:00-9:00 pm, with a different ensemble or soloist featured each hour. This was our first time visiting the street fair, and we were fortunate to have gorgeous weather for an outdoor event. It was perhaps a little too sunny for me -- even with my bucket hat and sunglasses, the sun was still a little too strong on my back when I sat in the front row for half an hour. I joined my husband and daughter after an open studio at Lillstreet Art Center. From there, it was only a six-minute walk to the festival. When I arrived around 4:30 pm, they had already been comfortably sipping beer and enjoying classical music for hours. From 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Lakeshore Rush was performing, and they played beautifully. I especially enjoyed the last few pieces, which were upbeat and lively. The festival offered much more than beer and wine. There were numerous vendor booths, kid-friendly activities, and food trucks on both days. It was wonderful to see people of all ages having a good time while enjoying live classical music in such a relaxed outdoor setting. The suggested $10 entry donation felt very reasonable, especially since the festival was supporting a good cause. We had a lovely time, and I'm glad we finally discovered this unique Chicago event. I would definitely consider coming back next year.

Thirsty Ears Festival has been on my list to visit for a while because it's just a few blocks away…read more This year I finally made it, toddler in tow. A friend and her kiddo came along too. The festival is the brain child of Access Contemporary Music (ACM), the music school on the block, and it's the only classical music party in the city. It's a very small festival, spanning just the block on Wilson between Ravenswood and Hermitage. There's a packed schedule for the two days of the festival, with various musical ensembles and composers performing throughout the day. Of course the music was the main attraction, but there were a couple booths selling some food as well. Alcoholic beverages were available and pizza, and I think possibly another snack but I can't recall. Of course there's also a couple restaurants nearby as well, and the two that are right on this block have a bit of outdoor seating. Most of the booths were local artists selling their work; I saw a booth that made crochet wall hangings, a pottery booth, a local author selling his novels, and more. I was really glad that we happened to be here there when a small choral ensemble was performing. The other musician we hard was a pianist performing when we arrived. The main stage was on the eastern edge of the festival along the Hermitage end, and there were folding chairs set up for people to enjoy the concert. A kid's area and stage was on the Ravenswood end. They had some kids activities like face painting and balloon animals in addition to the musician playing children's music. It was great that they had a children's space since otherwise they might get bored quickly. On the weekend, the parking along Ravenswood is super easy. There's also the Metra, of course, with the Ravenswood stop a block away.

Provocative and intense... Chicago artists at their best... A community event That stitches…read moretogether the soul of the city!

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.

I go every year live music and fun staff love this place go you will have a blast…read more Beast place ever

I'm unclear why St. Al's Oktoberfest gets to block off a public street (W Oakdale) for a private…read moreevent with a mandatory entry fee, when this is expressly forbidden by Chicago law. Ironically, the sign outside Oktoberfest had a "save our street festivals" sticker on it. Street festivals are vulnerable precisely because they cannot require entry fees and must rely on voluntary donations. I'm unclear why this doesn't apply to St. Al's. I understand they choose to host part of the event on their private property, but that doesn't give them the right to encumber a whole public street.

You know how the Field Museum has Christmas trees from around the world during the holidays, you…read moresee ornaments from around the world and it stirs some curiosity and passion in you (as a child) to visit and see other countries. In a way, this festival of cultures can create the same type of thoughts for little ones as they visit the booths which represent different cultures and countries. I think that's pretty cool, to walk around and get some fresh air, learn about other people and let that inspire/prepare a kid for a trip abroad. Yes, have them put the iPad down and get out here and interact with someone outside of their bubble. There are some live performances/dancing on stage and good food like funnel cake and cheese fries in a bucket to feed your family members too. The parking lot was full when I came by but you can easily park in the neighborhood and walk in.

This is a truly great event, held over two days every year in May at Oakton Park, celebrating the…read morevast cultural diversity of Skokie. For the last several years my daughter's dance troupe has performed here. There's a variety of enjoyable entertainment, a good selection of food vendors, and some really nice tents manned by representatives of the many ethnic communities within the Village. We have practically everything; Slavic, German, Filipino, Jamaican, Bulgarian, Polish, Belizean, Pakistani, you name it!! (Our new slogan isn't "Skokie Welcomes Everyone" for no reason!) Some are providing information about their cultures while others have items for sale, in addition to a retail booth for various goods for sale. Village offices have booths providing useful information and resources to residents, and they also have a train ride and a variety of games and activities for children. Plus it's right beside the playground. General admission is free and weather permitting, it's really a fun day for the entire family -- worth a visit, whether or not you're from Skokie.

This is a unique Chicago landmark worth visiting. There is a concrete bench facing the lake that…read moregets divided up into sections every year and each section is repainted by anyone who pays the nominal fee, about $15. Each year there is a theme, and prizes are rewarded during the Artists of the Wall festival in June. The murals remain for a year for all to enjoy. This is being written in July of '05; the theme for this year is Chicago's sister cities. There are about 75 sections, so you get to stroll and view 75 works of art as you enjoy the lakefront, the sky, people watching, and all the attendant good stuff. The quality varies widely from professional to kids spattering paint, but that is part of its charm. The liberal values of the neighborhood always get expressed in the paintings, along with regular quotes from Meher Baba, the Budda, etc. It always feels like a revisit to the '60s when I take the stroll and dig the art. People tend to be super friendly and of course the summertime ambiance is best, but this can also be a very uplifting place to visit when the weather is fierce. Go check it out.

You have to love the annual Artists of the Wall event. Great weather, kites flying anf artists…read morepainting in Rogers Park. Take a walk on the beach and check it out.

2022 was the inaugural year for the Evanston Plein Air Festival. I heard about this months ago and…read moreput it on my calendar because I think plein air painting is especially cool. Throughout the week, starting on Wednesday or Thursday, almost 50 artists have been painting around Evanston. I didn't get a chance to pop up to Evanston and watch folks painting, unfortunately. I know that the artists were able to select from anywhere in the town to paint, and I didn't want to drive around aimlessly, but next year I would do it because there are some places where people would almost certainly stop to paint. Evanston Made, the non-profit organization that launched the festival, did put together a Google map that showed possible areas people might paint so that people could go see them. Day four, which was today (Sunday), was a art sale and judging, held in Fountain Square in downtown Evanston. There was a Festival Favorite award, where the artists submitted one of their works and visitors would wander through and vote for their favorite. There were works of varying price points in the tent, and as I was leaving I found one that I liked quite a lot. I decided to buy it before someone else did--and because I figured if it DID win, it would be snapped up. I did see others admiring it after I purchased, so I was probably right to do that--and my painting won an honorable mention, so I'm glad I had the foresight to purchase it before the awards were announced! Interestingly, I learned that the artist lives only about five blocks away from me. All this provenance makes it even more cool to me. I also bought another paint that was very different in character, and quite beautiful in that it is a nocturnal scene over the lake. Both are quite peaceful, and both are of a shape that they may work in some spaces where artwork would generally not fit. I got photos with both of the artists and their painting, in part because I like to do that, and also for the provenance. One of the organizers--the one whom I tracked down to sell me the Sloss painting--took the photo for me and she was really friendly even though she had a ton of things happening! The winners of the Festival Favorite and the Best of Show awards were announced around 3:20, and the festival concluded at 5 so that folks could continue wandering around to admire, meet, and purchase art. The paintings entered in the Festival Favorite category that had not been purchased will hang in the Evanston Public Library through the end of July. The festival was clearly a hit. Fountain Square was packed with people and painters. The plein air festival will be back next year, and they said it will return the same weekend. I'm already looking forward to finding some of the artists as they are painting! It would be cool if they could find a way to have to map it out each day as the artists pick their places, but that is probably a tall order. I wish Chicago and/or some of the neighborhoods would have their own plein air festival, because I'd really love to have a nice painting of somewhere in the city in which I live. We're lucky to have so many fantastic artists here in the area! Oh, and today I learned that "plein" is pronounced to rhyme with "pen". Themoreyouknow.gif.