I had the pleasure of hanging out with my family at the Oaktoberfest. We walked around and enjoyed…read morebeautiful weather, food and live music. Located in the downtown of Oak Park on Marion Street. There were activities for the kids and giveaways. There was a live music lineup where different bands came out and performed. Lots of people dancing and enjoying the music. A seating area with tables and chairs. Local restaurants and liquor stores to purchase beer and wine. A nice end of the summer festival to enjoy with your family and friends. Or just come out to mingle and have a good time.

Good food, good people, good times…read more This event was HUGE. Literally 100 times more lively than I would have expected, which is great for the township of Oak Park. Lots of neighborhood businesses selling their wares, several beer vendors, and a massive crowd of people enjoying a beautiful weekend in late September. $20 got you three booze tickets and a 22oz refillable Oaktoberfest mug, which came out to about $7 / beer. Not bad, especially considering that a few choices were IPAs and darker, hoppier lagers that could fudge up your vision in a hurry. Hundreds of tables and chairs were set out for fest-goers, most of which were facing the stage just east of Marion Street. The two bands that played during the time we were there had decent sounding stuff. The first one had more of a rock/alternative edge to them which I loved to hear, but the following act was more folksy rock and did absolutely nothing for me. It would've been nice to have heard some more recognizable tunes (covers of Bon Jovi, Mumford & Sons, anything really) instead of the indie nonsense that was played. After a few high ABV% beers, I decided that eating something sustainable would be a good idea. I got a rice and beef shish kabob plate from Jerusalem Cafe for something like $6.50, which absolutely hit the spot. Tasty and a great portion size for the money. Other places sold pizza, bratwurst, meatball subs, pad thai and popcorn, a reasonably good selection overall. Bread = 4.5 Circuses = 4 I didn't check-in or even take photos, as I didn't think this event page even existed on Yelp, but I guarantee next time around I definitely will. However I did leave the festival with my commemorative beer cup and.....well, something else. Can't say what exactly, but it's roughly 10' x 2' and hanging in my apartment. #stickyfingers #kleptomania A fun town event that attracted a giant crowd of locals. Would highly recommend and will return in 2017!

I really enjoyed the parade. But man they couldnt rush u out of there fast enough once it was over…read more I found that odd. Also it was extremely heavy on police parading around (only one guy cheered lol) and the jeeps squealed like a pig in heat for no other reason but to torture the spectrum ppl. On the positive lots of puppies, lots of great costumes. I hope it dumps the police and jeeps and grows in to something awesome

If you're around the neighborhood go ahead it's pretty neat. But I wouldn't make the trip from say…read morethe burbs The parade was just under half hour. This is in boys town. Thus some of the costumes reflect the area. The thriller and fire dancers deserve extra mention. It starts at Belmont and Halsted goes north on Halsted. I don't know where it ends.

No I didn't do the walk. Totally wish I had, but throw drunk guys from our party into the mix and I…read morejust didn't want to risk the embarrassment, or see someone's very well-tended garden ruined. However I did enjoy the music and location of this festival. Of course you have your mix of super preppy yuppies and wasty 40-something men looking for 20-something boot-ay, but there's plenty of room to mill around and food fair other than the standard meat on a stick and piles of french fries. And thanks to the bar who so kindly thought to have misting water cascading down from their booth. It was a hot hot day and that cool cool water was just magical : )

A street festival serving Blue Moon? Splendid!…read more The U2 cover band, Elevation, was pretty good - however, the crowd just didn't seem to be feeling it. This was also an educational experience. I never knew that plaid shorts came in such a diverse array - short, long, small plaid, big plaid, men's, women's, kids, bright, dark - OVERWHELMED! I think about 50% of the population at this event were wearing said shorts. Other than the aforementioned attributes, I have very little to say. I was underwhelmed by the selection of things to entertain me. Decent food offerings. Good brews. No little kiosks selling useless crap. No second stage. WAY overpriced.

Pilsen Fest was such an amazing experience! The energy was incredible from start to finish. There…read morewas great music, tons of delicious food vendors, and so many talented local artists and small businesses to check out. It really felt like the whole neighborhood came together to celebrate culture, community, and creativity. The atmosphere was super welcoming and lively, with colorful art, dancing, and people of all ages just having a great time. I loved walking around, trying different foods, and discovering new artists and vendors. If you're looking for a fun festival with great vibes and an authentic community feel, Pilsen Fest is definitely worth checking out. Can't wait to go again next year!

Wonderful community with many restaurants and local grocery stores and shopping…read more The traffic is a little confusing getting off the Stevenson expressway and there is a maximum security prison down the block from this fabulous entrance. So, map your route before arriving. Great piece of culture!

Love Greek food? Come to Greektown in Chicago…read more In the 1840s, ship captains came to Chicago. This led to the captains' families following who became food peddlers who eventually opened restaurants. Initially, Greektown was near the Harrison and Halstead area, but was forced to relocate due to the expansion of University of Illinois-Chicago and then the construction of the Eisenhower Expressway which forced the neighborhood to move a few blocks north. Many of today's Greektown was built during the 1970s-1980s. Are you a fan of gyros and saganaki (flaming cheese)? Thank Chicago's Greektown. Both were introduced in 1968 at the Parthenon Restaurant. Today, there are so many great choices for traditional Greek restaurants. Our favorites are Greek Islands and Athena. At Greek Islands, start with an appetizer like the saganaki or the cold spread sampler or get the combination plate. The combo gives you such a nice variety-leg of lamb, Moussaka (we switch to the vegetarian), Dolmades, veggies and roasted potatoes. So delicious! At Athena, sit in the open courtyard on a sunny day and get transported to Greece. Start with a delicious Greek salad full of feta cheese, kalamata olives and crisp cucumbers. The saganaki is a great show and the warm cheese is so good. Get a combo dip platter. The taramosalata and melitzanosalata are delicious. For entrees, our favorites are the sea bass, leg of lamb, gyros and vegetarian Moussaka. Walk and enjoy the shops. Start your day with a cup of coffee or tea and a baklava. Or enjoy a lazy Sunday brunch at a cafe. Learn more with a visit to the National Hellenic Museum. Check the website for hours.

I love Greektown-whether you are looking for classic and authentic pastries such as baklava, or…read moreappetizer tzatziki dip with pita to classy sit down upscale Greek Cuisine to a24 hour Gyro Joint-there is something for everyone! The statues, art, and authentic Greek themed structures that embellish the pedestrian sidewalks is truly spectacular. Truly a special and unique neighborhood in Chicago with something for everyone of all ages to enjoy.

This festival ran for 4 days until Mon, Sep 7. Parking wasn't so bad... parking in the neighborhood…read moreand took 20 mins to walk to the stage. I listened to the LP Vinyl band and they were pretty good playing rock music. There is no admission charges. Food trucks were around a few appeared popular, and the lines were not long. It's a super nice neighborhood surrounded by Mike Rylko community park with lots of police presence. Note that the pool toilets are closed so you have to use the porta potty but at least there are the touchless water and there is soap. Worth attending if you live close by.

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.

We came again for a fun night and the class was once again a good time. There were some technical…read morehiccups and the staff was so so great about trying to make the class experience worthwhile; not as great as my first time, but we will give them another chance.

Went to the World of Whirlpool 1 year anniversary party a couple weeks ago…read more We learned how to create the perfect party cocktail from @hollowlegmixology. Made our own party favors with @shelshockd. Learned how to prepare the ultimate summer "grazing boards". We feasted on a dessert bar by whirlpools in-house pastry chef and cake from @bonvivantcakes Have you heard about @worldofwhirlpool ? They offer do-it-yourself classes in making pasta, ice cream, sushi, focaccia, yogurt, etc. As well as total meal preparation and kitchen Basics such as chopping slicing and dicing for a fee. It's also an appliance showroom, but it's so much more.

The Legion is a magical place where all your dreams can come true.read more

Great spot for cheap drinks, especially if you are a member, which is required. However, we got a…read more"guest pass" and hung out for a little while among the regulars. Easily the cheapest drinks in the area and some nice friendly folk!