This was my first visit to this nice summer festival. Without any kiddos in tow, which is not…read morereally in the job description anymore except in umm special situations, I was only interested in the free concerts. The atmosphere on a pleasant Saturday evening was crowded, festive, buoyant, well-behaved, and safe with a good visible presence by the Skokie police. This festival is really great for the area and has grown in its local renown. I actually lived in Skokie from 1982 - 1995 and this event didn't exist until 2007. We saw about half of Americana singer Micheal McDermott's performance followed by alt-rock band Vertical Horizon. For the price, t'was very enjoyable. I never heard of either and it was no biggie, but I saw that the Bash drew Foghat here at least one year, so they occasionally get some big names. I also learned I didn't need to lug around portable chairs to watch the main stage. There's fold-up chairs already set up and available and it's easy to nab a couple of seats if you're there before a performance starts. Midway through one though, it's harder at prime time, but with people coming and going, the wife and I still managed to nab a couple seats pretty close to the front. Parking can be a little challenging as it's virtually all neighborhood street parking. You just have to circle around looking for an opening and be willing to walk a little. Great festival, and a great first visit for us! Thank you Skokie!

I like the fact that I could just walk to this event from my home, no car necessary, not at all…read more Downtown Skokie is experiencing a resurgence and the Backlot Bash is part of that good feeling about living close to Oakton and Niles Center Rd. And it's a three day event (Friday - Sunday) and there's a little something for everyone - kiddie rides, funnel cake, a beer garden, car show, good food (relatively speaking), live bands and you can go during the day and at night. I really have enjoyed the bands, here's a list of who I've seen - The Wailers (without Peter, Bunny and Bob), the Fixx (One thing leads to another), Blue Oyster Cult (more cowbell please), Flock of Seagulls (actually missed them as I was in Ireland) and most recently Foghat (I just wanna make, love to you - whoops, this is a PG rated review). So that's a pretty awesome list for a free neighborhood concert. I do worry though because this event is getting bigger and bigger and bigger each year. I think they need to go West on Oakton for more space. I haven't asked the home owners though, for their opinion. I do have to say that I enjoy the folks who bring their little kids or their aging parents to watch a rock concert, that just warms my heart. Like I said, there's a little something for everyone. It's also really safe, there's always the Skokie 5-0 swat truck parked right in front. Now I just hope next years band will be even better - how about Rush, REO or Cheap Trick, The Romantics, wouldn't that be great?!?

The recent buildout here is impressive, adding a large lobby & bar, a patio behind it, and modern,…read morefully accessible bathrooms. The main music room remains unchanged with its stage and its bar. They do have Woodford Reserve, a nice touch for my fancy Noble Bourbon Boozers. With the new setup, you can start one tab and its accessible from both bars, and from waitstaff, if the show is seated and they are present. Its a small room, great to see a show. Its also very ADA friendly, with a reserved space right up front for GA shows, and designated seats during seated space shows. Email the box office a couple days in advance with any questions.

My favorite concert venue on the North Shore of Chicago. It seats around 150 and most shows have an…read moreoption of table or general admission. The sound quality is fantastic and the staff is very friendly. It also gives off an intimate concert vibe because you feel like the artists are right there (they actually are!).

I have spent a good deal of time on the West Side, particularly in this…read morewest-of-the-west-loop-south-of-ukie-village-what-is-this-neighborhood? neighborhood. I like it. There are good eats (Uncle Mike's), cool spots (Salvage One) and new finds (this). Like others, I 'discovered' this locale during the Chicago Food Film Fest. I was impressed. My favorite aspect about the space is all the nooks and crannies to discover. As folks have undoubtedly realized, I am a big fan of event spaces that require the guest to engage the space and find out what it's all about. An art storage gallery that doubles as a film fest locale, certainly fits that bill. Not for nothing, it could also easily double as the locale for a horror film. It has that desolate, sorta spooky, why-are-you-in-that-building-at-night? feel that is common before someone gets hacked up. So, yeah. Great event space. I'm serious. It doesn't have the bells and whistles of some similar spots, but it shouldn't. It's storage. It's a completely blank canvas that takes on the life and look of its host... I realize that I just sort of described a parasite. This review is not going well, is it? Hmm. Okay. Got it. High ceilings, hidden treasure art, batcave appeal (score, Michael W!!), exposed beams, lots of brick, rooms with echos, cool views outside of the windows, great location, and insider appeal -- these are all pluses of the MCA Warehouse. Better, right?

I wasn't sure what to expect from the MCA Warehouse....my first impression was about the easy…read moreparking (yay!)! One note, though, I'm guessing cabs are not plentiful at night here based upon the 6 people negotiating one of them when I was there. If you were going to have an event, you may have to have some cabs set up. I've been to a few warehouse events at other spots, and I have to say that the MCA Warehouse is one of the coolest. I loved the exposed brick and interesting internal architecture. I realize that 'warehouse architecture' isn't necessarily a type of architecture, but some of these old buildings are just fantastic! The space is good for a party, very open and with interesting lighting. I like the space, and the different rooms, so this spot can definitely hold varied group sizes. The one thing I didn't like was the bathroom...it felt like I was at a Cubs game! For a fancier event, that would have annoyed me more, but it was workable for the one I was attending. A good spot, unique and interesting.

I think this is the first year for the festival and it was good! Good live music and some nice…read morerestaurants from around Chicago. The festival goes from June 4-5 and is located on the east side of Wrigley Field. There was a brief interupption from the weather but when we got back out there, it was back to good food and plenty of beer. I got to try the Turducken Brat and sample the summer sausage chips and Andouille Sausage brat from Paulina Meat Market and got an Alligator brat from another vendor. The Turducken was pretty good (wish it was a little more charred), but by far the best was the Alligator Brat with the Asian sweet sauce on top of it. The only complaint i really have is that the festival was only a block long. I'm sure they are just building the festival over the next few years, but it was very short going between the two sides.

Good food (sausages, of course), good music, and beer...just what a summer festival in Chicago is…read moreall about. We weren't there long but we'll definitely be back for more next year.

Still a great go-to event in the suburbs of Chicago. Definitely not as crowded as the Taste of…read moreChicago, with enough food vendors to try out and spend an hour or so on. Venue is setup with lots of space and shaded seating area near the Park Ridge Metra station. There is a large stage area with entertainment on the east-side of the venue. This place sells food by the ticket, so the layer of abstraction helps with not knowing you're paying $12 worth of tickets for two chicken skewers and rice. Most food items worth trying out are around 8 to 12 tickets, with prices, as of 2023, being $10 for a strip of 8 tickets. No surcharge for cash, but if you only have plastic, they do apply a surcharge. In either case, still better than $30 for a piece of lettuce at the Taste of Chicago, wading through a large crowd, while hoping to not have your food bumped out of your hand from an unaware crowd. BATHROOM REVIEW: Plenty of port-a-potties, with mine being pleasant and clean. Not a lot of use so far when I went around 2PM on a Saturday afternoon. We'll see, as the festival goes on with drunks destroying the bathroom. But for now, sit or squat? Squat... it's still a port-a-potty.

Well now I can say I've been to Taste of Park Ridge, so I'm glad about that. There were at least a…read moredozen food booths, which I don't think is bad for a small town like this. Even Joseph's Finest Meats was there with some sausages, Italian beef, and some yummy ribbon fries. We wandered around for about an hour and a half because it was really hot. It's nice that they have some tables with umbrellas, but I wonder if like one of those little water misting things would be nice... because it was so incredibly hot this year. In addition to the food booths, there's entertainment throughout the day at the stage. We were here during one of the more kid-oriented performances and my babe had fun bopping around. However, I don't think it's a festival I'll be returning to very frequently. There's nothing wrong with it; it's just expensive. This year (2026) tickets are $10 for 8 tickets, and a bit more if you used a card--I think it was $21.75, as you had to buy a minimum of $20 worth of tickets (the extra was the card fee). A single scoop of ice cream cost 7 tickets, but it was my kiddo's birthday so of course she was going to get ice cream... but we're talking something like $9 for a scoop of ice cream. That feels excessive. The location is fantastic, though. Part of the reason we stopped by is because we came from the library directly across the street. The Metra station is right here; you couldn't be closer to the train unless you were in the station, so that's a great option for transportation. Parking is available, but if you want to drink or have an easy time with parking, it's best to use the train.

We had a great time at the 7th Annual Chicago VeganMania which was held on Oct 10, 2015. The food…read morecourt had wonderful selections; dishes were priced at $5 - $10. I tried a vegan tamale from Chicago Diner for $5, and some Korean pancakes from Bryn Mawr Fresh Market, also $5. There were various vendor booths, some were selling various vegan products (food, clothing, etc), some offered free samples, and some provided information on issues such as animal welfare and GMO labeling efforts. They also had chef demos upstairs, I only got to see a few minutes of a demo since I arrived late. They also had a speaker series - the room was small and there were no seats when I arrived. Next year I plan on arriving earlier day and I will make sure to arrive early to the speaker events to get a seat. Parking was available on Broadway for $2.00 per hour (max 2 hours), or on side streets $2.00 per hour (max 3 hours). And if you could find parking on residential streets, I believe it was free to park. It was so packed that it took us 15 minutes to find a parking lot, which was an 8 minute walk to VeganMania.

For one day a year, Chicago-area vegans crowd the Broadway Armory to enjoy vegan food, vegan…read moredrinks, vegan goods, vendors, and interesting panel discussions. I've been attending since 2014, and this event just gets better every year. My only complaint, if it can be classified as a complaint, is that this event is only one day. I wish it was the entire weekend. There's a line to enter early on. The doors open at 10am. I arrived at 10:30, and there was still a short line waiting to get in. Once you go into the main hall, you're overwhelmed by the aromas of food from the vendors lined up along the north wall and part of the east. Food vendors in 2017 included, but were not limited to, The Chicago Diner, Soul Vegetarian, Kal'ish, Arya Bhavan, Alice & Friends, Ras Daschen, Pie Pie My Darling, and more. You had to buy tokens, which costg $1.00 each, to use for food and drink purchases. The food vendors ring an area of long tables set up for dining. I had a vegan noodle dish and vegan chick'n satay from Alice & Friends, and that was 100% delicious. I wish I could show this variety of food to all the people who think vegans only eat salad. Booth vendors off the dining area also offered a variety of goods for sale, or information about organizations such as Mercy For Animals and animal sanctuaries. You could buy dairy-free cheeses, vegan chocolate, cruelty-free clothes and accessories, and T-shirts. A conference room away from the main exhibit hall hosted panel discussions. I attended three: "Caregiving as Activisim: Sanctuary & Animal Care;" "Intersectionality: What it is, what it isn't, and why it's important for creating social change;" and "Vegan Health Q&A with Milton Mills, M.D." All were interesting. All were crowded. All taught me something. Vegan Mania also offers chef demonstrations, but I did not attend any of those. I stayed for almost 5 hours. It was entertaining, fulfilling, interesting, and exhausting, and an excellent way to spend a Saturday. A solid nap was in order afterwards.

Loved the Hawaiian burger. I always look forward to trying new things at smokeout. I can't wait to…read morego again next year!!!!!!

First time at the Windy City Smoke Out.. The bbq was pretty good..Over all nice vibes.. Although…read moreCountry Music isn't my main thing..We still enjoyed our selves.. I didn't get too many side eyes with my Obama Hat..

The venue itself is beautiful and feels really new, with the vine-covered buildings, great…read morelandscaping, plenty of restrooms, and several areas to grab drinks and food. You can either watch the performance from the pavilion seat or sit on the lawn and make it into a picnic where you listen to music, hang out, and vibe with your friends. You can bring in a lot of your own food and drinks as long as they aren't in metal or glass containers, which I LOVE. I got to see Chance the Rapper here and had such a fun time. Definitely going back! Great experience and a great price, too.

Ravinia Music Festival is nothing short of world-class--a place where stunning music meets…read morebeautiful park space in perfect harmony. I saw The Black Crowes and The Band Feel on June 18, 2025, and it became one of the most special concerts of my life (and I attend about 10 shows a year). The Black Crowes are my all-time favorite band, and after meeting The Band Feel last year, learning they were influenced by The Black Crowes only made this show more surreal. Despite a torrential downpour all day and into the show hours, the show went on, and I couldn't have been more grateful for the experience. I was hesitant to buy a ticket, given the three-hour drive on a weeknight/work night and bad weather, but after a call to the box office, the friendly staff member (I am sorry I didn't get her name but I appreciate her immensely) was able to find me a mid-pavilion (covered) seat that had been returned by a member who couldn't attend. How blessed I am because of her caring to make it the best night for me! I spent some time walking the beautiful grounds during the rain and grabbed a snack to wait out the storm in one of the food areas and appreciated it all. What truly set this night apart, however, was the hospitality of Ray, the friendly security guard. I had ventured down to the front row for a few photos--desperately wanting a shot without having to resort to a selfie, which just never quite captures the vibe. No one in the crowd offered to help, but Ray noticed my frustration and kindly stepped in, offering to take my photo. His friendly attitude made the moment even more memorable, a small but significant gesture that spoke volumes about the warmth of the venue. The Ravinia grounds and venue are more than just a music venue; it's a world-class space that fosters a deep connection between artists, patrons, and the community. With a bonus focus of funds going toward supporting local music programs, it's clear this venue is built on passion and love for the arts. Despite the rain, I'll cherish this experience forever. I would return to Ravinia again and again, rain or shine, as it's worth every bit of the journey.