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!

VFW's bring up childhood memories of cranky old men complaining about the war. At least that is…read morehow they seemed where I grew up. This place is anything but cranky old men complaining about the war. My first experience here was completely surprising. I came for the Friday fish fry with my father and the nugget, who was a baby at the time. During Lent, this place is PACKED with people on Friday nights. I could not believe it. While waiting for my fish to arrive, I got a glass of wine at the bar. I thought I misheard the price...nope I didn't...it was soooo cheap compared to a bar or restaurant. After I bit into a nice meaty piece of fried fish, I was hooked (buh duh cha). The fish fry continues all year long...not just during Lent. Don't like fish, no problem. They have Italian Beef sandwiches, hot dogs, and fried shrimp. The price of your meal also includes coffee, and cake for dessert. You can't go wrong. Don't forget to bring some cash for the raffles. They usually do a 50/50 raffle, and some other thing. For Valentine's Day there was a delicious pork dinner and a band. For St. Paddy's they do a corned beef dinner. High suggested! Tuesday is Bingo and Thursday is wing night. There is almost always something going on here. Check it out!

I know it's a Fish Fry but they have 1/2 pound prime rib burgers that are the best tasting burgers…read moreI have ever eaten. And I've eaten a lot of burgers! The fish can be ordered fried (not as healthy) or baked (healthy). Both taste great but I can't resist fried!

DOUBLE PLAY DAY This…read moreno-frills ballpark is fine for catching a game even though a handful of things are lacking. Downtown Joliet is home to Duly Health & Care Field, a small stadium that seats a mere 6,016 fans.  It was built in 2002 and renovated in 2018; the Joliet Slammers (née Joliet Jackhammers) of the Frontier League have called this place home for the last 24 years. The field itself is artificial turf, which I'm not a fan of, and I seriously doubt players prefer this to how real grass plays and feels.  Dimensions to the outfield wall are similar to the major leagues: 348ft to deep left, 400ft to straightaway center, 327ft to the right field foul pole. I came here on 5/20/26 for a 10am Wednesday morning game, a rarity for professional baseball.  This early start coincided with 'Education Day' and featured plenty of screaming school children in attendance.  Our group reserved a suite, and it was smaller than we expected. The food was basic though nonetheless appreciated.  In my mind, I'd envisioned a hearty breakfast spread for a 10am start, but in reality it was much simpler: hot dogs w/sauerkraut and toppings, chicken poppers, pasta salad, chips, cookies, and soft drinks.  Around the 3rd inning, they brought out cheese, pepperoni, and sausage pizzas. There was a bar just down the corridor on the suite level and I enjoyed a couple bloody mary's before switching to the bartender's cocktail-du-jour, a moonshine punch made with a hefty pour of booze.  After I tipped him, he asked me to leave a good word with management at least ~three~ times, which came off as pushy (and awkward). Some ballparks have majestic views, unfortunately Duly Health & Care Field is not among them.  Beyond right field is old Joliet Central high school (ick), past center field is a parking lot, and a fire station can be seen outside left field.  The overall landscape was that of a concrete jungle and I was not impressed. Ecolab is one of the Slammers' major sponsors (there's a large ad under the scoreboard, on the outfield wall, and on the back of their printed schedule), so I was stunned to see that the soap dispensers in the bathroom were....not ours!  Excuse me??  How dare you cheat on us!  "Uhhh honey, I can explain, you see, I still love you but uh, the other guys offered me a better deal on wholesale pricing!"   * TL;DR * It's not the major leagues (or even the minors), but at the end of the day you're still seeing a pro baseball game, and that's cool. Duly Health & Care Field is very modest in its capacity and amenities.  It's a smaller park with smaller-scale operations, so adjust your expectations accordingly (for comparison, the Kane County Cougars play in Geneva, IL at a venue that seats 11K people, nearly twice that of here). Food service was adequate and staff were relatively friendly, however the aesthetics leave a lot to be desired.  This is a perfectly serviceable ballpark, nothing more.

This is such a unique and small stadium!…read more Parking is free if you choose the right lot. This stadium technically doesn't have its own parking lot. However all of the parking meters are free after 5pm. There is also a large lot next to the train station that is free after 5pm. The sign will say "$8". However in fine print it will say that it's only that price until 5pm. This stadium is a beautiful and small stadium. Every seat has a great view! We did notice that for most of the game the first baseline was in the sun. So if you're looking for shade pick a seat on the 3rd base side. For most of the game it was sunny due to the game starting at 6pm. Definitely check their instagram before arriving. They will sometimes post special deals for the game. When I went they had $2 hot dogs. This stadium has a very small gift shop but truly has so many wonderful things in it. Overall such a great experience and amazing stadium!

Our company was a sponsor for this years brewfest so I grabbed my babe and headed there. The line…read morewasn't bad at all, we bought his ticket and went straight to the first booth. There was 80 different beers and we tried them all! Some of my favorite breweries, including Church Street, Lunar and More, were there. I'm pretty sure we tried all of the beers. One of my favorites (not a beer) was the Peach Country Ciderboy! I'm so digging ciders right now. Villa Park did a great job for their first brew fest. The vendors and the volunteers were super nice and we never had to stand in a long line. They had a few food trucks too, I had two tacos from Dori's Tacos, not bad! I can't wait for next year!

Thursday Night Out has always been a blast. My kids love to go because it's safe for them to move…read morearound and find their own food. The event sells food tickets. There are 4 tix in a book. Each book costs 25$ . You get a menu of all the places participating in the event. Mostly places on Lake st and Marion st. There is a different band each week. Great live music. I usually get there early. The event starts at 5pm. I get there early to grab a table for my family. If you get there later bring your own chairs. It does get super crowded and people won't stop asking "are you using this chair? Can I take this chair?". Good luck with that. It's the only part I don't enjoy. My family gets up to go find their dinner and at least 5 people will come to ask about the chair. Other than that. It's a fun Summer fest. It goes on from the first week of June to the end of August, only on Thursday nights.

100 DAYS OF SUMMER…read more From late May through August, Oak Park's 'Thursday Night Out' is a lovely street festival. I've lived in the area for nearly 5 years now, but it wasn't until Nichole C moved in that I bothered going to this summertime event. It takes place on Marion St between Lake & the train tracks, beginning around Memorial Day and going until just before Labor Day. Tickets come in panels of 4 for $20 (which equates to $5/ticket), something that apparently has gotten more expensive in the last few years. Not all items are worth your time, but a few are a decent value like the calamari from Mancini's and California roll from Sushi House. Although there's a tent selling alcohol, I'd recommend buying a six pack from Target or bottle of wine from Trader Joe's. Thursday Night Out is a widely-accepted BYOB event, and that's a very good thing. Some folks even bring candles! There's plastic chairs and tables set up but arrive super early to stake those spots out. You'll likely need to bring a few folding chairs unless you don't mind eating food on a curb. Crowd is mostly families but lots of younger couples, too. Live music plays from 5-8pm; we've heard everything from hippy dippy folk rock to rasta man reggae, even some soft jazz (which lulled me into an inebriated 6pm nap). Typically two different bands play each week, and it's always good stuff. Unfortunately, it really bothers me that for as big of a turnout as TNO generates, there's no port-o-potties in sight. Couple this with a strict "no public restrooms" policy for the participating businesses, so break the seal and you could be outta luck. * TL;DR * Live music, generous BYOB policy, excellent people watching.....and nowhere to relieve yourself. You have to use a food voucher to buy something at one of the participating restaurants and then use the restroom, this is your only "legal" option. Personally, I suggest finding a nice alley or secluded corner of a nearby parking garage to pee in/on (important note: this only applies to men. Ladies, I have no idea how y'all do your thing). Seriously though, ANY outdoor event of this size should have portable shitters. Thursday Night Out is still lots of fun, just watch your beverage consumption and tell your bladder to plan accordingly.

I have been coming to Activate: Oak Brook since it opened and it is always a fun way to get your…read moreheart pumping, muscles activated, and brain juices flowing! I was here on Good Friday since I had the day off. I made my gaming partner go early because those times were discounted and boy, am I glad I did! By the time our 90 minutes were up, the place was getting PACKED. It made my heart happy to see so many families doing something active and together! Like I stated before, I have been coming since it opened, and I appreciated in this visit that the instruction screens were updated, some of the rooms that we not working on my previous version were up and running again, etc. I also appreciate an upgrade to their reward system! Before, they used to hand you items (a water bottle, a basketball, etc.), but now you earn coins and can "spend" them on the items of your choice. I prefer that so I can pick items that I will actually use! (The aforementioned water bottle and basketball were donated to my local charity shop.) I chose a personal bracelet that Activate uses to track your time and points while you are actively participating in the games. The facilities have bathrooms, access to clean drinking water, free lockers to protect your belongings, etc. This time, too, I wore my fitness tracker for kicks and giggles and I burned almost 500 calories in 90 minutes of fun. I wish they offered a summer pass or a monthly pass like other entertainment options in the suburbs.

We all had a great time. Ages ranging from 8-49. It took a bit to get used to switching out the…read moregames in each room, once we got the hang of it we had a blast!

This year marked 83 years of Lilac Festival and Parade tradition…read more I love the Lilac Parade. I've been going for over 20 years and it's become my tradition. I think that my favorite part (besides the veterans) is the drum line and dancers. Every year I convince myself that I could be one of them. Or I could be one of the dancers, I mean, I could totally do it right? Get out there and twerk, twerk, twerk....um yea I could totes do it. =) The only thing I don't like about this is finding a spot to camp out. You have to be there at least two hours before hand to find close parking. This year there were spots saved from the night before!! Imagine that. That was a little unfair because spots weren't' even being used while people were searching all over the place. Don't hold a spot if you're not planning on using it. I always manage to find a spot by Señor Jalapeño and this year it was perfect because we walked across the street to grab a slice of pizza from Gianorio's. Then we sat in our lawn chairs with our drinks, our pizza and watched the parade for about a good hour. Veteran Marching band, Antique Cars, Military Vehicles, Lombard Leapers Tumbling Squad, and our very own Lombard Falcons (which my friends son is part of), and the coolest horses around, those are just a few of the participants. Don't worry, there's a street sweeper that comes around to clean up after the horses. They also have face paint for the little ones, I always manage to get my face painted though. So, if you wake up one Sunday morning, sometime in May, and realize the parade is happening, I would definitely recommend going. With friends, family or yourself, well, I don't know about just yourself...that's a little creepy. Take your dog for a stroll! lol There's just so much history in the Village of Lombard and I hope Lombard never let's this tradition die.

This is one of this west suburban's traditions that I try not to miss. The Lilac Parade IS Lombard,…read moreand if the only event attended in this town is the parade, I feel like the best representation of the village is going to be on this day. Regardless of the weather, hoards of people line Main Street and East Maple to watch the 2 hour parade that has something for everyone to see and enjoy. This year featured a bunch of adorable miniature horses, and were the highlight of the day. For the constant every year, I like the Jessie White tumblers best of all. Having been a gymnast, there is something magical to see several teens fly 20 or so feet through the air from concrete as though they're bouncing on backyard trampolines.

It was more like a neighborhood block party with some carnival rides and games than it was a…read moreOktoberfest. Spent about an hour there since it was just me and my husband and had done everything. The beer wasn't too expensive and they did have some good music. Not really the Oktoberfest German experience you would really want.

The Berwyn Oktoberfest is a blast! Sure, it's not a real Oktoberfest, it is more of a HUGE block…read moreparty like the other reviewer said, but what makes it great is that there are so many local restaurants and vendors. This is a true community festival that has retained its character. The music acts are also great and they have ample seating and security for the event. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the event, especially from the Mayor and his presence. They had a great 80s band last year that really got the crowd going! Look forward to this festival every year as a 30 something year old.