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.

This is a great parade when the weather is just right. Not too hot or rainy or cold. I see the kids…read moremarching and dancing and I feel for them. THere is someone walking around with water thank goodness. I had hoped to get a glimpse of Mayor Lightfoot but apparently I missed her with the public schools. But Comedian Lil Rel as the Grand Marshall was still awesome! There were some giveaways for the kids and of course political and corporate show-offs. But the main attraction are schools, bands, other community organizations. The CTA reroute was in effect, which meant walking from Cottage Grove to King Drive on 47th. No buses that I could see would take us there on 47th. We should have invested in chairs but the grassy area was fine. People engage in enterprise at the parade by having cookouts; LOTS of cookouts and food for sale. We had grabbed doughnuts and I don't usually crave a hamburger at 10:30 am but next time i'll be more adventurous.

WOW what a cool parade! Show up at least 15-20 minutes prior if you want a good spot at the front…read more But we changed locations and we're able to get right up along the street so it's possible. There were TWO hundred floats! We left after 90 minutes after I asked the officer what float we were on....47. It was a great experience. Plenty of local school bands, dance and tumbling groups, politicians, radio stations, CPS, local and national companies, not for profits, etc most giving away little freebies. Best part was that Chance the Rapper was the Grand Marshal this year! Celebration at the park afterwards

I saw magic happen at C2E2…read more I saw a little girl in a princess dress who was waving at a costumed character calling, Mira, Mira. I told the woman that a little girl was trying to get her attention and she turned, then the little girl ran up to her and hugged her. They talked for a few minutes and posed for pictures for her parents, and when she walked away, she said she couldn't believe that she met her favorite K-pop character Mira. This is not the only magical moment that I had at C2E2. What could be better than seeing the mandalorian? A whole row of Mandalorians. This was a very popular costume here. What could be better than a parade of droids from star wars? Absolutely nothing! I saw families dressed up in costumes attending together. There was batman with his two spiderman sons, a father who was Bowser, the mother who was Super Mario and their son who was Luigi. I saw lots of couples who were dressed up together. I took a picture with Snorlax from Pokémon and Godzilla too! Sadly C2E2 is over for this year, but the memories will last for a long time. So if you want to hang out with Batman, the Mandalorian, Catwoman, X-Men, K-pop Demon Hunters and more, make sure to get your tickets to C2E2 2027 early! Mark your calendar, C2E2 2027 runs April 30th thru May 2nd 2027

I've been going to this for the past few years, it's always fun to go to! Meet lots of people,…read moremeeting celebrities (some have cancelled over the years, but it's fine). I'd recommend some of the panels, they're always fun, (if you do go remember to get VIP).

My husband and I visited the Wilmette Historical Museum on our tour of local historical museums…read more This building is the former town hall. There is a great permanent exhibit about the founding of Wilmette and the Ouilmette family that helped build the town. There is also an exhibit about the Native American contributions to the area. But the part that really sets this museum apart is the jail cells that are in the lower level of the museum. The exhibit describes what happened when you broke the law back then (a meal cooked by the wife of a jailer doesn't sound too bad). Definetly a fun place to check out! I highly recommend the Wilmette Historical Museum!

Exceptional local museum. When I visited, they had a beautiful exhibit up about Native Americans in…read morethe area. The building is beautifully preserved and restored. There's also some interesting stuff about the history of Wilmette and the famous people who grew up there. If you're in town and seeking to know the locale better, I recommend it.

It's a cute thing for kid and adults alike. The bands were fantastic always love music. The…read morelights are fun to see turned on. It's really a nice time for all and this year was not bad weather

Well worth the hour's wait in the chill. We weren't going to pop on down unless it had stopped…read moreraining, which it did! The crowd was just gathering at Chicago and Michigan Aves. so that "one hour early" was enough to ensure a front row look. Next year, would actually recommend standing at the north side of any intersection since the police and photogs tend to stand at the south side and they may obscure the view. It's pretty unique to see a dark Michigan Avenue at dusk. No lights are on along the Mile....they're awaiting the beginning of the parade which kicks off with Mickey and Minnie lighting up each section as they go. It's a high pitched "ahhhhhh!" from every section of crowd as the lead float progresses and the magic wand is waved over the lights! Other than the "Revenge of the Nutcracker!" (they couldn't get him upright due to the wind - which was gusty) every participant seemed to be proceeding along as planned. The giant Shedd octopus blew bubbles overhead as the Garrett Popcorn flies! Honestly, we left our spot to watch the procession as people screamed and ran after the Garrett's truck. And, Garretts really was tossing out some high quality Chicago mix bags. Worth the chase! Just like at Wrigley, I saw a guy holding an infant stretch out and grab a mid-air bag while never waking the kid! (It was funny to have a "Cubs" visual since that's the last parade I've been to!) It was fantastic to meet the parents of two kids in a marching band from downstate and also to visit with a traveler from Alberta, Canada. The Mag Mile was packed with holiday spirit and I'd recommend this parade if you want a fun way to kick off the holidays. End note: Sponsored by among others, BMO/Harris and Southwest Airlines (the official airlines of the Mag Mile in fact!) Loved the Harris Lion balloon and yes, SWA was tossing peanuts into the crowd. We also nabbed the new Frango mints. The website had great details about parade route, start time etc for your next year reference. PS! Pierrot Gourmet had a festive sidewalk scene for a couple hours post-parade...check it out next year!

This is a great race that visit some of the great west side parks that are [art of the Chicago…read moreBoulevard system. Much of the race runs along these boulevards visiting Humbolt, Garfield and Douglas Park. This is a different view than the Chicago Marathon. The 13.1 race has improved since its first running. It was great to see Carey Pinkowski starting us on and cheering a little before the half way mark. In 2025 it was great to see Ted Metellus in the finish line VIP area after he ran the race. The start was well organized and there was no trouble with crowding. The signage was a little misleading making you take a roundabout way of getting to the bag drop. Found water stations plentiful, course easy to follow and crowd and runner support great. The postrace activities were better than the Chicago Marathon's. The music and the party were great. The only trouble I had this year was not signing up before they closed the registration. I think it closed early because many signed up for the benefit of completing the distance classic and guaranteeing a Chicago Marathon bib the following year. It would be nice to allow bibs to Chicago marathon legacy runners.

I just had to register for Bank of America Chicago 13.1 being that the start/ finish line is in my…read moreneighborhood. In time we will see how much this event grows but the opportunity to run this inaugural event was hard to pass up. The course also runs through some of the parks on Chicago's West Side that I am very familiar with like Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, and Douglass Park. The health & wellness expo was held within the Roosevelt Collection Shops, a beautiful location in the south loop of Chicago. The expo was very organized with the main stations highlighted. With it being organized, it did not appear too congested in the process. The volunteers were very helpful and kind at this expo. Packet pick-up went smooth after I identified the corral letter sent via email. After that, I went to the booth section with that particular letter to pick-up my shirt and bib number. Prior to the day of the run, I smiled every time I looked at the t-shirt because it reminded me that this is an inaugural event. Running an inaugural event is something that nobody can take away from you. Starting in Garfield Park, the course ran through Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, and Lawndale neighborhoods. My favorite highlights along the course were of course seeing the Garfield Park Fieldhouse, running through a peaceful Humboldt Park, and seeing locals on their porches waving. I adored the older women nearby Garfield Park on their porches waving, cheering, and greeting us with "Good morning!" as we ran towards Lawndale neighborhood. It is a memory of this event that I will always remember and cherish. There were a decent number of spectators and supporters along the course. Most were there to cheer on their supported runner whether it be friends, family, or runners' part of their particular running club which were mostly from either Three Run Two, or Chicago Road Runners. The majority of the course was flat with a slight decline and incline mostly within the viaducts along the course, but nothing too excruciating. I have to say the rough parts for me where the mental games started were from mile 8 to 12. There was a lack of spectators in the majority of the area plus I felt a nagging pain in my left ankle at the time. The course had enough medical personnel and police officers along it. There were also plentiful water stations with a combination of Nuun Hydration followed by water! And both were identifiable! It warmed my heart seeing the 'Biofreeze' set-up along the course which I just had to run through; running through it helped ease the pain I felt in my left ankle. I would definitely run Bank of America Chicago 13.1 again because its presence brings positivity to Chicago's West Side, plus, I would love to see and be part of the event's growth in time. ~Blessings~   Thomas G

My fiancé, her Dad and I recently visited Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture on the Southwest…read moreside. The museum is located on Pulaski and there is plenty of street parking either in front or on the side streets surrounding the building. The museum itself is smaller but spread across 3 floors. The first floor is a bit older but has lots of relics, pictures and a library for Lithuanian genealogy. As cool as it was to see these artifacts there was very little signage explaining what was on display. Luckily there was an extremely friendly woman who worked at the museum who'd occasionally came in and answered all our questions. The second and more recent exhibit on the third floor tells the story of Lithuania during World War II and later under Soviet rule. The exhibit also includes stories of Lithuanian families immigrating to the US and keeping their culture intact in a new country. While this museum isn't competing with MSI or Field Museum anytime soon, they do have the edge of the people who work & volunteer here. Everyone was so friendly and happy to discuss the importance of their history & culture of Lithuania.

Culture and just beauty! I think balzekas should be another one of those "come see" while visiting…read moreChicago. Its different and you will find that they are a quite cultural experience. "Lithuania Through the Ages" takes you back to when development of Lithuanian history and culture from prehistory to the present and you will definietley get something out of this exhibit. Stanley Balzeka (owner and creator of Museum) created this place because the original location on Archer was too small. Seriously a nice place to see some culture.

This is a beautiful preserved historical town. With such…read morecharm, sophistication and class. It's well cared for, which shows in how clean and presentable everything is. They are doing an amazing job of preserving a piece of history for their community and visitors. Beautiful traditional town square with gorgeous residences around. There seems to be everything small towns need right here. Nice Restaurants. Ice cream parlor, nice clothes tailor and cleaners. Financial services, law offices, heat & cooling specialists. It's wonderful to see history preserve and they are doing such a good job maintaining it.

The Riverside waterworks is hard to miss, and it and the two well houses look fascinating. But…read moreyou'll basically be admiring them from outside. The museum is housed in one of the two well houses (the other is used for storage), as well as the archivist's desk. There is essentially no space, so there are just a few tiny exhibits (a glass plate; a model of a house), some posters on the wall, a few leaflets, and a file on every house in Riverside. The archivist was very helpful and friendly, and I learned a fair amount about Riverside and about Frederick Olmsted, who designed it (and Central Park, and the Biltmore...). But if you're not local, you'd better combine this trip with something else - I love museums and was hard-pressed to spend 20 minutes here. You'll learn just about as much in the "Visitor's Center" at the train station (the roofed area on the right as you get off the train from Chicago), which I recommend you visit as it's right next door, and goes into a little more detail on the town itself than the museum does.