The new location at 6839 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, Illinois 60714 suite 100 is much better than the…read moreoriginal. The facility is modern and for rentals the price is right. The drink prices are reasonable. Sponsored a party there and although it could seat about 100 we went way over. This facility is a best keep secret going. Call Patty at 847 825 4588 or just visit it any day after 12 p.m.. Did I mention they have gaming?

My friend had her wedding here. I'm not reviewing her wedding - duh, that was five stars - but…read morerather the VFW and its potential for events. Months leading up to the event, there was some confusion that the venue was closing down for good, and I don't think they even bothered to call and tell my friend, since they were closing AFTER her event was held. Still, that's going to cause a damn stroke to drive by and see a sign that the venue is for sale. When we arrived the evening of the wedding, the front door to the building was locked. Funny, the sign around back told us to enter through the front...anyway, we ended up going through a back entrance and cruising through the kitchen area, where it was obvious a volunteer and some others were scrambling to get things set up. I don't need a red carpet rolled out for me, but if you do...it ain't happening here. Volunteers should probably wear some sort of name tag, or something that makes them look "official," since my friend's relative asked me to mop the floor after something spilled... It was obvious from the moment I walked in that she put her blood, sweat, and tears into decorating the sh*t out of this place. She made an ordinary VFW into a tropical paradise! Beautiful, bright hues of turquoise, violet, and magenta decorated the tables which were adorned with cute, but classy, tiki barware and candles. This VFW was well-lit, clean, and provided her with great bones to really customize her event. There was plenty of room for guests to sit, dance, and mingle. The "stage" area made for a nice ceremony. I sat in the middle of the sea of guests, and it was nice to be able to hear the vows - and see them - even though a man bun a few seats in front of me would have ordinarily blocked my view. The American flag in the background looked a little strange in some pictures though, but it comes with the territory. Caterers appear to be flying solo here - without a wedding coordinator on site, you need to have your sh*t together. I helped my friend set up the dessert (cupcakes), and almost immediately people began to swarm the table before the couple cut their own cake. Caterers - get some back up, because you are your own crowd control! The bartender did a great job keeping up with everyone. I don't know how many guests there were, but it wasn't the smallest (or biggest) wedding I've attended. She held her own, and the "line" moved rather quickly. She was also willing to serve a group of us shots - something many wedding venues refuse to do. If you love, love, LOVE the idea of customization, and calling all the shots (many banquet halls make you use specific vendors, menus, etc) then this VFW is definitely worth a look. So much thought went into her hosting a beautiful and fun event, which does make this VFW an ideal choice for someone who has the time and motivation to do the DIY thing all the way. It was nice to not attend a cookie cutter wedding for once!

Ivy exceeded my expectations this weekend. The setup was stunning! I'm very picky when it comes to…read moredecor and this was exactly what I was looking for. I loved every bit of it and so did our guests. Communication with Ivy was also very easy, she was very responsive both via text and email. The staff were great and extremely helpful the night of the event.

My baby shower experience was absolutely beautiful and perfect! From the stunning decorations to…read morethe attentive and kind staff, everything flowed so smoothly. The photo booth was such a fun highlight and made the day even more memorable. Every detail was so thoughtfully done, and I couldn't have asked for a better celebration to welcome our baby boy. Truly grateful for such an amazing experience! I am so glad I found this banquet hall! Ivy, the owner, was absolutely amazing--so attentive, understanding of my vision, and in constant communication to make sure everything came out perfect. From start to finish, she went above and beyond to bring everything together beautifully. I truly couldn't have asked for a better experience.

I am struggling to put into words how to thank Lindsay Gaeta and her team and acknowledge every…read moresingle detail she knocked out of the park and executed on our wedding day! Throughout the planning process there were so many little behind the scenes details she saved me time on which I am so appreciative! I will miss seeing her monthly on our planning calls! I don't plan to get married again anytime soon but I do hope our paths cross again! I am speechless about her help from the rehearsal to the very last minute of shutting down the after party!! The top 3 highlights that people mentioned to me on the wedding day were 1. Dad's speech, 2. Florals, 3. How hard she HUSTLED!!! My bridesmaids and close family constantly approached me on the wedding day with sentiments of "wow, she's good!!" She exceeded our expectations and anticipated our every move! I have close family in the hospitality business (who are the harshest critics about everything in the event planning world) and were over the top satisfied with her commitment and follow through to make the day as seamless as possible! I am sure there were many hiccups that day that were not brought to my attention and for that, I give Lindsay full credit! I was able to relax, be present and have a B+ personality that evening instead of my typical A- for all things attention to detail! I felt completely comfortable 'handing Lindsay the reigns' and entrusting she would handle everything as necessary, which she did!!!

We are beyond grateful for Kim Weinberg of LivenUp Events! From the very beginning, Kim was the…read moreultimate professional, so patient, kind, and supportive, even when I, as the bride, was feeling overwhelmed. She has this incredible ability to stay calm, cool, and collected no matter what comes her way, always finding solutions effortlessly and proactively preventing issues before they even arise. Her industry knowledge is unparalleled, and her planning experience truly shines through in every detail. From her amazing vendor connections to her creative, thoughtful ideas, Kim went above and beyond to make our wedding not just beautiful, but absolutely seamless. She kept us organized, on track, and stress-free throughout the entire process. But what really sets Kim apart is her heart. She genuinely cares about her couples, listens with empathy, and makes you feel supported every step of the way. We couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner. She is a true gem, and we feel so lucky to have had her by our side. Kim Weinberg didn't just plan our wedding; she made our dream day a reality, and we will be forever grateful.

It's a great place for parents to hang out with the their children while enjoying some relaxation…read moreon their own. I believe I have a contradictory statement on the last paragraph, that is, "how can relaxation and kids-monitoring happen simultaneously?" "Sunny Village Cafe" is the answer because the children can play while the parents sip on coffee. The space is designed perfectly that guardians can keep an eye on their little ones. Of course, the circumstances can depend. My partner and I checked out here on a quiet Tuesday afternoon. We were the only patrons for an extended of time. My older one enjoyed the slide, while my little one followed his afternoon-nap route and fell asleep after playing a few things. The admission fee was $15/child and waiver for each child would need to be completed. I thought this was reasonable because we really had the venue all to ourselves for a couple of hours. Coffee, non-caffeinated beverages, and cafe-style pastries were available for purchase. The place was clean and cozy. I looked up their website and learned that membership was available. We already had other memberships that would keep us busy. Therefore, at this time we didn't see the need. I hope "Sunny Village Cafe" can last like the sun that never sets! We live in the neighborhood and would love to come here from time to time.

I've been looking forward to the opening of Sunny Village Cafe for at least eight months or so…read more They've had some challenges on the way to opening but they're finally here! I don't work on my birthday, so since I had the day off I took my toddler here in the morning. The concept of the cafe came from the owner's visit to family in Korea, where these play cafes are common. There are about five tables along the west wall and then the rest is for children's play! There are toys as well as structures, such as a little CTA rail car. There's a little play house. Various toys can be found throughout the play area. There are "yuck boxes", where you can place toys that children have put in their mouth so the staff can clean them. There's hand sanitizer in a few areas as well. There's a couple chairs and couches in the play area as well, adult-sized ones. There is also an infant section for children up to age 24 months. That section is smaller and has a couple of baby bjorns for the littlest friends. Near that area is a quiet room. I didn't get anything to eat or drink whilst here but I'm curious to try one of their -ades. They have some pastries and stuff from nearby restaurants, including Delightful Pastries across the street, I think. I'm not sure how I would have managed them both since the tables ended up getting all taken; I wasn't able to stake one out since I was following my little one around. Maybe I could have kept it with me in the play area and just held it but I wasn't sure if that was allowed. I also wasn't sure if I could order something from inside the play space or if I needed to go out to get one. The play area is enclosed so for the most part you don't have to worry about kids getting out, although there's a bit of a gap along the side and bottom of the swinging door to the cafe/play space. No shoes are allowed once you enter that door, so you'll leave them in the space outside the enclosed play space/cafe. I'd highly recommend going to the website and completing the waiver before you arrive, as that just makes it easier and gets you in to play more quickly. You must complete a waiver for both parent and child, separately, which I thought was the case but then whilst reading through it I was unsure. The cost to enter is $14, unless you have a membership or have pre-paid for a particular number of visits. They also offer private rentals for parties and stuff. I think my little one enjoyed it, and I think we'll return so she play around. Parking is relatively limited since it's in a small strip mall. But there is parking along the street around here too.

I began working with Henna in November 2023 when planning my sister's wedding for the following…read moreSeptember. Over the course of 10 months, I spoke to Henna regularly where she told me about her planning services, day of coordination, and decor in extreme detail. She was reliable and understood what the vision was that my sister wanted for her wedding. She was quick to respond, transparent with pricing, and very accommodating to our budget. As we started exceeding our budget, Henna came up with multiple ideas to help cut costs and repurpose items to help us remain comfortable with our vision and pricing while also remaining true to the vision we had curated over the year of planning. Henna and her team exceeded our expectations and are so glad we went with her services when deciding on a vendor that we felt comfortable with. We are excited to use her services in the future.

Highly recommend Professional Party Planners. Recently used their service for my Eid open house and…read morehad a wonderful experience. Super professional and timely responses from Henna and team. They helped get me chairs, linen, and table decor for my party. Timely drop off and pick up. The whole thing was executed exactly the way I imagined. The team members who come to arrange are efficient and clean up after themselves. Will definitely be engaging their services again in the future.

I of course waited until last minute but Happy Kids Chicago came in to save the day and made my…read morenieces 2nd birthday one she will never forget! Amazing and friendly staff and will definitely use again! Minnie and Mickey were absolutely perfect!

This Mickey Mouse team was AMAZING ! My friends and family had a blast with them! They were so…read moreinteractive with the kids and we didn't even know they took photos for us too and sent it to us afterwards! Thank you so much ! Having great entertainment really makes a big difference in memories !

Lori is wonderful, and so is her work. We have long enjoyed her balloons at neighborhood events,…read moreand this year she did a last-minute balloon installation for a family birthday, including a variety of fun shapes and bright colors. It looked great for several days despite pouring rain and brightened the whole block. Even though the display was for an adult, Lori thoughtfully also provided a balloon unicorn for our young daughter. As if her gorgeous balloon work were not enough, we first encountered Lori as our election judge, and love how she serves and brings joy to the community through both her art and civic engagement.

Lori was amazing to work with. Came to her last minute a week before my son's first birthday party…read moreand was very accommodating. Asked a lot of questions before booking and she answered them all promptly. She was very organized, timely and professional. Super friendly and entertaining for all the kids. Definitely recommend if you are planning a kids outing.

Kayleigh and her team are a must have for your wedding! The best decision I made was hiring a day…read moreof coordinator. My only request for the evening was to be left alone (LOL) so that I could enjoy the night without having to answer any questions and Kayleigh made that happen for me. Kayleigh did such a good job of holding everything down and coordinating that day for me! Her team was super kind, knowledgeable and professional throughout the day. She was there to answer any questions and address any issue that came up. She even came up to me throughout the night to offer me additional glasses of champagne when my glass was empty! That day was a DREAM and Kayleigh and her team made that possible for me! If you're thinking of hiring a coordinator, DO IT and hire Event Daydreaming. They are amazing!

I have a catering business and recently had our first wedding with The Daydream team as month of…read morecoordinators. Carolina is exceptional, she makes it easy for vendors to have information on time and complete. The day was flawless and she was very hands on and let us know if there was any last minute changes. Definitely consider her for your wedding coordinator services and you will Love working with her!

If you want to host a birthday party with a RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL manager go for it. It was a…read moreproblem on Sunday instead of solving the problem she made it worse. Screaming and making the guest feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. I called to complain to a superior never received a response. What made me feel sad about this situation the other worked said she is very rude and they are used to her acting that way. How can people be comfortable working with a manager like this? I hope if you guys HOST a party you guys don't have the same problems.

When you're looking for stuff to do with your kids, you have 3 main questions:…read more 1. Will my kid have fun? 2. Will it make my kid tired enough to sleep? 3. Can I do this without spending a fortune? Next Level checks all 3 boxes. The giant attraction of Next Level is a huge cargo net-type thing that kids love to climb through. It's pretty amazing. I've never seen another attraction like that. There's also a large play structure with stairs and slides and a zipline and tunnels and such. Another area has the popular giant foam building blocks. There are two large inflatable-surrounded trampolines. Next Level has a small play area for very little kids - the other attractions are probably too tricky unless your kid has a great sense of balance and agility. I appreciated that they had a small air hockey table available for $1 per play. The larger air hockey table is $2 to play. The seating area has mostly large picnic-style tables. Everything seemed very clean and well maintained. The bathroom even smelled like cleaning products, which is a great sign. The price is reasonable, but I docked a star because they don't allow outside food. The perfect play place allows for snacks to keep the kiddos fueled up. Still, my kids had a great time at Next Level. It's perfect for kids in the 4-6 age range.