Ed's classes are more than instruction. You enter a community. I've taken classes at Ed Hinkley…read moreStudio for about five years and watched my work transform from sorta hit-or-miss to having direction and exhibiting more skill. I've even started selling. There's no dramatic critiques, just constructive, gentle feedback. And your work won't end up looking like the other student's either. Other students are welcoming, down-to-earth and friendly. Ed is also super flexible with making up a class and accommodating each student's needs and skill level. Over time, I've taken other classes at art centers and schools, but I find Ed's studio has given me the most value.

WSWE is a great organization for women CEOs who struggle with the isolation of running their own…read morebusiness. This organization focuses on building strong relationships among its members, which lead to new business opportunities. The meetings are all about sharing ideas, learning new tips and techniques for your business, and inspiring you to achieve your dream. I've been a member for 5 years and always enjoy getting together with my WSWE sisters!

I've been a member of WSWE for four years and it's the most meaningful group I belong to. WSWE is…read morean organization of smart, passionate women who support each other through excellent programming, networking and support. Needless to say, I'm a big fan!

Trout Unlimited (TU) is a national non-profit coldwater conservation and preservation advocacy…read moregroup. They work in partnership with local government organizations and other environmental groups to improve and preserve cold water trout streams across the United States. When you sign up with a TU membership, you can choose to become affiliated with a particular chapter, or they'll assign you to one based on where you live. If you live in Chicago, you'll most likely become a member of the Elliott Donnelley (ED)Chapter. EDTU meetings are held at Brehon's Pub, located at 731 N. wells St (corner of Wells and Superior) on the first Tuesday of every month. Cocktails begin at 5:30 p.m. Dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $25 per person. EDTU meetings usually involve a guest speaker. Speakers range from experienced trout fishing guides to the President of the Environmental Law and Policy Center. In all cases speakers are selected with an emphasis on environmental preservation education. While Illinois' coldwater streams (and trout streams in particular) are limited to the northern and western parts of the state, the EDTU chapter does a good job of reaching out to the other TU chapters and lending assistance in the form of manpower and money in the restoration and preservation of coldwater trout streams. Primarily this means TU chapters in Michigan and Wisconsin, where some pretty close bonds have been established. What this means for EDTU members is a pretty easy opportunity to take part in the hands-on restoration of some of the damaged trout streams of most relevance to us! A nice side benefit is the chance to get to know our like-minded TU neighbors to the north and benefit from their "local" perspective and knowledge. EDTU also has regular group fishing outings and a yearly Christmas Party and Fundraiser, where some pretty impressive fishing related items are donated for the raffle. Overall, the guys I've met in EDTU have been a nice bunch of intelligent anglers with the good sense to get involved protecting and improving the threatened coldwater resources for which they share a common love. If you care about the beautiful trout streams that are not far from Chicago and want to get involved making a difference, this would be a good place to start!

Workshop 88 is a newly founded space where people with common interests; generally in science,…read moretechnology, and/or the digital and electronic arts, can socialize and collaborate. Come share ideas, have fun, learn something new or make something. Meetings and classes are open to the public so if you are interested, drop in. Check the website or follow them on twitter @Workshop88 for details on meetings and other upcoming social events.

Workshop 88 is not closed!…read more They are a lively community of creative talented makers who are active in the maker community, attending Maker Fairs, teaching classes and more. The space is well equipped with 3D printers (dual head, PLA, ABS, delta types), a laser cutter/engraver, vinyl cutters, a wood shop, lathe, mill, metal working tools and much more. There is no access to the space from Main Street which probably led to this confusion. Access to the space is via the parking lot behind main street, the parking lot entrance is actually on Pennsylvania Ave, North and East of the address on main. They have open house Thursday nights - come check it out!

I am an Egyptian-American who has spent much of my childhood and adulthood living in the Middle…read moreEast, so I have seen my fair share of belly dancing performances (Sherihan even wanted a picture with me when I was a cute little kid in Cairo ;) ) Finding quality belly dancers for my wedding in the U.S. seemed like a very overwhelming and borderline impossible task. I stumbled upon Safire Belly Dancers of Chicago during online research and was instantly blown away by their skill, beauty of costumes, and professionality. Also, it was refreshing to finally find performers that were trained and educated in the culture, art, and history behind belly dancing. From the very start of my communication with Vanessa and Ashorina, I knew I had made a perfect choice. They were so sweet and responsive, assuring me that they would create a fully Egyptian focused routine for my wedding. They even offered to start up dabke (Arabic line dancing) before they left, which was a huge hit with my guests! The cost of the performance is very affordable, especially for the quality of performance you receive in return. They communicated and coordinated flawlessly with my DJ, and were prompt and ready to go right on time! I can honestly say that Vanessa and Ashorina's amazing performance was the highlight of my wedding. The half-hour went by too fast, and we could have watched them all night. Our guests will still not stop talking about how entertaining and energetic the show was, how beautiful the costumes and props were, and how much fun they had! V. and A. even incorporated my husband, bridesmaids, and I into the show, and we have photos and videos to sustain a lifetime of fantastic memories! Our Arab and Egyptian guests commented on how authentic and impressive the performances were, a true testament to the talent of Safire Belly Dancers! I am certainly looking for the next excuse to throw a big party so that I can invite them back to perform! Alf shukran, Vanessa and Ashorina! :)

You need Safire Belly Dancers For your Event!!!! Great…read moreentertainers, Beautiful show the girls will get the party going!!!! Would highly recommend

I'm only giving it 4 stars since my rating is based completely on the festival entertainment and…read morenot much else. However, it may be a sign that I've hit too many festivals this summer, but at quick glance there seem to be many of the same stands I've seen at others. As always the hideous outfits and odd people did not disappoint (senior citizen lady (who thought she was a lot younger) dressed in all hot pink and couple "waltzing to MJ tracks). Our group hung out at the center stage all night (kudos to the fest for having 3 stages to choose from). The fest served beer and Sangria. In my opinion the beer and sangria stands shouldn't have been so close to each other it got really packed with people trying to squeeze through the sangria line to the beer line! The port-a-pottie situation was a bit of a bummer, they could've used more stalls, a few friends went to the potties and then to grab a drink/snack and they were gone so long I began to think they left! We went to hear Who's Bad, a Michael Jackson cover band, who should not be missed. This was the second time I've seen them and they don't disappoint. They get the crowd going with all of your MJ faves. My favorite part about cover bands is you don't get stuck listening to newer, unknown tracks like you sometimes have to when you see the real deal - they just stick to the hits! I'm glad we decided to stick around for 16 Candles because they were awesome and Who's Bad was the perfect band to get us in the 80's classics mood. Everyone totally got into them, dancing and singing along. When they did Sunglasses at Night they had flashing, light-up sunglasses. The only negative was it seemed they ended rather abruptly, they finished a song, said goodnight and were done without any advance warning. Bottom line - great time and 16 Candles closes the show again on Sunday!

I feel like a proud papa watching this festival grow over the years. For you festival junkies,…read moreheading into 2011 this is clearly one of the Top 3 in the city. A decade ago this wasn't the case. Former giants such as Old St. Pat's (does this still exist?), Sheffield Garden Walk, and Taste of Randolph are now moving over for this All star extravaganza. All the big names play this gig: Hairbangers Mike & Joe Too White Crew Sixteen Candles Maggie Speaks Wedding Banned And with the vast layout, there is plenty of room for beer vendors and the lines are never long. For you non-junkies, if a few a Summer does the trick for you, make this one of them. Basically, anything in Lakeview is a can't-miss, that alone makes it worth the trip. Thanks Rock Around The Block, looking forward to 2011 already!

Funny and cute very entertaining,everyone loves you guys I would love to have you guys at my weddingread more

They came late and once the Little People arrived the little boy who they had responsible for…read moreplaying the music didn't know how to hook the music to the PA system therefore the timing my event was delayed even more. Eventually one of the members of the band we had hired had to play the music for them. Their performance was lack luster compared to the many other times I have hired this group and the female Little People barely moved to the music.

Cagen Music put on an epic performance at our wedding. They are extremely talented, bring tons of…read moreenergy, and did not take any breaks. The dance floor was packed all night. Highly recommend!

Big Beat is an extremely talented and professional band who helped make our wedding a success. From…read moreour first phone call to the event, Becky Cagen was a pleasure to work with and helped bring confidence and ease. From the vocalists to the drummer, we were utterly impressed how talented the musicians in Big Beat are. We were floored by the quality of the set list and we danced truly all night. After the wedding, numerous people told us it was the best band that they had ever heard at a wedding and we could not agree more! Thank you Big Beat!