We utilized CAKE Village's services for our company holiday party and they were absolutely AMAZING!…read more I wanted to do something fun this year for our Holiday Event instead of just dinner. We elected to use CAKE Village as our painting vendor because they offered us a very fair price and were super helpful. I was in constant contact with Lande to plan our event and she did a great job with everything. We had decided on painting the Chicago skyline. Our event had 50 people and literally everyone's painting looked beautiful. Lande came to our event with 2 other instructors and they all did wonderfully at guiding us with our own unique masterpieces. All of our guests had an absolutely amazing time, and would love to do something like this again. I will definitely make it a point to visit their actual location to enjoy their services as well. I highly recommend using the CAKE village for their painting instruction for large events, they can definitely handle the job! They will also work with you in order to get exactly what you want/need.

From the owner: Our mission is to foster an enriched, positive connection between all children and the continent of…read moreAfrica. We focus on African cultural, visual and performing arts. Outreach, field trips, home schooling, and birthday parties are welcome. We are open on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday by appointment only.

Let's go over theatre etiquette. Turn your dang phone off. Don't video like you're at a rock…read moreconcert. And don't wear so much perfume that people 5 rows ahead can smell you. Gross I didn't even know that Elgin had a symphony, but someone gave me free tickets and I was game. I really enjoyed it. The symphony has so many very talented musicians and the theatre small enough that there isn't a bad seat in the house. Would I drive all the way to Elgin again for another concert? That's undecided. But I wouldn't discourage anyone from going. It really was a beautiful evening

The Elgin Symphony Orchestra is absolutely phenomenal! A powerful performance, moving, and…read morebeautifully executed. The musicians are incredibly talented!

Our engagement party at Barrington's White House was everything I dreamed of and more! From the…read moremoment we began planning, the staff made the entire experience seamless and special. The space was stunning and created the perfect atmosphere for cocktail hour with our loved ones. A very special thank you to Sharon, the hospitality manager, who has truly been my favorite person to work with since entering my bridal era. Her warmth, professionalism, and genuine care made all the difference. I can't thank her enough for helping bring my vision to life. The catering by Veridian was incredible. Every dish was beautifully presented and tasted just as amazing as it looked. Our guests couldn't stop raving about the food and the attentive staff. It was a perfect night from start to finish.. we're so grateful!

I attended a work event here and it was a beautiful venue . The venue has historic charm and has…read moreretained many of its original features. It is the perfect place for community events, meetings or weddings. The meeting room was accessible via stairs or elevator. There is ample parking, A beautiful setting.

My husband and I have always loved going to the theater during our dating years. Before kids, we…read moreused to trek into the city to see the bigger productions. Since having kids, things look a little different but our love for live performances hasn't changed. Now we make it a point to support local theaters closer to home. It's more convenient, more affordable, and still gives us that special date-night feeling. We've been to this theater twice since last year. My favorite so far has been "Green Day's American Idiot" production that ran last summer. The songs instantly brought back memories of seeing Green Day live during our college days. The cast delivered a lively, high-energy production that kept me tapping my feet the entire night. I felt transported back to my 20s reliving those songs. Because ticket prices are so affordable, we treated ourselves to front-row seats and I felt so immersed throughout that night. That show was performed in the main theater (I believe it's called the Blizzard Theater), seatings was assigned, and tickets were only $16 for adults. In my opinion, it was an incredible value for a production of that caliber and soundtrack. We returned this past weekend to see "Unsung Broadway," which features musical numbers from shows that never made it to Broadway or had short runs. It was both entertaining and educational. This performance took place in the SecondSpace Theater, located next to the main theater. It's a much more intimate setting, and there really isn't a bad seat in the house. You can see the actors faces very well from any angle. They also do a great job of using all the stage area and turning at all points during their performances. Tickets for this show were $22. There's a small online processing fee when purchasing ahead of time, but overall, it's still very reasonable. You select your own seats of what's available or remaining once you enter the theater. The seats are a little bit tight together your traditional classic theater seat seats so there's not too much room when you have a big coat on during the winter time. If you want more leg room, you can get the floor seats which is right next to the stage and comes with a table with a candlelight centerpiece which gives off a very romantic & intimate flair also. They seem to pair off about 2-3 chairs per table. Both times we've been here we noticed they don't sell snacks or drinks during intermission, but the restrooms are conveniently located just outside between both theater entrances and are well kept. Parking is easy, and you can walk straight into the building -- no stairs required, as both theaters are located on the first floor. We truly enjoy coming here and appreciate having quality live performances so close to home. We'll definitely be back for both planned performances and more impromptu date nights and I want to also try to pair it with the student culinary experiences in the future :)

I've been here twice for concerts; it's a decent venue. And I love that it's so close to home…read more Not a huge venue, but perfect for a community college campus theater.

Small but mighty is the best way to describe the St. Charles History Museum. My husband and I…read morevisited the museum which had a special exhibit on several buildings in Saint Charles that were celebrating significant milestone birthdays this year. They also feature permanent exhibits on the beginning of the village and important people and events in village history. There are just as many things to see outside of the museum as there are inside (like the gas pumps just outside the entrance). There is also a gift shop and a room that can be used for special events. I highly recommend the St. Charles History Museum.

Not a huge museum but this spot does a great job of packing as much as they possibly can both…read moreinside of, and outside of the museum. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in extremely high quality displays with very attractive panels that provide detailed stories and videos to supplement some of the items. This museum also uses the wall space very efficiently, packing plenty of artifacts and information without much space between each item. Though most of the information is in one room, it takes quite a while to read through everything which provides a great sense of important people and buildings throughout St. Charles' history.

So thankful for my time at Integrity, the atmosphere and positivity of the studio is nurtured by…read morethe incredible owners' Kelly and Elisabeth. The stellar training and a wide variety of classes creates incredible dancers with a love for the art form. I'm also very thankful for Kaleigh Schock Tyton and her immense knowledge of ballet, she's the absolute best! An incredible studio with an incredible faculty. I'd recommend this studio to anyone wishing to better their training and artistry! -Integrity Alum :)

Amazing training. Fantastic teachers especially Kaleigh the ballet teacher!! The owners Kelly and…read moreElisabeth are so great and welcoming and are great business owners. The costumes are beautiful and performances are amazing! Definitely recommend

So many improvements have happened to this theater since the last time I was there. There is such…read morean intimacy to seeing a show here. I love that there are new modern bathrooms now. The bars and restaurants were all busy and the show was packed. Musical Box does Genesis tributes so professionally. This year's tour features the era where Phil Collins was frontman and they played the deep cuts from several albums as they were performed from 1975 to 1980. It really took me back.

Update After a lot…read moreof renovations,Arcada is a great place to see live music. This venue offers many dining options as well good sound . Bathroom upgrades are definitely a plus! Checkout their website for a list of performances

I owe a lot to of gratitude to ECC. I first attended here when I was kicked out of the University…read moreof Illinois Urbana-Champaign for academic probation. Then a few years later, after I was kicked out again, I came here humble and looking for a fresh start. I stated by taking photography from the late John Grady, a mentor, a friend, and an inspiration to me and many others. He was an advocate that lead me to be recognized as the artist of the year by the local paper. Because of this momentum, I ended up attaining three associate degrees from ECC: graphic design, general arts, and general science. The faculty was supportive and communicative, especially in the design department. The onsite computer lab, library, and study areas were great places to work outside of class. Even the cafeteria was reasonably priced and had many options. Administratively, everything was seamless and easy to navigate. I met with humans a few times, but overall, much of the process is online. The only reason for the missing star is the inconsistency of skilled and practicing adjunct teachers. I had a few that were away from their fields for over 20 years, which made some of the knowledge outdated. But I guess all schools have that issue. I highly recommend ECC for everyone!

I attended the Dental Assisting program at Elgin Community College with mixed feelings. The program…read moreitself provides valuable hands on experience and teaches important DA skills, but my experience with Program Director Kim Plate and the administration was honestly one of the most frustrating educational experiences I've had. I previously attended loyal university in Columbia University, so the contrast was very striking unfortunately. The biggest issue involved clinical placement approval. I had already secured future employment and made plans to relocate to New Hampshire, which is why I proposed completing my clinicals at that site. Students are allowed to complete clinicals during fall, spring, or summer semesters, yet I was not informed until the final day of the semester that June 1 was suddenly being treated as a strict mandatory start date. This decision not only affected my education but also significantly disrupted my relocation and future employment plans. The New Hampshire site would have supervised me through licensed dental assistants and an on site oral surgeon with qualifications equal to or greater than the ECC observer who would normally conduct one observational shift. Despite this, Kim Plate denied the site without giving any clear or reasonable explanation. Multiple compromises were proposed, including Zoom observations and doctor check ins, but she appeared completely unwilling to work toward any solution. The oral surgeon personally emailed her explaining how the decision would negatively impact the office workflow and never even received a response. Before withdrawing, I had already completed nearly 100 hours at an Illinois clinical site, yet Kim Plate stated those hours would not count. Even after management from the site emailed and met with her expressing that the situation was unfair and unnecessarily rigid, she remained unwilling to compromise, ultimately forcing me to withdraw from the clinical courses. Beyond clinicals, Kim Plate was frequently dismissive, sarcastic, and unprofessional toward students. There were also instances where personal matters regarding me were discussed with other students, creating an uncomfortable environment for both myself and classmates. My entire class brought concerns to the dean and Vice President Anne Marie Schopen. Unfortunately, I did not find Vice President Anne Marie Schopen to be helpful, and despite escalating my concerns, I received little guidance, support, or meaningful assistance. The program can teach useful technical skills, but prospective students should understand that the administration, particularly Kim Plate, can make the experience far more stressful and difficult than it needs to be. If your situation falls outside of the program's rigid expectations, be prepared to strongly advocate for yourself.

We saw this new and on-going production at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. It's been a long time…read moresince we have seen a Cirque du Soleil show. We saw the only other two (for us) both times decades ago in Las Vegas with one being a water theme and the other a Beatles tribute theme. This OVO show had an insect theme, and it was a colorful, dynamic, acrobatic, amazing, musical, and funny circus-like show - all very entertaining! It was a 2 hour show including a 20 minute intermission. Even after all these years, they still come up with some new routines and gadgetry, and of course have retained many of their acrobatic favorites. This time they also had three clown characters for some comic relief between amazing acrobatic routines, and they were hilarious lol. They also had some live musicians performing as part of the show. This show apparently is only in Chicagoland for the Valentine's Day weekend and I really enjoyed it. I didn't really like the tight seating in the NOW Arena but that's a different story. Kids would enjoy it as well particularly with the insect costumes and clown routines. BTW, any photos I have included here are all legit - photography was actually encouraged, just no flash photography. I highly recommend the show if you have the opportunity to go!