It's been a few years since I've been to the market and I was really happy it wasn't too crowded…read morelast time I was here. I feel like that makes a huge difference on the experience one has. My favorite part of this market is all the beautiful, unique items they sell. I feel like I always find the best gifts from here! I love getting to see people's unique talents and handmade goods. This year, I got a beautiful wooden ornament for my dog, a nativity lamp (gift), stein (gift), and, of course, one of their yearly mugs for myself to add to my mug collection. The biggest downside for me is the food. The food is soo expensive and the quality does not live up to what it could be. I typically skip the food now, but will get a nice cup co cocoa when the weather is cold.

Fun market with a few different food, drink, and souvenir options. I got the raclette sandwich…read morebecause I saw the long line and wanted to try. I got the beef option. The cheese was a little smellier (not in a bad way) than it tasted. I liked the pickled onions. Good flavor! $18-20 per sandwich, which is steep pricing but to be expected at this market.

I love the continued tradition of having a suburban location for the Christkindlmarket. River's…read moreEdge is a great location to host as the area is easy to navigate. The close Aurora Transportation Lot is $10 to park at but there are City of Aurora Lots that are free! We parked in Lot X and with a short walk over the bridge, we were at the market. They had security around these lots as well knowing this time of year on the weekends is prime market time. The market itself is more spaced out than the city so one can actually look at the vendor houses with ease. They have the same larger tents for food and drink, ornaments, candy, etc. They play holiday music over the speakers and have a couple of photo moments when visiting. The market is free to get into and wasn't very crowded at all when I visited. The city location definitely has a more festive atmosphere but if you're looking to get the experience with ease of parking and crowds, definitely come out to Aurora!

Comparing this to the market downtown, it was much better! The space is larger and overall felt…read moreless crowded. I did go the Friday after Thanksgiving so maybe it wasn't as busy as a weekend day. But if you live in the suburbs, this is the location to go to! It has everything the downtown location has and more. Parking is $10 across the street but can get busy so I recommend coming early. I mainly go to the market for the food. This year I got the ever famous raclette sandwich and it was worth the hype. It was a steep $20 but well worth it. You can watch how they make the sandwich in front of you. The cheese is gooey and warm, going perfectly with the soft bread and cured meat. I got everything on the sandwich including dijon mustard and pickles, which helped balance out the richness with acidity. Other notable items we got were the stroopwaffel, German bratwurst, jalapeño cheese stuffed pretzel, and hot chocolate. Everything we got tasted amazing. I love the variety of German foods that you can't find easily otherwise. There is also a lot of other vendors selling clothing, ornaments, food items, etc. There was even a glass blowing ornament tent which was super unique and only $50. Highly recommending checking out this market earlier in the season before it gets too cold!

It's the kind of place where you can catch incredible up-and-coming bands one night and seasoned…read moreindie legends the next. The sound quality is excellent for such an intimate space, and the atmosphere is pure rock-and-roll -- raw, unpolished, and full of energy. Drinks are affordable, the lighting sets the perfect underground vibe, and the crowd is always lively and diverse. It's a place that celebrates real music and creativity without the pretension, making every show feel like a genuine Chicago experience.

October-April. It is…read morethe second Saturday of the month. noon to 4:00 PM free to the public 21+ and parents with kids (same goes for sellers) Parking: Street Transit: #49 Western bus - http://www.transitchicago.com/riding_cta/busroute.aspx?RouteId=198 Transit Chicago - http://www.transitchicago.com Handmade Market is a unique event to connect the makers of beautiful things to people who appreciate the unique and handmade. Featuring more than 30 amazing sellers at the market, selling jewelry, purses, knitted items, clothing, paper crafts, and more! The Empty Bottle starts serving at noon, so feel free to shop with mimosas in hand. (We do encourage relaxed shopping.) You can also grab brunch at the tasty Bite Café next door. Markets include funky jewelry, glass pendants, knitted items, handbags, clothing, paper crafts and more. Did you know that in the city there are many makers who create jewelry, clothing, scarves, handbags, journals, greeting cards, and more? Do you want your money to go directly to the people that make the things you buy? Here you can establish a personal connection, and our makers are even encouraged to demonstrate or make their products during the event. Sustainable crafterness this is a regular monthly event. We strive to create a crafter's market, with affordable handmade, mostly local items. There are a ton of crafters in the city, and we try to make this accessible to up and coming designers, jewelry makers, and others. Come out and help support your monthly crafter's market.

Well Lincoln Square …read more.. .... You've done it again, you've found a way to turn something completely mundane sounding and off of my party radar and make it an incredible event!!! I wont lie, I wont pretend like i knew what May Fest was before I visited it, and I sure as syrup am not going to sit here and tell you I know anything about Craft Fairs ... But low and behold out of no where comes the Christkindl Market and my views of niche-y little craft tents has changed. If you're aware of the L.S. May Fest or their ever Popular Oktoberfest Celebrations than you can basically figure out the idea and location of theChristKindl Market. Its a Giant white Tent located in the Parking lot next to the brown line. Inside it was nice and cozy warm, there were several tables set up, and little Tents selling cutesy Christmas trinkets, candles, and holiday what-nots .... as you can tell I had no interest in what was there ... In fact I really had NO intentions of going. You see I don't care much for Craft fairs ... But this place is different, There's BEER!! and Glogg!! and if you don't know what Glogg is than you need to get your Grinchy head out of your Holiday Rear and Get you Glogg on! Even if its just to try it! Goose Island Sponsors it, and well Frankly I enjoy Knocking back those Tall boys of Christmans Ale! Thats right 22oz of pure Elfy Ale Goodness! Yum! Also they serve that lovely Lincoln Square German food we all have come to love from their May/Oktober Fests!! Pretzels and Beer! Pretzels and Beer!! Hoooray! and who doesn't love large Brats or Toasted nuts .... (stop giggling) The have a bunch of tables set up and a stage for live music! Its a perfect time for you and group of Friends or family to gather, get out, and get that Holiday Spirit kicked in right! My only gripes are as follows .... there was some High School Rock band, who despite being rather good and bluesy, I couldn't help but feel like they just didn't fit the billing i would've expected, but I left before I saw any another groups play ... Also, its a ticket event, as in you pay to get tickets and well ... I seem to always spend way more than I should. But other than that You should Definitely Keep an eye out for it just as you would any other Lincoln Square Fest val

To call this "festival" a Christkindl Market" is fraud in my mind…read more It was just another "drink fest" and to charge $3 was highway robbery. Where were the christmas ornaments? Why didn't the kids from the schools make homemade ornaments/decorations to sell and make money for the schools? What is it with thinking that people want to spend money on costume jewelry?? Shame shame shame

My daughter told me about this place that's down the street from her apartment. In my mind, I…read moreenvisioned it as a typical mall type food court. I couldn't have been more wrong! So many unique food options - Korean, Italian, Cuban, Hawaiian, a bakery, a produce market, and a mini mart. I chose Firenze based on my daughter's recommendation, and it was delicious. I will definitely be visiting again. Great lunch option, and I'm sure it gets plenty of foot traffic around the train schedules.

The market itself is on the smaller side, but it's a cool concept with a mix of local vendors and…read moredifferent cuisines all together. It has that casual food hall feel and is easy to walk through quickly. I stopped by a Turkish dessert spot (Vertige) and the service stood out right away. The server was super friendly and offered samples of everything, which I loved. The caramel tres leches was really good, definitely the highlight. I also tried the beef börek, which was just okay. I wish it had more filling and was a bit crispier. Overall, a nice spot to explore if you want to try a variety of foods in one place.

Lots of vendors and the show pieces are really beautiful. I also had to skid a few times as there…read morewere just so many stuff I want to get. Wish there was no entrance fee as I would like to keep coming back and browse more.

Great market! Tons of vendors and unique finds! Food and drinks available for purchase. Awesome…read morebuilding. Parking is not an issue! So glad I made the trip even being solo.

This place is really magical! We got there around 1:30pm and didn't leave until 9pm! My son loves…read morethe rides so much that he doesn't wanna leave! The zero gravity ride was his favorite. There's a carousel, inflatable slides, and lots of beautiful Christmas trees. Theres different lights everywhere and it's so beautiful. They also have few arcade games to keep the kids busy and entertained. Inside there's a north pole area where they are selling hot cocoa's, cookies, pretzels and different snacks, they even sell liquor. At night, they have a band singing holiday songs at the stage, that was nice. There's an entrance fee of $30 per person plus service fee and tax. The reason I'm giving it a low rating is because, their guest service is a little shady! We purchased the tickets online by scanning the QR code posted at the door before entering the building thinking we won't be allowed inside without buying the tickets that way. I allowed him to make the purchase on his phone, but after clicking the, "processing payment" it did not go through, it says error so I tried it again using my phone with the same card and it did went through. A couple hours later, I received emails on my phone with two receipts showing two separate transactions with the same amount of $73.68 each! So, both transactions successfully went through and I was charged double. I went to the guest services and explained the situation. He seemed very nice and understanding but jokingly said, "are you sure you do not want to donate it to nonprofit organization?" Which I replied, "I wish I could if I have a lot of money". We both laughed. He asked me to leave him the confirmation# and the last 4digits of my card and he will process it "later" when he gets a chance, I asked how long is later and he said, "in just few minutes". I said okay and thanked him and we continued to enjoy the rest of our day. It took hours later, before the refund came and when I checked the receipt, he only refunded me for one ticket which was $36.84, so I came back to the guest services. I spoke to him again and explained "again", he said okay, he misunderstood the problem and said, he will give me the full refund "later"! We waited for what time is "later" until it's already 9pm! We came back to the guest services again before leaving to make sure the refund is issued but he was not there anymore, only his colleague! They were talking on the walkie-talkie and he wanted me to know that he did not forget about me, he will process the refund later when he's not "busy" and provided me his email address to contact him if i have more questions. I have no other choice so I got his email address and we left, back to our hotel. I waited for days, and I still did not get anything until we flew back to San Diego! I sent an email to the email address they provided and I got no response either, It's been 12days ago. I filed a dispute to my bank hoping I will get the funds back. It was very shady that they would try to scam people like that!

WINTER WONDERFEST @ Chicagos Navy Pier. A TIME WAS HAD!! This was our first time and it was…read moredefinitely worth it all! Ice skating, Rides, slides, snacks, hot cocoa, popcorn, chocolate and GIGANTIC winter photo props! My family and I had a time! DJ was rocking the music while the kids and us adults just jammed the night away! The party didn't stop till 10pm! We were leaving @ 8ish and people were still parading inside for the festivities! Downtown Chicago always knows how to have a great time for a long time! My family analways have a ball!

Coming from Boston, I had heard the news that Time Out Market is closing its doors (in both…read morelocations!) in the next week, and I was looking forward to seeing what the Chicago food hall looked like. I was surprised to see that the website does allow reservations for large groups, so we booked through Resy a few days before coming. When we arrived at Fulton Market, it took a few tries but we happily found street parking. It was a little bit overwhelming when we first walked in. It feels "bigger" than the original food hall in Lisboa or the one in Boston - not necessarily in square footage, but primarily in energy. It was very busy and especially loud, and there was a DJ booth in the corner that felt closer to a club than a restaurant. I'm guessing part of this might be because it was a Friday night, but curious if it's been busier than normal since the announcement of the market's impending closure. The "reservation" system felt nominal at best, as there weren't any tables set up when we got there - by the time I was able to flag down staff for the food hall, it would have taken quite a while for them to find seats and move them together. In the end we were able to find a corner that worked out pretty well. Similar to the Boston location, you can order online. It didn't feel prominently advertised, as the food stalls themselves all had long lines and were pretty understaffed. In addition, after ordering online, there was no notification that the order was ready for pick-up (for several of the stalls). And while TOM is in a pretty central part of Chicago, the food felt spectacularly expensive for what you were getting. Pretty much everything was over $20 (before tax + tip) for an okay amount of food. On top of that, in our large 15+ person group, the vast majority of us felt that the food was definitively below average quality. Mine in particular was Bill Kim Ramen Bowl's tofu rice bowl. It was a depressing mix of unseasoned tofu cubes, dry arugula, kimchi, plain white rice with no sauce, a handful of pickled veggies, and a half-avocado that wasn't even sliced. It tasted about how it looks. None of that surprises me, but it felt like a far cry from the Lisboa concept, where I was a repeat customer for the high-quality food by distinguished chefs at extremely affordable prices. I'm glad I went, but won't be especially sad to see it go.

It was great! Been to their location in Barcelona, New York, and Boston. Love the local food…read moreoptions they have. Tried the dumplings and cupcakes. Both were delicious! The ambiance is nice per usual. Highly recommend!

On a recent work trip to Chicago, I had the chance to experience all of Eataly's offerings. During…read moremy first visit, I picked up some sweet treats to enjoy after dinner. First, I explored the endless snack aisles and selected a bag of chocolate-hazelnut biscuits to take home. I couldn't resist the gelato and tried the pistachio flavor (yum!) On my next visit to Eataly a couple of days later, I ordered a cappuccino, and while my beverage took a long time to prepare, the espresso tasted very high quality. The pastries looked stunning and decadent, and I imagine they'd pair wonderfully with espresso if you have time to linger at the cafe (I was in a hurry to get to a work meeting). The next day, my team and I visited Eataly's restaurant for lunch. I selected the anchovy toast as my starter and the gnocchi for my main as part of the lunch special. The toast consisted of two slices of sourdough bread topped with creamy lemon spread and anchovies. The contrast of the bright lemon flavor with the ultra-salty anchovies was tempered by the creamy butter - these all paired together quite well. The gnocchi, on the other hand, was underwhelming. The gnocchi was much too soft (it had the texture of mashed potatoes), and the red sauce was bland. All in all, visiting Eataly was a cool way to experience gourmet Italian food.

We have never been here before and saw they offered a summer Fridays tasting event. The event…read moreitself I wouldn't recommend - they give you tiny sample portions of preselected items on paper hotdog containers. Considering this place is supposed to have some class, we were pretty appalled that they seemed to do the bare minimum for this event. I felt very deceived by how this event was advertised online vs in real life. It seems they intentionally left out details and was marketed as five tastings at five counters, but we receieved barely a sample at each sation. The website said 1. house made pasta - you have one option and it was three bites, no vegetarian option 2. roman-style pizza - only thing I won't complain about although still a small portion 3. Curated drink from Caffe Lavazza - this was a dixie cup portion of a blended Frappuccino 4. house made pastry - they gave you the option of literal bite sized dessert, not a whole pastry 5. the artisanal salumi and formaggi - pathetic, literally 1 piece of meat, three pieces of the same type of cheeses, three olives, and dry stale crackers. Honestly for what they offer this was a slap in the face and from a consumer perspective Eataly's attempt at a summer money making scheme. I would find it hard to believe anyone who rave about this event, in fact I imagine most left very underwhelmed and still hungry. Eataly itself might be a great experience but we did not have the opportunity. We enjoyed the spritz drinks we ordered for their $9 summer special but this event did not make me want to return at all. It unfortunately dangled everything they could have offered in front of us, but then gave us the lowest tier. Driving in traffic to do this was not worth the time, gas, parking or inconvenience and the best part of our city night was when we stepped out of Eataly.