A celebration of craft beer for hop heads, by hop heads? Though I don't pretend to know much about…read morehoppy beer, I'd like to learn... and a June day borrowed from 'A Time to Kill' (oh my mugginess!) in Two Brothers' parking lot seemed like a good enough place to begin my education. And so it began. Though the Hop Juice Festival is only in its third year, the juice is out of the bag and it's almost impossible to snag a VIP ticket unless you get on that super early (they're $65 and include five beers, admittance into the tap house, unlimited food + a special dinner buffet, a seat and access to real restrooms vs. porta potties). Otherwise, admission is free! After experiencing firsthand how wildly popular it is, I won't be surprised if it eventually morphs into an exclusive ticketed fest à la Three Floyds' Dark Lord Day. There is a point to all this madness: The fest commemorates the annual release of Hop Juice Double India Pale Ale (100 IBU's!) and also a beer exclusive to this festival, Hop Juice Black. I didn't try it, but was told it's Hop Juice's more aggressive sibling. In addition to Two Brothers brews, the much-hyped (and closely guarded 'til day of) guest beer list gets people going like Pavlov's dogs. The lines can be a bit intimidating, but don't let them deter you as they do move fast. What's important: Bring patience, sunscreen and a gypsy spirit - wandering around the grounds is fun and making new friends is easy! What isn't easy is finding parking (arrive early!) but the fantastic selection of exclusive and rare guest beer taps makes up for it... as does the food! Two Brothers serves turkey legs, housemade bratwurst, their famed fish tacos and more on the cheap - many of the items are only $4! Eight hours of live music will keep you entertained and the Brothers dedication to the Make-A-Wish Foundation makes this a feel-good affair. Well done good sirs!

Two Brothers spiced things up a bit this year with the addition of Hop Juice Black - a slightly…read moremeaner cousin to an already strong but well balanced beer. The balance in flavor helps hop juice from being feared by those who like a lighter beer but still provides plenty of punch to those who prefer something a bit heavier. This celebration is all about these beers and their release into the wild for the masses to consume. It also features the rest of the Two Brothers beer line-up, some great Two Brothers food (love the fish tacos!) and guest beers from other breweries like Lagunitas. On that topic, if you really want a guest beer get a lay of the land - there is a limited quantity of brew and there are 2 lines in a close area. I missed the Lagunitas Barrel Aged Imperial but I did get my hands on another guest brew later. The lines were a bit long this year, but nothing I wouldn't expect out of any similar event. With any kind of planning you can pick up food / beer tickets when you buy your take-home beer and avoid the other line all-together. Food lines were long earlier in the day but there was no wait later in the evening. Some of the day the Hop Juice lines were non-existent, and other times there was a decent wait. Things averaged out to be as-expected, but I wonder if there isn't some way to improve on it a bit for next year. In any case, the juice was loose and the crowd was great. It's good seeing people you know and meeting new ones while enjoying fresh, delicious, libations from a great brewer. Overall I had a great time and I'll be back again next year!

I loved this event way too much. I came the year before…read moreCovid hit. So 2019? And obvi Covid killed it in 2020 and not sure if they plan on doing it this year 2021? BUT well organized, Kubo catered and the food was delicious. The edamame they served paired perfectly with the beer. They had white claw for the ladies LOL which is funny I decided to try it and hated it. hahahahaha Anyways so many craft beers to tasted and it was truly an amazing experience. Worth the price. I suggest you take a taxi or walk. Or truly have a designated driver. I love how our Elgin Cops kept us safe as they always do. They keep the area secure. Thank you.

First Elgin Craft Beer Fest was just held on Aug. 12th & it is supposed to be an annual thing going…read moreforward. They did a really nice job and they have a great spot along the Fox River at the Elgin Riverside Promenade with 30 breweries (each with usually at least 2 different brews to try). Tickets were $40 per person ahead of time and included 20 beer samples & a commemorative sample-size glass to take home (it was an actual glass, too, not the cheapy plastic ones like you get at most other beer fests). They also had a VIP ticket option that included food and early entry along with Designated Driver tickets for $15 that included craft soda samples. They had a few options of food for purchase and also had plenty of porta-potties. They also had some games and live music. The only downside is there really isn't any shade in that location they held it at unless you were standing directly in front of a vendor stand on the river side....but at least it was a nice sunny day and it wasn't raining.

Just love the annual display of pumpkins. I'm always amazed by the creativity of the kids, with…read moreall the cute, and unique ideas. I like that this festival has stayed the same every year, and hasn't gotten over the top, (like the St. Charles scarecrow festival). It's just a fun, enjoyable event that all ages can enjoy. The pumpkins are displayed on the courthouse lawn in downtown Sycamore, on Rt. 64.

I attend this event every year...rain, snow or sun. And, yes, there have been all three. It's great…read morefamily friendly event. The pumpkin designs are very creative and fun to look at. The carnival is good for kids and so is the parade. It's larger than you would imagine for such a small town.

We've been to Swedish Days in the past and found it to be your above average town festival. Plenty…read moreof vendors, food, drinks, rides and carnival games, etc. Today however, we went to the Swedish Day parade..our first time seeing this part of the festival. The route runs through three different roads and lasted a good 2 hrs. They featured a good number of high school bands and other lively entertainment, including a ton of Shriners. Our favorite was a South Side performance group and the Jesse White Tumblers. Neither disappoint. We went with a large group of of friends who corded off and staked a tent for our groups use. If you're going with a large group you'll want to arrive early and do the same, as the parade route gets pretty packed. Cheers.

I gotta say, Swedish Days was A LOT more fun than I anticipated!…read more Geneva to me is sorta a new discovery. I have only been frequenting downtown Geneva for the past 3 years or so, clearly because I live under a rock. My Fiance and I love to walk up and down 3rd St., visit the shops, stop for some good food and eat some delicious sweets. And Swedish Days takes every aspect of this quaint downtown, puts a carnival in it, some good music and a touch of small town to bring Swedish Days together. After this year I can easily say I would not frequenting Swedish Days just like the MANY people I met there from the area and even from out of state!

It's been several years since I've visited a dirt race track so this was quite an event!…read more Everything about our visit was wonderful. The evening started st 1815 and was filled with fun until about 2230. Thir lineup included standard racing but also a powder puff race, demolition, and spectator races. The confessions were reasonable price and their drink selection was fair and also listed at a reasonable price, i.e. $4/beer. A delight for families, couples, or friends. (:

All types of races from demolition dirby to circuit racing & stock racing and more. Yummy food,…read moremaintained well by the staff. Cold beer as well. Always a fun time here.

Saw a TV news article about this 2-day festival and decided to check it out with my daughter this…read morepast weekend 8/16 & 17 at the Kane County Fair Grounds. Wish we would have gone on Saturday, but Sunday was a good experience too, albeit probably a bit more mellow as things were winding down. There were many exhibits featuring a multicultural casts of characters, horses galore, live bands, and dogs were welcome and being walked about the grounds. The junk food was abundant and delicious (in moderate quantities, of course). I would recommend bringing the kids next summer and wearing a pair of shoes you're not afraid will get dusty. Wish they would advertise this event more as I'm sure many more folks would attend!

The Midsummer Festival is one of two events during the year when the public can visit Good Templar…read morePark (the other is Cottages in the Woods in October). This event is bigger, both space-wise and number of people. There were events such as a lutefisk toss(!), the Maypole dance, exhibits of Viking warriors, an Icelandic horse with unusual ice blue eyes, some vendors of Scandinavian crafts, food (unlike in the fall when it's pretty much just baked goods, they had Swedish meatballs and yes, lutefisk as well as lingonberry lemonade; the baked goods sold out fast!) You can also take tours of some of the cottages; I've been to the fall event three times but never knew that there were more across the creek! This is also when the Viking ship is open to the public without making a private tour reservation. We bypassed the lecture, since it involved sitting in full sun at the heat of the day, and just latched onto the end of the last group, reading the signs to learn about its history. Since things are rather spread out, this did involve a good bit of walking, but I applaud them for their considerations of people with disabilities. There were golf carts running people to and from the main area to the Viking ship, which is up by the road, and when we took the cottage walk, in the group was me with a cane and another lady with a rollater, and the tour leader considered which paths would be best for us. It's outdoors so you will obviously encounter some roots, bumps, and such in the natural terrain. Overall, this was a fun summery event in Geneva!

There are/have been several mini Renaissance and fantasy festivals at Vasa Park over the recent…read moreyears, and Faeries of the Forest strikes a nice balance of "enough but not too much". It's not too expensive to get in; there are a variety of vendors selling everything from art to jewelry to tea to tarot readings; there was an array of musicians including the Harp Twins and the Secrets of the Beehive. It was also fun that lots of people were dressed in costumes/garb! Overall, a lot of whimsical fun; would return!