2011 was another great year. The trail is just as gorgeous as ever and parking was a breeze. I…read moreshowed up 40 minutes early, parked, picked up my packet and got to racing. TMI, but I made the mistake of eating really spicy Indian food the night before and got sick. I was so thankful for the Porta Potty at the 1/2 mile mark. Wish there had been more along the trail or at least one near the finish line. They had ample toilets at the end of the event area, but when I went to use them I felt little desire to walk all the way back to the festivities. Their toilets were still in better condition than most race events'. So why the star downgrade? A couple reasons - Packet pick up was organized alphabetically, but from right to left instead of left to right. I got in line where I thought A might be, but it turned out I was over by Z and had to get back in line on the other side. This annoyance was offset by the chuckle I got from the handwritten MEDIAM on one of the shirt boxes. But the real reason I'm a little pouty today? I ordered (and paid for) a Medium shirt. Medium was written in my registration and on my bib. The woman checking me off even told the guy grabbing the shirts that I needed a "Mediam." So you can imagine my disappointment as I pull out my much anticipated Zorrel running shirt and discover it's an XL.

The Morton Arboretum holds an annual 5K through its grounds every year and I did it, for the first…read moretime, today. As I arrived and later ran, I realized I had never been to the Morton Arboretum before. It is beautiful! The 5K was really great. I would say, my only complaint, is that they should consider having waves or corrals next year. Everyone was released to run at once, which made the path a bit crowded, especially in mile 1. This didn't really bother me because my goal was to take my time and really soak in the surroundings. I do many 5Ks, many of which are on city streets or along the lakefront. -So to do one on such pretty grounds (sort of an open field alternating with a forest vibe), it was really cool. You leave the city of Chicago and you really feel like you are in a whole 'nother world! My other feedback is that I was hoping to see the vibrant hues of the leaves changing for fall (since it is called the Fall Color Run). Everything was still lush and green! -Not sure if it would be better to hold it later in the year? It's a tough call -the weather was perfect today -it was mild (60) and overcast so it made for great running weather. Maybe having it later when the leaves change would lead to much cooler temps? Not sure, but it's food for thought. I'm glad I did it, either way, as it was a really nice event overall. Nice people, well organized and a whole "festival" vibe afterward with many vendors, food and a live band (Soda -a local cover band). Regardless of the leaf color, I will be back for the beautiful, serene run next year!

This was our first time attending the Dupage Native Plant Sale. It is now held at the Dupage Event…read moreCenter and Fairgrounds. Parking and admission were free. This is a 2 day event selling over 150 different types of native flowers,grasses,shrubs and trees. There were many volunteers around to ask questions and get recommendations. Plants are not restocked daily so best is to go early on the first day. It gets crowded and with so many people pulling wagons and carts,patience is required! They do have a few trays to use but best is to bring your own boxes. Cash,check or credit cards are accepted but I wish the checkout area was in a different location than where the plants were being sold as the lines for checkout were very long. Proceeds benefit the Dupage Forest Preserve.

It's a cute little county fair. My little family and I enjoyed it. Normal fair attractions and…read morefood/drinks. Reasonable fair prices. Little animals barn animals to enjoy. The cool little octopus to climb and take pictures with was different. What I didn't enjoy was the wristband didn't really work for my toddler. She went on one ride just fine and then was told she was too short for all the other rides, which should've been noted when purchasing the wristband. She was later told she couldn't even go on the same ride she first went on.

Great experience! Thank you Maurico for making Go karts an incredible experience by adjusting…read morespeed! Drinks also tasted amazing! Boba could've maybe had some ice in it to have it be a bit more refreshing. Pizza tasted absolutely great! Compliments to the chef. Lazar tag was a bit disappointing because I wouldn't be able to score when i would shoot at people, but the person in there let me go again, so i do appreciate that! and the gun worked this time. Overall, would probably go here again in the future, some equipment need upgrading but staff was great!

It was nice. For a place for anyone that loves games. Too dark to see if it is clean. Lol like a…read moremini Las Vegas for kids lol. Food was ok there burgers and chicken nuggets. And fries were very good and the vegetarian food was good. Loved the chicken. Loved the party room and the staff was wonderful. Bathroom needed to be cleaned and the sink was broken. All in all it was a nice experience.

Did this race for the first time today. Super unique and very picturesque -all grass terrain and…read moreseveral hills thrown in for an extra challege!! Located on the Mount Assisi Academy property, where the nuns live. Proceeds benefit the nuns who do charitable community work. Great race: community oriented / family feel, friendly people, and YES the sisters take part as runners and walkers!!!

I am late getting this review in because we went here the Halloween just before the pandemic hit -…read moreso Halloween 2019. This was a delightful pop-up patch out in Lisle and was an excellent event for all ages. You walk around a trail with your family and are entertained. Since it is a rain or shine kind of event, wear boots that you can wash off when you get home ... it can get messy. What they do here is set up a trail that you follow and around which they display thousands of pumpkins in different displays. It was really well done. All the displays are illuminated so it is really a visual treat. We have never seen anything like this over-the-top Halloween display - and mind you there are no scary things. So if you want a Halloween activity for the family without any scares, this is your place. Loads of parking so don't worry about that issue. Now the bad news. We went here in late 2019, the pandemic year of 2020 had nothing, and the people who run this did not put it on in 2021. But now you know - if they do set this up again - hopefully in 2022 - go. Make a reservation as soon as you hear about it because it sells out. We hope they come back ...

I came to know about this place through Yelp's Elite Event experience. decided to attend this…read moreevent as it was on a Sunday evening. The Yelp Chicago Burbs community manager had mentioned about picking up the complimentary tickets at their table booth right outside the event area. When my wife and I got there (around 7:30 PM), the place was packed and busy. There already was a long line to get inside. Once I got the tickets from the Yelp community manager, I was given instructions about the express line for the Yelp Elites to get inside. We took advantage of that were able to get to the ticket scanning area quickly. From there, we merged into the main line of the actual entrance to the Pumpkin Glow exhibit. We enjoyed viewing all the different types of pumpkin exhibits they had at this place. It was quite colorful. The carvings on the pumpkin was great and whoever did those carvings, did an amazing job. There were different themes (pop culture based) showcasing these glowing pumpkins. It was a cool experience. Too bad it was pretty chilly outside and we had to bundle up. Thanks to Yelp Chicago Burbs and Jack's Pumkin Glow for this opportunity. Without Yelp Chicago Burbs information, I probably wouldn't have known about this place and thus, would not have gone. Things to keep in mind when going here is that it can be extremely busy so expect long (slow moving lines); when it's cold outside, bundle up as this is an outdoor venue; there can be slick and muddy path on your way in, there is gift shop and a snack shop when you exit the venue, and parking is free. Check them out.

Went to this event for years, but never again if they continue the new format with payment to get…read morein ($10 a head). Obviously trying to make up for revenue that will be lost now that Ribfest is going to Romeoville.

This event is a disaster! Organizers would not let you into mainstage area until 5 pm when Seventh…read moreHeaven was going to begin to play despite the website saying gates open at 4:45! All the security is clueless! Management really dropped the ball on communication. Very disappointing after paying $10 per person online for tickets. Get a brain Last Fling!

Ears frozen, noses dripping, hands blue…read more Smal price to pay for hot cocoa and sinfully fudgey brownies after a 3.1 mile run through Danada's Forest Preserve. This race is sponsored by Dick Pond's, an amazing local business fitting suburban runners with the right kicks. My husband and I frequent the St. Charles location when we're looking for individualized attention for new running shoes & to pick up our favorite Balega socks. On one of those trips is when I happend to pick up the flier for the Cocoa 5K. Perfect for us since my husband hates driving so early all the way into the city for races and also since we'd be out of town for this year's Hot Chocolate 5K. This race is a great alternative for suburban dwellers not willing to make the trek to the city. Stats: -online registration $39 -chip timed -warmest, softest, zip fleece jacket (runs a little big for women, short for men) -hot cocoa and fudge brownies after the race (I appreciated that they didn't over do it with the chocolate) -completely flat course that starts out on a grassy race track with the majority of the course on a soft crushed limestone path -out & back course so beware of bottlenecks!

I love Dick Pond and go there for all my running shoe needs. You should definitely check them out…read moreif you want great personal customer service when looking for the perfect shoes to run in. However, this was about my tenth race and probably the worst I've ever ran. It was so congested I had to walk the first 1/4 mile after crossing the start line. It was advertised as a Run/Walk and I have no problems with walkers, but walkers were walking in the middle of the path, not to the side like they should to let faster people go through. There were times at the beginning were I was literally stuck and could not pass. There were also people with strollers in the middle of the path. Most of these things are not the organizers' fault, just poor judgement and lack of experience from the people running, but it made for a terrible race experience for me. The fleece jackets and hot chocolate were great, and I personally thought the weather was perfect (I like cooler race weather). It started on grass, which was interesting, and turned into a path which is my favorite to run on and easy on the knees. I'd recommend you move toward the front to avoid the bottleneck if you do this race.