This an outstanding charity for an outstanding cause as I have been attending all of the fund…read moreraisers for Danny. Please check out the website: www.friendsofdannyboy.org to learn more about him. It was very inspiring to actually hear him say, "Thank You" to the crowd at his last fund raiser.

Fashion Focus 2008 is Chicago's own fashion week. This week is chalk-full of runway shows, shopping…read moreevents, neighborhood shopping, and educational seminars. It really is one of the very few opportunities Chicago has for the creative minds of fashion to unite, network, socialize, and flaunt their products! Many different organizations & institutions come together to put on the week, such as GenArt, Mayor's Fashion Council, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, Chicago fashion schools, local designers & boutiques, etc. It really does involve so many people from around the city & that's why it's such a special & unique week. Everything the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs puts on is free-ranging from runway shows to educational seminars. There is one downfall, but it will be fixed next year-the amount of people attending vs. the amount of seats/open spots in the runway tent. Since the event is free (a rarity in the fashion world) many people attend, so it gets a little chaotic. We're hoping to fix it by next year to ensure seating for those who RSVP. Fashion Focus 2008 ends tomorrow, but check out our website for other fashion-related events, internships, resume postings, and up-and-coming designers. Keep your eye out for next years Fashion Week Chicago & all the fun you can take part in!!

This is the love you mural it is in downtown Chicago. We took some pictures next to it. We had a…read moregood time. I really like the color scheme with the pink and white.

I attended the Chicago Green Festival Kickoff Gala on May 21, 2001 at the Marom Grand. This event…read morewas excellent. I enjoyed dressing up for the gala and tasting the delicious food from many local green restaurants. These included City Provisions, Dawali, Fig, Lula cafe and sweets from XoXo. I also liked meeting the ladies from Allyu spa. Including the Palo Santo aromatic incense with their card was a nice touch. The gala was nicely organized starting from the blow up screen projector to the group of young men that came by and picked up our plates, cups and forks for recycling. I enjoyed the talk given by Dr. Kevin Danaher on global and local sustainability and appreciate his zeal to bring little bit of San Francisco to Chicago. I also enjoyed Blanca's Alexander candid talk about what inspired her in her life to become an advocate for conscious living. Nonetheless I did see the bar pass some plastic water bottles

For some reason I was under the illusion that I had written a review for this festival, at least in…read more2008. I remember attending that one and liking it. I would have rated it 5 stars. Lots of good green content to fill your mind and soul with. I learned much about new vendors offering innovative technologies to assist in daily household living from a green standpoint as well as advances in alternate sources of power. Information wise and through photos and other marketing, there was much to see. Now in 2012, there wasn't much. Maybe my expectations for it were set too high. I recently returned from living on the West coast. For those that don't know, in many areas of California people are trying their best to be green. Whether they want to do it for the good of the earth, to feel better about doing or get some kudos from all the green loving people, businesses and consumers alike are trying. Upon return back to Chicagoland, I had hoped for more out of Green fest. Instead, there was a ton of marketing for the Ford motor company. As well as these random people that wouldn't divulge who they were with but asking if you would participate in surveys. Jaik S. mentioned if you see anyone's foot touch the carpet where Ford was displayed, someone would eventually ask you to take a survey. Green shit in the sense of the word green. Like vegan food, green vegetable smoothies and living with more greens in your diet. Really? That's all. A few foo foo stores which offer organic products. I didn't connect with any of the content and couldn't find anything that grabbed my attention. Maybe a few vendors. There was one vendor I found pretty funny. It was something like "Green singles dot com". We aren't talking about clean dollar bills, folks. One vendor sold recycled glass for use in homes. When asked what was the difference between their product and Home Depot the guy responded.."Do you want crap or high quality?". What a silly salesperson. Please don't come out to a festival if you can't explain to me benefits of your product and how and why your company claims to be green. I researched the company and later discovered they import granite from Italy and in manufacturing plants here in the U.S. use glass from recycled beer bottles, glass containers, etc to give their granite countertops a more interesting look. In 2008 I spent the whole day at the festival. In 2012, I walked the entire festival in an hour or less. I think we spent the most time in the beer & mead garden. Which by the way, happened to be the most popular area. The largest number of people stood in a tiny 20' x 20' space. Ideas for future Green Fests from Jacob - If Ford or any other car maker decides to be a big contributor to this again, have them show data on fuel efficiency for their new line of alternative energy running automobiles. What to expect for the future of the brand. What new innovative technology they are working towards. Plans for moving towards creating more efficient types of transportation. The savings a person can expect from going to a green vehicle, etc. Passing out free samples of gluten free nachos with salsa or packs of organic popcorn is fine for the average festival attendee, but not everyone. I desire information. Or what is Ford doing for the environment beyond offering green vehicles ? - Alike this, there are companies around the Midwest which currently offer biofuels. How about someone talking about alternative fuels for different kinds of vehicles. I.e. diesel, electric, NGV (natural gas vehicle), bio-diesel. Where can a person find fueling stations, or get reps here from those stations. Map fliers which indicate where in Chicagoland these resources can be found. - Chicago has green roofs, what are people planting up there and where can we find more information about doing it. Are there Chicagoland companies which offer service to get you started, etc? What are current issues concerned folks are working on for the advancement of a Greener Chicago ? At one point a year or more ago I heard something about the possibility of petroleum based plastic bags not being used any longer in Chicago supermarkets, is that real or fake? I realize for some this might have been an eye opener. Every year more people are waking up and realizing how to recycle or searching for greener ways of operating their everyday life. For those this festival is probably a source of information but for someone already doing their part but wanting a bit more, well I hope next years festival is better.

Paying tribute to Chicago's house music scene!!!The murals are as colorful and vibrant as house…read moremusic. They can be easily missed because they are on a side street, but once spotted they will leave a lasting impression.

Harold Washington Social Security Administration Building at 600 West Madison Street…read moreThis piece sits out front of the Chicago Social Security building and definitely grabs your attention. It was Commissioned through GSA's Art in Architecture Program Fine Arts Collection, stands over 100 feet tall and is the work of Claes Oldenburg. It was made in 1977 and is constructed of gray painted steel and aluminum. The sculpture looks like a baseball bat standing on its knob. That is fitting for a city with a storied baseball team such as the Cubs. I really like the wireframe mesh style that the bat is made in. I am sure that that design was also chosen to make the bat lighter. But it still looks awesome. The bat is in great shape, especially considering its age. The sculpture was supposed to be painted red, instead of gray, but that idea was abandoned to distinguish it from the city's famous Flamingo sculpture by the Post Office. You will find a placard in the front of the sculpture that reads, "Oldenburg selected the baseball bat as an emblem of Chicago's ambition and vigor. The sculpture's verticality echoes the city's dramatic skyline, while its form and scale cleverly allude to more traditional civic monuments, such as obelisks and memorial columns." There is metered street parking and commercial garages available within a reasonable walking distance. I understand that this is not a destination piece and would probably be viewed by someone with business in the area or a common passerby. As with most sculptures that I have visited and viewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. I recommend making a visit here part of a larger itinerary or as a stop on your way to/from somewhere else.

THE BATCOLUMN SCULPTURE by Swedish-American Pop Artist Claes Oldenburg…read more Dedicated in 1977..it is a 101-foot-tall outdoor sculpture built in Mr. Oldenburg's style of replicating everyday objects into Colossal and Gigantic sculptural replications. How fitting that we recognize this piece "The Batcolumn" since the Chicago Cubs won the World Series in Baseball recently and on any game day...you will see suburbanites parking downtown and taking the L to the Stadium decked out in their "Cubs" Gear! Other Sculptural works of GIANT proportion by Claes Oldenburg in the United States include: 1. The Gigantic Clothespin, The Paint Brush and 3 Way Plug in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2. The Colossal Cherry on a Spoon in Minneapolis, Minnesota 3. Giant Shuttlecock in Kansas City, Missouri 4. Giant Binoculars in Venice, California 5. The Big Sweep (Dustpan and Brush) in Denver, Colorado 6. Giant Rubber Stamps stating "FREE" in Cleveland, Ohio FYI-Mr. Oldenburg was born in Sweden, but moved to Chicago and became an American Citizen in 1956...he spent his life in Chicago being educated at an early age as his father was a Swedish Diplomat stationed in New York City and later in 1936 appointed the Consul General of Sweden to Chicago, Illinois. See: Wikipedia...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claes_Oldenburg See this for a picture of Claes Oldenburg in 1977 as the Giant "Batcolumn Sculpture" is preparing for installation: https://charlesosgood.photoshelter.com/image/I0000A1gvwNpRcz0 "One Very Big Bat" article by Rick Kogan in the "Chicago Tribune" (1999). http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1999-03-14/features/9903140489_1_art-institute-sculpture-city-news-bureau For an article with pictures see"Claes Oldenburg's Supersize Pop Art Sculptures Made Public Art Fun" By Abigail Cain. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-claes-oldenburgs-supersized-pop-sculptures-made-public-art-fun

I am such a huge fan of public art. I am not an artist, I don't understand most art, but I like to…read morelook at and experience it. I drove down here once and found all of the murals along Clinton, each with a sign, but didn't have the chance to look at them any longer than the time it took for me to drive down the street. Today, the block was closed for the block party that took place yesterday. Since this is one of the few times to be able to wander that block with almost no cars and definitely no traffic, I took the opportunity to wander and study them in greater detail. Along this short strip of Clinton, form Broadway to Wilson, is a collection of nearly 40 murals. The works range from the size of a door to multiple stories tall. Most of the murals were painted on wooden board, and transferred to their permanent spaces, but there are a few that are painted directly upon the buildings. They range from whimsical and silly (in a good way!) to more somber and thought-provoking. All are beautiful and make this easy-to-miss street into a destination. Fortunately, this open air gallery is steps from the Wilson stop on the CTA, so you can stop here easily if you wish and parking can be okay sometimes too, with permit parking being free on Sundays, so take a little time to visit yourself. It would take maybe an hour to wander through.

STAY AWAY from this event!!! Unless you are okay to pay $10+ for one taco or have 6 hours to kill…read moreon a weekend to get your money's worth. I should have checked Yelp before I purchased the ticket. But originally, the event says they are offering $35 for 7 tacos, discounted drink and other ride deals. My impression, probably will be agreed by lots of others, is that I can hit 7 bars and try their tacos in 2-3 hours to have fun. HOWEVER, one day before the event, I received the schedule, together with another line of saying that we are limited to one taco per hour???!!! Most tacos tasted fine, but some tasted like having been siting in a heated pan forever and the tortilla even fell apart... Unless you have 6+ hours to kill, you are at least paying $5 for a taco and spend extra money for the drinks. Also, event website says there's no refund. It's some event I will never go again and would strongly recommend no one else to go.

Having a great time so far. Great combination or food, drink, and fun. Jump in the path with us all…read moreday long. El Hefe is already crazy and tasting FA BO LO US. https://www.mapcustomizer.com/map/Chicago%20Taco%20Crawl