The city of Aurora did an excellent job pulling off their first ever Harry Potter Festival!…read more Tickets: This was a ticketed event ($3 cash per ticket - max 5 per person) and required in-person purchase several months prior to the actual event. Even though I arrived a few hours after the ticket purchase start time, I only stood in line for about an hour to get mine. A lot of people had complaints, but it honestly wasn't bad, especially given all of the publicity! The festival itself: They planned it out very well and had multiple events and activities, most kid-focused and friendly, but good for older fans too. Activities included a quidditch workshop, spell book creation, Ollivander's wands (x2), a potions lab, mocktail creations, Herbology, how to plant a Whomping Willow, Care of Magical Creatures, a self-guided Horcrux Hunt, Quiddich playing a, costume parade, a ride on the Hogwarts Express. Finally, there were multiple vendors in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade! Many of the activities required online preregistration, though many crafting events were free and just required you to stand in the queue. It was spaced out enough that the crowds were manageable and the lines weren't too long. Goods vendors in Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade included bath bombs (including a House Reveal version - cool!), jewelry, bags, paintings, plants, wall decor, and much more! Everything was really cute and went along with the Harry Potter/Hogwarts theme. There were a few food and butter beer vendors, including 4-packs of bottled butter beer. A lot of the local businesses also got into the spirit of the festival and decorated their storefronts. I spied Wayne and Garth (20th anniversary of Wayne's World!) sporting Hogwars hats - cute! The local Paramount theatre offered four Harry Potter movie showings for $1 apiece, had Harry Potter-themed drinks and candy, and had an awesome 9 3/4 platform in their lobby! Security (and Aurora PD) was posted throughout the event and were friendly and helpful. Port-o-Johns were plentiful and stocked with hand sanitizer. By 2pm, garbage cans were overflowing.. so that's something they can keep an eye on next time. Great job on a really well thought out and organized event, Aurora!

Aurora's inaugural 2017 Harry Potter festival was a hit…read more There was plenty to do and see, and the overall vibe from all of the attendees was overwhelmingly positive, especially considering nothing like this has been held in Aurora before. The Quidditch pitch hosted tons of kids playing Quidditch which was tons of fun to watch. Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade showcased tons of local, themed vendors that had lots of cool trinkets and souvenirs to buy. There were tons of fun classes to sign up for and take part in, like Herbology, Potions, and Magical Mocktails. It was also great to see a lot of the local businesses, closed or not, decorate their windows or host themed events related to the event, which definitely added to the overall spirit of the day. Best of all, eagle-eyed visitors spotted a number of subtle decorations that showed that there were true Harry Potter fans behind this event, including a "2nd Triwizard Task Vieweing Area" (overlooking the Fox River), Tom Riddle's grave, and all 7 horcruxes to hunt and find, each with a clever clue that led to the next. I can't wait until next year's event. I'm sure it's going to be even better!

Elburn Days is not just a fest, it's an entire community stopping to celebrate and take some time…read morefrom the every day norm to let loose. You can take the train, drive straight in on 38, or shoot down 47. There's plenty of parking all around the city, and even if you walk around town, which there are some quaint shops and bars to eat... AND DON'T FORGET REAMS!, you aren;t far from the fest. Highly recommend a visit, you won' be disappointed.

I went in the past but I thought it was going to be huge. It was definitely not as big as I had…read morethought. If you come later in the afternoon or evening, you'll be parking far from the entrance. That's if you go on a Fri or Saturday. They had different kinds of animals to look at. Food is your typical fair food. I didn't want to eat fried food all the time, so it was nice to see some pierogis in the mix. They do have some shows going on, you'll have to look at the schedule to see if anything interests you. We probably only spent a couple hours here at the max.

We try to go to the sandwich fair every year, and this year was pretty good. I love getting dole…read morewhip whenever I go, and the local food truck selling alligator on a stick is always a must have. It's always fun getting to pet the farm animals like goats. I enjoy looking at all the historical things around the fairgrounds, like the old fire trucks and engine displays. It does get quite packed, and lines do tend to get long so plan in advance!

I believe this is an annual event. It is held on the grounds of the elementary school which REALLY…read morecauses parking headaches ~ for neighbors and attendees alike. That was my only complaint. This is a cute, little old fashion carnival that uses corn as an excuse to have a good time. There are rides for all ages but 36 inches tall appears to be the starting point for riders. There is a food section, an area for musical entertainment, a craft section, and I understand they also have fireworks, we did not stay that late. Alcoholic beverages were available, but ID was required to obtain the wristband that was required to purchase alcohol AND they were not allowed in the main carnival area. The fire department brought out the heavy equipment and the SWAT team looked very intimidating. Oh, don't mess with the K-9 squad either. This is not a 6 Flags type place, Lines were extremely short, sometimes nonexistent and the ride operators were very gentle with the little ones, even willing to stop the ride if tears started to flow. We lucked out in that it was not 95 degrees with high humidity. A nice event to take the grandkids and do a little people watching.

Very fun time, family friendly entertainment. Over 200 cars and trucks on display this year. DJ Ron…read moreReiner playing classic rock and country hits. 50 50 raffle, beer garden, live music, fireworks, DJ, lots of horse power!

From the owner: Maple Park Fun Fest is a classic small town festival geared for big time entertainment. It occurs…read moreover Labor Day Weekend and brings live music, craft show, car show, parade, Fire Department water fights, food vendors, 5K run/2 mile walk, bags tournament, a spectacular fireworks show and much more.

The fest is pretty large and spread out. Sure, it's free to get in. However, they get you on the…read moreparking costs. They have different tiers depending on how close you want to park. To get in and out of the parking lots can be a pain. The food vendors accept cash or card which is nice. Food lines are long! Be prepared to wait. They had multiple bar lines that were fast. Bar lines also sold water and NA options. Plenty of porta potties. If you plan on attending bring your own chair or blanket to sit on. They allow you to bring in your own food and drinks (just no outside alcohol). Something to keep in mind to keep your costs down. Spread out, but expect crowds. Overall a good event.

We attended this event last year, we had a table set up there for our company (Westway Coach), a…read moreschool bus company. Just wanted to add that we had an amazing time there, the ambient, the music, the food, all was great, we had an amazing time being part of this event.

One of my favorite festivals on the South Suburbs of Chicago , The Frankfurt Fall Festival has…read moresomething for everyone , Carnival Rides, A Great assortment of food, Live Entertainment , and plenty of Drinks. During the day it's basically a giant Arts and Crafts Fair highlighting the skills of multiple artisans showcasing everything they have to sell, At the same time , there is live entertainment at 2 separate tents , including an outstanding food court , , but here's the best part , it's all within a small city with multiple restaurants and small town bars with patios selling their own food and drink options, basically a fest within a fest with a old school country feel , Then at night vendors shut down and it becomes a giant party with 2 beer gardens and great bands , so you don't have to stay in one place you can hop around and just vibe out , Fun for the whole family ! Or a Great Date Night Option ! A end of summer must

We look forward to this festival every year. It represents the friendliness and culture of…read moreFrankfort, IL with its very own heart beat. I've been coming here since 2006 and it gets better every year.

The Taste of Highland Park is huge and a fantastic thing for the city! It ran in conjunction with…read morethe 34th Port Clinton Art Festival so it was just streets and streets full of art with just a bit of food, music and other booths. You can take the Metra and hop right off at the fest. It ran Friday night, Saturday & Sunday over an August weekend. There is free parking & free admission, ah how I love 'Burb fests. Plus they don't have a bunch of weird carnival vendors carted in. The food was all from local Highland Park restaurants. Loved that! In the art portion, they had 260 artists selling their stuff ranging from classic to unique to sculptures. Saw a lot of cool stuff I wouldn't have minded purchasing. There was a stage with live music! Loved that and so cute seeing the little kids bopping around. We really enjoyed the entire fest and wouldn't hesitate to go back!

I have been to a few of these community taste festivals and many were meh. But Highland Park, you…read moretook things to another level and blew my expectations! A small festival but packed with people, well organized and great atmosphere! We went there during the evening after work (5pm) and unfortunately, the art vendors were closing down already. The art festival should run till late as well, for this is the time most people and family can make it there, especially in summer/fall time when the sun is still up. Nevertheless, we were there for the food. Even though the vendors were few, they were good quality vendors and this is what counts. Many festivals would only have budget vendors wtih food that you don't really wanna try. But these were the renowned restaurants in Highland Park and it was just a good opportunity to see their menu and taste them. My favorite was Siam of Ruby. We've heard of them but never been their restaurant. We tried their curry and it was SOOOO good! The curry was fragrant and had a good kick. Pity the amount was small, as we licked it up pretty quickly, a little too quick than we would have preferred! Guess I have to make time to visit you guys! Another highlight was Back Yard Grill. I never knew they had souvlaki and gyro. The gyro's rice in particular was very nice, the balance and flavor of the lemon+tumeric was YUM! Of course, BYG always get their meat right! Environment of the festival. The festival was located on the main street of Highland Park wth the road closed, which was nice. Then the tables were nicely set up on the side, with white tents, tables and chairs. These were a nice aesthetic touch and thoughtful, as people could really stand and eat, but if you want people to enjoy, mingle and be comfortable, you go the extra mile to do these. Music. The band was a good choice too. Not too folky, not too disney, not too heavy-metal, but a great selections of songs that was fast paced, high energy, and doesn't ruin your ears. Simply a quality band that connected well with the crowd including children! These are what sets Highland Park's festival apart from the rest. The attention to details and the thoughtfulness! See you next year!

Sweet! Small town festival done in a big way…read more Everything you would expect: Carnival rides Food tents People watching Free sweet corn Parade Friendly people Worth the trip! The corn was soooo good!

Come here every year for the past 20 years.crafts food , rides and games . Live bands and beer…read moregarden.