Chicago is a summer of festivals and I love exploring each and every one. We saw a Groupon for…read morePorky's rib fest and decided to give it a shot! At $15 for two adult entrance tickets and free parking, it was pretty reasonable for festival pricing. As you do at a rib fest, we ordered a bunch of ribs from the following places: - Rasta Joe's: The best out of the bunch. The ribs were cooked perfectly and the sauce was great, with a hint of Caribbean flair. The portion size was also quite generous as we received 6(!) ribs for the 1:3 size that cost $10. This is what I expected a half slab to be. We were extremely happy with this! - Chicago BBQ: Decent. The ribs are quite fatty and fall or the bone. I would equate this to like Barnellis ribs. They're tender and BBQ-ey but nothing extraordinary. I would eat them again though. At $8 for 3 ribs, I'd go for Rasta's. - Texas Lightning: Ew. Ew. Ew. Complete regret for this one. So glad we got a sampler because I think I would have shed a tear if we bought a full slab. High expectations for the Texans but they failed to deliver. The ribs were extremely dry, flaky, and flavorless. It was like someone microwaved a slab of ribs and drizzled some sauce over it. The Jamaican Pork at Rasta's was pretty good too! Good spices. We would definitely give Rasta's an A++ for their ribs. The carnival itself looked fun but also very expensive. Overall, it was a decent event with live music and booze.

Another long overdue review: It was my 2nd year in a row going here and I came back determined to…read moretry the ribs I remember liking so much last time! Me, my cousin, niece and nephew went here on a Thursday around 7pm. Chicago BBQ company: we tried their Beef brisket, Pulled pork, Cornbread and Half slab ribs(unfortunately it wasn't fall-off-the-bone like at Ribfest Chicago, beef brisket seems like pulled pork) Uncle Bob's: we tried 1/2 slab ribs, Pulled pork, Beef brisket, and Cornbread( didn't measure up to Chicago BBQ company) Howling coyote: we tried 1/2 slab rib dinner(they claimed their ribs are more tender than a mother's love! It was tender but Chicago BBQ had more flavor) Rasta joes: tried their 1/2 slab ribs and Jalapeno cheese cornbread (had flavor like Chicago BBQ but not as tender as howling coyote) Porky chicks BBQ: we tried the Big porky- had most meat and very tender and they gave generous portions, sauces were good too!

It was abnormally warm this year...so didn't feel much like fall. We were wearing tank tops and…read moresundresses and taking pictures with scarecrows and pumpkins lol. Love this event and look forward to it every year!

Before I had a chance to buy something, I had already spent $20 on parking and admission. Maybe…read morethey couldn't find suitable grounds to set up the fest, but such a small fest seemed to be too pricey...even before you had a chance to spend money on food. The food seemed to be limited to a handful of popular Polish dishes. The entertainment was rather flat. The Perla tall boy beers tasted like a Miller or Bud. Overall, I expected more Polish cultural influence, rather it felt like a normal Chicago neighborhood fest with just a plethora of deep fried pierogi stands.

This is now the Pierogi Fest now and not the Southside Polish Fest…read more Well all I can say, as a first generation Polish American, is that I was highly disappointed with this fest. I came here with my girlfriend expecting a Polish surrounding and there was none. So let's review a few things here. 1st - There were no Polish people here like I was expecting. This was a very Americanized fest. I came here for culture. Chicago has the 2nd most population of Polish immigrants well over a million and all I heard was English spoken. 2nd - The food here was actually not bad, but not a lot of vendors. I had the Polish plate from Alex Deli and Grill. The sausage, pierogi, potato pancakes, and stuffed cabbage were amazing!!! 3rd - I was always an Okocim beer drinker, but they were not there. The only Polish beer there was Perli. And I was actually impressed! I bought a 4 pack of it on my way back home. I heard the Taste of Polonia at the Copernicus Center in Chicago is a lot better and Polish Authentic. I will definitely be there in September.

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY…read more Im sorry I purchased tickets to this event. $10 per person to get into a parking lot. LAME. The name is completely misleading. Taste of Pierogi? Where? There was a bbq tent, an american fare tent, 3 polish food tents, an ice cream vendor & a elotes tent. THATS IT as far as food. We tried the pierogi & all three tents & all tasted the same. No variation on flavor or preparation. Polish sausage tasted like cheap store bought brands. Potato pancakes were good. Bland sauerkraut. Good selection of carnival rides for kids but you can find that anywhere in the city during the summer & not pay to get in. Beers/alcohol was only $5 & they had 2 stages for live music.

Such beautiful property. Plenty of parking. I have some mobility problems yet it was a very doable…read moreone mile walk with ample benches placed to rest on.

Nice recreational area. Kayaks and canoes available for rent at a reasonable fee. Lake is not too…read morelarge, usually pretty calm. There's a well maintained 1 mile trail around the lake, also a butterfly garden, kids area, and other points of interest. There are also a lot of special events and programs for kids and adults. Ample parking in their lot or on the street.

Line up was excellent, especially on Friday. They made it very easy to see every band playing, even…read morethe ones at a different stage. The place was clean because there were people picking up the garbage at all times, even in the bowl. There isn't anything bad I can say about this weekend, oh, except Slayer not playing on the main stage. WHAT????

Excellent music festival with a great assortment of artists both rock and metal. Assortment of…read morebooze is fantastic. The only really problem I have with this festival is the stairs from Toyota Park will kill your legs if you don't have VIP passes for the express lane in the back. The access from Main to Blackcraft is what keeps Chicago Open Air from a 5 star review.

The Sangria here is above so many others. We wish they were Open more hours on weekends - stopping…read morein for a taste of the different flavors and cheese tray is something fun to do.

What a great time! And the sangria delicious The owner Luz…read morecouldn't have been sweeter. Make sure to visit.

Chicago's premier Children's Festival. This year will be at Summit Park in Summit IL., September 14…read more&15, 2013.