Best craft beer fest I've been to in quite some time!…read more Normally when a new beer festival gives it a go, there are some logistical issues and things that need tweaks. Well this was the first time they threw this festival, and I honestly didn't find much to fault them on. Parking was well organized. There was a free parking lot across the street and buses taking people from the parking to the fest. Demographic skewed slightly older but it's to be expected in Glenview. Glenview is my hometown and I had a strong feeling most fest goers would be a bit older than my friend and I. Awesome selection of breweries including many local favorites and others from around the nation, 35 in total. I have a feeling they could get even more breweries on board next year! They could also add some more food vendors for next year. Tickets were $35-50 depending when you purchased them and proceeds went towards supporting The Grove. The Grove was a perfect venue with vendors spread out enough so there wasn't congestion and I never had to deal with lines for beer more than a few people long. I did wish there were more rare beer offerings, but was still happy with the selection. Also, even though the fest went until 10pm, most places ran out of beer at 9pm and they ran out of the good/more rare/fancy beers just a hour in around 8pm. Other good points of the fest is they had ample seating, way more than enough. I've been to so many beer fests were they simple did not provide anywhere to sit and it was torture. The live music was really good with many solid covers being played - everyone was having fun! When it got dark out, they brought out huge lighting - they were well prepared. We actually had volunteers come up and ask us what we thought of the fest, how they could improve, etc. Never have I seen such a thing at a beer fest! Loved, loved, loved this! The Grove Craft Beer & Wine Festival was so well organized, well spread out, great music, great beers, beyond amazing staff and just was a win overall - great value for the ticket. I absolutely will be going next year.

This was the first year we attended the Grove Craft Beer & Wine Festival in Glenview, which…read morehappened this past Friday. My partner purchased a super early bird VIP ticket. The VIP ticket allowed her five extra drink samples -- in addition to the twenty you already got with general admission purchase -- early entry, as well as the ability to park closer to the venue. She bought me the Designated Driver (DD) ticket, which was considerably less expensive and allowed me free water, according to the Grove website. I understand this event is to help support the efforts at the historic Grove location, but the tickets are still exorbitant for what you get, in my opinion. When we first entered, no one bothered to even check if we did indeed have VIP tickets in order to park closer. If we didn't have the tickets, we could have just said we did and gotten in. The volunteers also weren't very good at explaining where they wanted us to go. After parking, there were no signs anywhere that should have directed us to a field across a road from the VIP parking in which we had to pick up our event passes. We had to ask a random person where they got them. At the registration table, the volunteer mistakenly gave me a VIP wristband as well as the three-ounce sampling glass, despite having a DD ticket, I guess because my partner had the VIP ticket and she put both of our tickets on the table together. I didn't quite understand what was happening until after, so didn't question it. I didn't matter as I wasn't drinking. But I essentially got an $85 pass for $20. Tents were set up in the middle of a large field, which is surrounded by woods, where each of the breweries had their samples. What is supposed to happen is that every time you get a sample, the brewery should mark off a punchcard given to you at registration. Except it got so busy that most of the breweries didn't bother with this. This means that the VIP ticket is essentially worthless unless you simply want to park closer. You can drink as much as you want. If you're a vegetarian, make sure you eat before you come. There were four food vendors, and two of them sold bratwurst (Whole Foods offered bratwurst and chicken-and-apple sausage). One had pizza, and another had chicken sliders and chips and salsa. My partner ate chips for a meal because there was nothing else she could eat. Of course, this being late July it was very, very hot. I asked two different volunteers where the DDs were supposed to be able to get free water, and one said there was a water station set up near the tents. Nope, there wasn't. Food vendors were selling water for $1. There was an air conditioned part of the building only VIPs were allowed to enter, where they had tables set up. I guess if you're prone to heat that might be worth paying for. As the sun started to go down it became more crowded. It would be better to come after the sun goes down because it's cooler, but then you have to deal with more people. Also, you REALLY need to bring bug repellent if you plan on staying after dusk. If you plan on going next year, don't bother wasting money on a VIP ticket. Buy general admission, drink as much as you want, and bring bug repellent. It was good to experience as we had never been to the Grove before, but I don't know if we'll bother next year.

You know how the Field Museum has Christmas trees from around the world during the holidays, you…read moresee ornaments from around the world and it stirs some curiosity and passion in you (as a child) to visit and see other countries. In a way, this festival of cultures can create the same type of thoughts for little ones as they visit the booths which represent different cultures and countries. I think that's pretty cool, to walk around and get some fresh air, learn about other people and let that inspire/prepare a kid for a trip abroad. Yes, have them put the iPad down and get out here and interact with someone outside of their bubble. There are some live performances/dancing on stage and good food like funnel cake and cheese fries in a bucket to feed your family members too. The parking lot was full when I came by but you can easily park in the neighborhood and walk in.

This is a truly great event, held over two days every year in May at Oakton Park, celebrating the…read morevast cultural diversity of Skokie. For the last several years my daughter's dance troupe has performed here. There's a variety of enjoyable entertainment, a good selection of food vendors, and some really nice tents manned by representatives of the many ethnic communities within the Village. We have practically everything; Slavic, German, Filipino, Jamaican, Bulgarian, Polish, Belizean, Pakistani, you name it!! (Our new slogan isn't "Skokie Welcomes Everyone" for no reason!) Some are providing information about their cultures while others have items for sale, in addition to a retail booth for various goods for sale. Village offices have booths providing useful information and resources to residents, and they also have a train ride and a variety of games and activities for children. Plus it's right beside the playground. General admission is free and weather permitting, it's really a fun day for the entire family -- worth a visit, whether or not you're from Skokie.

Thirsty Ears Festival held by ACM is Chicago's only classical music street festival. For two days,…read moretwo blocks of Wilson Street between Hermitage and Ravenswood were closed to traffic, with the main stage featuring stellar ensembles and soloists performing classical music. This year's festival took place on Saturday, August 22, from 2:00-11:00 pm, and Sunday, August 23, from 1:00-9:00 pm, with a different ensemble or soloist featured each hour. This was our first time visiting the street fair, and we were fortunate to have gorgeous weather for an outdoor event. It was perhaps a little too sunny for me -- even with my bucket hat and sunglasses, the sun was still a little too strong on my back when I sat in the front row for half an hour. I joined my husband and daughter after an open studio at Lillstreet Art Center. From there, it was only a six-minute walk to the festival. When I arrived around 4:30 pm, they had already been comfortably sipping beer and enjoying classical music for hours. From 4:00 to 5:00 pm, Lakeshore Rush was performing, and they played beautifully. I especially enjoyed the last few pieces, which were upbeat and lively. The festival offered much more than beer and wine. There were numerous vendor booths, kid-friendly activities, and food trucks on both days. It was wonderful to see people of all ages having a good time while enjoying live classical music in such a relaxed outdoor setting. The suggested $10 entry donation felt very reasonable, especially since the festival was supporting a good cause. We had a lovely time, and I'm glad we finally discovered this unique Chicago event. I would definitely consider coming back next year.

Thirsty Ears Festival has been on my list to visit for a while because it's just a few blocks away…read more This year I finally made it, toddler in tow. A friend and her kiddo came along too. The festival is the brain child of Access Contemporary Music (ACM), the music school on the block, and it's the only classical music party in the city. It's a very small festival, spanning just the block on Wilson between Ravenswood and Hermitage. There's a packed schedule for the two days of the festival, with various musical ensembles and composers performing throughout the day. Of course the music was the main attraction, but there were a couple booths selling some food as well. Alcoholic beverages were available and pizza, and I think possibly another snack but I can't recall. Of course there's also a couple restaurants nearby as well, and the two that are right on this block have a bit of outdoor seating. Most of the booths were local artists selling their work; I saw a booth that made crochet wall hangings, a pottery booth, a local author selling his novels, and more. I was really glad that we happened to be here there when a small choral ensemble was performing. The other musician we hard was a pianist performing when we arrived. The main stage was on the eastern edge of the festival along the Hermitage end, and there were folding chairs set up for people to enjoy the concert. A kid's area and stage was on the Ravenswood end. They had some kids activities like face painting and balloon animals in addition to the musician playing children's music. It was great that they had a children's space since otherwise they might get bored quickly. On the weekend, the parking along Ravenswood is super easy. There's also the Metra, of course, with the Ravenswood stop a block away.

This festival has grown immensely! Every year it just seems to be more organized…read more The parking situation has always been . This year, however, (2024) it was really organized. Food was great! However, if you come Saturday night- forget about eating- The lines are long. ( that's because the food is on amazing). My suggestion is to come mid afternoon 3-5pm either Saturday or Sunday and your wait won't be long- heck, there might not be a line at all. Roasted lamb and pig were AMAZING. Fresh and right off the spit. That was my meal on Saturday afternoon. Their sausages, chevaps, are also great. The Serbian hamburger is OUT OF THIS WORLD AND AMAZING. This was my Sunday lunch and dinner. Saturday night has an assortment of music genres folk music, rock music, they had a string/banjo band and I saw a number of kids listening to a young dj outside on my way out. Every music group had their own room. They also have folk dancers that were great! The costumes were beautiful. This is truly a family festival. They also had a small children's section. They should consider expanding that. Prices were similar to other festival prices. They asked for a donation of $5 when we walked into the festival. Overall a 5 star rating They still need to implement a better system for the LONG food lines during prime time. My family and I will be there next year!

Unfortunately, Serb Fest is not what it was 5 years ago. It's bigger, but it's not better…read more Lamb has increased to $16 for a pound, should you be able to get any. We arrived around 7:30pm and got our tickets and stood in line. 8pm. 8:30pm. Around 9pm we make it to the front of the line and it stops completely. They announce that they may be able to give everyone currently in line 1 portion of Lamb or Pig, but it's going to take another 30 minutes or so to cook. People are getting drunk and impatient and it's becoming unpleasant. At 9:05pm we give up, take our tickets, and buy $20 worth of $5 Lav beers that don't even fill the plastic cups. I'm not sure what happened and how they ran out of one of the main attractions of the festival with 3 more hours to go. It was disappointing and, in my opinion, a waste of our time. Someone toward the entrance was discussing this situation with another man and it sounded like there was an ordering error that hadn't been fixed in time. I dunno. Your best bet might be to come during the day, closer to 2-4pm or so, before it gets crowded and well before they might be running out of roasted goodness.

I go every year live music and fun staff love this place go you will have a blast…read more Beast place ever

I'm unclear why St. Al's Oktoberfest gets to block off a public street (W Oakdale) for a private…read moreevent with a mandatory entry fee, when this is expressly forbidden by Chicago law. Ironically, the sign outside Oktoberfest had a "save our street festivals" sticker on it. Street festivals are vulnerable precisely because they cannot require entry fees and must rely on voluntary donations. I'm unclear why this doesn't apply to St. Al's. I understand they choose to host part of the event on their private property, but that doesn't give them the right to encumber a whole public street.

Interesting art and exhibition enjoyed the atmosphere and would go again. Looking forward to my…read morenext visit.

Always a fun event with music, entertainment, vendors with a variety of items, a few (pricey) but…read moresolid food vendors, and activities for kids; all along our beautiful Evanston lakefront. One year my daughter and I partook of the Zumba class, and they have various demonstrations as well. It's also refreshing to see all of the cultures and the diversity that comprises Evanston. We enjoy browsing for the jewelry, accessories and ethnic items, incense, shea butter, as well as scented oils, candles, and miscellaneous artwork! This is an annual event always in July, and it's usually super hot! If you're a people watcher, it's definitely a nice place to be. People come from all over, and I feel blessed to have grown up here and experienced this event year after year, right in my hometown.

I'm not totally sure what I think about this event. It's definitely popular. There's the BBQ…read morecompetition, and I'm sure it's standard that the people participating in the competition don't actually make any food for attendees to eat. But at least there were a couple of food trucks out there serving up the goods. We were there 2-3 hours before the event ended (and it had been going on for 6-7 hours at that point) so there may have been other booths around or there earlier in the day. There was a band playing on the steps of city hall and folks were having a lot of fun getting their groove on. There were some kids activities set up on the perimeter, like a bounce house and stuff. I think next year we'll go a little earlier. Parking was a bear, since there's only street parking around Hodges Park and the lot by the library. But it might be interesting to see how a BBQ competition goes.

The smell of BBQ is in the air in Park Ridge. The 1st Vine Street BBQ Fest in town and has…read moreprofessional and amateur cooks facing off for a good old cook off! You cannot taste the food from the competitors, but there are a handful of vendors to buy BBQ and drinks from. Earls has decent pulled pork and I liked the chicken sandwich from Urban Que. They had a mobile wood oven pizza company that made a pretty good Neapolitan pizza too. Honestly the food for sale wasn't too good, hopefully they draw better vendors next year. Kids can keep busy with about 6 large bounce castles. They also have face painting, crafts and other games for the whole family. Live music is rocking all day until 9pm! This is a great, family friendly event in Uptown Park Ridge.

We had a great time at the festival. The Four Star Brass Band (first act of the day) was great…read morefun; FiddleRock is always amazing; and the Gumbo Hurricane was lively and highly enjoyable. It would be nice to have a beer somewhere between IPA and ultra-lite. We went into the bar to get a real beer. A couple interesting vendors, plus the expected promotions. A good time was had by all.

Its not the biggest street fest but it's the unofficial start of summer Memorial Day weekend and…read morethe Belmont Fest is on. Why not? Admission is a donation of $5 per person. Bands on both end and your usual street fest fare of shopping and food. I did enjoy the mangorita. My nephew and my wife also like the footlong corn dog. I do miss the entertainment from the show from Berlin before like 2 years ago. I hope they bring it back