This review is hurting my heart to make. My husband and I have been going to the BRF for almost 20…read moreyears. We never missed (aside from Covid). Every year we'd go multiple times. We started a family, we'd bring everyone we knew and loved. It has always been a special tradition for us. We would spend a lot of money. Get the friends of faire passes. Buy food, swords, play games, support the artists and vendors and performers, Etc. Until the prices hikes. The last 2-4 years, we only started going once a year. And what's wild, we were making more money? So how is it that we were having to spend less because of how expensive faire became? We were no longer spending extra because pricing on everything was so expensive. And not just a little expensive... the price jumps have become outlandish. It would be different if there were significant improvements or changes to the grounds, additional bathrooms, better water access or if the workers were getting paid more or new shows were being added. But none of these things have happened from what I've seen or heard. Even some of our favorite vendors left and haven't returned. I'm not sure if my family will be attending BRF this year or any year going forward. And that makes me so incredibly sad. It's always been such a big part of our lives. We started as teenagers that helped in the sand pits during gladiator battles before the joust, to being in our 30s introducing it to our babies, thinking we'd keep going to faire even after we were old and grey. Now faire feels overly commercialized and like the only thing worth caring about is money. I know how popular faire got. Especially after becoming viral on social media. So I understand the need to hike prices a little to compensate for supplies for the amount of people attending, inflation, etc. But what is happening is price gouging, and it's unbelievable. This is not the faire we've always known and loved. If things change we may come back. But until then we will be looking into other alternatives... please do better Bristol. You're losing your long term customer base...

Another summer, another visit to Bristol! We were there for the opening day of Faire which was a…read morelot of fun and tends to be less crowded than later in the season when the themed days start up. We also saved money this year by ordering their "Holidazzle" tickets (buy tickets online in the winter for the following summer season: rather than the $40 gate price or $36 Menards price, we paid $30 for each adult ticket; they are only valid for certain weeks). Despite it being a hot day, there was a breeze most of the time, and there are trees in a lot of spaces, so that helped. One piece of infrastructure I wish they would improve is the sun tarps above the seating areas of all the stages; they are all faded through and really do nothing to stop the sun, and the summers are only getting hotter.... Shows are great, as always. We saw Tiny Girl Big Show, Don Juan and Esmeralda, Dora Viellette the Hurdy Gurdy Lady, Menage a Moi, and Cirque du Sewer. Laugh, interact, and tip your performers!! Lots of food options (I had the amazing garlic mushrooms, a pulled pork sandwich, a Pina colada slushy and candied pecans to take home). Be sure you're hydrating in this weather; a girl passed out while watching one of the shows we were at! Enjoy all the artisan crafts (my friend bought a ring, I always look at Gnome and Fairy Pottery, we got some reading material at Arte of the Book) and of course souvenir merch at the gift shop. At this time of summer the grounds are also particularly lovely: orange day lilies were blooming , and other areas near rest areas with fountains looked nice. Overall, still a solid faire to visit! Huzzah!

This place is wonderful. The classes are professional and fun for kids. I would rate it higher but…read moreit's also quite expensive. The christmas and summer shows are fun for the kids and really create an ensemble, though in the older kid shows there is a bit of a bias toward actors in company. Has some flaws, but overall good.

This review is based on my opinion & from my observations:…read more Steps seems to only focus on the kids in "company" &/or the ones taking multiple classes. Although kids who take one class can easily become that student whose interests are to get to that level; I don't understand this. And, no my child did not try out for company & not make it. I'm not disgruntled due to anything of that nature. There's no assistance to help guide your child's interests, or to get them onto the right "track"; I know this because I asked. If your child has found their passion and you need a little guidance, "there's no help here", was the message I heard loud & clear. If you try asking a question btw, plan on a 6 week turnaround. Made me feel very unimportant and that I had my child at the wrong place. Obtaining tickets for your child's yearly performance was ridiculous (website crashes/credit card error messages/rescheduling ticket purchase dates). Even if your on the website at the exact start time, you will not get a decent seat no matter what you do. And you'll pay $16 per person to attend btw. Don't even get me started on the multiple discussions I had to have, to get a costume that fit my child before picture day. The class teacher was pleasant and my child never complained about class. But my child couldn't tell me her name until after Christmas. Substitute teacher was class participant mother (unsure if any dance teaching background - again no communication) that simply confused my child with changes to the routine; this was the one time she did complain about class. Again my opinion is from my observations; there's a feeling of a very clicky atmosphere at the studio. The kids who go to school together know each other, but that seems to be it. Kinda like a "Dance Moms" feel to the atmosphere, but I did chat with a couple of VERY nice parents a few times over the past year. And it seems like the kids all got along well in the classes. Don't plan on sitting in a seat in the studio, while waiting for your child. The kids stuff is all over the tables & chairs while the kids are in class. Why they cannot be directed to place their belongings in a cubby? They do that at school. Or maybe put up some hooks or lockers? You could definitely use some lunch tables. Plan on doing something outside the studio during class & picking them up at the door. I've been to other studios and were easily blown away by their welcoming nature...treated as WAY more important then we've felt here. Definitely shop around before settling for the local dance school. And if Steps reads this review, I honestly hope you'll take this review to heart and make some positive changes. I'm not writing this to be malicious, I writing this to help other parents make informed decisions. These things definitely bothered me, and that's what reviews are for.

I found them after doing a search for best tickets. They were highly ranked on one blog. However,…read morein retrospect, I wonder if they wrote this blog... The blog said that they had the least fees. But i was SHOCKED at the fees! When I compared their ticket prices to the standard - StubHub, they were consistently lower. But after the fees, I don't know. I was too tired and too committed after choosing my tickets to try to figure out the difference. So, I got the tickets I wanted but I am not sure if they were the best price compared to StubHub. They all seem to have the same inventory... and either they or the people they got it from Ticket Toad called me AFTER and wanted to CHARGE my credit card for some recurring fee every month for some "deal" that I could cancel after getting a "free $100 credit" I had to forcefully say NO b/c I knew I would forget to cancel and be screwed for months.

I had a really favorable experience with ticket lodge recently. I bought tickets for a Chicago…read moreBears game at a great price and I received them when they said I would. I had a question at one point and called customer service, and they were really friendly and helpful. All around, it was a great experience and I'd definitely but tickets from them again.

\\ HALLOWEEN SPINSANITY \\…read more Six Flags' resident DJ has taken over the relatively tame Chubasco and turned it into something truly.....sinister. For one month out of the operating season, SFGAm's teacups ride transforms into one of Skrillex's nightmares. The windows get boarded up, lights go off, music goes on, and the mayhem begins. If you thought spinning teacups in a fully-lit environment was disorienting, well amigos you ain't seen nothin' yet! Back in 2009, Six Flags revamped the former 'Terror Twister' to the state it's in now, which is a HUGE jump from its prior version. This included putting together a deeper soundtrack, creating heavier fog, adding hi-beam laser lights, and replacing the scanner-type lighting to all LEDs. Also, they synchronized the lights & fog to the music and increased the overall ride's duration. There are allegedly 8 unique ride experiences, all with different songs and lighting arrangements. Take note though, the line moves *very* slowly. Capacity is not this ride's strong point, and coupled with the lengthened ride cycles, prepare to wait upwards of 35-45 minutes. It's well worth the wait, mind you. TT2: AT4TW is, in this reviewer's opinion, the keystone attraction at Great America's Halloween event. No other ride undergoes as drastic a remodeling as the teacups do--although the 'Rue Le Morgue' bumper cars (normally Rue Le Dodge) are fitted with similar environmental effects like heavy metal, black lights, strobes, etc. An absolutely mandatory ride on your visit to SFGAm's Fright Fest.

Haven't been to a Pizza Ranch in years and was so excited to see one open just a tad bit closer to…read morehome. We stopped by for a late lunch on a Sunday. It was busy but not super busy, staff kept the pizzas flowing/rotating, and frequently came around to pick up our plates. The food was decent, everything was hot. They had different kinds of pizza including thin, regular, and stuffed crust. They also had chips, pasta with marinara which they eventually swapped out for potato wedges, stuffing, mashed potatoes, fried chicken and a decent salad bar. They have coffee and drinks as well as dessert pizzas, cookies, and soft serve. They have an arcade for the kids, we didn't go in but it seemed a decent size, and they have video in the dining area of the arcade area I'm assuming so parents can keep an eye on the kids. Plenty of parking, I noticed signs for deals (Sunday nights) and they were also having a special customer appreciation dinner that Monday. Overall a good experience here, I am not sure about the 1 star reviews we had no issues whatsoever.

This was the soft opening for this new Pizza Ranch location. I've been looking forward to it for a…read morewhile, I followed the news about its construction and waited patiently as the opening date got delayed a few times. They invited some local businesses to share free buffet coupons with their workers, and I was lucky enough to receive one! Have to say, I'm excited for this new local addition. The buffet is small but they have fun with options, turning out different pizza styles and toppings seemingly randomly. Each time I approached the buffet there was a new option, despite being just a handful of pizzas. The chicken, bacon, and ranch pizza with a stuffed crust was a favorite, and the pepperoni cups on another pizza were cooked crispy just like I like it. Fried chicken was actually really solid, you could come just for that and not be disappointed. I tried all the dessert pizzas and they were excellent as well. They will make a pizza of your choice and add it to the buffet! If you don't see something you like they have a station and they will make you one on the spot with the toppings you wanted, pretty cool concept. The staff is mostly kids, it was nice to see them doing their best and learning as they go. Well done all around, maybe a bit too helpful as they offered to take my plate as I was still eating more than once. They are eager and clearly focused on customer service. No harm No foul. They have arcade options and to my surprise it's bigger than you'd think. There's only a few "play for fun" games, mostly your goal is to win prizes directly or win tickets to trade for prizes, but it's pretty cool and has some options for adults and kids. Always glad to see more development around here, and I'll definitely be back for more food and games!

We had a great time and were served fantastic sandwiches. We had a relatively large group and the…read moreservice was outstanding and very welcoming. We will definitely come back!

No greetings they are very rude and don't offer drinks or snacks…read moreWorst place ever Don't go in there Anyplace is better then this one

High quality, functional glass art, excellent customer service, and the ability to watch art being…read morecreated turns this average tobacco and tobacco accessories shop into a gallery of wonder, beauty, and a whole lot of fun. Walking into the store, it is split into two sections. Clothing and accessories is located in the front of the store. The back of the store is home to the beautiful glass art that is presented in functional glass art pieces. The functionality is limited to smoking devices such as pipes, bubblers, and water pipes and their initial display is fairly basic. But the large glass cabinets in each corner hold the true beauty of the glass art style. Professionally blown glass with price tags of upwards of $500 sit in the stands. The array of styles is absolutely wonderful. One has to look past the stigma associated with glass pipes and art to be able to see the technical beauty that is involved in each piece. Another way to further understand the work and vision that goes into these pieces is to become involved in one of their glass expos or glassblowing lessons. They offer lessons on glass blowing charged per hour. I believe it is $50/hour, but don't quote me on that. It's a one on one opportunity to learn the basics of glass blowing. They also host various regional glass expos. During these expos, famous glass artists and their enthusiasts travel to All About It to discuss, observe, and blow glass. It is truly amazing to watch these pros work. There are two warnings I must emphasize. One, it is a smoke shop so all of the glass pieces are sold for tobacco use. Two, the employees get to decide what music they listen to for the day. Depending on what time you go there, the music can range from soft techno to loud, vulgar rap and/or metal. Overall, it is a wonderful place to visit even if you aren't a tobacco smoker. The glass art they have on display is truly exquisite and due to the in house glass blowing, wide array of beautiful, professional pieces, and regional recognition, I would rate this better then most of the other glass and tobacco accessories shop in the area.

It's my son's first time to ever be in someone else's care. He has been going to the montessori 3…read moredays a week and he loves it. They would also go to the park at times and would have music class as well. Their price is reasonable and we got lucky that it was so close to home.

No better workout. A perfect mix of cardio, strength, and toning choreographed to a variety of…read morepopular (old&new) music!

I have passed this house a couple of times and was amazed by how cute the house was. I wondered who…read morelived there and what the importance of the house was. The presence of the house seemed intriguing. It had a welcoming presence it. A few months later, my mother was researching Underground Railroad sites in Illinois and we found out that the Mother Rudd House in Gurnee, Illinois was one of the sites. We decided to go to this historical site, which was amazing and full of history in the Lake County Illinois area. The Mother Rudd house was a place that housed travelers in the 19th century, was a place where community events were held, and was a safe haven for slaves who were seeking freedom. Mother Rudd was a mother of 13 children, yet still was able to care for others, including people in her community. The house was amazing with great artifacts and memories that go back two centuries. The hosts were friendly and gave a lot of information about what the Mother Rudd house was used for, and what the Gurnee community was like long ago.Several families donated artifacts from their family history to help one understand legacies of Lake County history. It was great to see others interested in history and restoring historical landmarks. I would encourage young and and old to visit this house and take a stroll down memory lane. It's best to call and schedule an appointment ahead of time.