Was another fest that had some become fallen to the victim of substantial cutbacks…read more With the absence of many antique dealers taking part, bargains,etc. Plus one/two blocks shorter of the fest length. But nevertheless can still be a pretty fun fest. Despite some recent woes.

Attended the 2017 event yesterday and had a blast! I loved how this was just in downtown Oak Park…read moreso you got to walk around the downtown and also try great beers. I also loved the fact that even if you didn't have a ticket, you could walk around. One of my friends isn't a beer drinker, but she still got to hang out with us as we wandered. I also loved the variety of beers that were there. Obviously, tons of IPAs but there were also stouts, amber ales, double IPAs, sours, and more! Great variety. Also loved that a few ciders made an appearance. I love finding a good cider! The food options were intriguing and covered quite the range of drink cravings. Also loved the water coolers where I could fill up my water bottle. It's important to stay hydrated while day drinking! Was kind of confused about how the drinking wasn't supposed to start until 3? I arrived shortly after 2pm and was able to check in, get my glass, and start drinking. I'm not complaining because it meant I had more time to explore and pace myself, but it was kind of confusing. Overall this was a fun event! Easy to get to (right off the Harlem stop on the Green line)! And well run! Definitely hope I can make it next year!

Now in its 7th year, the Oak Park Micro Brew & Food Review was a pleasure to be involved in. I…read morevolunteered at the event, which benefits Seven Generations to promote healthy eating in schools, and sustainable communities. While I had a fun interactive volunteering job of pouring cider and beer to happy review-goers, others made sure this was as close to a Zero Waste festival as possible. 74 breweries were a part of the 2014 review, with some taking part in a Replicale challenge, which gave them very specific guidelines for a red or amber ale. The 4-hour festival allowed plenty of time to drink and get your money's worth, and it takes place on the streets of downtown Oak Park, so you can take the Green Line in and not drive! (If you don't already live in lovely Oak Park). I "Untappd" so many beers I lost track, especially since so many of the Replicales weren't even on the grid yet. My favorite Replicales were by Lake Effect and Dryhop Brewery. My favorite regular brews were by Lake Effect, the Blind Pig, and Virtue Ciders. The festival had plenty of bathrooms, water stations to fill up your water bottle or wash out your tasting glass, but as far as being a "food review", a little more could be done to provide more, and more affordable food options. (ie. the $7 "half bratwurst" was more like ballpark prices!) This is definitely a festival to consider if you love Craft Brews in the summertime!

This is one of my favorite summer festival to come and enjoy with my family. Great Food,…read moreEntertainment and Good Vibes. I have been coming here for many years and the vibes have always been good. The food prices are very reasonable. Food & Drinks range from $3.00 to maybe $6.00 if that much. Very inexpensive and budget friendly. This festival is a place for you to try different authentic foods, music and good vibes. You can shop the vendors tents and find some cool things to purchase. There are several stages where you can enjoy a live concert. There is a carnival with a few rides for the kids to stay entertained. I always look forward to coming here year. Taste of Melrose Park is always around the first week in September.

A bunch of us checked out the Taste of Melrose Park during Labor Day weekend. This is a food fest…read morewith free admission. Amazingly every food item was priced at $3 or less. It was fun to try all sorts of tasty foods. Many of them were Italian bites but there were other Mexican-style foods as well. We enjoyed items such as Italian beef, arancini, flat "fried meatball" sandwich, a "salad sandwich" that was quite good because of the fresh bread, cheese fries, cannoli, root beer float, slushie and a lovely serving of sfingi (freshly made "donut holes" made by nuns, how can you top that?). There are fair faves such as promotional freebies, carnival rides, a guy on stilts, and a clown pushing a mini-clown in a stroller (wha wha??). There is some entertainment as well (we heard bagpipers after someone belted out the Star Spangled Banner). This was sort of a folksy food fest, and the price was right. If you are looking for something fun to do next Labor Day weekend in the 'burbs, keep Taste of Melrose Park in mind.

One of the best of the best summer weekend festivals around Chicago. Hungry - choose from around 25…read morelocal vendors; thirsty - no problem; games and rides for the kids - voila!; Music - nearly non-stop - vendors with clothing, crafts, jewelry, toys, beauty items, candles - enjoy. See you next year!

I have not been to Taste of Elmwood for decades and it has not changed. It had several food…read morevendors, at reasonable prices. Everything from Italian, Mexican and American. To purchase alcoholic drinks you are required to get carded and a wristband, regardless of age. Cocktails were good, but a bit pricey for the size. There were music events throughout the fest.

As most festival events are, you go for the experience but expect some lines. I liked the variety…read moreof taco options! By the time we got to the drinks they were out of a lot of the options. The Indian food tacos were somewhat small but affordable. I liked the chicken tikka taco better than the Chana masala; it had more flavor and stayed together better. The Chana masala taco really fell apart. They had good flavor though and a fun twist on a traditional taco! I like to go to events like this to explore different neighborhoods and it's a fun event to go to with a group of people! I tend to think the food is always better at the actual restaurant though.

Our first Taco Fest in Chicago! It was a blast. Loved the vibe and the live bands. Lot of options…read moreto get your taco fix on! There are 2-3 bar stations. Saturday night was great. I'll take a stroll and see what else I can enjoy on Sunday.

We saw Twelfth Night (July-Aug 2025) last night. I have been attending OPFT since we moved here…read more15+ years ago and this was one of the best Shakespeare productions they've had. I saw that the Tribune criticized OPFT's take for being too heavy on the comedy and light on the romance. I disagree; I thought that the emphasis on the comedy was a huge plus. Malvolio stole the show with Toby and Sir Andrew as great comedic support. Olivia's flip-flopping was also well executed for some good fun. The Fool had to compete hard for laughs.... I was delighted to find that this production had even our kids (11-13) laughing like crazy. This is excellent accessible Shakespeare in the park that is great for the whole family. Tickets for kids under 12 are just $5.

Why isn't there more outdoor theatre in the Chicago area? I mean, to some extent I get it (here in…read more2022, my car was dappled in slush and snow on April 8), but really this should be a bigger thing. As I think of it the only real options for this are Theatre on the Lake, occasionally when there's a Shakes in the park sort of thing happening, and Oak Park Festival Theatre in Oak Park. The work done by this company is really high quality, so you'll definitely get your money's worth and enjoy the performance if you enjoy the play. I came here in 2016 to see Pygmalion after a few years of saying I should go and then not doing so. OPFT has an illustrious history: The theatre was established in 1975 and has included such notable thespians (of course unknown at the time) as David Mamet as William H. Macy. Unfortunately, in November 2021 there was a fire that destroyed much of their equipment, historical documents, and I'm hopeful their fundraising efforts will prepare them to mount a new season this or next summer! Austin Gardens is in downtown Oak Park Parking is found on surrounding streets, or in the village parking lot (free after 6 pm). Accessibility is a bit harder to measure. It's a park, so it is as accessible as any park, but depending upon the type of accommodation you need, your mobility, etc. it may vary how accessible it is for an individual. They don't have wheelchairs or anything for patron use as far as I know, and as a park it may be difficult to hear at times. Alternatively, both the Green Line and the UP-W Metra line are within 3-5 blocks of the park, so that's a great choice for transportation, too. There are restaurants nearby, or for an even more fun option, bring your dinner to picnic before and during the play. Just don't disrupt your fellow patrons (so that means if you have things in wrapping and what not, maybe wrap in cloth or something that's not going to make a bunch of noise as you open it!).

This is the first food truck festival I've attended so I have nothing to compare it to. I enjoyed…read moremy time here and met up with a few of my Yelp friends. For a small $5 entrance fee, there are plenty of options to choose from. There were at least 20 food trucks, if not more. The selection was vast and due to this, I had a difficult time figuring out what I wanted. Almost all of them sound amazing. The lobster rolls from Happy Lobster truck were decent and the gumbo from Boo Cou Roux was good. I ordered a small portion of mini donuts from Beaver's and although decent, they were not the best. I've had better. I would like to return next year to try Bruges Brother's poutine fries. One look at their menu had me sold. Unfortunately, I could barely eat anything else because I was stuffed! From end to end, the festival had music performances going on every hour on separate stages. The platform near the entrance showcased local bands and the tail end had a DJ spinning tunes. Next to the DJ booth, I noticed a large set of old school speakers stacked 12 feet high. The sound was amazing and I loved the retro look. There were several stalls scattered within the fest that sold local clothing, art, and housewares. A few sold some interesting items that would make for an ideal take home souvenir. This event is very dog friendly. Many attendees brought their dogs with them and it was fun checking out all the unique breeds. I drove in and getting a parking space took some time to find. Your best bet is to find parking on the side streets. Just check for signage if you need a permit because some Chicago streets require you have a permit to park. You could potentially get a ticket if you don't have the appropriate parking permit for the neighborhood. If it's too much of a hassle and you have no plans on driving in, the fest is close to public transportation. Just hop on the #73 Armitage bus, head west, and get off near California or Humboldt Boulevard. A short walk down either one of these streets should get you there within minutes. Ride sharing it would also work too. My only complaint is that the fest needs more tables, benches, garbage cans, and Porta Pottys. After an hour of opening, the crowd began to grow. Seating was limited and I noticed a lot of folks walking around eating due to a lack of tables and benches. I saw only eight Porta Potty's at the front end of the fest. I didn't remember seeing Porta Pottys towards the middle and end of it. It would suck if you really needed to go and the nearest Porta Potty was 3 blocks away. More hand washing or hand sanitizer stations would've been useful too.

Entrance donation fee: $5 We just gave $5 for the group of…read moreus. Unlike other street festivals, it isn't mandatory. At first glance: a couple blocks of food trucks and merch vendors. Two stages at both ends of fest. I was REALLY hoping for Fat Shallot. Instead, I found some new favorite food trucks (along with some I did not care for). Food Trucks: Island Noodles- high sodium, scarce noodles, lots of veggies. Not worth it. Pierogi Wagon- great with bacon bits, but overall very dry. Potato and Cheese had flavor, at least. Beef, not so much. I would order here again! 5411 Empanadas- you can never go wrong with the Bacon Dates Goat Cheese, unless it is already pre-made and stale... The Happy Lobster- delectable, as always! Piko- we ordered the Teriyaki Tofu Bao and the Coconut Curry Chicken Bao, both fit in a small paper boat container, great snack, not very filling, delicious flavors! Yum Dum- No where to be found :(

Look, I'm not Italian, I've been to Italy. Does that count? This fest definitely feels Italian…read more There's a lot of musicians singing Italian songs all over the place and the ton of food options is predominantly Italian. We had the bacon jam coal fire pizza, really thin crust with fresh buffalo mozzarella - excellent ! Most boths are run by mom and pop, so they don't flip the tablet to guilt you the mandatory 15% tip for handing you your food. Alleluia!!! The suggested entry fee is only $7! They have actual merchandise to sell here not just arts and crafts. They also have carnival games for kids.

This was a nice, pretty big fest. Great food choices, great atmosphere, singing artists, and a nice…read morechoice of small shops. Parking not far, it was $10, but considering the area it was not a price. Highly recommend this fest.

I had the pleasure of hanging out with my family at the Oaktoberfest. We walked around and enjoyed…read morebeautiful weather, food and live music. Located in the downtown of Oak Park on Marion Street. There were activities for the kids and giveaways. There was a live music lineup where different bands came out and performed. Lots of people dancing and enjoying the music. A seating area with tables and chairs. Local restaurants and liquor stores to purchase beer and wine. A nice end of the summer festival to enjoy with your family and friends. Or just come out to mingle and have a good time.

Good food, good people, good times…read more This event was HUGE. Literally 100 times more lively than I would have expected, which is great for the township of Oak Park. Lots of neighborhood businesses selling their wares, several beer vendors, and a massive crowd of people enjoying a beautiful weekend in late September. $20 got you three booze tickets and a 22oz refillable Oaktoberfest mug, which came out to about $7 / beer. Not bad, especially considering that a few choices were IPAs and darker, hoppier lagers that could fudge up your vision in a hurry. Hundreds of tables and chairs were set out for fest-goers, most of which were facing the stage just east of Marion Street. The two bands that played during the time we were there had decent sounding stuff. The first one had more of a rock/alternative edge to them which I loved to hear, but the following act was more folksy rock and did absolutely nothing for me. It would've been nice to have heard some more recognizable tunes (covers of Bon Jovi, Mumford & Sons, anything really) instead of the indie nonsense that was played. After a few high ABV% beers, I decided that eating something sustainable would be a good idea. I got a rice and beef shish kabob plate from Jerusalem Cafe for something like $6.50, which absolutely hit the spot. Tasty and a great portion size for the money. Other places sold pizza, bratwurst, meatball subs, pad thai and popcorn, a reasonably good selection overall. Bread = 4.5 Circuses = 4 I didn't check-in or even take photos, as I didn't think this event page even existed on Yelp, but I guarantee next time around I definitely will. However I did leave the festival with my commemorative beer cup and.....well, something else. Can't say what exactly, but it's roughly 10' x 2' and hanging in my apartment. #stickyfingers #kleptomania A fun town event that attracted a giant crowd of locals. Would highly recommend and will return in 2017!

I am sooooo looking forward to this fest and the 4th Of July Fireworks. Been waiting tooooooo long…read morefor a really good fireworks show and I know Elmwood Park will kick it out of the park. Thank you to the Village of Elmwood Park for celebrating a wonderful Holiday.

As I understand it, this is an event that is put on as a joint venture between the villages of…read moreElmwood Park and Oak Park (I think River Forest might be involved as well). The family and I made the trek to this fest on the 4th for the fireworks. I am not sure if there is designated parking for the event (it did not look like it) but we just ended up parking on a side street almost a mile away like everyone else (most streets are parking for residents only and have police directing traffic but if you park far enough away you should be ok). The walk there was fine at about 8:30 when we started. The place (which is the field and other areas around the Elmwood Park High School) was packed and there was more people coming all the time. I highly recommend bringing folding chairs, blankets, water, and food if you need something to eat. There was a live band playing the usual hits and there was about four or five booths selling alcohol (id's checked by the police department), pizza slices, snow cones and cotton candy, and those annoying blinking trinkets everyone needs to have...(otherwise there was not much of anything in the way of vendors so again come prepared). We were able to get a nice spot in the grass to set up. Thankfully, it was a little cooler on the grass and I did not get eaten alive by mosquitoes as is usually the case. The fireworks started at 9:28 and ended about 9:48 so about twenty minutes though everyone in our group thought it seemed longer. The fireworks were well done overall and we thought the finale was spectacular (the music was ok but not anything fancy or coordinated like Chicago's (Grant Parks) fireworks are though of course they were cancelled this year so it was a moot point). Everyone enjoyed the fireworks and the grounds and we will probably be going again. We highly recommend this event if they host again in 2012.