Veggie Fest

2.2 mi

First timer at an ale fest, and it was a fun date night (even though my husband doesn't drink beer…read moreand ended up walking around with me and/or sitting by the band all night). The drink ticket price seems pretty reasonable, considering it gets you 20 samples. But the cost for a designated driver pass is a little steep in my opinion ($19). What is that $19 for exactly?? The band? Because it didn't include free soda. They did have free boxed water - but that was for everyone, which was nice. There were a few food vendors, which were just okay. It did the job. Our favorite was Nothing Bundt Cakes. For $20, you got 4 small cakes and a zippered cooler case. They give you a lanyard with a punchcard, and a 4 oz (or 3 oz??) sample glass to take home as a keepsake. You go to each tent, pick your beer, and they fill your glass. Most vendors will mark off one of the 20 spots on your card, to keep track, but a few vendors just gave samples to me without marking my card. They have chairs set up in front of the band, so you can relax in between samples. The country singer did a nice job - he had a few folks out there dancing along. There was a large wooden block "Jenga" game set up for people to play in between sampling. The lines to the port-o-pottys weren't bad. Usually just 1 or 2 people in front of you. Just don't forget to lock the door behind you! Too many people were forgetting and having the doors opened on them (myself included...). :-O There was a pretty large selection of local beers and a few classics (Sam Adams, Guinness, etc.). I tend to lean towards wheat ales, but I didn't find any of those. Unfortunately I don't like IPAs, but I'm starting to like stouts, so it was nice to try a few of those. I'm not sure we'll be back next year. It was just something to try out once. I recommend anyone who likes beer to check it out though!

All in all the Ale Feat was fantastic this year. This is our second year in a row and we are very…read morepleased with the expansion. I would like to see a few more food booths and a better way to display the art so it was more of an event I know they're working on it and they did a really good job transitioning from year to year. We will be back next year!

Eyes To the Skys Festival

1.6

2.2 mi

Look for parking ... Took a half hour…read more Walk to the festival took 15 minutes Stand in line to buy tickets Stand in line to go through security Stand in line at ATM Stand in line for beer tickets Stand in line for beer Stand in line for food Stand in line for bathroom Stand in line for beer Standing sucks ... Let's go home! 15 minute walk back to the car.

We came solely to see the hot air balloons. They did mini rides for people but it's not what I…read moreexpected. They never really left the ground. It was a big fest with a carnival, two stages ( Rock and country), and lots of food and vendors. The short fire works show at 945 was nice too. The area was huge with a pond and little bridge. The food we got was Super nasty. The $15 chicken kabob was all fat and the $9 turkey leg was hard and almost raw. NASTY! !!. We wasted money and threw the food out. Not worth it coming from Chicago. I rather go to a different fest.

See all

The Festival of Colors

4.9

(7 reviews)

3.5 mi

We had so much fun. Plenty of parking near downtown. We parked near red mango and walked by the…read moreriver but didn't need to. We got there about 2 hours after the event began. Lot of people were already fully drenched in colors! the only pet peeve was that we were asked to get tickets first and then stand in a long line to buy colors. I'd've bought colors from home if i knew I'd have to stand in long lines for an hour. The event was free - but not really. great desi music to dance to! next time i'm getting all my friends and bring my colors!

I had never gone to this before, but it was super fun! The food was great and decently-priced for…read morebeing a festival ($2 to $5), the entertainment was fantastic (a live band plus some classical Indian dance groups), not to mention the super fun colors being thrown everywhere. (They sell colors on-site for $2 each, and you get quite a few. We bought one of each color available to split among our group of six people and we had more than enough). When we left we were sufficiently covered from head to toe. It was a bit chilly, but that can't be helped. I'd totally come back again next year. Everyone was so great and welcoming (strangers dancing with you, decorating you with colored powder, etc.). Super fun.

Colors and music!

See all

Downers Grove Rotary Fest

4.5

(2 reviews)

5.7 mi

I have been going to the fest for a long time, mostly to see cover bands. They usually get a good…read moreoffering of bands. You do pay a cover to see the bands. Parking can be tight. Check the deck first. Local businesses sponsor the event and money raised goes towards scholarships.

We usually have a good time out here. There's a stage area for the bands to play, and they put out…read morea ton of chairs. Good news is, there's no line at the beer tents and plenty of food. Unfortunately, I had gotten rear ended in the parking garage downtown and they didn't leave a note.

Keith semple of semple band

Drinks they served

See all

Riverwalk Fine Art Fair

4.2

3.2 mi

I love this fair. There are so many talented artists displaying their work. It's truly inspiring. I…read moregot so many design ideas from spending a couple of days here. It spans a couple of blocks on Jefferson and takes place annually in Sept. It's really worth it if you enjoy art and want to support artists There's no security checkpoints unlike the last fling. No entry fees. There are no food or drink venders, but there are porta-potties around if you're desperate enough to use one Check it out! The art is beautiful even if you have no plans to purchase

I've still been coming to this fair for years since it's conveniently located for me, but I agree…read morewith my sentiments from the review some years back. This is definitely the more costly art fair in town, but you will find all kinds of interesting paintings, sculptures, jewelry, fiber art, and more to browse. Saw a few unique things, like moving sculptures from found metal objects, and the really cool "Boxed Music" wooden drums (see video)! I've been some years when it has been beastly hot, and it's on the street so it's pretty punishing; this year wasn't too bad but still pretty toasty. Not a lot for small kids to do, though there were a few kid-oriented activity booths I saw. Dick Blick Art Supplies and the Naperville Art League were also present. Overall, always worth a look for something new, but bring the big bucks.

"Emerald Coast" Scanlan Photography $3200 unframed

"Sunrise" Tuscany, Italy Scanlan Photography $3200 framed. For my living room

See all

Metallica? Metal musicians, anyway...

Naperville Wine Festival

1.9

(20 reviews)

3.5 mi

I bought a groupon for this event which said I needed to register it online through a website…read morecalled extremetix. The red print at the top said I had correctly entered my grouoon code and that my credit card would not be charged. Unfortunately the $80 charge showed up on my boyfriend's credit card and I had also paid the $50 for the groupon. I tried calling extremetix and they were not helpful at all. They basically told me "not our problem, take it up with groupon" and that they would not refund me. Then the weather turned rainy. I checked the website and it said the event would be held rain or shine. After spending $130 on tickets to the wine fest I was determined to go and my boyfriend was working the following night, so Friday was our only option. We drove all the way down to Naperville and parked, only to be turned away at the entrance and told the event was cancelled due to rain. I again looked at the website which said it would keep patrons updated and there was no information on its closure. I told them what happened with the ticketing issue and was told there was no one to help me there. Fast forward to today, we were told we could use Friday tickets for today and they were working on what to do for the people who could not attend today. Last I checked, they made the decision they were not granting refunds and the festival was at capacity. So here I am down $130 for 4 tickets (when I only wanted the two for $50) and I didn't even get to go to the wine festival. Stay far away from this place!!!

I liked the fact that this was held on the grounds of naper settlement, even tho the buildings were…read morenot open, it is still fun to walk around and look at them. And the Mitchell mansion is spectacular. Now, the fest: if you got there early the lines weren't too long. We got there at 5:30 or so and it was good for awhile. It did get quite crowded by roughly 6:45 or so, this was on Friday nite. Huge quantity of vendors. Musical entertainment was an instrumental duo, guitar and violin. But at one point, they were even tackling Pink Floyd, and not too bad at that! They had free water, in box containers, which was new to me. That's what I drank myself as the beer tent had nothing I wanted and I don't drink wine, but my wife does and thats why we came... there were a number of food options if you wanted to soak up the wine. I didn't sample any but there were good smells floating around the tents. My wife tried mightily but did not find any new wines she wanted to buy. Some bottles started at about $14-$15 and most seemed in the low to mid $20's. A good strategy here with the crowd is to immediately line up in another queue and drink the one you just got while waiting in line.

Free boxed water at the Naperville Wine festival 8.25.18

See all

DuPage County Fair

3.6

(21 reviews)

3.9 mi

This was our first time attending the Dupage Native Plant Sale. It is now held at the Dupage Event…read moreCenter and Fairgrounds. Parking and admission were free. This is a 2 day event selling over 150 different types of native flowers,grasses,shrubs and trees. There were many volunteers around to ask questions and get recommendations. Plants are not restocked daily so best is to go early on the first day. It gets crowded and with so many people pulling wagons and carts,patience is required! They do have a few trays to use but best is to bring your own boxes. Cash,check or credit cards are accepted but I wish the checkout area was in a different location than where the plants were being sold as the lines for checkout were very long. Proceeds benefit the Dupage Forest Preserve.

Amazing! Loved checking out all the 4-H projects! Special shout out to @ikonicglass for an amazing…read moreglass blowing experience!

See all

Naperville Ribfest

2.9

(149 reviews)

3.9 mi

We went on July 4 hoping to see fireworks and hear Melissa Etheridge and the Stray Cats. It was a…read moreno to the first and partials for the 2nd two. We got an online discount so buying online isn't always a ripoff. I wasn't crazy about the lack of info for the shuttle service. We took the Metra in and read that shuttles came there, but we go off the train and foolishly crossed over, looking for a bus or a sign. After 10 min we got an Uber, THEN realized where the shuttles were; next time they should post signs on where to look for the shuttle. It was great when we arrived, you gotta go to Just North of Memphis for ribs and PEACH BREAD PUDDING. The mac n cheese was ok, so-so, but I never heard of peach bread pudding, it was to LIVE for! They cleared the park around 6 when no lightning was present, and we stood in the HOT gym across the street. Luckily Melissa had barely started, and we were able to stand outside as nothing major happened yet. We went back in, ate more and missed most of Melissa, then around 8 or so it really was lightning and about to rain, and we just managed to hear the Stray Cats do their #1 song 'Stray Cat Strut'. By 9 the whole thing was cancelled, and we sought out the shuttle buses as the rain started. I may go again next year in a car.

I came here for the first time on July 6th and had such a fun time! The weather was actually not…read morescorching hot for once, so I was able to fully enjoy what Ribfest had to offer without melting away in the heat. Parking: While there are many paid parking options, there is free parking out there if you don't mind a walk! Considering the fact that I was there for the food, I didn't mind walking it off. Saves me the cash! Tickets: Don't buy tickets online. I knew people who bought online and paid way too much. Because this Ribfest had quite a few event cancellations due to weather, they slashed ticket prices HARD. My boyfriend and I paid $10 for the two of us. Much better than paying $30+ per person! Buy tickets at the door for sure. Food: Omg the ribs were amazing. I highly recommend Texas Outlaw, which was hands-down the best rib offering around. They also made an awesome mac and cheese! I also tried ribs from Johnson's and Memphis but they were nowhere near as good. My only complaint about the ribs is that you are blindly purchasing them. I wish they would put together a little guide about the different restaurants there to help people decide which ribs to try. Since it's pretty easy to get overwhelmed with food and spending here, I recommend ordering the smallest amount of ribs from a booth and splitting that with a buddy. You'll cover more ground this way and will be able to try out more of the rib options without feeling like death. There's plenty of additional food out there aside from ribs. Dippin' dots were a refreshing sweet treat! Bands: I didn't really care about any of the entertainment--I was just there for the ribs. With that being said, the band offered nice background music. No complaints here. Seating: While eating, it's nice to get a seat. They offer lots of communal seating under a tent right next to where the band plays. Getting a seat was not an issue for me at any point. However, people do bring lawn chairs to just plop down anywhere. I think that's a good idea for sure. Sponsors: There are several alleys of sponsors set up at booths. Northwestern had a life-sized Operation game which was a ton of fun, and Arthur Murray dance studio gave out postcards for a free dance lesson. There were quite a few other fun freebies--including the BRILLIANT person who was giving away water, which saved me some cash instead of having me buy it at the food tents--but beware of all the weird home improvement tents. Those people were super pushy and epitomize a hard sell. FYI--Interestingly, I also randomly saw Gov Bruce Rauner here. He told me to enjoy the ribs, which I did, lol. Entertainment: There are lots of carnival rides for which you can purchase tickets, but I think they are a waste of money. There is an entire section of family-friendly and FREE activities to do. This includes a petting zoo, magic show, and plenty more fun giveaways. All in all, I had a wonderful time and am so glad that I went! I'm looking forward to doing it again sometime. This is a perfect summer event and the best summer festival in the 'burbs.

Ribfest 2014

Mmm...ribs

See all

Taste Of Bolingbrook

3.5

(2 reviews)

7.4 mi

VOUCHER VEXATION The…read moreTaste of Bolingbrook is a great way to enjoy local businesses, but they need to revisit their ticketing scheme for 2026. This annual event is free to the public and takes place at the Bolingbrook Promenade towards the end of May. There's a decent variety of vendors although some are repeats (places serving the same thing) and some are ripoffs. I didn't see any public bathrooms, so we just used Macy's. The food & drink tickets themselves were a GIGANTIC 4" x 8". Who designed these, held the stack of proofs and honestly thought it was a reasonable size?? Bear in mind, a typical "keep this stub" raffle ticket measures 1" x 2", so what they gave people were SIXTEEN TIMES bigger than necessary. There were a handful of non-food vendors, like Ivy Hall (spin the wheel for bonus loyalty points), a 3D printing shop, Bolingbrook Garden Club, and several home remodeling companies. We really appreciated the sensory oasis, which gave our little guy an opportunity to color and relax for a bit. The lumpia (tiny crispy egg rolls, 4 for $4) from Riceby were tasty, as were the onigiri (we got pork belly adobo and beef bulgogi for $7/ea). I settled for mediocre sliders from Star Cinema Grill (2 for $9), no way I was waiting half an hour for Uncle Booker's BBQ or street tacos. A lot of people were confused that vendors were ticket only; naturally, lines to buy tickets stretched two dozen deep. My wife waited 20 minutes for a lobster roll from the Maine Lobster food truck, and it wasn't all that delicious, nor did it come with chips or a side (plus it was $25 fu%!#g dollars!) Beer was disappointing. A Miller Lite was $7 and we assumed we'd be getting 16oz tallboys......nope, 12oz cans. I rarely drink just one beer but at that size and price (coupled with the fact I didn't want to burn up precious tickets) it was a one-and-done brewski for me. * TL;DR * This was an otherwise nice event hampered by long lines, questionable prices and oddly oversized tickets. Don't get me wrong, this is a solid way to kill a few hours on a Saturday in early summer, I just wish food & drink were a little more affordable and the vouchers a little more ergonomic. I also disliked that food and alcohol shared the same tickets, so at some point it came down to "do I spend my last 7 tickets on a shitty beer or an undercooked slider?" Long waits at nearly every vendor discouraged me from trying things I wanted to sample. The tickets were FAR too large to fit into pockets, so unless you brought a backpack you were awkwardly holding onto them the entire time. The live music was nice, though. Unless things change for the better, we might pass on next year's Taste of Bolingbrook.

Decent little festival held at the Bolingbrook promenade. Kinda annoying that you have to get…read moretickets. Cash is king as card charges a convenience fee. (And I heard from a friend that attended later in the day it changed to cash only). I sampled some sliders from Ted's and ice cream nachos from the creamery. The vendors and food are spread out. Bathrooms in decent shape for a crowded event!

$25 for this mediocre lobster roll with NO sides, after a 20 minute wait. Ehhhhh

See all

The ad

Lisle Ale Fest

2.2 mi

First timer at an ale fest, and it was a fun date night (even though my husband doesn't drink beer…read moreand ended up walking around with me and/or sitting by the band all night). The drink ticket price seems pretty reasonable, considering it gets you 20 samples. But the cost for a designated driver pass is a little steep in my opinion ($19). What is that $19 for exactly?? The band? Because it didn't include free soda. They did have free boxed water - but that was for everyone, which was nice. There were a few food vendors, which were just okay. It did the job. Our favorite was Nothing Bundt Cakes. For $20, you got 4 small cakes and a zippered cooler case. They give you a lanyard with a punchcard, and a 4 oz (or 3 oz??) sample glass to take home as a keepsake. You go to each tent, pick your beer, and they fill your glass. Most vendors will mark off one of the 20 spots on your card, to keep track, but a few vendors just gave samples to me without marking my card. They have chairs set up in front of the band, so you can relax in between samples. The country singer did a nice job - he had a few folks out there dancing along. There was a large wooden block "Jenga" game set up for people to play in between sampling. The lines to the port-o-pottys weren't bad. Usually just 1 or 2 people in front of you. Just don't forget to lock the door behind you! Too many people were forgetting and having the doors opened on them (myself included...). :-O There was a pretty large selection of local beers and a few classics (Sam Adams, Guinness, etc.). I tend to lean towards wheat ales, but I didn't find any of those. Unfortunately I don't like IPAs, but I'm starting to like stouts, so it was nice to try a few of those. I'm not sure we'll be back next year. It was just something to try out once. I recommend anyone who likes beer to check it out though!

All in all the Ale Feat was fantastic this year. This is our second year in a row and we are very…read morepleased with the expansion. I would like to see a few more food booths and a better way to display the art so it was more of an event I know they're working on it and they did a really good job transitioning from year to year. We will be back next year!

Riverwalk Fine Art Fair

4.2

3.2 mi

I love this fair. There are so many talented artists displaying their work. It's truly inspiring. I…read moregot so many design ideas from spending a couple of days here. It spans a couple of blocks on Jefferson and takes place annually in Sept. It's really worth it if you enjoy art and want to support artists There's no security checkpoints unlike the last fling. No entry fees. There are no food or drink venders, but there are porta-potties around if you're desperate enough to use one Check it out! The art is beautiful even if you have no plans to purchase

I've still been coming to this fair for years since it's conveniently located for me, but I agree…read morewith my sentiments from the review some years back. This is definitely the more costly art fair in town, but you will find all kinds of interesting paintings, sculptures, jewelry, fiber art, and more to browse. Saw a few unique things, like moving sculptures from found metal objects, and the really cool "Boxed Music" wooden drums (see video)! I've been some years when it has been beastly hot, and it's on the street so it's pretty punishing; this year wasn't too bad but still pretty toasty. Not a lot for small kids to do, though there were a few kid-oriented activity booths I saw. Dick Blick Art Supplies and the Naperville Art League were also present. Overall, always worth a look for something new, but bring the big bucks.

"Emerald Coast" Scanlan Photography $3200 unframed

"Sunrise" Tuscany, Italy Scanlan Photography $3200 framed. For my living room

See all

Metallica? Metal musicians, anyway...

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

1 review that is not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

R W.

0

7

0

12 years ago

I love Veggie Fest every year and look forward to coming back! Great international food court, classes, food demos, tons of free samples and giveaways, talks on health, wellness and meditation and a fantastic area just for kids. Prices for the food court are reasonable and everything else is free! AMAZING! It's run by volunteers, which is also an impressive feat! read more

Veggie Fest - festivals - Updated August 2026

People who viewed Veggie Fest also viewed

Lisle Ale Fest

First timer at an ale fest, and it was a fun date night (even though my husband doesn't drink beer…read moreand ended up walking around with me and/or sitting by the band all night). The drink ticket price seems pretty reasonable, considering it gets you 20 samples. But the cost for a designated driver pass is a little steep in my opinion ($19). What is that $19 for exactly?? The band? Because it didn't include free soda. They did have free boxed water - but that was for everyone, which was nice. There were a few food vendors, which were just okay. It did the job. Our favorite was Nothing Bundt Cakes. For $20, you got 4 small cakes and a zippered cooler case. They give you a lanyard with a punchcard, and a 4 oz (or 3 oz??) sample glass to take home as a keepsake. You go to each tent, pick your beer, and they fill your glass. Most vendors will mark off one of the 20 spots on your card, to keep track, but a few vendors just gave samples to me without marking my card. They have chairs set up in front of the band, so you can relax in between samples. The country singer did a nice job - he had a few folks out there dancing along. There was a large wooden block "Jenga" game set up for people to play in between sampling. The lines to the port-o-pottys weren't bad. Usually just 1 or 2 people in front of you. Just don't forget to lock the door behind you! Too many people were forgetting and having the doors opened on them (myself included...). :-O There was a pretty large selection of local beers and a few classics (Sam Adams, Guinness, etc.). I tend to lean towards wheat ales, but I didn't find any of those. Unfortunately I don't like IPAs, but I'm starting to like stouts, so it was nice to try a few of those. I'm not sure we'll be back next year. It was just something to try out once. I recommend anyone who likes beer to check it out though!

All in all the Ale Feat was fantastic this year. This is our second year in a row and we are very…read morepleased with the expansion. I would like to see a few more food booths and a better way to display the art so it was more of an event I know they're working on it and they did a really good job transitioning from year to year. We will be back next year!

Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest

3.5

(35 reviews)

I think Apple Fest is a great way to bring in the autumn season. Tasty Apple harvest. Cute town…read moresquare good selection of seasonal vendors. It brings small town feels to the city. The leaves are changing on Lincoln Ave and the air smells like sweet fruit and cinnamon. It's very family friendly we a large kids sections and multiple performance stages. Take in some folksy acoustic music while sitting on a hay bale, enjoy some hot apple cider, and of course some fresh apple pie.

First the annoyance: The festival started at 9 am, but there were quite a few booths that weren't…read moreready at that time. For the most part that was some of the food booths so fine, I wasn't going to eat anything that early anyway. AppleFest Is a better fest than a lot of the other fruit-forward festivals because it actually has a lot of items that follow the theme or things that complement it. You'll find bushels and bushels of apples, apple cider, donuts, raclette, hard cider, and so on. Many of the neighborhood restaurants have booths here. There are many vendors, and some of those are in the neighborhood as well, but its not limited just to stores in the square. I bought some earrings from a place called Milagros that works with women in Guatemala to make them, and they have a portion of their fingerprint on them. Eco and the Flamingo had a booth, so I purchased a couple things from them too, as well as Nomadic Ant. The woman at one of the textile booths said she'll make me a Little Bean onesie for my bean since she didn't have the right color and size, and I bought a few things from another textile artist whom I hadn't heard of--Tori Grace Outfitters--and ended up with some super cute things (and now we're ready for baby's first Cubs game!). I think the best food really was the apple pie from The Chopping Block. In the first two years of the pandemic they offered full pies in the cast iron pan and I didn't buy one, but I probably should have even though I definitely shouldn't have. They're back to selling single slices and wow, it's probably the best apple pie I've ever tasted. It was somewhat tart, and it didn't have a traditional pie crust; rather, it reminded me a bit of a cobbler crust. We are lucky to have this festival right in our neighborhood. For 2023, they have expanded it significantly because where it once went from Lawrence to Leland, it now extends down to Sunnyside just before Welles Park so another two blocks or so. The children's section is great! There were lots of activities for the little ones and I look forward to bringing my own little one to it in the future. There three stages, one in Giddings Plaza, one in the children's section, and one in the Old Town School parking lot. Events started early, at least in the kids area, and go throughout the day. Parking is questionable but luckily the Western Brown Line stop is literally steps away from one of the entrances, so that would definitely be the easiest way to get there. They have ATMs posted in several areas but many or most of the booths took cards or digital wallets, and some had credit only or cash only lines. The cash only lines were definitely shorter on some of the booths. I think we'll be back regardless of whether we're still in Ravenswood.

Cantigny

(234 reviews)

Cantigny is beautiful in all seasons. It's become a favorite place for my daughter and I to go with…read morethe grandkids. There is something to enjoy for all ages. Last year, they had a row of swings suspended from the trees near the parking lot. It was always a highlight of our visits. In 2026 there is only one swing and it's near the tanks, so there is a wait to use the swing. Cantigny is a bargain because they charge admission by carload instead of individually. Admission is only $6.00 on weekdays, and Wednesday is free if you register in advance.

Updated Review: We…read morewanted to see the 1893 Columbian Exposition exhibits that are thru out the gardens paying tributes to the Architecture,Culture and Foods that debuted at the Worlds Fair. In the Summer,the gardens are full of color! We like to go on Wednesday as the parking is free as long as you pre-register online otherwise it is 6.00. This offer is available March thru October. A real Hidden Gem in the Western suburbs.

Naperville Ale Fest

3.6

(19 reviews)

Two-time attendee, both summer and winter. I can honestly attest that this is a great festival to…read morevisit if you're a beer enthusiast. I've long been the type to continually try new crafts so the idea of having 60 (winter) and 120+ (summer) breweries at my disposal is a welcome thought. For the numbers, that's roughly 120 crafts in the winter and close to 250 in the summer. No..you won't (*you shouldn't) try to drink them all, even if you buy the early entry pass, but you can knock down a significant number of them in the four hours they're open. Regarding the different seasons: Summer is held in downtown Naperville at the Settlement. I prefer this one over the winter because it's larger, there are more vendors (both beer and other alcohols), they employ music acts on stage, there are more games and places to sit..and hey..it's summer. Even when it was 100 degree's last year it was fun. Winter was excellent as well. You can't judge the fest by the weather, you have to accept what mother nature gives you. In our case this year, that was near 40 degree temps in late February. Can't ask for much better than that in Chicagoland. The setup was an easy flow but the tents, which are necessary given the possible weather conditions, make for cramped quarters. The lines were never long, but getting to them usually meant maneuvering around idle drinkers. The winter doesn't provide a music act and the food/games/non-beer vendors are far less. Still..60 brewers in the dead of winter is a pretty awesome selection. Can't wait for the next one. Cheers!

Summer session was terrible. A lot of the booths were having trouble with their taps and kegs. Not…read moreworth the money.

Lombard Lilac Parade

4.6

This year marked 83 years of Lilac Festival and Parade tradition…read more I love the Lilac Parade. I've been going for over 20 years and it's become my tradition. I think that my favorite part (besides the veterans) is the drum line and dancers. Every year I convince myself that I could be one of them. Or I could be one of the dancers, I mean, I could totally do it right? Get out there and twerk, twerk, twerk....um yea I could totes do it. =) The only thing I don't like about this is finding a spot to camp out. You have to be there at least two hours before hand to find close parking. This year there were spots saved from the night before!! Imagine that. That was a little unfair because spots weren't' even being used while people were searching all over the place. Don't hold a spot if you're not planning on using it. I always manage to find a spot by Señor Jalapeño and this year it was perfect because we walked across the street to grab a slice of pizza from Gianorio's. Then we sat in our lawn chairs with our drinks, our pizza and watched the parade for about a good hour. Veteran Marching band, Antique Cars, Military Vehicles, Lombard Leapers Tumbling Squad, and our very own Lombard Falcons (which my friends son is part of), and the coolest horses around, those are just a few of the participants. Don't worry, there's a street sweeper that comes around to clean up after the horses. They also have face paint for the little ones, I always manage to get my face painted though. So, if you wake up one Sunday morning, sometime in May, and realize the parade is happening, I would definitely recommend going. With friends, family or yourself, well, I don't know about just yourself...that's a little creepy. Take your dog for a stroll! lol There's just so much history in the Village of Lombard and I hope Lombard never let's this tradition die.

This is one of this west suburban's traditions that I try not to miss. The Lilac Parade IS Lombard,…read moreand if the only event attended in this town is the parade, I feel like the best representation of the village is going to be on this day. Regardless of the weather, hoards of people line Main Street and East Maple to watch the 2 hour parade that has something for everyone to see and enjoy. This year featured a bunch of adorable miniature horses, and were the highlight of the day. For the constant every year, I like the Jessie White tumblers best of all. Having been a gymnast, there is something magical to see several teens fly 20 or so feet through the air from concrete as though they're bouncing on backyard trampolines.

Corn Boil

(1 review)

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.

Block To Block Party

(1 review)

Free party? I'm…read morethere. Okay, this isn't your traditional party. In fact, it's more like free, live, outdoor entertainment in coordination with many of the area's independent businesses, but it's a nice way to spend an evening while roaming through Elmhurst's bustling City Centre. Here's the deal: From Memorial Day to Labor Day, every Wednesday and Saturday evening from 6-9pm, downtown Elmhurst's City Centre hosts a variety of talented musician under tented pop-ups throughout the city. Most are in areas that overlook outdoor patios or have plenty of public seating to enjoy. The acts, as far as I witnessed, were pretty outstanding, although the temporary tents make for a very casual, almost easy to miss, setting. We kept walking through downtown Elmhurst and thinking we were just hearing some loud speakers from a nearby bar that was playing Kings of Leon, Darius Rucker, LIVE, Bob Dylan and other well-known artists on a jukebox or something, but it wasn't. It was the sounds from the four different tents set up through downtown Elmhurst carrying over. The whole thing was really cool and very unexpected as we'd just kept kind of wandering into these neat pop-up live shows on different corners. Each band, singer, duo, etc really shocked us with their level of talent and performances. For me, being hard of hearing, it was better than going to a concert because here I could actually hear every note and word clear s day. Some of the tents were busier than others, but I think that was due to some areas being better for seating and such, but in any case, mild crowds formed, families danced, young girls swooned, it turned our leisurely stroll around the town into a really romantic night. In addition to the musical acts, area businesses offer super drink food and drink specials and I believe, if you stop by the City Centre office during daytime hours, and ask nicely, they have little postcard type gift certificates for $5 good at almost all the downtown Elmhurst businesses and a great excuse to stop for a beer or wine. On Wednesday I believe there's also a classic car show, so it probably gets pretty crowded, but on our Saturday stroll, the conditions were perfect, it wasn't at crazy. Again, the set up is really casual and you could walk by and just catch a few musical moments, but it's worth it to grab a coffee or grub at a nearby biz and set up shop near one of the pitch-perfect tents for a relaxing and budget-friendly evening.

North Aurora Days

(3 reviews)

North Aurora Days was a LOT smaller than I expected! It's held in the parking lot of a single strip…read moremall off of Randall and Oak Streets (where the Super Wash is). FOOD: There was a beer tent and 6 food vendors: 1 BBQ, 1 Tacos, 1 fried foods, 1 corn, 1 Italian Ice, and an Oberweis Dairy ice cream truck. I found food prices to be REALLY steep: I paid $15 for a 6" corn dog and dry cheese curds that had been sitting under a warmer. ENTERTAINMENT: In the evening there were only carnival games (4), a tall slide, and a bouncy castle, and a stage with live music. During the day there are specific events (garage sale, book sale, 5k). People set up lawn chairs, so note you can bring those. Most went "parade style" and set them up en masse to claim spots, and then left elsewhere. Overall? Meh. Very underwhelming, at least in terms of attending Saturday evening. I suppose it's halfway decent if you live in the neighborhood and just want to chill and listen to music with your family and neighbors.

Boy! Has North Aurora Days come around. If you would like to walk back in time and relish the…read moreexperience of a good ole' fashion small town picnic. Then you oughta try North Aurora Days at their Riverfront Park next time it happens. There's music, refreshments, rustic and picturesque scenery - and a very special atmosphere of family fun and wholesome good times.

Abbey Farms

4.1

(167 reviews)

•$$

My family and I go to Pumpkin Daze at Abbey Farms every year. It's the most analog of the pumpkin…read morepatch places in the area and it suits us very well. The kids love it and it's usually not very crowded which makes for a very pleasant way to spend a day. The tickets are a little pricey, but it includes plenty of activities including a petting zoo and corn maze. They have an indoor and an outdoor bar as well as a lunch restaurant and shop, so you really could spend the whole day!

Came here out of curiosity, I always past Abbey Farm when I'm driving about and decided to actually…read morecheck the place out. I mostly explored the store and the front portion of the farm. When you initially walk onto the property there's a sight that has an arrow pointing towards the direction of the store and another arrow pointing towards the direction of the ticket booth. I didn't go to the ticket booth so I'm not sure what that area entails. This review will be restricted to the store and their pumpkin patch selection that's located out front. I really enjoyed the store. They have a bunch of treats and knick knacks available for purchase. I ended up buying 1/2 dozen of donuts. 3 were apple cider and the other 3 were their pumpkin donuts. The pumpkin ones were pretty tasty, but their Apple Cider donuts take the cake by far. So delicious! As far as the pumpkin selection out front I thought it was a little sad. I found much healthier looking pumpkins at Walmart. Overall, it's a cute place to bring your family especially during the holidays. Will definitely be back for those donuts!!

Villa Park Brewfest