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!

They have the absolute best fireworks in Dupage county hands down! Love this little neighborhood…read morefestival

Rides like no other town. Food vendors are ok. Music is awesome. Hands down, best fireworks around,…read moregets crowded so get a spot early.

One of the best Chicago-area, family-friendly festivals I've been to. We found free parking at a…read morenearby lot, and waited to enter right when the festival opened. Luckily, we went on a not-so-crowded day (aka not the 4th of July), and the weather wasn't as scorching hot as previous days. We came prepared with folding chairs, sun umbrellas, blankets, sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. It was really fun visiting all of the vendors' booths and spinning wheels for free stuff (sometimes only when you provide your info), taking photos at photobooths, etc. The food was so good; we had Uncle Bub's ribs which won 1st place, and they were so tasty. The carnival area had plenty of rides, and we really enjoyed the petting zoo. There were so many different animals, ranging from chickens to lambs. The music could have been better, but we also didn't go on the headlining day. All in all, a great, fun day. Hopefully we can go next year when it is hosted by Romeoville.

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.

The real highlight here is the carnival Giant Drop ride. Go…read moreon it with someone who is scared of heights, you'll doubt yourself.

This past weekend Glen Ellyn sponsored their annual Taste. This was my first time to Glen Ellyn's…read moreversion of a family fun weekend that most times is overrun by annoying teenage punks. Lombard Taste, you know what I'm talking about. I would say this is your average, run-of-the-mill, get what you pay for (it was free) local festival. For being a "Taste" there wasn't all that much being offered from local vendors. There were maybe 4 vendors with local treats like Tap House Grill, Chicks 'n Salsa, Chicago Prime Meat Market and a pizza joint. The rest of the food was your "eat with caution, likely to induce some serious commode time" typical carni-culprits like gyros and meat on a stick. Who doesn't love deep fried snickers that are advertised as "tastes like warm fudge"? ughhhhh. The arts and crafts were a sight for sore eyes. Actually, eyes that hurt really, really bad. They did have a climbing wall that seemed to be quite a hit with the youngsters. And I totally would have scaled that thing if not for the fear of ripping my pants open in front of the school-aged innocent. The free concerts on Saturday night made up for what could have been a bust of a weekend. Tin Horse, a country chick's band, and The New Invaders, a 60's cover band, kept us highly entertained throughout the cold night. Part of that might have had to do with the beer tent and those little $5 red tickets. My advice to next years Taste Committee - pick it up a notch, think about what people actually want to see/do at a festival, not just what's always been done. Promote local biz but do it in a modern way that will make people want to come back next year.

Its an amazing fest. I went for this fest for the 2nd time. Amazing performances, food stalls,…read morerides and best game stalls. Very good time.

The food court area is very messy and unorganized A lot of…read morehand washing stations, outdoor restrooms.Plenty of games and rides for all kids of different age groups. Very nice craft vendors- support local and small business please. Live concert by Don felder was amazing. Fireworks at the end-- everyone enjoyed. Overall great fest to go and have family time with great entertainment options. Bring your chairs, hoodie and may be picnic blanket.

This is a real hidden gem in the Western Suburbs…read more If you pre register , Wednesdays are free parking ! Easy to walk on paved trails,the Fall Displays are beautiful especially in mid October. Plenty of parking is available.

Cantigny Park is basically therapy with better landscaping…read more One of my favorite things about this place is that it somehow manages to be both incredibly family friendly and peaceful at the same time. There's tons of space for kids to run around, explore, and burn off energy without feeling crowded or chaotic. And if you need a little reset yourself, there's always a quiet corner waiting for you. Whether it's a walking path, a bench, or just a peaceful stretch of the gardens, it's one of those rare places where you can step away, clear your head, and just breathe for a while. Beautiful grounds, relaxing atmosphere, and something for everyone. I came for a walk and left feeling lighter. Cantigny really is a little escape hiding in plain sight.

There are a lot of booths selling ubiquitous French inspired jewelry, accessories, home decor, and…read morea slew of needless things that just unnerves me, because in reality, how many Parisians wear jewelry, decorate their home and carry bags that say PARIS or is a replica of the Eiffel Tower? You guessed it - not many. Maybe none. I'll go with none. That most of these cheesy "French" things are ridiculously overpriced is another problem. Bad enough to wear something that screams PARIS, but to be swindled at 2000% profit, is not my idea of a good time. But I must be somewhat alone, as people were grabbing anything and everything they could buy with a PARIS logo. To each his own. Now, my 4 stars go to those vendors who are selling true art, gorgeous jewelry and home decor that actually was made in France, and isn't so ungodly overpriced. There's a few such booths that are worth following them around to other markets such as Randolph Street market on August 29-30 and/or the Wheaton market on any given summer weekend. Looking for cool vendors selling unique, kitschy, gorgeous, things - The Winding Road sells "interesting things from interesting places." Can't get to Nepal or Morocco anytime soon? Owner Marla Showfer has wonderful gifts for you, your family and all your friends. AND, her prices are very, very fair! Beautiful bags, boxes, scarves, purses, straw to decorate and add interest and color to your home! Dorn Cheske Jewelry Designs out of LaGrange Park has the most gorgeous handmade silver bracelets! If I could, I would have bought at least 6. Instead, I bought a French coin bracelet made of old coins that were puffed out and reconfigured to the most beautiful bracelet ever. There was a tea maker from Naperville that made fresh iced tea as you wait. Delicious! Makes me want to pitch all my premade teas and start with a French press on my own.

Visiting the Glen Ellyn French Market was a bit of a surprise, since my family and I are used to…read morethe bustling Saturday market in Wheaton. From what I gather, this market is newer, maybe still getting rolling. It happens on Sundays, from 9am to 2pm, in the parking lot at the corner of Crescent Blvd and Glenwood Ave. It's expected to continue until the end of October. On our visit here, there were a couple farms selling produce, several bakeries, stands selling granola, tea, iced coffee, sausage and cheeses. A lady was selling Usbourne books (love those!). Hmm what am I missing? Oh yea, two guys were making the most delicious chicken tacos. The amount of vendors and the crowd size are definitely more manageable than the Saturday market in Wheaton. I didn't care for the iced coffee I tried, which had me missing my Saturday cup from I Have A Bean. I'd skip that next time, but the rest of the market is worth checking out. If you see the guys grilling chicken, you must try a taco!

Very small market, I'd probably only come if I was going to be in the area. Nice assortment of…read morevendors: sweets, jams, produce, jewelry. Probably 6-8 vendors in total. Market goes through mid-October. Located right by the metra. Great location to walk to stores or restaurants afterwards.

Me and my wife go to Veggie Fest every year and a surprise that there is a Yelp page that I just…read morediscovered. The best thing about this event is that it is free! They have complimentary shuttles though they went from school buses to scooters recently. The people here are very friendly and it features a very diverse guest, speakers and vendors that showcase themselves. I do think it's weird that this year they had a vendor that was selling beef tallow products. It didn't seem like something that would fit the mold of veggie fast. The vendors always have great free samples too. Parking could be a bit of a hassle too but overall I like coming here every year. It's generally the same event if you've been here before but overall it's worth checking out if you practice a healthy lifestyle or want to get into one.

2026 this year was at Danada South Park, 2701 Navistar Circle, Lisle, IL 60532…read more They have a very organized website with vendors, demo and speaker schedule. Map, food court and labeled GF. The food court had lots of choices to choose from. Pay $1 for 1 ticket, so we went around to check how many tickets are needed for a drink or a meal. Then we went to purchase our tickets. Free entry, many vendors offered free samples. A few vendors found out came from out of state. So many offered to purchase online for those that sold out of the supplies they brought. Which many did get sold out on Sunday. There are Police on site and staff does bag checks, so very safe. Staff in parking lot to guide you to a parking spot, which made it very very easy and quick to park and leave. There were staff inside picking up garbage. Very organized and clean. Definitely plan to come back next year.