The Taste of Egypt is my favorite little festival. Friendly people, savory foods, baklava,…read moretheology, camel rides, Middle Eastern music playing in the background. What's not to like? This year I enjoyed a delicious plate of marinated, grilled chicken with pita, tzatziki, rice, salad and a mango nectar soda. I could have eaten chicken and tzatziki all day! Also available were kufta, falafel, hummus & pita, stuffed grape leaves, and macaroni bechamel. For dessert I had two of the I-don't-know-how-many variations of baklava. Homemade baklava. So delicious! We then took a tour of the church from a well-prepared and engaging guide. Though we had taken the tour once before, I learned additional facts and traditions this time. If you are interested in architecture, iconography, or comparative religions you must not miss the church tour. Be sure to grab a copy of the pamphlet 'Egypt and The Copts' in the narthex (just inside the doors) of the church. We also attended a lecture by a knowledgeable presenter on the history of Christianity in Egypt. A few of us lingered afterward to discuss (Christian) church history and theology. Students and fans of comparative religions or theology will really enjoy this lecture. It's a great refresher on the history of Christianity in general. In addition, there are books for sale in the bazaar (Nefertiti's Treasures) about Egypt and about the Coptic faith. Now if tours and lectures aren't your thing, you can skip all that and take a camel ride. Yes, a camel ride! How often can you do this in the Western Suburbs? It's quite fun! You can ride alone or with others. This is not just for the kids. Both children and adults enjoy the camel rides. This year my husband and I rode the camel together. If you'd like, you can have your photo taken while on the camel. 4x6 or 8x10. It's a great souvenir of the day. I think the Taste of Egypt is a great fest for anyone. It's very family friendly -- not only can the kids ride a camel, but there's a petting zoo, a moon jump (bouncy house kind of thing) and some creative activities -- but adults without kids (like us) have a great time too. Hope to see you there next year!

The Turkish latte coffee & huge variety of assorted deserts were wonderful. Macaroni moussaka type…read moreentre a pass, too little meat & just cream & pasta. The Egyptian plate was ok & the organizers we talked to after we already ate said that the best things to get are the shawarma buns, this vegetarian concoction bowl & smoothies. There are camel rides for adults & kids. Outside picnic tables & inside tables. Interesting jewelry for sale too. Worth a visit.

Before I had a chance to buy something, I had already spent $20 on parking and admission. Maybe…read morethey couldn't find suitable grounds to set up the fest, but such a small fest seemed to be too pricey...even before you had a chance to spend money on food. The food seemed to be limited to a handful of popular Polish dishes. The entertainment was rather flat. The Perla tall boy beers tasted like a Miller or Bud. Overall, I expected more Polish cultural influence, rather it felt like a normal Chicago neighborhood fest with just a plethora of deep fried pierogi stands.

This is now the Pierogi Fest now and not the Southside Polish Fest…read more Well all I can say, as a first generation Polish American, is that I was highly disappointed with this fest. I came here with my girlfriend expecting a Polish surrounding and there was none. So let's review a few things here. 1st - There were no Polish people here like I was expecting. This was a very Americanized fest. I came here for culture. Chicago has the 2nd most population of Polish immigrants well over a million and all I heard was English spoken. 2nd - The food here was actually not bad, but not a lot of vendors. I had the Polish plate from Alex Deli and Grill. The sausage, pierogi, potato pancakes, and stuffed cabbage were amazing!!! 3rd - I was always an Okocim beer drinker, but they were not there. The only Polish beer there was Perli. And I was actually impressed! I bought a 4 pack of it on my way back home. I heard the Taste of Polonia at the Copernicus Center in Chicago is a lot better and Polish Authentic. I will definitely be there in September.

Chicago is a summer of festivals and I love exploring each and every one. We saw a Groupon for…read morePorky's rib fest and decided to give it a shot! At $15 for two adult entrance tickets and free parking, it was pretty reasonable for festival pricing. As you do at a rib fest, we ordered a bunch of ribs from the following places: - Rasta Joe's: The best out of the bunch. The ribs were cooked perfectly and the sauce was great, with a hint of Caribbean flair. The portion size was also quite generous as we received 6(!) ribs for the 1:3 size that cost $10. This is what I expected a half slab to be. We were extremely happy with this! - Chicago BBQ: Decent. The ribs are quite fatty and fall or the bone. I would equate this to like Barnellis ribs. They're tender and BBQ-ey but nothing extraordinary. I would eat them again though. At $8 for 3 ribs, I'd go for Rasta's. - Texas Lightning: Ew. Ew. Ew. Complete regret for this one. So glad we got a sampler because I think I would have shed a tear if we bought a full slab. High expectations for the Texans but they failed to deliver. The ribs were extremely dry, flaky, and flavorless. It was like someone microwaved a slab of ribs and drizzled some sauce over it. The Jamaican Pork at Rasta's was pretty good too! Good spices. We would definitely give Rasta's an A++ for their ribs. The carnival itself looked fun but also very expensive. Overall, it was a decent event with live music and booze.

Another long overdue review: It was my 2nd year in a row going here and I came back determined to…read moretry the ribs I remember liking so much last time! Me, my cousin, niece and nephew went here on a Thursday around 7pm. Chicago BBQ company: we tried their Beef brisket, Pulled pork, Cornbread and Half slab ribs(unfortunately it wasn't fall-off-the-bone like at Ribfest Chicago, beef brisket seems like pulled pork) Uncle Bob's: we tried 1/2 slab ribs, Pulled pork, Beef brisket, and Cornbread( didn't measure up to Chicago BBQ company) Howling coyote: we tried 1/2 slab rib dinner(they claimed their ribs are more tender than a mother's love! It was tender but Chicago BBQ had more flavor) Rasta joes: tried their 1/2 slab ribs and Jalapeno cheese cornbread (had flavor like Chicago BBQ but not as tender as howling coyote) Porky chicks BBQ: we tried the Big porky- had most meat and very tender and they gave generous portions, sauces were good too!

Such beautiful property. Plenty of parking. I have some mobility problems yet it was a very doable…read moreone mile walk with ample benches placed to rest on.

Nice recreational area. Kayaks and canoes available for rent at a reasonable fee. Lake is not too…read morelarge, usually pretty calm. There's a well maintained 1 mile trail around the lake, also a butterfly garden, kids area, and other points of interest. There are also a lot of special events and programs for kids and adults. Ample parking in their lot or on the street.

What a beautiful day for bubbles!…read more This is a fun, family friendly event! Interested in an untimed 5K filled with colorful bubbles and foam along the course? Trust me, this is the one you want. I had so much fun. Yes, you will get wet. Save those comfy gym shoes you were thinking of tossing for this day. Don't wear that cute workout set but do plan for comfort. Once you cross the finish line and collect your medal, you can stay and party with the live DJ. Or check out some of the food trucks or ice cream and drink vendors. Love the good 20$ parking. See you next year Bubble Run!

FuelFest Chicago was such a great experience From the incredible cars and high-energy atmosphere to…read moreconnecting with fellow car enthusiasts, there was so much to see and enjoy. Definitely an event worth experiencing if you love car culture!

Line up was excellent, especially on Friday. They made it very easy to see every band playing, even…read morethe ones at a different stage. The place was clean because there were people picking up the garbage at all times, even in the bowl. There isn't anything bad I can say about this weekend, oh, except Slayer not playing on the main stage. WHAT????

Excellent music festival with a great assortment of artists both rock and metal. Assortment of…read morebooze is fantastic. The only really problem I have with this festival is the stairs from Toyota Park will kill your legs if you don't have VIP passes for the express lane in the back. The access from Main to Blackcraft is what keeps Chicago Open Air from a 5 star review.

DONT WASTE YOUR MONEY…read more Im sorry I purchased tickets to this event. $10 per person to get into a parking lot. LAME. The name is completely misleading. Taste of Pierogi? Where? There was a bbq tent, an american fare tent, 3 polish food tents, an ice cream vendor & a elotes tent. THATS IT as far as food. We tried the pierogi & all three tents & all tasted the same. No variation on flavor or preparation. Polish sausage tasted like cheap store bought brands. Potato pancakes were good. Bland sauerkraut. Good selection of carnival rides for kids but you can find that anywhere in the city during the summer & not pay to get in. Beers/alcohol was only $5 & they had 2 stages for live music.

OMG!! If you haven't been here in a while, you MUST go! The new tracking screens that let you see…read moreall your driving range hits are AMAZING! And the bartender and new bar area are sooo nice! Plus, the indoor range is incredible. They've seriously stepped it up! I'm so mad I didn't get a photo

This place is iffy for me. I grew up going here and my last time there was at least 14 years ago…read more.. today I took my 3 year old and we had FUN! It was 3-6:30 on a 94 degree Saturday in the summer. Overall, I would take him back, but idk what it would bring. The golf course was OKAY- it's super basic. PROS- the spot to hit from is just the green so it's easy to his from, there's garbage cans throughout, the setup going over bridges and the water is cute, greens seem decently maintained CONS- some of the holes seem like maybe they aren't level with the ground, the water STINKS like dead animal, and it's kind of dirty (balls not picked up at about 2 holes, broken pavers on a few holes, it cost $27??? For my 3 year old and myself for one round), some of the starting points are inclined so balls may roll until stabilized He did enjoy the tunnels and said the slides were fast, but only lasted like 45 minutes in the play area because he wanted to play games. PROS- 3 story with several ways up (ladder, padded bumps, climb stairs), appeared updated, $12 for ages 2-12? And you supposedly get 2 hours , less than 10 kids were there, no one seems to be monitoring time there CONS- hot as hell in there, no one monitoring for simple cleanliness (for example one family kept taking party hats from party rooms and leaving them all over the floor and tunnels), We did the games, obviously. We were able to pay with credit card for for $2 fee and received 90 coins for $22. PROS- cool that it's coins and legit tickets, you cash the tickets in for "dollars", for $22 my son earned 375 tickets which offered a fee wall prizes , CONS- like 25% of the games were marked out of order, this area was still warm but not as hot as the play area

My guy and I decided to check this out. It's definitely more of something to do with the family…read morewith kids. Half of the area was seating areas, 2 stages with music (one bigger than the other), tent with seating and "bar" area and a sad selection for food and drinks. The other side was the carnival side. They did have booths, but basically nothing good. We walked around the whole thing pretty quickly, but we went back around again and got something to drink and sat for a bit. Then my guy got some tacos and the place was busy....so I thought they must be good....it's because it was only maybe 1-2 of the only stands that actually served food. It was clean and the staff were all very nice and friendly. Glad I checked it out, but once is enough. It is a 4 day thing.

Don't bother going here. It's a scam, she'll tell you she will light up candles and pray for you…read morebut asks for $300 in order to do so.

I will start off by saying I enjoyed the ease of scheduling an appointment-- I inquired and was…read moreable to get a reading the same day!! That deserves 5 stars alone! Great customer service and I get the feeling she loves what she does. She did not try to sell me anything or offer anything I couldn't afford. This woman is a God fearing woman with compassion and takes her faith seriously. (I'm Catholic and understand things like this are generally frowned upon in the religion, however, my belief is that God gives people gifts and they have to be shared with others!) She points to faith during her readings, yet is not a "Bible thumper" (for lack of better words) Onto the good stuff, my reading. This is where I knock off a star. I blame this on the fact I did the reading over the phone and not in person. (When I do see her in person, I plan to add to my review) I believe she was not able to completely read my energy, and vice versa, because I could not see her to feel her presence. I'm very spiritual and in tuned with my ability to read people so this is imperative to me, but over the phone, she was still able to tell me specifics that I had not hinted to or led her to with answers to close ended questions. Having seen a few different psychics, I felt she was right on par. She wasn't able to connect with my spirit guides, at least, to my knowledge, which I was hoping for, but she did do a tarot card reading and a phenomenal job at that. My session lasted about 45 minutes and was about the time expected for the price I paid. I will definitely be going to visit her again, but next time will be in person.