Though it was freezing that night, it was still a lot of fun! I do believe this Jack's pop-up is…read moremore intricate than their Halloween. Lot of detail went into every part of the space. They had ice-skating, ax throwing, bump cars, carnival games, stores to buy Christmas items, a sketch artist, Santa was even there and of course tons and tons of photo ops. They had a good selection of food, soups as well as warm and cold drinks. Mullet wine was delicious and strong. They had ice-skating shows every other hour and places to warm yourself; like log fire pits as well as cabin tents that had heaters. They have various packages you can buy that is inclusive of Games food and ice-skating. You could just go for a photo opportunities as well. Everyone was very helpful and kind and I do think you get a lot for your money. This is great for the family or for date night.

I'd never been before, so I didn't have many expectations to be honest! We went on a Wednesday…read morenight, which proved to be an excellent decision because it was actually pretty empty! It was really nice to enjoy all the attractions and the lights without having to fight people for space. It was quite easy to take photos of all the decorations too. I paid for entry and ice skating, and while I'm not much of a skater myself, I had a nice time on the rink! If you're a more distinguished skater, you might want to bring your own skates, but I have a feeling you'd be doing that anyway! The bumper cars were surprisingly funny and I had a good time figuring out the control configuration that would let me optimize rear-ending my sister as much as possible. The things they have on sale, nutcrackers, candies, hats and sweaters, were surprisingly well priced. The food and drinks were also well priced. In Fulton Market, at a pop-up, you become a little cynical and expect insane pricing but it actually was quite fair. I picked up some cute cookie tins as a last minute gift. All in all, the Jack Frost pop-up was a lovely surprise and with its excellent location in Fulton Market, you have plenty of dinner options for later! I do highly recommend a weeknight to avoid crowds!

Amazing!!!! Wow! I love ice skating and this was my first time on a ribbon and now I'm ruined for…read morelife and can never return to a tiny circular holiday rink again. This is way better! So freeing! So much more room and it's a fun course. I think the course is almost a half mile long. Beautiful downtown views and it's such a nice course in Maggie Daley Park. Friendly and helpful staff. Lockers available to rent. Refreshments available outside. I have my own skates so it's free if I skate during the first session, and only $5 any other time. I came here last week on my birthday and it was the perfect start to my special day. It brought me so much joy and I can't wait to return.

We went during Christmas break. You need to book your visit beforehand. When I book the only time…read moreavailable was from 8-10am. If you bring your own skate it's free. I like this place has railing all around and it is not the traditional round more like a trail. Feel quite iconic to skate here during our Chicago visit. I had been thinking about this since I cam in the summer.

Played many a game here. It's a nice rink with friendly staff. Somewhat like "Cheers" for me. Tough…read moreto get teammates to get up to "The Stanley Club" but the post-game decompression is a must. So ladies when the West end is too packed, try it out. You get to watch some hockey & most of the guys shower after the games so rubbing elbows w/ the players isn't that offensive... ...although I haven't seen offense from my teams in quite a while. Check it out!

This west loop ice rink is a great hockey facility, especially considering the quality they provide…read morein a downtown setting. Johnny's has street and garage parking (2 bucks) and a regulation size hockey rink. They have four spacious, heated locker rooms with showers, all of which are kept very clean (impeccable by hockey standards.) There's also a branch of Gunzo's pro-shop upstairs (albeit with really weird hours) to get your skates sharpened, pick up some new sticks, or other gear. And, of course, what's a hockey rink without a bar? The Stanley Cub upstairs is a full service bar with reasonable prices, free popcorn, and some regular bar food (hot dogs and frozen pizzas.) As for on-ice activities, Johnny's has 6 or 7 men's leagues, going all the way up to the Elite league which has well-sponsored teams, a very high level of play, and a pretty intense all-star game. They have youth leagues, figure skating, and men's rat hockey 5 days a week around lunch time. You can also catch the Blackhawks or some other NHL teams practicing here occasionally as it's location is very convenient for the pros, being down the street from the United Center. The ice is usually very hard (unless Bill does it :P) and the management is friendly and does a good job.

Since I was in town for business, I wanted to find some unique things to do while I was in town…read more When I first heard about Skate by the Lake, I laughed and laughed some more. How could there be an outdoor rink at the start of summer and be able to stay frozen?! I brought my skates cause I wanted to try out a couple different rinks but this one was far down on my list. Sure enough, the one Wednesday I was in town the weather was cool enough and the rink was open. The cashier sitting in the trailer (aka box office) was not happy. When I walked up, he played with his phone while attempting to help me. Very lethargic and indifferent. Listen kid, there are plenty people out there who would love your job or any for that matter so please quit and let someone who appreciates employment to better serve visitors coming to Chicago. On the other hand, I met a nice skate guard by the name of Gerald. A kid who recently learned to skate and might just be interested in playing hockey some day. This guy has a good head on his shoulders and deservingly five stars for service but also his willingness to learn. I've been playing hockey for many years so I wanted to give him a couple tips. Of course no one gets it on their first, second or third shot but as a witness, this guy came super close! The rink is square with a tent over it. A disco ball descends from the center of the tent and at night is when all the crazy lights go on. The ice itself is surprisingly good and rivals that of many indoor rinks across town. For $10 (if you have your own skates) is not a bad deal at all. I mean who can say they skated outside in the summer months next to Lake Michigan? Many families showed up as well as big groups of friends. It's definitely fun and comes highly recommended to go out and have fun!

I booked the Skyline Pitch for my birthday, and it honestly couldn't have been a better experience…read more First off, the setting is unreal. Playing up there with the Chicago skyline in the background makes it feel like a special event automatically -- especially around sunset and under the lights. It's easily one of the coolest places to host a game in the city. The field itself was in great condition -- clean turf, well marked lines, and plenty of space to play competitively without feeling crowded. Everything felt organized and ready when we arrived. Shoutout to Gabriel on the staff -- he was extremely helpful throughout the process. From booking to day-of coordination, he made everything smooth and stress-free. It made a big difference knowing someone was on top of the details so we could just enjoy the games. The teqball table was also a huge hit. It gave everyone something fun to do before and after matches, and not many places offer that. It added a unique touch to the whole experience. Between the skyline views, quality field, helpful staff, and fun extras like the teqball table, this was an awesome birthday setup. I'd definitely book it again.

Skyline Pitch is a pretty cool rooftop soccer spot. We signed up to play open /pickup soccer. The…read moretime slot was 2 hours and players jump into the game whenever they arrive. Check-in was simple and they had cleats you could rent. The space to play was good for no more than 6X6 game. The view is magnificent. There are even fun games for those observing. It is on the roof and on the second floor is a grocery store so it's super convenient to pickup something to drink or snacks. This is definitely a great place to meet up with friends or even to rent out a side for a birthday party. There wasn't any food sold but with the grocery store on the second floor, it's easy to grab food to eat. The price was VERY reasonable for Chicago as well!

Best arena I've ever skates in, and I grew up in Canada. I absolutely love this place. Stick&puck…read moreare filled with decent knowledgeable people. Picnic skate is so often empty, or next to. You can watch the Blackhawks practice here, for free! It is amazing. I feel lucky to live close to a place as awesome as this.

We've been here a few times now, with my son's travel hockey club. The facilities are great, the…read moreseating and walkways are ample, and the sound from the audio in between face-offs is energizing. I haven't skated on the surface, but my son says it's well maintained and much better than his home rink. The bar and food offerings are decent and the bathrooms and locker rooms are clean. The only reason for the 4 stars is that the adjacent parking lot is hit or miss, depending on what events are concurrently happening at the arena. One of the games happened to be on Blackhawk's Season Ticket holder appreciation night, so it was a challenge to find parking. Also, I appreciate it when security is consistent. Our last time there, there was no one at the door so everyone was walking around the metal detector. The staff in general has been helpful, but one other warning... the vending machines overcharge you (I think it's a $6 hold) for each transaction and it doesn't get released for a few days, but it's not very clear on the vending machine itself. We thought we got charged $12 for two bags of chips. We did get credited properly a few days later, however the arena manager was rude and unsympathetic to the situation, responding, "That's just how it is. We don't own those machines." We'll be back.

I can't ice skate anymore since I have a bad ankle, but I love that Chicago has this free outdoor…read moreice rink every winter. Not sure why no one was being allowed to skate for quite a while when we visited, but there were lots of people waiting around to skate. I know people have a lotta fun here skating.

We took my son ice skating for the first time at the Millennium Park Ice Rink. It was pretty…read morestrange to skate in the rain, but what can you do? So you need to book a time slot ahead of time and you get to skate during your window. Definitely give yourself plenty of extra time to park and get your skates and change to make the most of your time. If you have your own skates bring them- then it's free (you still need a reservation though) but most importantly, their rental skates have been ridden HARD and are pretty rough. That said, it was a fun time and the decorations at the park are beautiful, even in the rain.

Updating this review. The owner, Irma, took the time to double checked the time stamps and issued a…read morerefund. I really appreciate her willingness to be flexible and the gracious note she sent. My daughter has really loved her experience with the teachers and this really reinforces their commitment to great service. Original review: Be VERY careful whenever booking something- they will hold your money even I selected a two week camp instead of a one week camp from the dropdown menu. I emailed (genuinely) ONE MINUTE after and the owner won't refund the second week. She sent me a screenshot of the contract highlighting no refunds. That's worse than airlines - at least they give you 24 hours.

Thanks to Figure Skate Chicago, I have learned how to skate as an adult. They have fantastic…read morecoaches who are patient with adults. I attend the group lessons on Thursdays and Saturdays. My classmates are ages three to 50 and we all have a blast. Thanks FSC.

Let's take a break from all the sports reviews and talk about Chicago Sport & Social Club's Bloody…read moreMary Fest (which, let's be real, drinking boozy calories is way more fun than burning calories). Theater on the Lake was the perfect venue. Part indoor, part outdoor space made it easy to enjoy the beautiful fall morning! Tons of passed appetizers, including ham & cheese mini-sammies, french toast bites, cheddar scones, and more! Not being a Bloody Mary fan myself (I know, I know, blasephemy!) there was still PLENTY of other options, including Truly, spiked sparkling water; Angry Orchard, hard apple cider; and plenty of mimosas! The fest had tons of food and drinks, the voting was easy with multiple tablets set up by the stage, and the vibe was super laid back and casual, making for the perfect Sunday. We had a blast. Totally looking forward to next year's already! Thanks for an awesome event, Sport and Social Club :)

Fitz-Hume!! Do you…read moreremember that scene in Spies Like Us when Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) and Austin Milbarge (Dan Akroyd) attempt to pass themselves off as doctors? And then, of course, a patient needing an emergency appendectomy arrives, and Fitz-Hume and Milbarge go to work with their scalpel, having no clue what to do, all the while slowly inching it in different directions as they get confirmation from the actual doctors... The softball umpires for Chicago Sport & Social Club must have studied this clip from the movie repeatedly because they've performed analogous actions during games on multiple occasions. I was playing in a game earlier this week, and a woman on the other team steps up to the plate. She grazes the ball with her bat, and the ball drops about two feet in front of home plate. She releases her bat as she runs to first, and the bat drops about one foot in front of home plate. Meanwhile, the ball slowly rolls backward, and then stops at the bat which is still in fair territory. The umpire just stares at the ball dumbfoundedly for several seconds, entirely unsure of what to do. From shortstop, I finally yell, "That's out of play." The umpire then looks up and triumphantly shouts, "Foul ball!" (While not technically correct, I figured arguing this minor detail would be moot since the outcome was the same.) Unfortunately, this example is just one of many blunders repeatedly made by CSSC's umpire crew. This is the second season I've played with CSSC, and the officiating has been atrocious nearly every game. I'm convinced it is run by some dude who knew someone at the Chicago Park District, got a license for sporting events, and then hired all of his college bros to ump games. I'm certainly no expert, but it amazes me that a sports club doesn't know jack about ASA rules. It would be one thing if they simply made up their own rules--and in fact, they do--as the games are being played, but even within those made-up rules, there's absolutely no consistency. You have no idea what is going to happen from game to game. I could bore you with several more examples, but then you might think I'm just some overly competitive jerkface. I'm not. I just find it obnoxious when umps give various teams (and even sometimes my own team) significant advantages because they don't even know the rules of their own league. I can't speak to how other sports leagues or social events are handled by CSSC, but I can say with experience, that the other two major sports clubs in the city know how to officiate softball correctly. The only reason I don't play in one of those leagues is because my company pays for the league I'm currently playing in. I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I'm certainly not shy about trashing it on the internet. P.S. There are no restrooms near the softball diamond I play on, so I just pee in the bushes. If you're in Grant Park, don't have a picnic near any bushes.