The Renaissance Faire

I've told you many times that I'm a total geek. Now I'm going to prove it. This is my sister and me in Renaissance Faire costumes. Hers is rented, but mine is bought, paid for and sitting in my closet.

Granted, this photo is about five years old, but the point is from age 17 until 22 I put on one of my costumes (oh yes, I have two) and went to the Bristol Renaissance Faire with my friends every weekend. We all met while working at Medieval Times, so it wasn't that strange of an activity for us. I was also doing Shakespeare in the Park, so there were whole summers where I wore period garb almost as much as normal clothes.

Now that I've shared my experience, I do have to tell you that, geek or not, the Bristol Renaissance Faire is worth checking out.

For one, the scenery is gorgeous. Even though it's only open in the summer, the buildings are permanent, so people have put a lot of time and effort into building the shops. Aside from the fact that they sell some pretty awesome merchandise, many of the shop owners have purchased the building and live above the store all summer long.

This is one of my favorites.

Once you're inside the shops, you'll be extremely impressed with the quality and artistry available. Yes, there are swords and strange costumes, but just about everything is handmade. My suede bodice cost me about $150 and was made by the shopkeeper, and it's stunning! There are gorgeous glass-blown items, and you can watch the artist make the pieces in the shop. Same with metal and leather artists. It's really amazing to watch.

Then there are the actors:

The faire comes fully-equipped with a cast ranging from the queen to lowly peasants. The nobility - the queen, ladies-in-waiting, Lord Chancelor, etc. - actually stage performances throughout the faire, but there are dozens of other characters roaming around and interacting with the guests. I had a few friends who did this, and they create elaborate stories and have the most amazing costumes. I never did it because they don't get paid, and I was never geeky enough to drive to Wisconsin every weekend without pay.

Me in costume number two. With a goat.

There are also some fun rides, a petting zoo, various comedy and acrobatic acts and some VERY delicious food.

About five years ago, my husband and I grew out of going to faire every weekend and lost touch with just about all of our Medieval Times friends. I haven't gone in two years, and I'm a tiny bit afraid that my bodice won't fit anymore. Sure, I bought it when I was 17, but you know that doesn't matter. 

So, if you're willing to drive just a few feet over the Wisconsin border, definitely visit the Bristol Renaissance Faire. It opened last weekend and runs until Memorial Day. You can save money by buying your tickets in advance online, but be sure to stick around the front gate for a few minutes. Sometimes the peasants will stand on top of the tower and hurl insults at you. Faire is fun!  

It's a "Summer Dance and Burgers" Kind of Weekend

Happy gorgeous Friday! Too bad I'll be spending it in a jury room at 26th and California. That's okay, though, because at least I'm not driving out to the suburbs. Okay, no more Debbie downer. One of my favorite events starts this weekend: Summer Dance Chicago.

I love the whole idea of this event. I always wanted to be one of those people that gets up and just starts salsa dancing like an expert, but, alas, I usually end up tripping someone. (People always think that just because I'm a tap dancer, I should be able to ballroom dance too. Not the case.) Summer Dance Chicago gives you lessons beforehand so you can bust a move with everyone else. And the fact that most people are amateurs makes you feel a lot better about your skill. Check out the whole list of events here. The best one: on July 23 the event will celebrate Soul Train's 40th Anniversary with free Soul Train Line dance lessons. Um, that's amazing.

Don't forget West Fest! I've never been, but it looks pretty cool.

There are a few art fairs going on this weekend, and we're not talking PTA. The DuSable Museum is hosting its 37th Annual Back to Our Roots Arts & Crafts Festival, featuring works related to African American themes, history and culture by fine artists only. There's also the 54th Annual Gold Coast Art Fair in Grant Park this weekend. According to the website, somebody called it the "Granddaddy of American Art Festivals." Not sure who said that or why but whatever. 

If you're thinking of doing The L.A.T.E. Ride this year, I'd probably skip it. My husband and his dad participated last year, and it was pretty bad. They don't actually close down any streets, so you're trying to get around the cars. And they don't stagger the start time so you're riding in a giant crowd of people the whole time. My husband said they couldn't actual even get up enough speed to peddle. They just sort of hopped along.

I plan to stuff my face at the Roscoe Village Burger Fest on Sunday afternoon. Burgers, cocktails, music. Yes, please!

Yes! via

It's a "Pride Market Tasting" Kind of Weekend

There's tons of great events happening this weekend, but, more importantly, it's Pride weekend! The closest thing we have to Carnival, the entire Boystown neighborhood is THE place to be this Saturday and Sunday. Check out the calendar for a complete list of Pride happenings - my favorite is the annual Pride Shabbat beach service - but you NEED to make it out to the Chicago Pride Parade on Sunday. Absolutely the best parade you will see all year.

(I will say that the parade seems to get tamer every year. The city now puts up baracades and made it illegal to throw things into the crowd. When I moved to the neighborhood, people thought nothing of running topless along the parade route. Those were the days...)

The Taste of Chicago kicks off on Saturday. Be sure to read my Taste of Chicago Survival Guide before you go! I'm really excited for some of the new restaurants this year.

You know I don't usually recommend going out to the suburbs, but I do have to say that the annual Long Grove Strawberry Festival is adorable. Long Grove in itself is cute as a button, but when you toss in fresh strawberries hand-dipped in homemade chocolate, it's heaven. The festival starts today and runs all weekend.

The Randolph Street Market Festival will host its second installment this Saturday and Sunday.
A quick tip: don't be like me and completely miss the inside. Not sure how that happened, but I think I skipped half of the market that way. Here are a few photo highlights I took last month:

Happy Friday!!

Taste of Chicago Survival Guide

I can't believe it's already time for the Taste of Chicago! This year the Taste has kicked it up a notch with new vendors and programs, but a festival that attracts millions of people every year can still be a bit intimidating. Even more so if you're not a city person.


Photo from Wee Windy City

Now, here are some of Chicago Quirk's helpful suggestions when attending the Taste of Chicago. I'd like to preface this with the fact that I love the Taste, and you'll have a great time!

Try to avoid going to the Taste on the weekend. Last year, 700,000 people were at the Taste on July 3, and that's actually down from the over one million people that came the year before. The most ideal time to go is during your lunch hour or for a weekday dinner.

Bring the smallest purse/backpack you can find. The crowds are massive and a big bag will smack you and everyone else in the face. You also want to make sure it zips closed and can't be easily taken off of your shoulder. Chicago doesn't have a huge pick-pocketing problem, but the Taste always gets hit.

Make driving your absolutely last resort. You won't be able to find decent parking, and the sheer amount of people will make it impossible for you to get down the block. If you're coming from the suburbs, try to park at an outlying EL station and take the subway in. If you're taking the Metra, the stations are nowhere near the festival so either plan on walking or taking a cab. I'd recommend hopping on a bus, but there are going to be so many re-routes it probably isn't the best idea.

Instead of waiting in the loooonnnnngggg line to get your food tickets, you can buy tickets in advance at Dominick's when you show your Frest Values Card. Tickets will be sold in strips of 12 for $8, but if you buy them at Dominick's from June 16 - 23 they're $6 per strip. Definitely worth it.

Leave your maxi skirt or dress at home. The city trys to keep the festival clean, but it's pretty impossible. Any long clothing will become a magnet for ice cream and sauce puddles. And it will probably get stepped on.

Via About.com Taste of Chicaog photo gallery

And since you know I love my funfacts, here's a few tidbits about the Taste of Chicago:

The festival started in 1980 when a group of restaurants received a $150,000 budget from the city to host a Forth of July food festival. Around 250,000 people attended this one-day festival.

The first Taste of Chicago was held on Michigan Avenue, but due to large attendance the festival was moved to Grant Park the next year.

The Taste of Chicago is the second largest tourist attraction in the state of Illinois. It attracts more than 2.5 million visitors every year from all over the world.

Happy Tasting!



It's a "Chicago Cultural" Kind of Weekend

I'm very excited for this weekend. Not only will I get to have an awesome barbecue with my family for Father's Day, but I'll going to my first Fiestas Puertorriquenas! I've been to the parade downtown, but I've never been out to the festival in Humboldt Park. I plan to get my salsa and margarita on.

Are you a history buff? The Bronzeville Historical Society is presenting an Underground Railroad Tour tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. (Does it make me a bad person that I had no idea the Underground Railroad reached all the way to Chicago.) Tickets are $40 and the tour starts at the Quinn Chapel African Methodist Church and includes a visit to the Oak Woods Cemetery and Stephen Douglas Tomb. And, for a little added camp, your narrator will be dressed in 1860's attire.

Embrace your inner hippie at the 23rd annual Peace Fest Chicago in Lincoln Park all this weekend. The festival features musicians, drum circles, vendors and lots of general activists. Wanna try the latest in vegan and vegetarian eats? This is the place to be.

The Green Mill is having an evening of cabaret songs from Singers on New Ground this Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Singers on New Ground has created an eclectic mix of old and new cabaret songs, and each piece has a different theme: political commentary, comedy and love. If you haven't been to the Green Mill yet (shame on you), then this will be a great first experience.  

And now, an ode to the Green Mill:

Photos from Windy City Author, Project Loop, Soul Strut  

 Happy Friday!

Movies in the Park

Summertime in Chicago is packed with so many festivals and outdoor concerts that we tend to forget about the awesomeness that is Movies in the Park. Just plop yourself down in front of a giant screen with dozens - sometimes hundreds - of your closest friends and try not to get eaten by mosquitoes while you enjoy movies with no admission price.

Movies in the Park kicks off tonight with "North by Northwest" in Belmont Harbor and "Airplane!" in Montgomery Ward Park and runs through September 16. There are 174 films playing in parks all over the city, so click here to view the entire summer movie schedule. Bring a blanket, snacks and a bottle of wine in a nondescript thermos, and you've got yourself a great evening. (And please don't be one of those jerks that sets up lawn chairs in the second row.)

Image via carfree chicago

Here are some of my summer must-sees:

"A League of their Own"

June 15 - Chicago History Museum

"Inception"
July 1 - Margate Park

"The Social Network"

July 5 - Montgomery Ward Park
August 20 - Harold Washington Park

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"

July 16 - Jonquil Park

July 18 - Wicker Park

"The Dark Knight"

June 23 - Churchill Field

"Michael Jackson's This is It!"

July 26 - Palmer Park

August 19 - Lowe Park

"Space Jam"

August 2 - Gill Park

"The Sandlot"

July 23 - Norwood Park

August 18 - Humboldt Park, Little Cubs Field, 1339 Luis Munoz Marin Drive

"Salt"

August 12 - Kilbourn Park

"Raiders of the Lost Ark"

August 25 - Lake Shore Park

"My Fair Lady" 

August 27 - Jonquil Park

"Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf"

August 30 - Grant Park: Grove 5

"Tangled"

September 9 - Athletic Field

It's a "Naked Zombie Ribfest" Kind of Weekend

I haven't been as talkative as I usually am due to the 2+ hour morning AND evening commutes I've had this week. Thank you construction/rain/stalled cars/Lake Shore Drive/Blues Fest/general bad drivers.

But that's okay, because it's Ribfest weekend!!!!!!! No, not the Naperville Ribfest (which I don't recommend to anyone.), Ribfest Chicago. I plan to spend Sunday eating my weight in delicious ribs and deep fried stuff.

I'm sure you're aware that Blues Fest is this weekend. I'm not one for giant music festivals, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to visit the Essie Pop-Up Shop. They're giving Blues Fest attendees free manicures all weekend on Jackson Blvd, using shades from their new Braziliant collection. Awesome!

And while you're downtown getting your nails done, check out the Zombie March Chicago in Millennium Park on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Any and all undead can participate, and you can even get your make-up applied for free before the march.

Ever wanted to ride your bike naked through the city? Check out the World Nake Bike Ride tomorrow from 8:00 - 11:00 p.m.! If you want to know where to go, join the mailing list or ask to join the Facebook group. The ride is between 12 and 22 miles across the city. After just a few miles of bike riding I feel like the seat is halfway up my rear end. Imagine where it would be after 22 miles of naked riding.....

There's some weirdness happening over at Metro tonight. Alien Queen: The Concert pays tribute to the band Queen and the movie Alien. The show will include special guest DJs and the premier of Battlestar Fantastica, a variety show featuring Mattrick Swayze & the Power of Cheer, Cameron Esposito, DoubleDJ, Ray Gunn, Electro Sapiens, The Force, Fruit Orgy and Chicago Tap Theatre. (Tap dance shout-out!) I'm very confused, but if you want to see it tickets are $16 in and advance and $20 at the door.

And don't forget the gorgeous Old Town Art Fair and the Wells Street Art Festival.

It's A "Three Day Weekend" Kind of Weekend! YAY!

I have new sundresses, new shades and SPF 45....I'm ready for Memorial Day weekend! I'll be hitting up Randolph Street Market Festival on Saturday thanks to the two free tickets I won from Tara at Haute Lunch. Then the Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival, a Chicago Rush game to see my little sis jump around in booty shorts (she's one of the team's dancers) and a little Memorial Day barbecue. Not too shabby for Chicago Quirk!

Chicago beaches open today!!
I absolutely LOVE spending a Saturday afternoon hanging out at a lakefront beach. I like Montrose Beach since it's a less crowded, but there's much more eye candy and lively activity at North Avenue and Oak Street Beach. Either way, you can now get your beach on until September 5. (Although I'm such a wuss that I won't actually go in the water until August. Too cold!)

Being unemployed last year sucked, but at least I had some nice beach days!

Don't forget about Bike the Drive. Yes, I wussed out, but that doesn't mean you have to! (Note to self: maybe do something to prepare for a 30-mile ride...like actually get on a bike.)

And if you're looking for the perfect spot for a Memorial Day picnic, Time Out Chicago suggests these spots. I personally love Oz Park and North Pond in Lincoln Park.

Photo by Alan Klehr

Happy Memorial Day weekend, everyone!

Bike the Drive

Lake Shore Drive may be poorly designed, a nightmare during rush hour and a potential death trap (the giant gouges on the railing at the Oak Street curve always scare me), but you can't beat the views. I wish I could enjoy it more during my morning commute. So, this year I think I'm going to attempt Bike the Drive.

From 5:30 - 9:00 a.m. this Sunday morning Lake Shore Drive will be completely closed to vehicles, allowing registered bikers to ride from end to end. We're talking Bryn Mawr to the Museum of Science and Industry. There are several turn around spots in case you dont feel like riding 30 miles, and you can take a breather at the rest stops along the way.

All riders must start at the Columbus and Jackson, and you'll want to end your ride there for festivities in Grant Park. Registered riders can purchase a special breakfast prepared by Goose Island for $7. (One of the options is all-you-can-eat pancakes so that's not a bad deal.) A Blues Brothers tribute band will entertain while various vendors like Jamba Juice will sell their wares.

The event costs $45 and includes a fancy t-shirt. Click here to register. You can register the day of, but the cost goes up to $55 and doesn't include a t-shirt.

More event photos, from Windy Citizen

Fun Fact: Did you know that the downtown portion of Lake Shore Drive was originally opened as Leif Ericson Drive in 1937? It wasn't called Lake Shore Drive until 1946.

It's an "END OF THE WORLD" Kind of Weekend

This weekend's impending end of the world might put a damper on your plans, but I say we should party!

Tomorrow sounds like the perfect day to check out Dirty Betty's, Cookie Bar's new pop-up doughnut shop. Doughnuts available all day! And after you grab a delicious baked good, head straight down Lincoln to:

National Tap Day @ Old Town School of Folk Music - Saturday, May 21 7:30 p.m.
I know I listed another National Tap Day Show last week, but even though the holiday is actually on the 25th, the tap community puts up shows all month. And you should definitely make it to this one because I'm in it! Tickets are $20 and include performances by tap greats from all over the country.

Chill & Grill @ Lincoln Park (Stockton & Clark) - Saturday, May 21 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. & Sunday, May 22 12:00 - 5:00 p.m.

I love my apartment, but I wish I had a balcony or terrace to grill out on. I haven't heard of this festival before this year, but I'm super excited for delicious grilled foods. Tickets to this event are set up a bit like the Taste of Chicago; tickets are sold on a punch card. Each punch card has 12 "punches," and food and drinks are a certain amount of punches. (A restaurant tasting is 3 punches, a full-sized grilled item is 5 punches, etc.) Tickets are available online for $12 or at the festival for $15. You can also take various grilling classes at the event.

And if you're one of the many people hoping that Saturday will actual mark the beginning of the zombie apocolypse, be sure the check out the CDC's Zombie Survival Guide. I'm loving the CDC's PR/social media stunt. You can even grab an awesome button for your blog or website. Amazing!!!

The Taste of Chicago Just Kicked It Up a Notch

I'm all about the Tast of Chicago, but it's usually the same vendor every year. Not that I don't love O'Brien's or Lou Malnati's, but how many times can you pay for a 'taste portion' of deep dish with $5 worth of tickets?

The Chicago Park District - the new Taste owners - put out their list of vendors for this year's event, and I'm both impressed and excited! In addition to the old favs, you'll see Alhambra Palace, Banana Leaf Restaurant, Beggars Pizza, Chicago Sweet Connection Bakery, The Fudge Pot, Lao Sze Chuan, Loving Hut, Parrot Cage Restaurant, Ryba’s Fudge Shops, Smoke Daddy, Starfruit Café and Texas de Brazil. And if you want to start "Tasting" early, you can visit the participating restaurants from May 28 - 30 and get special discounts at each location.

Via About.com Taste of Chicaog photo gallery

It seems that the Chicago Park District has the right idea with their Taste improvements. Check out a few of the highlights:

 - Each vendor will now offer two "Taste Of" portions for $2 or less. (For non-Taste goers, a taste portion is a smaller and cheaper portion of food the restaurant offers.)

 - If you're trying to eat healty at the Taste (which is the dumbest idea I've ever heard) keep an eye out for the Humana Healthier Choices green apple icon on the vendors' menus. It indicates healtheir food choices.

 - Instead of waiting in the loooonnnnngggg line to get your food tickets, you can buy them in advanced at Dominick's when you show your Frest Values Card. Tickets will be sold in strips of 12 for $8, but if you buy them at Dominick's from June 16 - 23 they're $6 per strip.

 - There will be more Taste parking lots available at a discounted rate, and you can take the free trolley from the lots to the event. Although if you can use public transporation, I definitely would.

Are you going to the Taste of Chicago this year? Have you gone before? What's your favorite vendor?

Photo from Wee Windy City

2011 Summer Festival Guide

Summertime Chi, Ahhhhhhhhhhh! Chicago winters are quite possibly the worst thing you will ever experience - see Snowpocalypse 2011 - which is why we make the most out of summer. It may only be 50 degrees outside, but Metromix.com just posted the 2011 Festival Guide, and I'm so excited!

Food for thought: my beloved Lakeview neighborhood seems to have decided to open itself up to an endless stream of jokes this summer. The famous Lakeview Music Festival has become SausageFest; a street festival with an empasis on our favorite encased meats. Um, okay.

I will, of course, attend. Not because of my intense love of sausage, but because Marcy Playground is performing.