Chinatown Summer Fair

What: Chinatown Summer Fair
Where: Chinatown
How Much: Free!
How to get there: Red line to Cermak

Here's Nicole at the Chinatown Summer Fair! I lured her there with promises of a dragon parade (more about this later).

It was so refreshing to attend a fair that wasn't as cookie-cutter as the others I've been going to so far. More bazaar than street fest, you could buy pretty much anything you wanted. Sheets? Got 'em. Sweet visors with built in sunglasses and fans? Yup. Tiny red eared slider turtles climbing over one another in a desperate bid to escape? You betcha.


It is a miracle that I didn't come home with a turtle. I have a habit of impulsive pet buying. Like the tree frog I had to keep in my dorm room (along with the crickets it ate). Or the chinchilla I bought in a fog of grief after my hamster died. Or the dog I adopted without really knowing if I was allergic to it or not (thankfully that one turned out happily). I ended up buying a money tree instead.

The plants were one thing I haven't seen at a fair before. Lucky bamboo, money trees, something called a "mimosa" that moves when you touch it. And the bonsai. Oh, the bonsai. My attempts at Bonsai are far more ill fated than my impulsive pets. First, there was a Juniper bonsai named Quincey. He didn't survive freshman year. Then there was Richard, a much cheaper target bonsai who didn't survive winter break.
We even saw a carnivorous plant that looked like something from another planet.

Another novel item at the Chinatown summer fair was the extensive petting zoo. There were two ridiculously fluffy chickens, a duck, a goose, a mama potbelly pig and two little baby pigs (not as soft as they look, in case you were wondering). I am always faced with a moral dilemma about petting zoos. At the same time that I desperately want to pet the animals, I am also plagued with a sort of horror and disgust that they are made to stand in the heat for my enjoyment.

Walking around, I was struck by the number of people carrying umbrellas to ward off the sun. I jokingly asked Nicole why she didn't bring her umbrella. She said she actually had, because there was a chance of rain. Just then, thunder in the distance. The wind blew hard enough that I had to hold on to the tent next to me to keep it from blowing over. And then this happened.

The vendors were totally unprepared for such an event. Water decimated the flimsy tents set up over the random goods and soaked all of the cardboard boxes holding the extras. Nicole and I took refuge in a painting shop and watched the horror unfold. Luckily it was short lived and it was safe to venture out ten minutes later.

Throughout the fair, I lamented missing the "dragon parade" that was supposed to happen around noon. By the time we were ready to leave, around 2, I was sure it had happened on some other street. But as we approached the front gates, I heard the drums and saw the flash of dragon headpieces. We hadn't missed it after all! I eagerly lined up so as to have a front row seat. The dragons were ready and they came dancing towards me... and were instantly past. The huge, 10-person dragons I had imagined were actually about 4 feet long. But hey, the fair was free, so I am not complaining.


After the stunning parade, Nicole and I found an authentic restaurant at which to have lunch. While the menu boasted frog, rabbit, jellyfish, and hog's intestines, I stuck with sauteed veggies. And they were delicious.

Lots of festivals next week. Clark Street (I went last year, don't bother), Milwaukee Avenue Arts Fest, Backyard film and music festival, and taste of Lincoln Avenue. Don't forget about free Monday concerts at Millennium Park, Summerdance, or Movies in the Park either.

Ribfest in Uptown

What: Ribfest
Where: Uptown
How Much: $5
How to get there: Red line to Lawrence

I had no idea what I was in for when I set out for Ribfest in Uptown. The crowds were INSANE. Not being a consumer of pork products myself, I didn't anticipate the love of the masses for barbecue smothered flesh. The rib vendors were in hot competition and each was displaying their own trophies and intimidating signs. "I'm from Texas... what county are you from?"


After pushing our way through the lines for food, Bart and I perused the booths. I finally decided to take the plunge and plunked down the money for a henna tattoo. I'm contemplating eventually having a real tattoo on this arm (hi, mom!) so I wanted to see what it would look like to have something there for a bit. I chose a sweet phoenix and settled in. It only took 10-15 minutes to finish it, and lots of people crowded around while I was having it done. It took 30 minutes to dry and then I was supposed to leave the henna on for 6 hours. This meant leaving it on overnight. The instruction leaflet suggested wrapping it in plastic wrap, but I decided that wasn't going to be very comfortable and MacGyver'd up a sweet bandge made of Kotex pantyliners and bandaids. I really wish I had a picture. It didn't turn out nearly as dark as I would have liked it. I suppose I could go back and complain and ask them to do it again, but.... it's hot and I'm lazy.

I forgot to look before we left at who was playing that night, but it was Sister Hazel! And they played those two songs that everyone knows! You know, the ones that go... um... well, when they were actually playing the songs I knew all the words. And they sounded decent live. The crowd was so interesting, from the crazy lady with the coral lipstick and the horrendous blonde weave who searched though a bag for the flyer she wanted to give me for about 10 minutes before deciding she didn't have anymore to the crazy man giggling as he clutched three beers.
By 10 pm, the lines for food were starting to wane at every booth but "Texas Thunder". Demand for them stayed strong until the end of the night.
All in all, the Ribfest was a good time. I think it says a lot that even a non-pig eater such as myself had fun.
After the fest, we walked all the way home to Roger's Park and it was a beautiful walk. Interrupted only by a hot fudge sundae.

Venetian Night cancelled

Hey guys, I just logged on to the Metromix site to find out where to be for Venetian night and it turns out it's been cancelled. Yay mayor Daley for screwing up our budget. Oh well. New plans for today include a nice little Saturday at Home Depot.

Also, Ribfest in Uptown. Yuck.
:)

What: Ravinia Festival
Where: Ravinia, Highland Park
How Much: $27 for lawn seats, really expensive for real seats
How to get there: Metra North Pacific line to Ravinia Park or Braeside

It was a beautiful night at Ravinia. I'm including it in the blog because technically it's called "Ravinia Festival". Check out the calendar of events here. Ravinia is a Chicagoland summer staple. Trying to ride the North Pacific Metra line in the evening pretty much any day of the summer is an exercise in patience. It's guaranteed that everyone on the train is drunk. And most of the time I am the one sober person just trying to get home.

But not last night! I got to be one of the slightly tispy passengers! The Swell Season was playing, a truly remarkable band. Made up of two primary musicians, Irishman Glen Hansard (of the Frames) and Czech pianist/vocalist Marketa Irglova. You may remember them from the film "Once," and their single Falling Slowly won an Oscar.

If you decide to sit on the lawn at Ravinia, you pay a lower price but you can not see the musicians. The sound system is awesome so you will be able to hear them fine. Most people bring ridiculous setups that include tables, chairs, blankets, candles, wine, umbrellas....
We brought two small coolers and some afghans. That's the stadium seating you can see under the lights, and the other people are seated on the lawn. Seats on the lawn are first come, first served, and it gets PACKED.

I was lucky enough to attend this excellent concert with some great friends, all of whom I have known for years. The purpose of attending was to say goodbye to Jenny, who is going off to grad school in Washington, D.C. at George Washington University. We will miss you, Jenny! Good luck in all your endeavors!













Lookin' good, Matt. Jenny, Matt, Kim, and Brian wearing my sunglasses.

I'm going to try for the Edgewater Arts Festival and Venitian Night on Saturday and the Chinatown Summer Fair on Sunday this weekend.

ramblings

What the hell, Chicago? It is crazy hot here. Ridiculously hot. So hot I am running the air conditioning even though I am poor and considering locking the dog in the bedroom so he will stay in said air conditioning. Otherwise he insists on sitting under my desk panting and looking like he is going to die. I brought him to the dog park this morning but there were no other dogs there and after a while he just came over and laid down next to me. Be forewarned, this weekend I need to take some time out from festivals and bring him to the beach. Speaking of the beach, I went to there with Nicole yesterday and I am SOOOOOO sunburned. I had a bottle of SPF 30 with me, why didn't it make it onto my body? I did have some on my face, but nevertheless I have some pretty freakin awesome sunglass tan lines.

Speaking of being poor, I eat the same breakfast everyday. What does that have to do with being poor? Well, my breakfast is a powerhouse of berries and greek yogurt and chopped walnuts. By my calculations I eat at least $40 worth of berries and $35 worth of yogurt a month. That is RIDICULOUS. But it's just so good, I don't know if I can stop. I think that I will give up cable TV at my new place in order to keep eating my yogurt berry nut goodness.

This just in: 2010 officially the hottest year on record according to NASA. Read all about it.
Ravinia tonight!

Folk and Roots festival and West Fest

What: The Folk and Roots Festival
Where: Lincoln Square
How Much: $10 donation
How to get there: Brown line to Western
Do not drink the water in Lincoln Square. There is something in it that makes all the ladies pregnant. Seriously I saw more pregnant women at the Folk and Roots festival than I thought was possible. Apparently this is an awesome place to raise a family. Its also a great place to get your groove on.

Hosted by the Old Town School of Folk Music, the Folk and Roots festival exists to raise awareness of traditional and world music styles. Everything from the Midwest Fiddle Championship to the "Wiggleworms 25th birthday party" had a spot on the main stage. When the music is pumping, Welles Park fills with people swaying gently to the beat. Last year I sat for a while and watched the acts, but the people watching is just as good.

Having signed a lease for our new place in the Ukrainian Village (3 bedrooms!Dishwasher! In-unit Laundry! Oh my!) that morning, Bart and I headed over to the fest early. $10 is a hefty donation, and were it later in the day and we wanted to stay for a while, I would have gladly paid it. As it was, I knew there wasn't going to be a lot I didn't see last year, or at every other festival this year. So we entered about a half hour early and perused the merchandise without having to pay. We did end up eating these delicious foccacia we bought at the farmer's market down the street from the festival.

Sorry for the crappy iphone pics, I forgot my camera at home.




What: West Fest
Where: West Town/ East Village
How much: $5 donation
How to get there: Red line to Clark/ Division, Division St. bus to Damen, walk to Damen and Chicago

It feels like I have been in this area of the city a lot lately! I am starting to see patterns of which neighborhoods hold festivals that are worth attending.

The draw of West Fest was supposed to be the music, but rain around 8 pm left the DJ stage pumping and the main stage bare. Dogs were certainly welcome here, and I saw countless bulldogs- lots of larger breeds in this neighborhood. Go to a fest in Lakeview and everyone is toting their chihuahua, but here it seems they prefer dogs with some muscle.The people here are equally as interesting as their dogs- you probably don't fit in if you're not covered in tattoos.

The best part of West Fest, for me, was a booth manned by a little old lady that sold nothing but vintage ads. I bought three- Niblets corn, Corn Flakes, and Grape Nuts. The Grape Nuts one is all about how wives have the duty to feed their husbands nutritious food. because men are incapable of feeding themselves correctly. Actually, based on my personal experience, that's kind of true.


Good news! Remember that awesome pizza I had at the Green Music Festival? Well, they were here too! Turns out it's from Beat Kitchen. I talked it up so much that Eric and Nicole decided to try it, and both had good things to say! They tried both the Goat Cheese that I loved so much, and the Thai pizza.

All in all, West Fest scored a solid B+. Had the weather cooperated, I am sure they would have scored even higher. After the fest closed at 10 pm, we made our way over to Cleo's for some golden Monkey and free buffet from 11pm-1 am! if you can beat 2 hours of free barbecue chicken pizza and quesadillas, let me know, because I want to go to there.

I had every intention of making it to the Roscoe Village Burger fest to see the Gin Blossoms and eat some Bad Apple, but it rained and I had to study for a midterm.

Speaking of which, I am off to take said midterm. Wish me luck, I am abysmally bad at math.

This week, the Swell Season are playing on Wednesday at Ravinia. I'll be there bidding adeiu to my friend Jenny, who has been living with me for a few weeks and is off to grad school in DC.

Tonight is Halsted Tastes better from 6-9. The Pitchfork Music Festival is all weekend, be prepared to shell out a lot of money. There's also Taste of River North, Venetian Night, the Edgewater arts fest, and the Chinatown Summer fair on Sunday. Dragon parade at 12:45! Who's coming with me?

Fairs coming up

Hello! After a marvelous and refreshing time in MN I am back. I come bearing some new clothes (no sales tax on clothes in MN). Tomorrow is my first real day of summer at home and I plan to spend it doing absolutely nothing.

That's a lie. I will try to do nothing and end up doing lots of things. I wish that for once I could learn to sit around for a whole day and watch Hulu.

Anyways, this weekend promises to be a good one for festivals after the drought of last week. If you were raised in the 90's, you may be interested to know that Barenaked Ladies are playing the Old St. Pat's World's Largest Block Party on Friday night at 8:50. It'll cost you a hefty $40 to attend but you get a free drink with your entrance. Woohoo.
If that's too expensive for Friday there's always the Irish American Heritage Festival! I like beer, and I might be kind of Irish (sort of) so I will probably be there.

While not exactly a festival, the L.A.T.E. ride is on Saturday night. It's a bike ride that starts at midnight and winds 25 miles and 6 hours through Chicago neighborhoods. Friends that have been there and done that say it's a blast. My bike is from 1967 and weighs about 1 gazillion pounds, so I won't be participating.

The Smoking Popes are playing the Boulevard Bash in Logan Square at 8 pm on Saturday if that's your thing. If you're into art, there's the Chicago Tribune North Michigan Ave Arts Festival. I'm assuming that one will be similar to the Wells St. Art Fest. There will be a whole bunch of crappy local cover bands at the Rock around the Block.

The Chicago Folk and Roots Fest is not as boring as it sounds. Located in Lincoln Square, it's a great neighborhood and there is a real stage for the bands, who will introduce you to sounds you never even knew you loved. I hope to make it there on Saturday afternoon sometime. There's also the Taste of Little Village (I am betting this is one neighborhood you have never explored, go for it) and the 5th annual Great Performers in Millennium Park. Speaking of Millennium Park, don't forget they have free music every Monday night.

Last but not least are West Fest at Chicago and Damen which I plan to attend Saturday night, and the Roscoe Village Burger Fest. The Gin Blossoms are playing there on Sunday night at 8:15! Remember them? If you make it there, I can highly recommend food from the Bad Apple. I had a chicken sandwich there a month or so ago that was out of this world.

So, that's where I'll be. Who's coming with me?