Chicago: Do Division Street Fest
The Do Division Street Fest happened this past weekend. The boyfriend and I checked it out on Saturday.
Their website describes it as being ten blocks long so I was expecting a huge set up, but the booths and music stages only went for a couple of blocks so it wasn’t overwhelming.
The atmosphere is pretty fun. All the shops along the way opened their doors and set up sidewalk sales. The restaurants and bars with outdoor seating expanded those so they spilled out into the street.
The Empty Bottle books the music so the sound is going to be a bit different than that at many of the other neighborhood festivals. When we got there, the music of Lamajamal caught our ears immediately.
Food-wise, I tried these guys and their eggplant sauce. Texturally, it is very pleasing. There was a good char on the sausages. And Greek pitas are always chewy and yummy.
Then the creaminess of the sauce and the cold crunch of the onions topped it all off.
As far as taste, the meat eats very lean. Personally, I would have preferred a bit more punch to the sausages. I think it could benefit from some more seasoning, but that’s my personal taste palate.
If I see them again, I definitely would consider going back. It’s not greasy and heavy like a lot of other festival foods.
The crafts and merchandise booths offered a nice variety, but it didn’t seem like a lot of people were buying.
In my opinion, the hit of the fair was the kiddie section. First, the family stage offered up a really good selection.
JeanieB!, a popular children’s musician, had the kids dancing on bubble wrap and amidst a whirl of soap bubbles. After her, an improv storytelling troupe came on.
Next to the stage, the moonwalk was also a hit, as were the various crafts tables. And, there was a pretty cool petting zoo.
One dollar got you a small bit of feed, but everyone could visit with the goats, sheep, ducks, and rabbits for free. Very entertaining.
The $5.00 suggested donation benefited the West Town Chamber of Commerce.