Rocking out at Yelp's Glow in the Park Party!

If you are not a part of the Yelp community yet, you don't know what you are missing out on. Not only do you join a group of people dedicated to sharing their honest opinions about businesses, but you also get to party like there's no tomorrow from time to time. I joined Yelp a few years ago and last year got inducted into a group known as the Yelp Elite, the best of the best Yelpers (sorry….had to brag!). While there are some events held specifically for the Elite, there also are many parties open to every Yelper out there! On Thursday, January 29, 2015, Yelp Chicago hosted one such party – Glow in the Park.

The Party

Glow in the Park was held at the Harris Theater in Millennium Park. Dedicated to music and dance, the Harris Theater features a variety of Chicago performing arts and cultural performances. The doors for the event opened at 7 PM and we arrived to a line that stretched almost a block down Randolph. My excitement kept me warm and son we were inside! The event was completely FREE with a $10 suggested donation benefiting the Harris Theater's Access Ticket Program.

The Food & Drinks

There were a ton of food sponsors serving up tasty samples throughout the venue. I tried to stop at most of the tables to taste their samples available. Some of sponsors included:

Lou Malnati's – Deep Dish Pizza Slices
Snarf's – Italian, Turkey, and Roast Beef Sandwiches
Moes Cantina – Tacos!
Cobra Corn – Chai Caramel and Himalayan Mountain Salt flavored popcorn
John Barleycorn – Hickory Burger
Q-BBQ – BBQ Brisket Sandwich
Yum Dum – Fried Kimchi Ball
Two Italian's Deli and Pizzeria – Pesto Pasta Salad and Garlic Breadstick with Marinara Sauce
Bombay Wraps – Chickpea Chana

There were also several drink sponsors whipping up cocktails with whiskey (Jameson), vodka (Tito's) as well as serving beer from Argus Brewery and Korbel Champagne. Other sponsors included Fireball, Chila Orchata, Monaco Cocktail and Monster Energy Drinks.

Floors of Fun!

One of the best parts of the Glow in the Dark Party (besides the free food and drinks) was the five floors of activities! Many businesses offered freebies such as Windy City Massages which offered free massages to party goers. My Nail Salon also offered free manicures! I didn't sign up in time to get one (so sad!) but I did receive a gift certificate for $10 off my next visit.

The Harris Theater also put on performances in the theater during the party. My boyfriend and I sat in on a few dances, which we really enjoyed. The show started off with all the dancers performing together. They were followed by a couples performance which was absolutely brilliant!

My absolute favorite activity was the silent disco sponsored by Sound Off Silent Disco. Party goers traded in their IDs for a pair of headphones with three stations. Each station was run by a DJ at the party and corresponded to a different color station on the headphones: Blue station, Green station, and Red station. As we wandered around, we listened to the different stations and danced along with others listening to the same station as we were. It was a cool feeling knowing only you and those tuned in could hear the music that was playing.

Overall it was a great party with excellent food, tasty drinks, and fun for Yelpers of all ages! Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves; I know I did! Thank Yelp Chicago for a great time – Looking forward to the next one!