The Copernicus Center

Great sound and visibility, and some of the most breathtakingly ugly art and interior design on planet Earth. Truly amazing and worth seeing. Wow. The Vatican of kitsch.

We were really excited to see this band at Copernicus Center and we purchased tickets 3 months in advance to get front row seating. Everything seemed fine till the band started playing. At that time everybody from the back came up to the stage and blocked us from seeing anything. My child was pushed and jumped on by uncontrolled fans. All exit areas were blocked. During the intermission we went to the security officer with a complaint but he couldn’t do anything and admitted that he got yelled at by the management for going on stage and trying to control the crowd from claiming on the stage and throwing beer. We asked for the manager, we were told that her name is Anna and here we got even bigger shocker. She was rude, unpleasant and disrespectful. She had a big group of complaining and concerned people in a front of her and she couldn’t care less. When I told her about the fire hazard and exits being blocked, she laughed and when I told her that in American theater this would never happen, she said that we don’t have to come here, that we can go see American shows instead. This was a huge disappointment and believe me, this place lost a lot of clients that day. The band was great but the whole experience was absolutely awful because of neglect and bad management. That’s how tradition dies.

Great place for a concert parking is an issue but that’s at any, concert. Do not park your car on cvs pharmacy next door they will told you they have people watching and the calling towing on you

We were going to book our wedding there. Our dates were open and we explained that to Anna, the person doing the booking. She gave us a few dates in October and we told her we were looking at one in particular and so the process began of booking both the foyer and the annex for that day.
From the January 22^nd to February 3^rd (a week and a half) we saw the place twice, brought our caterer to see the place, and sent 20 emails back and forth working out the details for the date we chose.
On February 3^rd she sent the final invoice for us to look over. She had sent us variations of this invoice several times prior, a new one each time a detail would change. This one was different than all the others though, apart from the price, this one had in big bold letters, ONLY A PAID RENTAL DEPOSIT WILL GUARANTEE YOUR DATE. This was not on any other invoice she sent prior.
We replied the next day and asked when we could come sign the contract and give the deposit. She responded saying that she had bad news. They booked the theater for the day we were booking our wedding.
Never once did she say someone else was looking at that date, never once did she tell us we needed to put the deposit down ASAP cause we may loose it, not until the final details were ironed out and we were ready to sign were we told we would no longer have that date.
From the beginning we said our dates were flexible. We were open to covering stained banquet chairs, we were willing to do our ceremony on a Friday, we were open to our caterer having to split his time between two kitchens. We could have moved our date to a time in November and we have, but at a different venue.

Yesterday I attended a concert at copernicus for a polish star Maryla Rodowicz. It was by far the worst experience I ever had. They offered VIP tickets for 100 dollars each which included open bar, balcony seats and most importantly meeting and pictures with the star. First, open bar only consisted of beer and wine, drinks were extra which was not mentioned. Second, after the concert was over Maryla started giving autographs to people who were standing in line which were the people that paid 50 dollars for no special offers. The staff told us to wait in a seperate room till she is finished and she will come to the room and we will be able to hang out with her and take pictures. She finished autographing and disappeared after. We were then told that Maryla is tired and is unable to come out to see the VIP crowd and to come back tomorrow for an autograph and picture. Needless to say, we paid double for tickets and we didn’t get a picture nor an autograph but yet the people who paid half as much got all of that. Copernicus was just in for the money I’m definately never going back there again for them to steal my money. Organization of events is absolutely terrible and they have no idea how to make an event successful.

I had my daughter’s baptism party there. Great people to work with, everything came out beautiful.

This review if specifically for the Taste of Polonia.
Tonight was my first time getting my T.O.P. cherry popped and it was pretty good. The fest was crowded but family friendly. They charged $ 7 for admission into the fest. Food, bouncy house, prize games are not included in the fee and run from $ 5 — $ 12 each. There were several other games hosted by sponsoring companies that offered opportunities to win little prizes for free (ex. Stickers, pencils, glow sticks, etc).
The music was pretty good. There were 3 stages… one had an American band performing top 40 hits, another stage with a Polish rock band, the last stage had a dj.
There were several food stands. Make sure you buy your tickets because the vendors do not accept cash. Each ticket is $ 1, a sheet is $ 20 (20 tickets). I got the polish platter and for $ 12, which consists of 3 pierogis, potato pancake, polish sausage, sauerkrate, stuffed cabbage, sour cream, and apple sauce. I enjoyed the char-​grilled sausage it was just perfect. The piergoi was pretty good. I felt everything else lacked flavor. My family loved it though, I guess it depends on the person
The crowd was majority Polish (duh). There were a handful of different ethnicities, but everyone was there for the same reason, to have fun. I felt comfortable overall. My only complaint was that there were plenty of smokers, which sucks because I’m allergic to cigarette smoke. I guess the ordinance doesn’t apply to outdoor fest.
Parking is near to impossible. They offered free parking at Hoyne Bank, which was at capacity. The best bet is to find street parking along Jefferson Park. There was additional parking at the lot next to the train station for $ 12.
The center itself had a classical concert. It was filled so I didn’t stay, not that I intended to. By the way, this is where the air conditioned bathrooms are located and there was a bar in the lot aka the good liquor.
Overall, a great time was had by all and I would recommend visiting this fest at least once. It’s a little pricey, but worth it.

I remember it as the Gateway Theater, Its great for a concert

If you are looking at the space as a potential wedding venue, run.
I worked with Erick B. and he was terrible. I thought we were going to be able to use the venue – the Annex. It is a really wonderful space. Erick seemed to be helpful in e-​mails. Really, when it came down to it, Erick has no event experience and no experience executing contracts for weddings.
Our biggest problem was that we weren’t given straight answers about their bar packages. We were told switching out alcohol that’s on their standard package wouldn’t be a problem as long as we use their distributors. What they don’t tell you is how much they’ll mark up prices. Price mark-​ups are totally understandable, however, we were never told what we would be paying ahead of time and a 300% mark up seems unreasonable. Had we known this up front, we would have not signed a contract with Copernicus. Erick assured us ordering different beers/​alcohol than what they have wouldn’t be a problem. The best part was that he ended our conversation by telling us we were his first wedding and he really didn’t know all the answers. That is one area I will not argue with him.
If you’re prepared to have to chase him down and hold his hand through everything, then go with Copernicus. The space is reasonably priced. Just be prepared to follow-​up with him.

This venue is so beautiful inside, I was surprised to be going for a rock concert here when there wasn’t a «floor» area. We were seeing Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat! : —) LOVED the demographics of the crowd, and the fact that even though there were a lot of folks standing up front, most of the people were sitting and jamming to the classic rock without blocking everyone else’s view. There were a few fans that didn’t grow up with these groups acting like they had been given some ecstasy… but other than quite a few people getting angry at the spoilers… it was a wonderful concert, the acoustics were great, and I would love to go back there again to other performances. ALSO, Foghat came out and signed autographs which was pretty cool for some of the fans, and the venue made it easy to line everyone up while waiting.

This is a great place to see a show. Why you ask? Here are my reasons:
1) Good size venue — You can fit a good amount of people in here to see a smaller size show with a larger concert crowd feel
2) Good acoustics — The band on stage sounds very good regardless of where you are in the venue
3) Decent sized seats — I have been to some shows where I couldn’t stand up because my legs were so cramped because of sitting. The seating obviously needs to be tight but there is a bit more room than many places I have been.
4) Intagibles — It just «feels» comfortable. Outside of the somewhat better than average seating. The décor was well done in the hall itself but not overkill ornate. It was a good balance.

I really need to come to the Copernicus Center for something more than the Taste of Polonia. That said, I love the Taste of Polonia, aka Polish Fest. Fun times, lots of stages, good Polish beer and lots of food.
The Copernicus Center is one of Chicago’s older, really cool theaters. Nice but uncomfortable seats. They have balconies, etc. The ceiling is starry. Way cool. Lots of stalls in the ladies room.
There is a bar and some side room that at the fest, they use as a poker room — for funds raising, of course.

I only discovered the Copernicus Center recently but I’m quickly realizing it’s a great place to be. They offer lots of fun shows (Tributosaurus does the Beatles was amazing) and when they’re busy the bar tenders do a great job of keeping up with the flow of the customers. It has a nice concert hall and lots of parking, but do try to get there at least 30 minutes before the show if you can to ensure a decent spot. Check it out if you haven’t already!

While I’ve not experienced the many festivals that Copernicus Center seems to be famous for, I can tell you that as a concert venue, it’s pretty great.
Went here Friday night see one of my favorite bands play and this was a venue they’d never played in before, so I was anxious to check it out. The ingress could have flowed more smoothly as there weren’t designated lines and folks kind of shoved in where they could, but I’m a seasoned concert goer so it didn’t faze me. Initially it was difficult to find our seats and even the people that worked there couldn’t really tell us what section we were in (apparently the «bronze» section doesn’t really exist), but we did manage to find them on our own.
The main area is beautiful, with dark blue ceilings and lights that resemble twinkling stars (well, Copernicus was the Father of Modern Astronomy). Chandeliers, statues, and other dramatic touches transport you to another era. Lovely.
Acoustics were great, and since our seats were right near one of the exit doors, we were able to make a quick getaway after the show.
Parking will run you about $ 10 if you’re not lucky enough to find metered street parking.
I will definitely be back to CC to see a show or attend a festival. Hell, maybe I’ll even swing by here to see the Pope should he ever come back to Chicago (as one of my friends did here back in ’79).
The only negative is that ever since I bought my tickets online from the Copernicus Center, I’ve been inundated with emails in Polish and I can’t seem to unsubscribe from them. I wish they would stop; no mowimy po polsku.

Beautiful, beautiful theatre. Spectacular even…

Polish MayFest Chicago
9^th Annual weekend-​long Polish Festival celebrating Polish Constitution Day with great Polish food, special activities just for kids, nonstop world music on indoor & outdoor stages and fun for all ages… May 5−6^th, 2012 at the Copernicus Center. YAY!

Apparently the Pierogi fest in Whiting, IN is better… Even if you can’t take your beer outside of the bar area. And for some reason, it’s always cold for this festival.
Anyway, this is the place to be for all things Polish… Food, beer, people, music, etc…

I was super excited when I heard about Taste of Polonia. I had already missed out on one of the other large Polish festivals of the year, so this would have to hold me over until next year. I know you can find a plethora of Polish places in Chicagoland, but there’s just something special about going to a venue where you know my people are going to be en mass and shine.
We were not fans of the $ 7pp charge just to walk into the fair. That ended up being $ 14 that wasn’t able to be used toward pierogi. And I’m very unhappy when I don’t get my pierogi, especially delicious ones. These ones were fab! The boy and I split a Polish Plate which consisted of potato pancakes, half a Polish sausage, a mix of cheese and meat pierogi, kapusta and a stuffed cabbage. I was very sad when it was gone.
The weather was quite chilly and it was threatening to rain. We only stayed maybe an hour and a half, but we were able to hang out with Ed A., his friend, and Adam F. Adam was kind enough to share his Stawski beer with me. You cannot fully enjoy all that Poland has to offer without a beer. Trust me!
I didn’t have a chance to look through every nook and cranny of Taste of Polonia, but what I saw showed me that they did a pretty good job. I just would have liked a little more Polonia for a little cheaper. I mean, there was a taqueria and some Italian food there. That’s not Polish! Not even close. And while the band I saw was pretty good, it was just rock cover songs. Again, not so Polish.
C’mon Copernicus Center! I know you can do better than that! I don’t just want a taste. I want the whole enchilada, erm… kielbasa!

I’m part Polish by marriage so I’ve developed a love of pierogi, kapusta and sausage. We even had to have the DJ play a couple of polkas at our wedding reception. Since these types of things aren’t every day occurrences, when there’s a chance for Polish food/​Polish music, we’re there.
Taste of Polonia is a great fest. It winds around outside the Copernicus center which lets them set up the four different entertainment stages. There is traditional Polish music (even not so traditional as we listened to a Polish rapper at one point), a children’s entertainment stage, and cover bands. There are also vendor booths – jewelry, toys, and of course Polish-​themed items. Got a little one? I love the Polish themed onesies.
And the Food – delicious of course. Pierogi, potato pancakes and hunter’s stew were my choices for the day and it was all delicious. There were combo plates for the ravenous or polish sausage for a snack. There are tall tables set up under tents where you can lean in and enjoy your meal. I loved the tall tables because our stroller fit nicely underneath, saving space and not causing a tripping hazard in tent aisle. There were also lots of seating near the stages so if you’re not up dancing a polka, you can sit and relax, enjoy a brew. This is definitely a family friendly fest; all age ranges represented.

Never doubt Polish ingenuity.
What? You’ve never heard of the concept? Well, you’ve probably heard that we Poles do things kind of weird (some would even say backwards). And that might be true. But what you might not have heard is that to make up for making things more difficult, we come up with innovative solutions to problems we created by doing things the hard way in the first place.
Two examples were found this year at Taste of Polonia.
1) I griped in last year’s review about how tickets are only available in $ 5 increments. Well the festival planners heard my cries — sort of. This year they did something extremely unique. They made the tickets work like real money (though they could have, you know, just used real money). Each strip contained three $ 1 and four $.50 vouchers. Sure this made things more difficult by now having vendors allowed to price things at $ 1.50 or $ 5.50. But, when the visitor inevitably had to sell their tickets to other patrons (as happens at every festival), it made an exchange easier. It created a large black market of «independent» ticket sellers. Just like in Poland under communism. How authentic! How ingenious!
2) This year the festival adopted the popular concept of refillable mugs. For $ 7, you could purchase a plastic mug and have it refilled for $ 4 all four-​day weekend (beers were normally $ 5). That is, if you could find someone who spoke enough English to sell you the mug.
When I wandered up to get mine, I asked for the mug three times with increasing volume (and more and more exaggerated hand gestures in mug-​like shapes) as the seller looked at me and my cohort blankly and responded with a thickly accented, «mug?» Finally, one of his co-​workers tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear (probably in Polish). A look of recognition crossed his face. He went to the back of the stand and brought back and empty mug and handed me a cup of beer. Not exactly environmentally conscious (but Poland is an industrial country) but it turned out to reveal a secret. The savings for the mug refills was minimal because the mug did not hold as much beer as the $ 5 cup. How ingenious — of the organizers to pull a fast one on the crowd (it is a great mug though).
Still, this festival is the craziest, most fun in the city despite its difficulties. The oddness of some of the attendees makes this a people-​watching zoo! From aged hippies to polka-​dancing old country folks to the creepiest duck mascot ever (PolTel’s costumed representative) wandering the crowd scaring small children (and me) the festival is an eye catching treat.
Plus the music is incredible. They dig deep to find cover bands the other festivals won’t touch (Libido Funk Circus is a hilarious party anthem band) and bring over Polish stars. And there’s plenty of polka if that floats your boat or rolls your barrel. There’s even a more subdued stage inside the Copernicus Center with choral acts and dance troupes.
If they bring back Okocim as a sponsor and official beer and if they keep finding ways to Polish (er polish) it up, next year it might even be better. Even if they don’t, you can’t help but admire the inventiveness of Poland in Chicago.