The Hipsqueak Awards are here!

When we decided to hold the first-ever Hipsqueak Awards—our way of acknowledging the best in family-friendly arts, entertainment and advocacy in Chicago—we figured we'd put together a few categories like best toy store or best ice cream shop, and solicit a few votes from readers and have a nifty little awards issue on our hands. What we didn't count on was the sheer number of votes, and the number of you who would write in to share your appreciation and passion for everything from the best resale shop to the best annual event for families.

And I can say, speaking for the whole staff, that we kind of got swept up in it when we were making our critics' picks, in categories like the Lifetime Achievement Award, or the Tastemaker Award. We were so excited, it was no easy task to interview the recipients without spilling the beans. We also created some more idiosyncratic awards for the things we really love, like the Best Excuse to Make a Whole Lot of Noise, and the Ace Detective Award for Demystifying the School Selection Process.

In our last issue, we held a tounge-in-cheek face-off between the city and the suburbs. But in this issue, we really celebrate everything that Chicagoland has to offer families, and in the process, highlight the fact that we live in a pretty amazing place for a kid to grow up.