Vespa Club of Chicago

3rd Slaughterhouse 31 meeting
2024-12-14 12:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Kite String Cantina, 1851 W. Addison, Chicago, IL, 60613, United States
It’s probably snowing and -20° so it’s unlikely that anyone will be on their scooters, but who knows maybe with global warming it’ll be 60 and we can do a ride. Either way, we’re getting close to the end of the year, and our (hopefully) Second To Last™ meeting to go over the decision on what theme and location we’re going to use for this upcoming years rally.
Come out and have some taquitos and beers, and help us get closer to picking a theme for the next rally!

Slaughterhouse 31 Planning Meeting
2024-12-29 12:00 - 14:00 | Easy Street Pizza, 3750 N Central Ave, Chicago, United States
NEW LOCATION ALERT: We love taquitos, but since we’ve ’em four times in the last month, we’re moving the Dec. 29 meeting to Easy Street Pizzeria‘s 3750 N Central Ave. location. It’s decorated as “Sparky’s Yuletide Tavern,” a National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation-themed pop-up restaurant/tavern.
This is our last planning meeting of 2024, and after a very productive meeting a couple weeks ago, we’re going to finalize our basic plan, then talk about the theme and start assigning roles to get everything moving, so this is an important one. If you can’t make it, let us know how you’re interested in helping!
Should be fun, especially if you’re a fan of the film, bring money for drinks/food. All scooters and scooterists are welcome, if you want to be part of the planning team. (We will put you to work)

Scoot Jockeys on Ice (Lake Geneva, WI)
2025-01-26 11:30 - 15:00 | Lake Geneva, WI, Lake Geneva, WI, United States
Well dang… this sounds fun: (test from fb event page)
Put your ice tires on your beater scoot and meet at the ice in front of Mars Resort on the south shore of como lake. Don’t want to freeze, but interested in watching? Have lunch and or drinks at the bar and watch!W4098 S Shore DrLake Geneva, WI 53147United States

Vespa Club of Chicago Arcade Run 2025
2025-02-15 13:00 - 18:00 | galloping ghost, 9415 Ogden Ave., Brookfield, IL, 60513, United States
Join VCOA-Chi and The Suburban Menace on Saturday, February 15 at 1pm at
Galloping Ghost
9415 Ogden Ave., Brookfield
It’s a huge arcade packed with almost 900 video games from the 1970s to present. It’s $25 for open play, all day. It’s truly a wonder of the Western world. Down the street, they’ve got a pinball arcade, too, with 45 pinball machines (additional fee for pinball).
Play Zaxxon, Dragon’s Lair, NHL Open Ice, and Uchuu Daisakusen Chocovader Contactee… as long as you like!
Then, join us around 4pm at
Imperial Oak Brewing
9526 Ogden Ave., Brookfield
They’ve got beer and NA drinks. They’ve got pizza, or you can bring in (or order) food from restaurants in the neighborhood (Thai, Serbian, 3x Mexican, more)
After that, our pal Kent Smith (of “Snort Malört,” the Slaughterhouse 30 pig fame!) is having an art opening back up near Ashland and Belmont at 6:30, if you’re into affordable pop art.
All scooters and scooterists (and aspiring scooterists and friends) are welcome.
Transportation/Ride info:
It’s February in Chicago, it might be nice enough to ride, or it might be 4°F, or dumping snow…
If we can ride, we can meet up at Bryan’s house (6917 W. Shakespeare) at noon, we’ll ride down together. If you’re coming from the burbs, meet at Galloping Ghost at 1pm
If it’s ugly out and you don’t have a car, jump on WhatsApp or the FB event page and we’ll find you a ride.
Also: BNSF Congress Park station is right there, but (sad trombone) isn’t open on weekends. But the BNSF LaGrange Road stop is only a 15 minute walk away.

Vespa Club of Chicago Ride for Ukraine
2025-03-23 11:00 - 16:00 | Ukranian Institute of Modern Art, 2320 W Chicago Ave., Chicago, United States
Update: It’s Sunday morning, the weather looks pretty terrible, but we’re going ahead with the event, minus the ride. Please drive or take the CTA to join us for lunch and the museum tour, it’ll still be a great time. And please show your support for our friends by donating to Tabletochki (link below). Thanks!
Join us Sunday, March 23 for a scooter tour of Chicago’s Ukranian Village and to show your support for peace in Ukraine. We’ll take a group photo for our friends of Vespa Club Ukraine, and raise some money for a Ukranian charity recommended by our scooterist friend Oleksandr in Kyiv.
Itinerary:
11:00-12:30pm: Lunch at Old Lviv 2228 W Chicago Ave
It’s a small and popular buffet, so if we have a big group, they might not have room for all of us. If it’s too crowded and you don’t want a big meal, Rich’s Deli and Ann’s Bakery are both nearby (and Kasia’s Deli, which is Polish but we won’t tell anyone), with good takeout food and treats.
1:00pm: Guided tour of The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art , 2320 W Chicago Ave.
Admission is $10 (If we have 20 people, it’ll be $5) We’ll enter as a group at 1pm, don’t be late!
After the tour, we’ll do a short ride around the neighborhood to see some landmarks and take photos, ending back at the UIMA. If there’s interest (or if the weather’s bad and we don’t ride), the Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago is also right down the street, and open until 4pm ($10 admission).
Support charity:
Tabletochki (“Little Pills”) is a Kyiv-based charity that facilitates medical care and other assistance for Ukranian children fighting cancer in the midst of the war. Click on the image below to donate, and we hope you’ll consider asking other scooterists/friends to contribute!

Weather:
The forecast looks promising, but if it takes a turn, please don’t stay home… we’ll do this rain, snow, or shine. Take public transportation or drive, we can walk between all the destinations and still have plenty of fun without scooters. Maybe more, if someone brings horilka.
All scooters, scooterists, and friends welcome.
Group ride will be short and under 35 mph.

Umpteenth Annual Sheridan Rd Ride
2025-04-13 10:45 - 15:00 | Leone Park Beach, 1222 W Touhy Ave, Chicago, IL, 60626, United States
From Second City Scooter Society:
Lets meet in the park’s parking lot at Sheridan and Touhy. There is a Shell gas station across the street for anyone needing a fill before we ride. Kickstands up no later 10:45 am. We will ride north along the scenic road next to Lake Michigan, Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, and Northwestern University, up to Lake Bluff, then return via Green Bay Rd stopping at Backyard Grill in Highland Park for lunch. After that, we continue down Green BayRoad, making a detour by the Skokie Lagoons. Ice cream or beer stop at end TBD. Rain date: 4/27.

International Female Ride Day
2025-05-03 | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, 60707, United States
From the Facebook event page, check there for the most up-to-date info:

Welcome to the second annual Chicago International Female Ride Day scooter ride… and picnic!
JUST RIDE!

— About International Female Ride Day:IFRD celebrates the power, passion, and freedom of women riders everywhere! More information about IFRD: https://motoress.com/international-female-ride-day/

— Accepting donations:We’ll be accepting donations for the Chicago Abortion Fund.

— Weather plans / don’t want to ride?If the weather will make it unsafe or uncomfortable to ride, we will still meet up at Off Color Brewing at noon – more info below. Also, if you just don’t feel like riding but still want to hang out, no problem! Just meet us at Off Color Brewing – we should be there around noon or so.

— About our ride:Bring a picnic basket! Our ride will be exploring the parks and natural beauty of Chicago. It will start the Understudy Coffee & Books, meeting at the back of the Jewel parking lot across the street. We’ll stick around for a little while to allow riders to enjoy provisions from the Understudy and give a crash course on group riding. After that, we’ll wind our way down through Chicago while we visit points along our route, stopping for a picnic in Humboldt Park and ending at the Wild Mile around noon, after which we’ll celebrate at Off Color Brewing.
City streets only – route will be very 50cc friendly. More route information is below.

— Who can ride or attend:All genders are welcome to join in celebrating and lifting up women riders. This ride is trans, non-binary, and queer inclusive – if you feel you belong, you do! Allies welcomed and encouraged – please come support the women in our community and ride along side us!
The ride is organized and led by Chicago area women scooterists and so is focused on scooters, but motorcycles, trikes, etc are welcome. All we ask is that you be safe, practice good group riding etiquette, wear proper gear, and ride sober!The ride is 18+, however Off Color Brewing is a brewery and is 21+ only.

— Ride and route Info:New to group riding? No problem! We’ll start the ride with a crash course on group riding etiquette and let you know where to ride in formation. We’ll have veteran scooterists to help out with questions and so forth.
The general route will be:– Start at Understudy / Jewel parking lot– Ride through Rosehill Cemetery – West on Foster / South on Francisco / West on Lawrence / South on Manor Dr / South on California – Stop at Horner Park (bathroom break, if open)– South on California / West on Fullerton / South on Kedzie– Ride around Palmer Square– South on Humboldt– Stop at Humboldt Park (picnic)– East on North / North on Ashland / East on Webster– Ride by Oz Park– South on Larabee / West on North / South on Kinsbury– Park at Off Color Brewing (the Wild Mile is behind it)
Note: Some modifications may be made either before or on the day of the ride.
The total ride will take about 2 to 2.5 hours, including stops.

— What to know:Before the ride, please ensure you have fueled up, used the restroom, and are wearing proper riding gear. We will have a sweep who can assist in emergencies during the ride, but due to the nature of the ride we will not be stopping for mechanical failures, so make sure you have the correct spark plug
If you don’t wish to ride but still want to join the group, you can meet us at Off Color Brewing – we should be there around 12-12:30pm (21+ only).
In the event that the weather will make it unsafe or unpleasant for a ride, we will meet at Off Color at noon. Please check the Discussion section for updates!
Off Color does NOT have food on site, but you can bring in your own food or order food to be delivered. Attendees will be responsible for their own food and beverage costs.

— Merch:IFRD shop (get your gear before the ride!)https://internationalfemalerideday.myspreadshop.ca(Note: The merch is sold by the international organizers of IFRD – it is not sold by the organizers of this ride nor do we see any profits from it. We will be providing stickers designed specially to commemorate our ride!)

St. Charles Motorcycle Museum Ride
2025-05-04 09:30 - 16:00 | St. Charles Motorcycle Museum, 1317 E Main Street, St. Charles, IL, 60174, United States
The “Suburban Menace” is hosting a scooter ride to the St. Charles Motorcycle Museum:
Meet at 9:30am at Tony’s on Joliet & Willow Springs in Hodgkins, wheels up at 10am, then we plan to go up to Wolf Rd. to 31st Street, then head west until we can take IL-38 and then IL-25 to St. Charles. Museum opens at 11am, eat lunch, head back. I’ll share our progress on Waze in the SM chat should anyone want to meet us en route.
All scooters and scooterists welcome!
Live outside the city? Check out “Suburban Menace” channel on the Vespa Club of Chicago’s What’sApp Community!

Motorcycle Mondays (German Night)
2025-05-05 18:00 - 22:00 | O’Donovan’s, 2100 W Irving Park, Chicago, IL, United States
Motoblot presents Motorcycle Mondays at O’Donovans Pub, 2100 W Irving Park Road in Chicago.

Oak Trees and Coffees Ride
2025-06-01 10:30 - 13:00 | October Cafe, 6046 N Avondale Ave, Chicago, IL, 60631, United States
Mario and Julie are testing out an “Oak Trees & Coffees” ride (a potential Slaughterhouse 31 route) from Norwood Park Chicago, stopping at one gas station, then continuing on to Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie, and riding out to Colectivo Coffee in Evanston.
All scooters and scooterists welcome. 50cc friendly. Approximately 1-2 hours total.
The ride starts at October Cafe
Heads north/east to a stop at Emily Oaks Nature Center in Skokie
Then further north/east to end at Colectivo Coffee in Evanston.
Full ride route

Motorcycle Mondays (British Night)
2025-06-02 18:00 - 22:00 | O’Donovan’s, 2100 W Irving Park, Chicago, IL, United States

Vespa Parade Day 2025 UPDATED
2025-07-06 09:30 - 16:00 | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, 60707, United States
This event was rescheduled due to extreme heat on the original date.
Big apologies to anyone who missed the alert and came out, we sure hope you’ll come back on the 6th!
Vespa Club of Chicago is participating in Vespa Club of America’s annual Parade Day on Sunday, July 6.
All scooters and scooterists, members or not, are welcome!
Facebook event page
Meet at the Montrose Harbor Moonrise Observation Point at 9:30am, departing at 10am.
Morning ride (route) is to Reggies on the Beach.

Afternoon ride (route) is from Reggies on the Beach to Damen Tavern, wheels up at tentatively 2:30pm.
IMPORTANT NOTE: route maps are somewhat out of date, they will be adjusted a bit to avoid NASCAR street closings/traffic in the loop, and end at Damen Tavern rather than Cobra Lounge.

We’ll have Vespa Parade Day decals for the first 20 riders to arrive at Montrose Harbor.
If you ordered Vespa Parade Day legshield banners, we’ll have them on hand for purchase, we’ll have a few extra for sale.

We’re also HOPING to have assigned Slaughterhose31/Midwest Vespa Days Illinois license plates ready to distribute at this event, more info soon.

Motorcycle Mondays (American Night)
2025-07-07 18:00 - 22:00 | O’Donovan’s, 2100 W Irving Park, Chicago, IL, United States
Motoblot presents Motorcycle Mondays at O’Donovans Pub, 2100 W Irving Park Road in Chicago. 6pm on July 7th
It’s American night at Motorcycle (& Scooter) Mondays! This year we are trying to make our scooter presence heard! So, let’s get all our American scooters out there to O’Donovans 2100 W Irving Park Rd, Chicago, IL from 6pm-9pm and let’s show those Harley riders who’s got the numbers!

Don’t know if you have an American bike, or if yours qualifies? Don’t worry they aren’t nitpicky about this, so get your Genuine scooters (Stella, Buddy, Roughhouse, Rattler, Urbano), Genuine Motorcycle, or any other American bike out there to promote riding, camaraderie, and our club!

Free patch for showing up! See you at 6pm on July 7th!

Motorcycle Mondays (Italian Night)
2025-08-04 18:00 - 22:00 | O’Donovan’s, 2100 W Irving Park, Chicago, IL, United States

Motorcycle Mondays (Japanese Night)
2025-09-08 18:00 - 22:00 | O’Donovan’s, 2100 W Irving Park, Chicago, IL, United States

Ride Out with Your Buddys (Chicago)
2025-09-27 18:30 - 21:00 | Scooterworks Chicago, 5410 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL, 60625, United States
Scooterworks Chicago for Genuine Scooter Company’s national “Ride Out with Your Buddys” event!
The Chicago event will start at Scooterworks Chicago (wheels up at 6:30) for an evening ride up Sheridan, ending at Superdawg.
All scooters welcome!

The Great Highwood Pumpkin Festival Ride (North Suburbs)
2025-10-05 13:00 - 18:00 | Metropolis Coffee Co., 1039 W Granville Ave, Chicago, IL, 60660, United States
One more chance for a group ride up Sheridan Road to Lake Bluff, then back towards Highwood (north of Highland Park). The Highwood Pumpkin Fest is a free event , you can create your own jack-o-lantern to be displayed on the scaffolding.

Kickstands up around 1:30 pm, ride is 50cc friendly.

Motorcycle Mondays (Custom Night)
2025-10-06 18:00 - 22:00 | O’Donovan’s, 2100 W Irving Park, Chicago, IL, United States

VCOA-Chi Monthly Meetup
2025-10-07 19:00 - 22:00, 2025-11-04 19:00 - 22:00, 2025-12-02 19:00 - 22:00 | Gracie O’Malleys Portage Park, 4058 N Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, 60641, United States
Vespa Club of Chicago’s Monthly Meetup at Gracie O’Malley’s
(the Portage Park location at 4058 N Milwaukee)

Join us the first Tuesday of every month at 7pm. Order some food and a drink then we’ll have a quick meeting at 7:30 to go over club business and talk about upcoming rides and events. If it’s a nice evening, we’ll do a short group ride.

It’s Tacos Tuesday at G.O’M’s, with $1 tacos and $4 Tecate

All scooters and all scooterists are welcome, including the scooter-curious and scooter-friendly.

Event is held rain or shine, year-round. If the weather’s good, we’ll leave for a ride around 8:30. If the weather’s cruddy, there’s no shame in driving or taking the CTA!
Note that our day of the week and location changes occasionally, the most up-to-date info is always on our calendar at vcoachicago.com.

Skootoberfest 2025 (Lake Geneva, WI)
2025-10-11 | Lake Geneva, WI, Lake Geneva, WI, United States
From facebook event page:
The annual Scootoberfest fall ride will be either A: fall colors ride to Holy Hill (warmer weather) or the Ten Lakes ride if it’s chilly. The ride will start at the Kwik Trip on 896 Wells street, and end at the downtown Lake Geneva Scooter Tours Scoot Jockeys shop, 529 W Main Street, walking distance from the lake Geneva Octoberfest celebration.

CANCELLED: Open House Chicago 2025
2025-10-19 09:00 - 19:00 | The Common Cup, 1501 W Morse Ave, Chicago, IL, 60626-3306, United States
Sorry, this ride has been cancelled because of rain expected most of the day.

Join Vespa Club of Chicago as we explore Open House Chicago!

What is Open House Chicago?For one weekend every year, locations of historical and cultural importance around Chicago open their doors for a completely free event where you can tour places you might otherwise never see and learn all about the history, humanity, and industry of the City of Big Shoulders.

We’ll meet at Common Cup (9am, kickstands up 9:30-9:45am) in Rogers Park for a pick-me-up before moving on to the following Open House Chicago stops, in order:– Emil House– Colvin House– Chicago Magic Lounge– Starshaped Press– Diversey House (lunch stop)– The Weaving Mill– Willie Dixon’s Blues Heaven/Chess Records– Wheeler Mansion– Glessner House– Ignite Glass StudiosWe then will end for drinks and food at District Brew Yards

What to know:– 50cc friendly, All scooters and scooterists are welcome.– All locations are street parking only– We will be walking a LOT so wear comfortable shoes!– Proper riding gear is highly recommended.– Diversey House offers food so if you’d like to grab a bite for lunch, this is the place to do it – or pack a lunch!– Not expecting a large group but standard VCOAC group riding will be practiced. See https://vcoachicago.com/group-riding-guidelines/ for more information (under Keep the Group Together, we’ll be utilizing the first option).– I’ll do my best to post updates in the VCOAC WhatsApp chat whenever we arrive or leave a location in case you’d like to jump in the middle. However, I make no guarantees that I’ll remember
Want to see more locations?We’re limited in the amount of time we have available so unfortunately we had to trim off a lot of really cool stuff. However, Open House Chicago is a full weekend event so if you’re available on 10/18, please feel free to check out https://www.architecture.org/open-house-chicago/ and plan your own itinerary to check out more fantastic Chicago gems! If you’re interested in anything Downtown (and also Near North and Near West) I recommend arriving early and anticipating long lines.

Vespa Club of Chicago goes to Goebberts!
2025-10-25 11:00 - 20:00 | Goebbert’s Farm, 42W813 Reinking Road, Pingree Grove, IL, 60140, United States
(Note: This is a social event and not a ride.)
You and your family are invited to join the Vespa Club of Chicago for a fall social event at Goebbert’s in Pingree Grove!
Tickets are $30 (in advance or at the door) and include attractions for the entire family, such as:– Apple orchard– Pumpkin patch– Hay rides– Pumpkin cannon– Corn maze– Haunted house– Petting zoo– Pumpkin-eating dinosaur– Rides and games (some rides are kids only)– Playground (kids only)– Corn box (kids and accompanying adults only)– Pumpkin train– Pedal carts– Pig races
Goebbert’s also has food and drink for purchase on site, including apple cider donuts, corn on the cob, beer, hot apple cider, and meals.
Tickets and info are here: https://www.goebberts.com/buy-ticketsFree parking available
Please note, you are welcome to ride there if you like, but the driveway is gravel and really long, so please be careful!
Also, there are two Goebbert’s locations, so make sure you put the right one in your GPS!
All scooters, scooterists, and friends are welcome!

Soul Reggae Brunch
2025-11-01 12:00 - 15:00 | The Beetle, 2532 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, United States
Our pals Heart of Chicago Soul Club and Rust Belt Boss Reggae are hosting a Soul Reggae Brunch at Black Beetle on Saturday, November 1st. Get down there and dance and show off your scooter… it’s not that cold yet!

Motorcycle Mondays (All Bikes Finale)
2025-11-03 18:00 - 22:00 | O’Donovan’s, 2100 W Irving Park, Chicago, IL, United States

Small Displacement Sunday (Niles)
2025-11-09 09:00 - 11:45, 2026-01-11 09:00 - 11:45 | Grind N’ Gears, 8030 W Oakton St., Niles, 60714, United States
Small Displacement Sunday is a meetup for scooters, mopeds, and small-displacement motorcycles (all bikes are welcome!) every second Sunday of the month from 10-11:45 at Grind n Gears Cafe in Niles.

If you’d like to ride up to Niles with Vespa Club of Chicago:
Meet at 9am in the parking lot at the NW corner of Independence Park:

Ride departs at 9:30am
It’s an easy 30-minute ride
50cc friendly
Route: Irving Park to Milwaukee to OaktonAll scooters and scooterists that can do a minimum of 35mph are welcome to join – motorcycles, trikes, etc, too.

We can ride back as a group, too, if there’s interest.

Note: We have a couple regulars who will do their best to be at Independence Park every month to lead the ride, but there is no guaranteed ride. if you’d like to be added as a back-up ride leader, please reach out to Renee.

This ride will be open year-round, as long as it isn’t frigid and/or snowy. If it rains, the ride may go on, depending on how heavy it is. You can always meet at SDS via car if you prefer!

CANCELLED … a daring ride to Schaumburg!
2025-11-09 12:00 - 20:00 | IL
Small Displacement Sunday is happening, but this follow-up event is cancelled (too cold!), sorry.
From Second City Scooter Society:
After Small Displacement Sunday at Grind’n’Gears in Niles, we’ll ride to Frato’s Pizza in Schaumburg for a late lunch. Frato’s trains future chefs and reportedly serves Chicago’s best (maybe biggest?) fried mozzarella cheesesticks. With our stomachs full, next stop will be Cycle Gear in Schaumburg, in case anyone wants to shop for a new jacket or helmet. Next stop will be at dusk in Rolling Meadows to relax w a beer by a firepit.

This ride is weather-permitting and 50cc friendly.

Small Displacement Sunday (Chicago - Niles)
2025-12-14 09:00 - 11:45 | Grind N’ Gears, 8030 W Oakton St., Niles, 60714, United States
