Third Degree Glass Factory

This place was great. We came for one of the Friday open houses and they had so much going on. Tons of stuff on display, live music, a full bar, an ongoing raffle that gave you a ticket for each drink you bought, this amazing dandelion cocktail, and glass blowing demonstrations going on. You could also sign up for classes to make your own things in the hot shop or cold shop, even if you had no experience and have never done it before. All the instructors seemed to be really passionate and knowledgeable and helped you a lot. I made a paperweight and had never made anything like that before. It did definitely get a little hot and my arm was a tiny bit burned for a day or two after making that, which I don’t think was supposed to happen. But I had a good time and this was a cool Friday night activity to go to with some family and friends. Definitely check it out, even if you don’t want to spend the money on the classes. There were some fire throwers putting on a show out back and that was cool enough in and of itself.

We stumbled in out of the alley (!) during an evening class because we were mesmerized by the fire and the colors and the sounds. The instructor was kind but hustled us ‘behind the yellow line’ and we had a great time watching the students work on their vases, mugs and paperweights. Another instructor came by and welcomed us, and even though there was a private party going on in the main area, she asked permission for us to go browse the stunning jewelry selection. There are beautiful items here for sale, perfect for housewarmings or weddings or treat yo self.

Katie and I chose Third Degree for our wedding because they were very reasonably priced. We were also excited to have a unique unity ceremony where we mix the pieces of glass that were later made into a beautiful piece of art for us to keep. The staff and artists all did an exceptional job and we could not have been happier with the event. Thank you to everyone at this great venue!

We went to the third Friday of the month. Now that it is fall there were not as many people so we could do everything. Doing all the classes was expensive however we decided to take everything we made & turn them into Christmas gifts. Now we have some very nice, hand made with love Christmas gifts that are unique & very cool! Very pleased with our evening! We will do this again!

I came here last night for their monthly third friday event. It’s free and its fun! Live music, food truck, cocktails, glass blowing demonstration, and entertainment. The Fire Technicians were there and did a wonderful job. I wish I had gotten there earlier to take advantage of the glass blowing demonstration, but I’ll know better for next time. Great place to meet friends, take your kids, or have a date. The glass is beautiful.

Came for an open house on a Friday. It was pretty sweet. They were making things with glass which was pretty neat to watch. Also there was painting, live music, and painting. Oh, and there were people dancing with fire which was pretty intesnse

Three of us took a glass class which included creating a paperweight, with Sarah. At first I was pretty intimidated by the fire, heat, etc… But Sarah knows her stuff and created a fantastic learning and enjoying environment for us. The price is typical for this type of hands-​on, small group experience, and well worth it. Third Degree Glass Factory is, in every way, professional and welcoming.

Really awesome place. They offer classes (although a little pricey) they teach you how to make beautiful art. I made a glass flower and I adore it. I browsed the shop area of pieces available for purchase and was a little unnerved by the prices for a simple vase or glass so I recommend taking the classes and making something of your own rather than spending an arm and a leg on someone else’s creation. Pretty cool place though.

In town visiting a friend and we stopped by for their Third Friday even which included glass blowing demonstration, activities where you can make your own glass beads, paperweights, jewelry etc for $ 25 – 35, live music, and food and drink! Quite the turnout for this free event! The food was provided by Mission Tacos (but ran out of most options within an hour), there was a makeshift bar there and dessert provided by Ices, which offered two options of made-​on-​the-​spot liquid nitrogen-​frozen ice cream (had the chocolate raspberry with chévre-​YUM!)
Lots of cool blown-​glass art displayed on pedestals amongst the purse-​wielding drinking crown with some kids in tow. I would be nervous to be any one of those pieces waiting to be knocked over!
Definitely worth a look see: especially watching the artists at work. The line to sign up for the activities was super long, so we didn’t do it. Maybe they could have an online setup for registration and payment.

We had our wedding ceremony and reception there a month ago and the entire experience, from start to finish, was great! Rachel, the Director of Events was super nice and responsive whenever I had questions. She had a history as a wedding planner, and it was obvious in how organized she was and how she knew just what questions to ask. Nick was our manager the day of the event and was also very nice and super organized. We had a special layout we wanted to do for the wedding reception and they thought it was great and took no issue making sure the tables were set up the way we wanted. They provided a table layout to help us plan our seating and a google spreadsheet with checklists for anything we could’ve forgotten. And even when we did forget to bring a flower girl basket, they did their best to help us find something the girls could carry down the aisle.
They have lists of preferred vendors but if you pick one they don’t work with regularly they do their best to make it work, if possible. They don’t have facilities on sight for food prep, so keep that in mind when looking for a caterer.
We had lots of children at our wedding, but I would not recommend having a child centric event there, so many breakables! luckily we came out unscathed, but it was definitely something all adults had to keep an eye on.
Overall it was a great venue with a great staff to work with and it made me confident that our wedding day would go well and it did. The space is lovely with the glass art (and other art) on full display and there were many options available to personalize it just for us.

Third Degree was commissioned to create an Eternal Light for our synagogue’s new sanctuary in Deerfield, IL. This is one of the most sacred of fixtures in our new sanctuary. Together with our architect, Finegold + Alexander, a design and concept of both metal and glass was conceived. With guidance from Riggo Design, a metal artist in Chicago, Third Degree engaged Troco Custom Fabricators to jointly create the eternal light.
None of the parties involved in this project had ever designed an eternal light. We did our research, discussed various concepts and then worked with Doug Auer and Michael Moran for the implementation. We then held our breath as Third Degree and Troco did their work.
The result is magnificent: A breathtaking sculpture that has our congregation in awe!
The only thing better than the fixture itself was getting to know Doug and Mike and their genuine hearts — which illuminated everyone in the process.

I took a class at third degree a few years back and it was pretty cool (or hot?) then. But what a difference a few years makes! They’ve expanded to include a parking lot and significantly more gallery space!
And some genius who needs to be applauded came up with the third Friday. Every third Friday of the month they host an open house where you can browse the gallery, buy some amazing pieces by in house artists, watch demonstrations of glass blowing/​shaping/​forming/​art, and even take a mini class yourself! They offer paperweight making, fused glass jewelry, glass tile nightlight, and glass bead making. Each of these activities is kid friendly and a totally affordable way to try something new and fun!
They also have a cash bar and some catering. I had heard food trucks were going to be there but there weren’t any this time. That was the only downfall of the evening really– I would have loved some more food options.
So while you’re browsing the gallery or watching a demo, there was a band, free samples of local fare, and outside there were jugglers! It was raining but we still got to see some of the performance.
This is a great event for families and friends alike! The people on staff clearly love what they do and are more than happy to get you excited about glass as well. I hope I can come back soon so I can try another class!!!

One of my biggest fears as a public restroom user is someone walking in on me. The bathrooms at the Third Degree Glass Factory escalate that fear x10. The stalls are sliding doors with NO LOCKS. The entire time I was using the restroom I was paranoid that someone was going to swing the stall shutter right open and expose me at my most vulnerable state! Along with the stall doors not having locks the toilet paper was two-​ply and nearly tissue paper thin. It took me about 24 squares to get the job done. Normally I would only give three stars for an experience like this, but the craftsmanship of the bathroom sinks is amazing so I give this overall bathroom experience four out of five stars.

I have not been to Third Degree for a few years It has there monthly third Friday night it was date night couples everywhere A band played in the area that displays the wood artwork Plus they brought in a photo booth which the line was long all night We headed to the drink area to grab some wine I like a Moscato no luck The white menu was limited but I did find a Chardonnay to sip while we watched them blow some glass Tonight we got to watch them make a goblet One speaker walked the audience through the process as the artisan worked his craft only to find the last step they broke the goblet One can make their own artwork in another area If you don’t feel creative you can buy some artwork This is a fun creative place to be

A little bit ago I went to a wedding reception here.
The venue is pretty perfect for an urban, warehouse type event space. It has beautiful lofty ceilings with brick interior. They leave a lot of the glass art up which is fun and adds to the «trendy» vibes this place offers – not to mention you can peruse the creations! It is kind of separated into 2 rooms which may prove a bit problematic but you can’t always get what you want!
If you go here, you have to check out the bathrooms. The sinks are made of glass! It got voted best bathroom in the RFT.
If you are looking for a large open space, consider checking this one out.

Hot hot hot, glass on fire!
Ok, more like glass red hot and melty.
I visited Third Degree Glass Factory for a Unilocal event and I’m über ecstatic that I did. Thank you to Amie and Aaron for organizing and having snacks set up.
The space is huge and gorgeous. They have art shows and do a Third Friday event where they display new pieces and have openings. The glass pieces they have displayed in the 2^nd room are creative and inspiring. You can see classes happening which is super cool.
I was greeted by Anne and she was very welcoming and friendly. I was way early so I walked around and chatted a bit. After awhile, Anne, led the first group in to the area where we would be learning to make glass beads. Our instructor was informative and personable. Unfortunately, I was so busy concentrating that I forgot to remember her name.
We learned about technique, glass, heat, tools and safety. It was like science, art, and awesomeness. It takes patience and honed skill to be great at glass work but it’s so much fun to learn and try.
I am, eventually, going to take a class.
Check this place out!

I’ve been here for two different Third Friday night party events and they are awesome! :) Who doesn’t like FREE entertainment?! I know I do. They have all kinds of different activities to do from listening to a band play music, watching glass blowers work their magic, or watching people dance with fire (and maybe blow fire!). You can even peruse the glass art that is made in the studio that is also available for purchase. If you pay a small fee you can make your own small glass art project — how cool is that?! There are also food and drink that you do have to pay for.
This month they had a special pumpkin glass blowing death match where two teams created glass pumpkins and one survived and the other plummeted to it’s water death! so cool! and they also had the Cardinals game up on the tvs/​walls around the place since it is the post season which is pretty nifty.
If you do go make sure to take a quick run to the bathroom — the sinks are AWESOME!
I hear they host events like weddings and receptions and other social events here — what a neat place to host some sort of social event!
I’m definitely down to come back and enjoy some free entertainment and maybe pick up a glass art object or two to decorate my house! :)

I had a great time at the Third Degree Glass Factory last Friday night! I was able to listen to some reggae, enjoy a snow cone, watch people play with fire, and finally I got to see some tiny glass creations!
I always get nervous when I end up in places with delicate items all around, but I managed to keep a safe distance and not break anything! The factory has so many beautiful items to look at. I got to see vases, ornaments, paperweights, and so much more. I really enjoyed the giant fruit bowl! I think once day I will own a giant fruit bowl and place tons of fake glass fruits in it… why…because I can!
I really enjoyed the crowd on Friday night, there were so many different ages represented. I can tell that this place is popular among the locals. Now that I’ve been for a 3^rd Friday event I know I’ll go back again and again. I was told that each month they have a different «them» so it might not ever get old!

I haven’t tried their classes yet so I really can’t comment on those. I used to do some glassblowing stuff back in highschool when I was living in Pittsburgh and I’d love to try it again sometime! But anyway!!!
BF and I were bored on a Sunday (last Sunday, the 13^th of Nov) and decided to drive by this place since we were already on Delmar headed toward the Loop. We were surprised to see that it was actually open on a Sunday which, according to Unilocal,it should be closed on a Sunday. (Thank God for Unilocal iPhone App and for people who upload hours to places. AMEN.)
Apparently they were having some kind of art show thing going on so decided to check it out. According to Sean, Sunday is the worst day of the week (it’s right up there with Monday, actually) because NOTHING is ever fucking open! GAH! So we struck it lucky… we wandered inside and saw a variety of local artists pedaling their creative wares.
We headed to the gallery because IMHO the glass stuff looked far more interesting (sorry local artsy fartsy folk) and discovered some awesome glass pumpkins and XMas ornaments. Along with tons of beautiful vases and jars and bottles-​turned-​glasses which we couldn’t afford to buy! Instead I settled on a glass pumpkin and ornament as presents for my mom back in the Burgh who loves glass art. We chatted up the girl behind the counter (who was very cute btw) and talked about jewelry making classes and glass blowing classes.
I should also note I’ve been here for their Third Friday event before and it was AWESOME. They had fire jugglers, dancers, musicians, food, drank, and all sorts of fun stuff. I highly recommend going on one of those nights!

You absolutely MUST go to a Third Friday open house event at the TDGF. There’s something for everyone from the very young to the young at heart.
The event is free but you could partake in the a few of the activities or shopping for $. Feeling hungry? They had light food and drinks for purchase: bottled beers, cocktails and canned sodas. I had their pomegranate martini which was pretty good and got a raffle ticket with ever drink purchase. The raffle ticket entered me into the hourly drawing for a free piece of glass. Tonights pieces were a wine stopper, glass flower, large glass plate and a glass vase.
In the main room they showed a number of glass demonstrations, it was interactive with the audience asking questions. You could parooz through the gallery of art and glass plates, bowls, vases, ornaments, etc, all available for purchase or just sit an enjoy the one man guitar band in the main entryway.
My step-​mom and sister were feeling creative and got hand’s-on with glass making by designing a tile and a pendant & earing set. You arrange the hard glass pieces the way you want your design and they cure it for you, for pick up later in the week.
The best entertainment by far was sitting on their outdoor patio and watching the belly and fire dancing. They’re interactive too, they pulled more than a few audience members into the circle to learn a few booty shaking moves. It was a lot of fun and my favorite part of the night.
My family had more than a blast here this Friday, we’ll probably still be talking about the event in years to come. The hubby was will probably tell me how they made the plates and glassware when we look for a new dining set. My younger brother will probably still be talking about their cool bathrooms, something about the faucet and seeing the water come out. My sister will probably blush when she retells the story of her «5-​minutes of fame» in the belly dancing circle. My Dad will never get over the «pyros» and their amazing fire tricks. And my step-​mom will be glowing every time she wears her own designed pendant and earrings set, reminiscing about what a cool night we had at the Glass Factory.