If you missed the Magnificent Mile’s Lights Festival celebration last weekend, fret not. East Peoria also hosts an annual electric spectacular with a parade of about 30 floats illuminated by two million lights... Read more
In its heyday, Old Town’s late, great O’Rourke’s pub was a raucous, bruising Big Shoulders version of a literary salon. Regulars included Nelson Algren, Roger Ebert, Studs Terkel, Mike Royko, and Tom Fitzpatrick... Read more
The leaves are fading, the holidays looming. Which means it’s not too soon to start thinking about wine pairings for Thanksgiving. If you’re into hands-on research, consider heading to Des Moines for the Hawkeye State’s third annual Premier Wine & Food Expo... Read more
The Winnebago County seat may still evoke the eponymous apparel company founded in 1895, but linking Oshkosh solely with old-timey work clothes is an oversimplification akin to associating Chicago only with Tommy guns. There are a number of reasons to visit the lakeside community, none of which have to do with bib overalls... Read more
Tired of the gosh-darn seriousness that pervades election season? Head for unincorporated Story, Indiana, where they have a sense of humor about such things... Read more
You can celebrate all three in Michigan this weekend with a trio of provocative new art exhibits in Traverse City and a wine/music/gallery walk in nearby Suttons Bay... Read more
We are deep in the heart of Oktoberfest and that means celebrating such Teutonic traditions as schnitzel and steins. No need to travel to Bavaria. The Dells (yes, the Dells) and nearby Long Grove offer the best of the weekend’s wurst.... Read more
This weekend, head west to Iowa to stroll historic covered bridges or north to Wisconsin or Michigan to ascend lighthouses. From either bird’s-eye or bucolic ground level, you’ll encounter lovely water views... Read more
With more than 1,700 artists vying for almost $500,000 in prize money, ArtPrize, a three-week free festival in Grand Rapids, Michigan, claims to be the “world’s largest prize for art.” Now in its second year, the showcase for all manner of visual media turns a three-square-mile area of the city’s downtown area—including sidewalks, building exteriors, fences, bridges, and parks—into a gigantic gallery through October 10th... Read more
