Statewide News

Wild Chicago's Illinois Road Trip

IBOT is excited to announce a partnership with WTTW, Chicago's public broadcasting station, to produce "Wild Chicago's Illinois Road Trip," a seven-episode travel show that will highlight tourism destinations throughout the state. Ben Hollis, the original host of WTTW's series "Wild Chicago," will be the tour guide throughout these episodes, bringing his own twist and one-of-a-kind flair to the locations visited—all while decked out in his signature safari hat! Key Illinois attractions will be showcased, as will off-the-beaten-path stops and interesting Illinoisans.

This unique marketing effort is now in full swing. Hollis and his producer have already shot at a handful of locations, with several more itineraries secured for visits in the upcoming months. They'll continue to film into early 2006 for an April debut, when the seven, 30-minute episodes will start airing on Friday nights following the popular series "Check Please!"

Keep your eyes open for the WTTW crew in your area soon!

Illinois Great Rivers Ride reaches the end of the road

After an enjoyable week riding through Illinois, riders celebrated the conclusion of the first-ever Illinois Great Rivers Ride on Sept. 18 in Pere Marquette State Park with a lively Jimmy Buffett-themed dinner complete with music and fireworks. A variety of one-of-a-kind Illinois activities and events entertained riders throughout their 385-mile journey, including a reception and dinner at the John Deere Collectors Center and Pavilion in Moline; a catfish fry, bluegrass band and a sing-along at the Big River State Forest Preserve in Henderson County; wine tasting and a local celebration in Nauvoo; and a tour of the historic district in Quincy, among others.

The ride also generated strong media interest throughout the week, with print, television or radio coverage secured at almost every stop along the way. Most importantly, riders raved about the level of hospitality on the ride, noting the exciting send-off in Rockford and the exceptional entertainment and meals provided by various community partners. The weather cooperated with pleasant temperatures and sunny skies on most of the days. DCEO/IBOT would like to thank the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Roger Carmack and the Western Illinois Tourism Development Office, as well as the many communities along the route, for making the inaugural Illinois Great Rivers Ride a success.

Fall-O-Ween's scary prairie state happenings

Now that Fall-O-Ween(SM) is underway, IBOT is inviting travelers to celebrate the state's newest not-to-be missed fifth season in Illinois. Fall-O-Ween is ripe for the picking with the best of autumn—fall festivals, eerie events and wine tastings - statewide.

The bureau's current media outreach includes a range of events and attractions, as well as seasonal favorites throughout the state. Events include Navy Fear at Navy Pier (weekends of Oct. 7-10, 14-16 and 21-31); the 20th Annual Scarecrow Festival (Oct. 7-9) in St. Charles, which gives visitors a chance to vote on their favorite hand-crafted scarecrows; the Trail of Terror (now through Oct. 31) in Rockford, which offers fright-seekers a chance to visit haunted houses, pumpkin patches and festivals through eight different counties in the northwest region of the state; Cornfusion corn maze in Rantoul, which features a 10-acre corn maze themed after the "Fighting Illini"; the Haunted Dead Walk (now through Nov. 12), a walking tour that guides visitors through buildings in downtown Macomb that are believed to be haunted; and the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail in Southern Illinois, which provides a variety of options for wine lovers.

For more information on Fall-O-Ween events and activities, visit www.enjoyillinois.com.

Wine industry highlighted during Illinois Wine Month

September marked the first-ever Illinois Wine Month, a major economic initiative proclaimed by Gov. Blagojevich. To celebrate this special month and generate media coverage throughout the Midwest, the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA) promoted Illinois Wine Month through several efforts, including:

• Teaming with IBOT to deliver Illinois Wine Month and Fall-O-Ween-themed press packages to Chicago radio stations
• Issuing a press release at the beginning of September highlighting Illinois Wine Month activities
• Working with TimeOut Chicago to produce a full-page ad promoting Illinois Wine Month for their Sept. 1 issue and continued advertising on Chicago's WGN-AM with weekly ads showcasing Illinois Wine Month activities
• Partnering with Chicago's one sixtyblue restaurant to provide Illinois wine for their Illinois Wine Month Harvest Dinner on Sept. 29; one sixtyblue bar also featured Illinois wines at their "Blue Monday" wine tastings every Monday throughout the month of September.

Illinois Wine Month has already garnered several high-profile media placements, including: TimeOut Chicago, Chicago Tribune, The Southern Illinoisan, The Daily Herald, Peoria Journal-Star, The Pantagraph (Bloomington) and LaSalle News Tribune, among others. For more information on Illinois' wine industry and events, visit www.illinoiswine.com.

Fall colors update now available

The newest feature on www.enjoyillinois.com is as brilliant as the orange, red and gold hues that pepper the Land of Lincoln at this time of year. The site's fall color updates, updated each Friday and complete with information from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, provide travelers with the most current information available to plan their fall travel where and when the colors are at their peak. To explore mile after magnificent mile of Illinois' fall colors, visit www.enjoyillinois.com and start planning your getaway!