Our recent Fall-O-Ween festivities offered many highlights. From the vintage tastes of Illinois Wine Month to the family fun of our autumn festivals, we can be proud of this annual tradition.

It was also an occasion to debut a number of new posters for our Offbeat Illinois campaign. The second annual Illinois Wine Month was commemorated with a poster celebrating “miles of magnificent vines.” We also released a poster titled “Hi-Ho Prancer!” whose cowboy on a reindeer lets consumers know that at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch, you can interact with these wonderful animals year-round. Finally, the historic Swedish colony of Bishop Hill has a poster touting the vintage village’s quaint life and simple pleasures. These posters are on display throughout Chicagoland and have recently debuted in St. Louis.

Looking forward, there’s no shortage of exciting attractions and activities on hand for winter. If you’re thinking it’s too cold to promote water parks, you may not have heard that the state’s largest indoor water park is set to open this January—CoCo Key Water Resort at the Sheraton Chicago Northwest in Arlington Heights. It’s one of two CoCo Key parks opening this winter, with a second park located in Rockford at the Clock Tower Resort. Water slides, a lazy river, a wave beach, whirlpools, a poolside movie screen and even aquatic life special effects are among the family-friendly treats CoCo Key has in store.

Chicago kicks off its Winter Delights holiday season on Nov. 18 with ice carving, caroling and fireworks at the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival. Other holiday celebrations at major Chicago institutions include Navy Pier’s Winter Wonderfest and the annual Lincoln Park ZooLights. On the cultural front, the Chicago Historical Society has recently reopened as The Chicago History Museum. Among its many fine exhibits is a tribute to the celebrated Chicago painter Ed Paschke, whose acclaimed works will be on display through Feb. 19, 2007.

While on the subject of Illinois’ great museums, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is preparing to open “To Cherish Peace and Good Will: Holidays at the White House” on Nov. 24. This exhibit will recreate how some of our most renowned Presidents celebrated the holiday season. Other historical attractions include the Victorian Christmas Tours at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Oak Park, the lavishly decorated David Davis Mansion in Bloomington and the Galesburg Historical Society Chocolate Festival.

From outdoor adventures like the Alton Eagle Meet & Greet and the Shawnee National Forest’s “Wonders of Winter” Walk to the East Peoria Festival of Lights and Galena’s Night of the Luminaria, our state has an abundance of fantastic activities to promote this winter. Plus, we’ll be celebrating 20 years of the Illinois Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Feb. 7 – 9 at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago. You’ll be hearing a lot more about that in the weeks to come. Also, keep your eyes open for the new 2007 Illinois Travel Guide.

Best wishes for a safe, happy and productive holiday season.

Sincerely,