Statewide News

Fall-O-Ween™ arrives in Illinois

Fall-O-Ween officially began on Sept. 1, and family-friendly events are plentiful across Illinois. In Northern Illinois, visitors can enjoy the Galena Balloon Festival, a 3-day hot air balloon extravaganza (Oct. 27 – 29). Celebrating its 21st year, the Scarecrow Festival in St. Charles encourages community groups to compete for the best scarecrow in a variety of categories (Oct. 6 – 8). In Southern Illinois, the Illinois Wine & Art Festival at Rend Lake (Sept. 23 – 24) will feature local wineries and delicious food, as well as artists from across the state.

Those looking for a spooky thrill should check out Central Illinois’ Clinton Haunted House, rated one of Illinois’ best. Northern Illinois’ Starved Rock State Park in Utica offers the spine-tingling All About Ghost Trolley Tour (Oct. 28 and 29), and Chicago’s Navy Pier will entice brave travelers with the Demons of the Deep haunted house (weekends Oct. 5 – 31.) In addition, Fall-O-Ween revelers can enjoy scenic drives and breathtaking fall colors in all regions of the state.
 
For more information on Fall-O-Ween, contact Emma Douglas, emma.douglas@edelman.com.

Wineries across the state celebrate second annual Illinois Wine Month

Calling all wine connoisseurs! This September marks the second annual Illinois Wine Month, as declared by Gov. Blagojevich. The Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA) will kick off the month at the Great Performers of Illinois event in Chicago’s stunning Millennium Park on Sept. 9. Great Performers of Illinois will feature more than 200 musical, literary, dance and artistic performers from across the state, and will host six wineries offering wine tastings and demonstrations at the Park Grill.

Chicago’s Harry Caray’s, the legendary steakhouse named after the late Cubs broadcaster, will host Illinois wine tastings every Wednesday throughout the month of September, culminating in an Illinois Wine Dinner featuring Illinois-grown and produced food and wine on Sept. 27. In addition, the restaurant will serve several Illinois wines by the glass throughout the month at both its Chicago and Rosemont locations.

More than 60 wineries across Illinois will offer events and festivals for those looking to celebrate Illinois Wine Month. In Southern Illinois, the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, which boasts eight award-winning wineries, will hold its annual Fall Festival on Sept. 2 and 3. In Northern Illinois, more than 18 wineries will feature their varietals at the Vintage Illinois Wine Festival on Sept. 18 and 19 at Starved Rock State Park in Utica. The following weekend, Sept. 23 and 24, Rend Lake in Whittington will host the 11th annual Illinois Wine & Art Festival. In addition to a dozen wineries from the area, the festival will host more than 40 of Illinois’ best-known artists. To close Illinois Wine Month’s celebrations, Furrow Winery in El Paso will celebrate its annual Oktoberfest on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

For additional information about Illinois Wine Month, please visit www.illinoiswine.com or contact Alexa Gunther, alexa.gunther@edelman.com.

Second annual Illinois Great Rivers Ride hits the road this month

The second annual Illinois Great Rivers Ride is gearing up to be an even bigger success than the first, with more than 200 participants traveling from 25 states – some from as far away as Alaska – to take part in this seven-day noncompetitive ride along 400 miles of the Rock, Illinois and Mississippi rivers.

Beginning in Rockford, the cyclists will enjoy a pre-ride celebration on Sept. 9 with an opportunity to visit Anderson Japanese Gardens and Haight Village, where they can play in a vintage baseball game. The ride officially kicks off on Sept. 10 at the Rockford YMCA when participants set out for the ride of a lifetime to enjoy some of Illinois’ most scenic vistas, spectacular attractions and first-rate entertainment such as:

• A Mexican fiesta featuring a mariachi band and night Frisbee

• A Channel Cat water taxi ride on the Mississippi River and tours of the Quad City Botanical Center in Rock Island

• Native American re-enactments under the stars, a fish fry and horseshoe toss contest in Big River Forest Preserve in Henderson County

• Golfing and a Western-themed dinner and square dancing at Nauvoo State Park with the option of touring Illinois’ oldest winery, Baxter’s Vineyards

• A German fest with authentic German cuisine and entertainment in Quincy

• Trap-shooting, horseback riding, and re-enactments by an Abraham Lincoln impersonator in Nebo

• A closing celebration at the National Great Rivers Museum at Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton

The Illinois Great Rivers Ride is sponsored by Gov. Blagojevich’s Opportunity Returns economic development program, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Bureau of Tourism and the Western Illinois Tourism Development Office. For more information on the Illinois Great Rivers Ride, call 877-477-7007 (ext. 217) or visit www.illinoisgreatriversride.com.

IBOT to unveil new wave of Offbeat Illinois posters

The Bureau will debut the latest series of the popular Offbeat Illinois vintage poster advertisements this month. Posters featuring quirky destinations including Illinois Wine Country, Bishop Hill State Historic Site and Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul will be displayed around Chicagoland on train platforms, bus shelters and billboards as well as on special postcards found in select restaurants.

IBOT continues its partnership with CaféPress.com to make the posters and other items such as T-shirts, baby bibs, magnets, coasters and journals available to consumers at www.enjoyillinois.com/shopoffbeat. Hundreds of items have already been purchased with the Collinsville Catsup Bottle, the Illinois State Fair Butter Cow and Cave-in-Rock in Hardin County being the most popular selections.

To order Offbeat Illinois merchandise, visit www.enjoyillinois.com/shopoffbeat.