Calhoun County Quilt & Church Tour

Over 200 quilts, old to new, more hand stitched than machine stitched, are displayed in historic churches across Calhoun County. Visitors can also take part in quilt demonstrations, quilt appraisals, supplies, sales & raffels.

CITY: Brussels

Young Lincoln's Wilderness Capital Street Pageants

Street Corners in downtown Vandalia will be the stage for short performances that re-create historic moments. For example, a young Abraham Lincoln will meet Stephen Douglas at the Statehouse. What a fun way to learn about the past!

CITY: Vandalia

I&I Antique Tractor Historic Farm Days

Relive historic farming days at this annual four-day event. Plow and tillage field demonstrations, model gas and steam engines, horse and tractor demos, daily antique tractor pulls and country cooking you won’t want to miss. For more information, call 217-351-4133 or visit www.antiquefarm.org.

CITY: Penfield

Greenville Graffiti Car Show

The Greenville Graffiti Car Show is a nostalgic day of classic cars, Hollywood stars, oldies music, and great food. Donna Douglas, who played Elly Mae Clampett on "The Beverly Hillbillies," one of the most popular television series in the 1960s, is the featured celebrity at this year's event. She will sign autographs, participate in a special question and answer session with fans and serve as a celebrity judge. The car show (open to 1985 and older cars and trucks), features a variety of contests, food and fun. Also appearing is Ronnie Rice, lead singer of the group New Colony Sic. The group was founded in Chicago and went on to success when they signed with Mercury Records.

CITY: Greenville

Sycamore's Steam Show and Threshing Bee

For the last 56 years, the Northern Illinois Steam Power Club has sponsored the Sycamore Steam Show & Threshing Bee the second Thursday in August. The event starts at 6:00 a.m. with breakfast and is then followed by a church service, the National Anthem, and the Raising of the Flag. The afternoon is filled with threshing of steam engines and tractors and spotlights a 1:30 p.m. parade of old steam engines, tractors, cars and other antique machines. Activities for kids, a petting zoo, bake sale and flea market all take place on the fairgrounds as well. OPEN DAILY 7 AM TO 6 PM. FREE PARKING. Admission: Adults $6, Children under 12 Free. Thursday Senior Citizens $3

CITY: Sycamore

The National Sports Collectors Convention 2013

Activities include VIP Reception, an Autograph Pavilion, hosted by Tristar Productions Inc, with 70+ athletes. Other activities to be announced. The National offers a full range of sports, entertainment and gaming cards and collectibles, toys, event-used equipment and sports & entertainment autographs. The event is open to the general public July 31-Aug 4, 2013.

CITY: Rosemont

Half Century of Progress

Static displays, parts vendors, flea market and of course the nearly 200 acres of cropland to be harvested and tilled during the Half Century of Progress make this a show that has to be seen! Nowhere else can you see vintage machines strut their stuff in real life field conditions as they were built to do, and not just for a few minutes at a time. From the earliest days of tractor power to the horsepower explosion of the 1970's, it will all be represented here and at work in the field, not just sitting and looking pretty.

CITY: Rantoul

8 Seasons in Sapmi Exhibit

Step into the northernmost reaches of Europe! The indigenous Sápmi are a people whose nation spans Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. The Sapmi heritage is explored through their artwork and artifacts, and photographs of their traditionally nomadic lifestyle. We invite you to view garments, jewelry, musical instruments and more. Take the back roads this summer and experience our Utopian on the Prairie, Bishop Hill.

CITY: Bishop Hill

31st Annual Midwest Heritage Quilt Show

Beautiful quilts, some nearly 100 years old, will be on display at the Vermilion County Museum throughout the month of July. Awards will be given in 9 categories including bed quilts, purses and clothing, and wall hangings.

CITY: Danville

LEGO Star Wars MINILAND Model Displey

Young Padawans will learn to harness the Force in LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Chicago’s first-ever LEGO Star Wars Miniland – a large-scale, interactive LEGO model display, chronicling the adventures of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. Take part in a thrilling Podrace through treacherous terrain on the planet Tatooine, and help defeat the evil Droid Army on the rolling plains of Naboo.

CITY: Schaumburg

Middletown Homecoming

Middletown's second annual homecoming will include antiques, autos, music of all genres, food, local royalty, a parade, crafts, kids' games, raffles, cash drawings, fireworks, a community church service and a quarter raffle.

CITY: Middletown

Bloomington Gold Corvette Show

Bloomington Gold is not only the longest running national Corvette event, but also is noted for innovations that have been commonly copied by many other automotive events. Corvette auctions, swap meets, certification, SURVIVOR®, educational seminars and special museum-type displays all began at Bloomington Gold. Over 4,000 Corvettes will descend on Champaign County for the first time and over 1,00 0 are expected to take part in the Gold Tour, showcasing the open roads.

CITY: Champaign

Mount Pulaski Fall Festival

Mount Pulaski Fall Festival is held on the downtown square, around the original courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. Activities include food, a carnival, a parade, a local history museum, children's activities and local royalty. Visitors can also enjoy murals that highlight the town's history.

CITY: Mount Pulaski

Cruise into Main Street 5/K Run, Health Expo and Family Entertainment

A winning combination of race, medals, blood pressure checks, fitness demonstrations, live entertainment, antique cars, amazing prizes and much more await participants and the general public alike as they take part in the Cruise into Main Street 5K and Health Expo. Runners and walkers of all ages are encouraged to participate in the race which will route you through the streets of Lincoln ending at our downtown Center Stage where live entertainment will be provided by a variety of musicians from as far away as Chicago and Nashville. As you enjoy the music visit the Health Expo and get to know the businesses and organizations that will be there to showcase health-related goods and services that they provide to the community. If you’re a car enthusiast, the Railsplitter Antique Auto Club will have a number of classic cars available for viewing. Early bird registration for the Cruise into Main Street 5K ends on May 25th. Public events are free of charge. A registration fee will be charged for the 5/K Run.

CITY: Lincoln

14th Annual Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine Fine Arts Festival

This is Waukegan's 14th Annual Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine Fine Arts Festival! Artists, Music, Dance and Drum Circle "As Waukegan Grows" This event is sponsored by the City of Waukegan and the Waukegan Park District. Come and enjoy this one-of -a-kind festival.

CITY: Waukegan

15th Annual Route 66 Festival

The second weekend of June every year, the Edwardsville Route 66 Festival welcomes 100-150 classic cars touring the state as part of the annual Illinois Route 66 Association Motor Tour. The two day event includes food entertainment, classic car show, children's area with inflatables and activities, beer tent, bike ramble, 10K run and more!

CITY: Edwardsville

"Treasure!" Traveling Exhibition - Discovery Center Museum & Burpee Museum

Explore the history and the hunting of treasure in our newest immersive exhibition. Delve into the technology employed by treasure hunters and focus on the people and personalities lured by the promise of prosperity. Be enticed by shipwreck and treasure site artifacts, and learn to use the tools you'd need to find a fortune. Treasure! is a joint adventure with the Burpee Museum of Natural History, and can be uncovered in the Woodward Exhibit Hall.

CITY: Rockford

Civil War Ball, Dinner and Style Show

Logan Rail splitting Association will sponsor its annual Civil War Ball and this year is adding a dinner and style show. Civil War era clothing is encouraged, but dancers are also welcome to come in modern casual attire. Never danced before? Don't worry. Instructors are available to walk newcomers through the dances. All ages welcome.

CITY: Lincoln

Cool Cars Under the Stars 2013

DuPage County, Chicago's Western Suburbs - Wednesday nights, head to Elmhurst City Centre for Cool Cars Under the Stars. Every week is a different theme, including Ford Night, military, and so much more. Rev up your engines, and cruise into the heart of downtown Elmhurst for this family-friendly, weekly classic car show featuring some of the hottest wheels in town.

CITY: Elmhurst

Atlanta, IL Electric Vehicle Cruise-in

A free, public Electric Vehicle Cruise-In will take place from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. along the original Mother Road in historic downtown Atlanta. The cruise-in is sponsored by the Atlanta Betterment Fund. Enjoy cool EV cars and a chance to learn more about how the Mother Road is working to give birth to a new travel infrastructure. All electric and hybrid cars are invited to participate in the cruise-in. The event will also feature vintage music, great food, a 50/50 drawing and hourly drawings.

CITY: Atlanta

Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival

Town-wide activities associated with the Lincoln Art & Balloon Festival include hot air balloon launches and glows, teathered balloon rides, giant kite demonstrations, pro wrestling, carnival, live entertainment, Heritage in Flight Museum, bocce ball and bags tournaments, The Art of Wine, KCBS BBQ Contest, food concessions, a beer garden, a Fine Art Fair, a children's art fair, a flea market and craft fair, a used book sale, trolley rides, a vintage car show, a farmer's market and a YMCA Family Bike Ride.

CITY: Lincoln

American Thresherman Show

The evening events for this five day steam and antique tractor show will feature a horse pull, antique tractor pull and, on Friday and Saturday nights, Illinois Tractor Pulling Associating pulls. Thursday night, head uptown for the big parade. The day events include plowing with horses, steam engine and tractors and a pedal tractor pull. There will also be demonstrations on sawmills, veneer mills, shingle mills and blacksmiths.

CITY: Pinckneyville

Home Garden & Business Expo

Annual Home Garden & Business Expo featuring over 40 exhibitors and 2 full days of "How To" demonstrations. Breakfast and lunch available, hourly door prizes, blood screenings on site and register for the "Grand Prize!"

CITY: Centralia

Atlanta Fall Festival

Atlanta Fall Festival includes food, a carnival, a parade, children's activities and local royalty.

CITY: Atlanta

Fever River Railroad Fall Open House

For model railroad aficionados-and everyone else who ever enjoyed model trains-this model railroad is something to see. The Fever River Railroad is a 103 by 24 foot HO scale model of a hypothetical railroad. The railroad intersects with models of "real" railroads, each of which can be operated independently-up to 20 trains can be operating at one time. Industries along the railroad right-of-way duplicate either actual facilities or are typically correct of the industries that would be found in the Upper Midwest. The scenery represents the geographical area as well. A collection of railroad memorabilia and pictures are on display.

CITY: Freeport

Old House New House Home Show

Explore 300 deluxe displays with the latest in kitchens, baths, building, remodeling and landscaping. Meet award-winning contractors and creative craftsmen to improve your home surroundings.

CITY: St. Charles

39th Fall Fox Valley Antique Show

Antiques are exhibited indoors at the bright and spacious Kane County Fairgrounds. Catered lunch is available and there is free parking. Admission $8 benefits local historical and educational endeavors. For information, visit csada.com.

CITY: St. Charles

WGEM Home & Living Show

The area's largest show dedicated to the newest in home and living products at the Oakley Lindsay Center in Quincy.

CITY: Quincy

Cruise Night

Join in an old-fashioned cruise through downtown Freeport. There will be live music , a food court offering a variety of tasty choices, and three contests: the Soundwerks and Tailor Made Autoworks Sound Off Contest, the Gary's Collision & Customs Muffler rapping Contest, and the Dan's Route 66 Service Burn Out Contest. There will be a lot filled with antique cars, Hot Rod Alley and two main parking lots for the classic cars, and cruising all night long. Reserved Parking: $12; Non-Reserved Parking: $10; Cruise Only: Free.

CITY: Freeport

Top of the Class Antique Show

Please join us for the return of one of Central Illinois' most hospitable and quality antiques show, with space for 45 quality exhibitors. Hours are as follows: Friday from 5-8pm; Saturday from 10am-5pm; and Sunday from 10am-4pm. Hosted by the Illinois State University School of Communication.

CITY: Normal

42nd Annual Northern Illinois Art Show

The Kishwaukee Valley Art League is proud to bring its annual Northern Illinois Art Show to the public. Held each spring in Sycamore, Illinois on the Dekalb County Courthouse lawn and now in its 42nd year, the Northern Illinois Art Show features the work of artists in fine arts and fine crafts from across the Midwest. This show is an outstanding opportunity for fine artists to reach a wide audience and a great place for shoppers to find unique gifts. Easily accessible and highly publicized, the Northern Illinois Art Show attracts artists, residents, and tourists from across Northern Illinois and beyond. Applications to the show from artists will be accepted through April 12. Accepted artists will be contacted directly by KVAL. Applications are available on their website. Admission: Free for visitors

CITY: Sycamore

Plane & Pilot Midwest LSA Expo

At the Plane & Pilot Midwest LSA Expo, you'll find Light Sport Aircrafts lined on the tarmac of the Mt. Vernon Airport. You will also find LSA's for sale, LSA ancillary equipment, and LSA related services.

CITY: Mount Vernon

Prairie Land Heritage Steam Show & Fall Festival Days

43rd Annual event. View antique tractors, period demonstrations from blacksmiths, plowing, threshing, baling, grinding and molasses production. Enjoy train rides, tractor pulls, great food and a HUGE flea market.

CITY: Jacksonville

22nd Annual Chicago Railroad Collectibles and Model Train Show

The last Chicago Railroad Collectibles Show before Christmas! Now with model trains and operating layouts. Collectibles include items used by railroads such as: lanterns, china, silverware, keys, locks, timetables, train parts and maps as well as books, photographs and DVDs on railroads.

CITY: St. Charles

Sapphire and Crystal Exhibition and Opening Reception

An exhibition of artworks by Chicago area African-American women artists who are members of Sapphire and Crystals, including Joyce owens, Felicia Grant Preston, and Pearlie Taylor. Show includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed media works. Artists will be present at reception.

CITY: Chicago Heights

Cedarhurst Craft Fair

More than 160 exhibitors from throughout the country show and sell diverse craft items. Includes continuous entertainment, children's activities, and a variety of food.

CITY: Mount Vernon

Antique Automobile Exhibit

This outdoor exhibit of vintage automobiles showcases the early history of the car in America and features everything from Model Ts to SmartCars. Held on the grounds of the historic David Davis Mansion in Bloomington.

CITY: Bloomington

American Indian and Ethnographic Show

Historic artifacts on display.

CITY: Collinsville

44th Annual Threshing Show and Antique Display

This show features over 300 gas tractors, steam engines and horse-powered equipment, antique tractor pulls, and horse pulls, along with exhibitors showing threshing, sawmills, blacksmithing, weaving, spinning and chair caning. The shows special features this year will be Massy Tractors and Equipment, Gasoline Alley will feature Odd Ball & Out of the Ordinary engines. Browse the huge flea market and ride the steam train at the depot.

CITY: Freeport

37th Annual Kane County Railroad Collectibles & Model Train Show

One of two Annual Railroad Collectible Shows in Chicago with model trains and operating layouts. Railroad collectibles include items used by railroads such as lanterns, china, silverware, keys, locks, timetables, train parts and maps as well as books, photographs and DVDs on railroad topics.

CITY: St. Charles

Silver Creek and Stephenson Railroad Steam Train Rides

All aboard as a 36-ton 1912 Heisler steam locomotive pulls three cabooses, including an antique red caboose reported to be the oldest in the state, and three passenger flatcars for a four-mile ride through farmlands and across a bridge 30 feet above Yellow Creek. Purchase your ticket at the Silver Creek Depot, a turn-of-the-century replica filled with railroad artifacts. Browse for novelties in the Freight House Gift Shop. Visit the Silvercreek Museum filled with early Americana and featuring the 130-ton Cooper Corliss Steam Engine and its over 25-foot fly wheel. An ice cream social with sandwiches, chips, pie, cake and ice cream will be available at the museum. Train: Adults: $7; Children under 12: $3; Cab Rides: $15; Museum: Adults: $3, Children under 12: Free. 11 am - 4 pm.

CITY: Freeport

Antique Automobile Club of American Grand National Show

View over 300 antique cars on display in the heart of downtown Moline, Illinois and situated on River Drive by the world-famous John Deere Pavilion. Be sure to bring your camera to capture pictures of one-of-a-kind antique cars. Cars line River Drive and are arranged by year. If you like antique cars, this is a show not to be missed.

CITY: Moline

Christmas Around the World & Holidays of Light

Christmas Around the World began in 1942 as a United Nations Day salute to American allies during the war, is now in its 69th year. The exhibit features more than 60 dazzling trees and displays that are decorated by members of Chicago's ethnic communities to reflect holiday customs from around the world. Holidays of Light showcases various global holidays that celebrate light or enlightenment such as Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Diwali. Festivities include ethnic dancing and singing, storytellers, and school choir performances.

CITY: Chicago

Hummingbird Festival & Pollination Celebration

Visitors will enjoy entertainment, food and fun at this year’s Hummingbird Festival & Pollination Celebration! Buzz on over to join us as we celebrate hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees! Learn from local experts about the important pollinators in Funks Grove by participating in programs, seminars, hikes and more. For more information, please call 309-874-2174 or visit www.sugargrovenaturecenter.org.

CITY: McLean

Mucha: Expanding Art Nouveau Exhibit

Alphonse Mucha brought the elegance of the Art Nouveau movement to everyday and commercial objects through his designs for posters, magazines, jewelry and much more. Featuring objects from the John High Collection, one of the world's leading collections of Mucha postcards, from the Lake County Discovery Museum. Exhibit is free with museum admission.

CITY: Wauconda

Traveling Exhibition: "Treasure! Your Hunt Has Just Begun!"

Explore the history and the hunting of treasure in our newest immersive exhibition. Delve into the technology employed by treasure hunters and focus on the people and personalities lured by the promise of prosperity. Be enticed by shipwreck and treasure site artifacts, and learn to use the tools you'd need to find a fortune. Treasure! is a joint adventure with the Burpee Museum of Natural History, and can be uncovered in the Woodward Exhibit Hall.

CITY: Rockford

Annual St. Charles Fine Art Show

Located along the banks of the Fox River, this juried art show features 100 fine artists, live music, demonstrations and artists’ awards.

CITY: St. Charles

Sculptures on the Avenue

Come explore the sculptures that have transformed the City of Effingham's avenues into an art gallery. Over 30 sculptures created by some of the Midwest's best known and unknown sculptors bring life to the streets of Effingham as part of the annual "Sculptures on the Avenues" outdoor exhibition. Sculptures on the Avenues is a self-guided walking tour that begins at City Hall, located at 201 E. Jefferson Ave. From there, the exhibition winds in and out of Downtown Effingham. An informative guide, which facilitates a walking tour, is available at the Effingham Visitors Center or City Hall.

CITY: Effingham

Backwater Gamblers Water Ski Shows

Enjoy this professional water ski team as they perform on the Rock River with jumps,human pyramids and more. Great fun for all ages and admission is free. Shows are offered every Wednesday and Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day beginning at 6:30pm.

CITY: Rock Island

Sugar Creek Arts Festival

The streets of Uptown Normal are painted with artists and art lovers alike during this annual festival held each July. The festival only allows original pieces of artwork to be shown, so be ready for a one-of-a-kind experience!

CITY: Normal

East Peoria Festival of Lights & Folepi's Winter Wonderland

Light up your night at the East Peoria Festival of Lights (FOLEPI)! The annual Festival of Lights is a one-of-a-kind holiday spectacular. With more than two million lights in the festival, the beauty will be sure to mesmerize you and your family.

CITY: East Peoria

EXPO CHICAGO

Set to occur on Chicago's historic Navy Pier, Expo Chicago - the inaugural international exposition of contemporary & modern art.

CITY: Chicago

Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity

Were the Impressionists fashionistas? At a time in France when designers like Charles Frederick Worth changed how clothing was made and marketed into the first manifestations of the modern fashion industry, artists were using fashion to communicate modernity as an idea. The Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity exhibit at The Art Institute of Chicago covers this period between the 1860s and 1880s that saw not only the rise of the department store and the proliferation of fashion magazines but also serious interests among an artistic and literary elite in the ephemeral and constantly innovative qualities of fashion as a means of discovering new visual and verbal expressions.

CITY: Chicago

Great Galena Balloon Race

A spectacular three-day event with more than 20 hot air balloons. Observe the balloons taking flight in two balloon races and lighting up the night with glow extravaganzas. Stroll through a car show, enjoy live music, and participate in activities for the whole family. The Friday night Alefest boasts more than two hundred varieties of Ales and spirits.

CITY: Galena

To Kill and to Heal: Weapons and Medicine of the Civil War

The exhibit covers Civil War weaponry, its evolution and the adaptation of medicine for the wounds caused by these weapons. Artifacts & vignettes include guns, explosives, diseases, wounds, medical personnel, ambulance corps and anesthetics.

CITY: Springfield

Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made in America Exhibit

The Grayslake Heritage Center will become one of only 11 places in the nation to host this traveling exhibition about Abraham Lincoln. This exhibition features high-quality reproductions of items ranging from Lincoln's surveying instruments to the gloves he wore on the night he was assassinated at Ford's Theater. Discover a wonderful overview of his life from boyhood to his years as President and Emancipator. The Heritage Center will be open six days a week with evening hours added to increase accessibility. No admission fee, but donations are accepted.

CITY: Grayslake

Dinosaurs Alive!

Dinosaurs Alive! They're back at Brookfield Zoo, and they're bigger and better than before. Some favorites are returning but many are new! Brookfield Zoo guests can take a trip back millions of years and experience Dinosaurs Alive!, presented by Dominicks. Come and enjoy this unique, fun, and educational exhibit of Tyrannosaurus proportions that will feature supersized animatronic dinosaurs, including favorites like Stegosaurus and Triceratops, as well as obscure dinosaur species with unusual characteristics, like feathers.

CITY: Brookfield

Animal Inside Out, a Body Worlds production

This spring and summer, the Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) will offer the unique chance to explore the intricate biology and physiology of some of the world’s most spectacular creatures in “Animal Inside Out, a Body Worlds production.” The exhibition showcases more than 100 animal specimens that have been preserved through the process of plastination. From goats to giraffes and octopuses to ostriches, guests will see the inner workings of some of the world's most impressive animals and better understand the evolution of animals and the natural world.

CITY: Chicago