Entertainment

Eclectic activities feature a highly anticipated regional premiere at Drury Lane Theatre, bluegrass, ABBA tribute, magic show and a celebration of science and history with a local documentary presented at the Tivoli Theatre in Downers Grove.

Spring is here and al fresco dining is heating up in the Illinois Valley.

Tulip Sip & Stroll and Mother’s Day event await visitors this April and May at Cantigny in Wheaton.

Kendall County has several exciting upcoming events, including an industrial tour, community clean-up, and spring wine fest.

This weekend explore a French market, listen to the swinging sounds of the Big Band Era, and more.

Check out these 5 things to do in Kankakee County this weekend.

Plant trees in Huntley for Arbor Day and learn about wild weather in Crystal Lake this weekend in McHenry County.

Ten members of WriteOn Joliet will explore various aspects of heroism in original radio-style stories and poems.

A radio play adaptation of "My Favorite Wife," Healthy Kids Day, Earth Day, a Doors cover band and a car show are among the activities in the Illinois Valley this weekend.

Shop at Dixon Lioness Lions Club’s Quartermania on April 29 in Dixon; play trivia to support Sterling's Christ Lutheran School on May 10.

Marriott Theatre continues its 50th anniversary season celebration with “Titanic: The Musical.”

The Summer Outdoor Rooftop Concert Series at the Joliet Area Historical Museum opens May 17. The museum will host 11 concerts during the season.

Participants can enter to win prizes that include a cruise, dinner at Cooper's Hawk for a year and more.

Sugarbakers serves more than 60 cocktails and over 20 martinis, along with 60 different wines, and just as many bourbons, by the bottle, glass or flight.

Highlights include tributes to Cher, hip-hop music, classic country singers and performers from 'America's Got Talent.'

Get outside and fly a kite, sip some wine and enjoy two festivals in Kendall County this spring.

Special events range from The Morton Arboretum's Arbor Day Plant Sale and a production of "Our Town" at the MAC to live music, a showcase of jewelry artistry and an interactive exhibition on farming in DuPage County at the Elmhurst History Museum.

Lake County’s delectable culinary and beverage scene took center stage at the highly successful Lake County February Flavor Festival.

Stock up on gourmet chocolates from these local shops for Easter Sunday treats.

Check out this list of outdoor gardens and parks in the Illinois Valley and suburbs to enjoy in spring and summer.

The 49th season will see the debut of the Wrath of Rakshasa, the steepest and most inverted dive coaster in the world.

The St. Charles Art Council's community art project will feature hand painted banners in Mt. St. Mary's Park this summer.

Check out these 5 things to do in and near Kankakee County this weekend.

Ride the train with the Easter Bunny in Union and hunt for eggs in Johnsburg this weekend in McHenry County.

Get the family out for Easter egg hunts and free photos with the Easter Bunny in the Joliet area this weekend.

A skydiving Easter bunny, Easter centerpiece workshop, adult egg hunt, bunny run and underwater egg hunt are among the activities in the Illinois Valley this weekend.

Rock River Madness bicycling event is May 3 in Dixon; Wed on the Rock is May 4 in Oregon.

Kendall County has several exciting upcoming events, including a family bingo night, spring egg hunt and poetry in the park.

Celebrate the Earth and enjoy the weather with five things to do this week in Kane County:

The amusement park, located in East Dundee, will open weekends beginning May 17. Regular hours begin in June.

Hamilton Loft in Lockport is available for public and private events, workshops, brand pop-ups, photos shoots and meetings.

Spencer Aurand, former business manager at Dixon Stage Left, will fill the role previously filled by Darren Mangler. Aurand left Stage Left a couple months ago and decided to move back to theater when the Dixon theater board approached him about the position.

The new business has seven VR games available, each lasting about 30 minutes.

Nik & Ivy's Brewing Company in Lockport will host a spring artisan market with food and live music on Saturday, April 12.

Shop at a craft fair at the McHenry VFW and hop along a bunny trail in Lake in the Hills this weekend in McHenry County.

An acclaimed guest violinist, a debut Spring Fest at Brookfield Zoo Chicago and a winning fish fry and foreign film will be part of the fun.

Opinion: April has brought the end of Mac & Cheese Madness and the start of spring events, writes Alexis Aviles of the DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Go back to the Prohibition era at these speakeasy bars located in St. Charles, La Salle, Elgin, Lockport and more northern Illinois locations.

Sci-Fest, Naturescapes art exhibition, Route "Flute" 66 and Easter egg hunts are among the events in the Illinois Valley this weekend.

Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park Theatre in Joliet is hosting a National Poetry Month Open Mic & Festival for poets, singers and rappers on Saturday.

The Next Picture Show, Dixon, also will host a Chapter and Verse Open Mic Night for the area’s authors Friday, April 11, that will appear on a local video podcast.

The Illinois Rock and Roll Museum on Route 66 will combine 2024 and 2025 inductions in a ceremony at the Rialto in September.

Theatre 121 creates fabulous fun in the Ken Ludwig adaptation of the classic swashbuckler on stage at the Woodstock Opera House.

Nearly 20 downtown businesses will participate in the event, each offering deals and promotions.

You’ll be rolling in the aisles, and that isn’t because of the theater hitting an iceberg.

The summit is an “opportunity to connect with Route 66 enthusiasts, community leaders and tourism experts,” according to the Joliet Area Historical Museum website. Registration is required.

An array of folk music artists will kick off a three-part series of concert fundraisers at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6, to benefit Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove.

Tony-winning best play “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” is part of a lineup that includes creating eye-catching gardens and enjoying live music for every taste in DuPage and Cook counties.

Celebrate Easter with your dog in McHenry and shop at a local market in Algonquin this weekend in McHenry County.

Artist Glenn Bodish, who is an art professor at Sauk Valley Community College, will be featured in the Dempsey Family Gallery at Water Street Studios.