The fourth annual Dement Town Music Fest will take place May 30 along Dixon's Depot Avenue, bringing a full day of live music, food, art and community to help kick off the summer season.

The wood-fired pizza restaurant and its Moo Joe’s ice cream shop is opening in a vacant building at 5 S. Madison St., next door to Freddie’s Off the Chain restaurant and across Jefferson Street from the Oswego Public Library.

Tacos El Tio, which has a location at 1606 W. Jefferson St. in Joliet, bought the space for $1.7 million, according to the Chicago Business Journal.

The West Suburban Community Pantry is anticipating more families turning to them and other area food pantries for help as SNAP benefit eligibility changes in May 1

Bloom Lockport and the Lockport Township Park District are the latest Will County community organizations to launch a community garden initiative, designed to help residents grow their own produce.

The B. Harley Bradley House will host the Ikebana Society Floral Art Show on Saturday, April 25.

For 14 years in Batavia and 50 years in West Chicago, Pal Joey’s Restaurant has been a “fabric of the community.” But the final Batavia location will close in a matter of days.

The new Guzman Y Gomez restaurant will be located on South Route 59 in Naperville, and will open later this year.

The Tequila Dinner is Thursday, May 7, and the Spring Wine Tasting event is Saturday, May 9.

Communion services are held twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Singing is usually done for the first hour or so. 

The restaurant opened in the former Crab Boil 59 space at 15507 S. Illinois Route 59 in 2023. It had previously been located in Oswego.

Pete’s Fresh Market is expected to open this summer, according to New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann.

America’s Best Restaurants is a national media firm focused on highlighting independent restaurants.

The Chana Mother’s Club annual salad supper will be Monday, May 4, at the Chana Education Center.

The Rochelle Elementary School Board on April 14 unanimously approved the renewal of its food management contract with Whitsons Culinary Group.

Uni Uni Boba Joliet will hold a grand opening at noon at 1504 Essington Road, Suite 1 in Joliet.

Check out these restaurants where you can find the best breakfast and brunch in the Illinois Valley.

BG Hospitality Group’s new restaurant elevates the local dining experience in Fox Haven Square, located at Main Street and Kirk Road.

Meals will be served from 5 to 7 p.m.

They’re great for dipping, fresh eating, and quick snacks straight from the garden. This variety is bred to resist bacterial leaf spot, an important advantage in humid growing conditions.

Iniga Pizzeria is located in downtown DeKalb at 206 E. Lincoln Highway, in the former Eduardo's Restaurant location.

The family-run restaurant boasts a legacy as a gathering space for celebrations and as a local employer.

Food Truck Mondays, a monthly event featuring regional food trucks in downtown Amboy, kicks off from 4-8 p.m. Monday in the Depot Museum parking lot in downtown Amboy.

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

Nostalgia overload: Wind through the hills of northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin, from Scales Mound to Lead Mine, and there are scenic views and a time warp back to life – in the form of old-time stores and taverns – from many decades ago.

Oberweis and Giordano’s announced Monday that they’ll be teaming up in downtown Naperville, with the dairy opening its first scoop shop inside the iconic pizza chain’s restaurant at 119 S. Main St.

The Oregon Lions Club will host a pork chop drive-thru event Saturday, May 2, in the Supervalu parking lot.

Granddaughter Jennifer (daughter of Susan and Ervin) wrote the column for me while she was at our daughter Verena’s.

The patriotic-themed venue in New Lenox features comfort food, cold drinks and live music.

The winner of the inaugural Joliet Chamber Premier Raffle will win two monthly prizes.

Sterling Main Street is excited to kick off a season of engines, entertainment and community connection with the Sterling Main Street Car Show on Sunday, May 3, at the Sterling Marketplace in the city’s downtown.

Spring and the return of baseball bring hot dogs back to the forefront. So here are 10 places to get a legit, Chicago-style hot dog in the suburbs.

The next time you're exploring Starved Rock State Park or one of other state parks, check out these delectable dining destinations in the area.

Meals will be served from 5 to 7 p.m.

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

Larry’s Diner, located at 24522 W. Lockport Street, closed its doors in May 2023 after being in business for 23 years.

The Q Center in St. Charles has welcomed a new executive chef. Around 26,000 people from all over the world visit Q Center annually for events, banquets, conferences and other affairs.

DuPage Township has announced it will break ground on its new food pantry facility on April 13 as demand for services continues to grow.

Restaurants that want to survive in 2026 need plenty of “creativity and adaptability,” according to the National Restaurant Association.

Verena fills in for her mother with stories of a busy week spent cleaning with her sisters, playing games with young nieces and nephews, hosting a family brunch, and sharing a deviled egg recipe.

According to USDA, the national average price for conventional hard-shell eggs in mid-March was $1.43 a dozen.

Pancheros Mexican Grill is expected to open the Princeton location this summer and the Sterling location in the fall.

Easter is Sunday, April 5.

The Rotary Club of Carol Stream will collect nonperishable food and non-food items needed by local food pantries through Friday, April 12 at a number of locations throughout the Carol Stream community as part of its annual communitywide food drive.

The Extension’s work spans youth development, agriculture education, community wellness, and horticulture programming.

Explore Kankakee's history this weekend at the Kankakee County Museum or B. Harley Bradley House.

Last year, village trustees unanimously approved plans for a 12,500-square-foot grocery store at the site. Benderson Development Company LLC. is building the store along with another building.

The Great American Bagel, which closed in 2023, recently reopened at 1101 Essington Road in Joliet under a new owner.

Lovina reflects on her family's move from Indiana to Michigan 22 years ago, sharing memories of early spring 2004 when they loaded hay, unloaded lumber, and nearly lost their barn to a grassfire in their first weeks as neighbors.

Billy Bricks Pizza and Moo Joe’s ice cream plan to open in a vacant building at 5 S. Madison St., next door to Freddie’s Off the Chain restaurant and across Jefferson Street from the Oswego Public Library.