The owner of a Lanark cafe blends creativity and comfort to craft dishes that surprise and delight, each plate served with a dash of inspiration.

Seasoned performers are getting in on the act in Dixon, where seniors' talents are getting an encore performance, thanks to a new theater group.

At the corner of a street of Clay and a street of brick in Mount Carroll stands a place that bridges the past and present, a historical hotel where guests can relax and revisit a simpler time.

Collecting and selling sports cards and memorabilia has been a successful business for a Davis Junction resident who has earned a national following for finding unique sports treasures, and helping others sell them for loads of money.

Helping to bring one's designs on a quilt to reality is a talent that a Pearl City business owner has done all throughout the nation.

Roller skating rinks are places where people of all ages can enjoy camaraderie, competition and creation of memories for years to come – and for more than 75 years, a classic Mount Morris rink has been a spot for fresh moves and retro fun.

Having some cents of Dixon history: Centennial, quasquicentennial, sesquicentennial, dosquicentennial … Dixon can observe them all this year, from the anniversary of an unbeatable high school football team to the establishment of governance in its rural areas.

Kaelyn Carstens is only 13, but she has quite the imagination to start a small business. Her colorful crochet designs have been a frequent sight at local farmers markets, and it’s been quite a learning experience for her as well.

Mailers and magazines, fliers and photo spreads – if you’ve ever had a product picture pull you in, there’s a good chance an Erie man’s work was tugging at your attention.

Popsicles come in different shapes and varieties, and a Franklin Grove woman has has put her own twist to the treats – using real fruits and what grows in her garden to create a variety of tasty flavors that make customers' taste buds pop.

When the harvest ends, creativity begins – and round hay bales become art. Need an idea for a neat front yard creation? Look to Rochelle, where the community comes up with colorful creations on circular canvases.

A Morrison family gels well, jellies well and delis well in owning Peanut Butter and Deli – a downtown restaurant known for its sandwiches and drinks, keeping their customers fed and invested in the town they love.

Marilyn Long has poured joy and stories since the ‘70s, from sloe gin fizzes to ‘Filthy Marilyns,’ serving generations with a smile from behind the bar counter. She’s Marilyn, but ‘Ma to her loving customers at Wally’s Playce.

Large, fast-moving trains from Chicago to the West Coast zoom through Rochelle. It's where two important lines cross at a diamond, and where train enthusiasts cross paths at a park to enjoy seeing what each engine and car brings to their eyes.

Harold's Furniture owner Becky Hunter has worked at the Rock Falls store for 40 years, and a celebration is planned for Nov. 1n at the store.

When it comes to our health, times have really changed – but a Tampico woman would like to change them back to a time when nature would nurture us, and she’s offering an oasis where people can do just that: a retreat where they can regroup, relax and recharge.

For the team at a Dixon attorneys’ office, there’s no place like home – except their workplace, where they make a winning case for following in dad’s footsteps.

Oregon twin brothers have learned early in life that caring for cows goes a long way, and it's helped them nearly 25 years later achieve success in cattle raising.

What started as somewhere for seniors to socialize has grown into a place that today is celebrating 50 years of being the Center of attention for Ogle County’s older population.

The final curtain hasn't fallen on small town community theater across the nation. That's the case in Polo, where performers of all ages and experience levels come together for a few shows a year to entertain and amaze local crowds.

Tee time can be anytime thanks to a Galena business that’s giving players a place to perfect their performance, right under their own roof.

Northwest Illinois, eastern Iowa and southwest Wisconsin are home to frightfully fun haunted houses.

Lake Carroll's annual Mr. and Mrs. Club Championship brings out the best in teamwork to come out on top, and there's a strong bond among the teammates – they're spouses.

Having some cents of Ogle County history: Centennial, quasquicentennial, sesquicentennial, dosquicentennial … Ogle County can observe them all this year, from the anniversary of driving through a cut up rock to blazing trails and rails.

Sometimes a trip off the beaten path can give people more things to learn and talk about. Take a drive from Mount Carroll to Scales Mound, and there's something for everyone.

Tiring of weak tires? A Fulton tire shop can help make those needed repairs to get the farming routines back on schedule.

Cameras roll, meters hum, a Savanna family hunts for what the living cannot see. Armed with ghost-hunting gear, 2 a.m. Paranormal in Savanna searches for stories the living can’t explain.

Royally hand-in-hand: A pair of Stillman Valley businesses under one roof sought to bring back memories of generations ago: one with the name of a longtime grocery store chain, and another with Grandma's beef jerky recipe.

Drag racing and Arnie Beswick were born around the same time – one on the dry lake beds of California and the other in Morrison – and they’ve both found fame through the years, with drag racing attracting legions of fans and “The Farmer” becoming a legend in his field.

A Mount Carroll craftsman is happy when he’s in his own neck of the woods, having the run of his Mill and creating hand-crafted pieces made with tools that have some history behind them and more work ahead of them.

Melinda Jones has a message for people – My hometown Rocks! – and the city’s tourism director and her team are committed to getting that message out to people near and far.

What was once a beacon to Sterling's founding Brink now is reminder of local church history and a helping hand to the community he started, and its pastor and congregation are carrying on traditions more than 185 years later.

The menu at a downtown Dixon restaurant has customers seeing green, as well as many vegetable and fruit colors to consider in a more healthier offering.

From multi-state marathons to races close to home, a Lake Carroll runner brings a lifetime of endurance and passion to others at Mount Carroll's Davis Community Center, helping them get healthier, stay active and build connections through fitness.

The preservation of natural areas has become a winning mission in Winnebago County, where there are more than 40 places to get away and enjoy the flora and fauna thrive – in forests, wetlands and along the county's winding rivers.

Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, will be a day with many farms to stroll around throughout Ogle County, with farmers showing their farms, practices, products and antiques to help educate visitors on food sources and the life of a hard day's work.

To B or not to B – that was a question that Blair McCafrey's fans of his cooking often asked about starting his own restaurant one day, and the Amboy native made it happen with Uncle B's Bar and Grill, serving up its own styles of food and fun.

After years in their careers, a husband and wife decided it was time to wear different hats, as owners of an antique shop in Mount Carroll, where they’ve been glad to be Mad for over 25 years

Expanding the classic car community throughout northwest Illinois is a passion of a Lake Carroll couple who moved their auto sales business from Oswego to Freeport.

Taking care of their community isn't just a job for a Rock Falls couple, but a passion that goes beyond that: making sure hungry bellies are full during the holidays and giving teenagers a chance to explore their hands-on skills.

A Morrison couple loves living a life of Adventures, hauling their home away from home on highways and byways, and sharing their journeys with kindred wandering spirits.

It doesn't happen often when competing in sports gives kids an experience of earning a medal in national competition, but Dixon's Lily Haws has one in the sport she enjoys playing. The 13-year-old recently brought home silver from a national curling competition.

A father and child reunion is only an ocean away for a pair of Prophetstown natives who love getting together to make music

Esports is changing the game of extracurriculars at local high schools, as is Eastland High School's program in Lanark. They're not just playing games, but learning about teamwork, perseverance and strategies.

Pool 13, the portion of the mighty Mississippi River between a pair of dams in northwest Illinois, is chock full of wildlife on the ground and in the air, enjoyable by river travelers from the banks and on the boats, from Bellevue to Fulton.

The next time you include cheese in your recipe, maybe there's another variety that works well. Visiting a cheese shop can bring one closer to a new taste, and a place in eastern Stephenson County has more than 50 varieties that can work.

When you need to fine-tune your wedding reception, an Oregon DJ can help, with the kind of music that won’t be hear today and gone tomorrow, but the kind that will help create memories that are unforgettable.

Whether it’s someone who wants to ring out the old and ring in the new, or someone who wants a necklace with links to their past, an Oregon business can craft pieces that are as precious as the metals and gems they're made from.

This year's Club Championship golf tournament at Lake Carroll was especially special for Kaden Brown. The Forreston High School senior had plenty of fun breezing through the Lake Carroll Golf Course to becoming one of the youngest club champions at area courses this year.

Iowa isn't just all cornfields, there's an island getaway there as well: a place to dock your boat or fuel up, a store to shop at, and places to spend the night. It's all wrapped in one harbor experience in Sabula and a family business for three decades.