Oglesby native and vocalist Erin Shields will hold a benefit concert at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26 at Illinois Valley Community College.

Camp Aramoni will host the 'New Year, New You' brunch on Sunday, Jan. 11.

The Starved Rock Lodge Winter Wildlife Trolley Tours take guests to several areas where they can view majestic bald eagles and more.

You don't need to travel too far to enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing.

Heritage Corridor Destinations partners with NCIArtworks for a pop-up gallery show

Start the New Year off right with a guided winter hike at Starved Rock State Park.

2025 saw a number of restaurants open across northern Illinois.

These 15 stories from The Scene saw the most visitors this past year.

National Bloody Mary Day is Jan. 1. Celebrate with a cocktail at one of these award-winning bars in Kane and McHenry counties, the Sauk Valley and the Illinois Valley.

Kick off the New Year with a winter hike at a state park in northern Illinois.

Explore the white wines from The Hilt and Jonata labels.

Starved Rock Lodge will host guided hikes and historic trolley tours Dec. 27-28.

Reddick Public Library in Ottawa has scheduled several events for the week of Jan. 1, including movie screenings, escape rooms and club meetings.

Celebrate the New Year at these exciting events in northern Illinois.

Starved Rock Lodge’s convenient guided tours bring you close to wildlife

Established in 1936 by Sylvio “Rip” and Emma Gualandri, the establishment in Ladd has been serving chicken, crispies, pickles, fried appetizers, beer and liquor for 89 years.

Here are the winners for the best coffee shops in the Best of the Fox, Best of the Illinois Valley, DeKalb County's Finest and Sauk Valley Favorites contest.

Watch college and professional football playoffs this January at these award-winning pubs and sports bars in Kane, Kendall, McHenry, DeKalb and Will counties, as well as the Sauk and Illinois Valley areas.

Starved Rock Coffee Co. uses coffee beans from all over the globe to build a line of coffee named after local natural wonders.

Leave the cooking and clean up to someone else on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!

You may not know Lacey Haltenhof, but if you’ve shopped downtowns in the Illinois Valley this holiday season, you’ve seen her work.

It's the last chance to shop for unique goods at Ottawa's Chris Kringle Market and get your holiday scares on at Insanity Haunted House!

Stage 212 will hosting a special entertainment event at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21, when Her Majesty’s Radio Theatre presents Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol: The Ghosts of Christmas.”

Bring the kids to see Santa Sunday, Dec. 21 at Hank's Farm in Ottawa.

Visit these spectacular light shows and displays this Christmas season.

Check out these theaters across northern Illinois that are bringing holiday classics like "The Nutcracker" and "A Christmas Carol" to life this season.

Check out these sparkling wine selections

Tour La Salle's Hegeler Carus Mansion and Ottawa's Reddick Mansion during holiday open houses this weekend.

Experience a Victorian Christmas as the Reddick Mansion in Ottawa.

The Village of Ladd will host its annual Christmas Walk from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, featuring activities throughout downtown.

Celebrate the holidays with a family brunch at these locations in northern Illinois.

Stage 212 will host three performances of 'Joy to the World: A Holiday Revue to Benefit the Auditorium' this weekend.

The show is a fundraiser supporting the recent renovation of the auditorium. It will feature local performers singing and dancing to a variety of holiday favorites.

The beloved Chris Kringle Market runs through Dec. 21.

You’ve seen one of the film adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” – maybe you watch one every year – why not make the traveling radio show a Yuletide tradition, too?

Bureau County Chorus and Princeton Community Band will perform a joint Christmas concert Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Community Life Center at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Princeton.

Check out the shows and live performances at venues like the Rialto Square Theatre, Woodstock Opera House, Raue Center for the Arts, Egyptian Theatre and more!

Make plans to spend a day exploring the historic city of Galena during the holiday season.

Ottawa's Chris Kringle Market opens for the holiday season Friday, Nov. 28, which is also the same day as the Festival of Lights Parade at 6 p.m.

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, Nov. 27 in 2025. Make your dinner reservations now and leave the cooking and clean up to someone else!

Princeton's Christmas Walk Weekend kicks off Friday, Nov. 21 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 23.

The weekend kicks off Friday, Nov. 21 at Tangled Roots Brewing Company.

Audiences will notice some real magic inside Stage 212 now that the La Salle theater has undergone major improvements. And what better way to showcase the overhaul than with a little on-stage magic?

Tickets include Leinenkugel-inspired dinner and beverage tastings and a chance to win great prizes.

The Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra will perform its first regular-season concert in Streator in recent history at 3 p.m. Nov. 9 at Streator High School.

NCI ARTworks and Heritage Corridor Destinations will exhibit the work of several artists in Utica and then in Peru.

The Model Train Fair & Farm Toy Show is Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Bureau County Fairgrounds.

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

Check out this list of national chains and locally-owned restaurants offering specials to service members on Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11.

‘Lincoln’s Ottawa: Stories from Valley View’ take guests on a tour of several historic sites in the Illinois Valley related to Abraham Lincoln.