Learn how to identify and tap maple trees at the Maple Sugaring event at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 7 at Waa Kee Sha Park in Oswego.

Hundreds of small, locally-owned boutiques and shops in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin will participate in this one-of-a-kind event March 6-7.

Maple Fest returns this Saturday, March 7 and Sunday, March 8 at the Nature Center, 930 N. River Road in North Aurora, inviting guests to step into the centuries-old tradition of turning maple sap into maple syrup.

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.

Beyond the local favorites and hidden gems, a handful of suburban restaurants offer a touch of celebrity.

Check out Harbor Stories: Unplugged – Season 7 in Ottawa, as well as the lineup at the Ottawa Center for the Arts and the 122 Club in Streator.

The Oswego Public Library will present the radio play "D.O.A." at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28.

Escape these brutal winter temperatures with a day or weekend at these indoor waterparks in northern Illinois.

The Copley Comedy Series begins with headliner Tim Walkoe Saturday, Feb. 28.