The Ellwood House Museum will host tours to show off rooms decorated by local businesses, individuals, organizations, groups, and Ellwood staff to celebrate the holidays. Here's what to expect this year

The tours run on select days through Dec. 15.

The concert will feature songs of light, hope, miracles, dreams, as well as fun, seasonal holiday songs.

Celebrate 'Drinksgiving,' the night before Thanksgiving, at these favorite bars and taverns in northern Illinois.

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

The open house will be held on Saturday, Dec. 6 and feature free tours of the award-winning exhibit “FOOD: Gathering Around the Table.”

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

The free festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 22 in the library’s Story and Activity Room, 309 Oak St.

The free performances will begin at 10 a.m. Nov. 22 in the library’s lower-level Yusunas Meeting Room, 309 Oak St.

Downtown Sycamore's storefronts will light up with holiday cheer during Moonlight Magic Friday, Nov. 21.

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.

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

The Hair Band Experience is Friday, Nov. 14, while Clash of the Tribute Bands: Journey vs. Foreigner is Friday, Jan. 16.

The owners behind Star Worlds Arcade in DeKalb, celebrating 40 years in business, are leveling up this year with their latest expansion into a new market.

The DeKalb Public Library will host a free Jazz in Progress concert on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The band will perform modern jazz and big band music.

Eubanks will perform popular romantic and classical piano and violin music.

Iniga Pizzeria will open in DeKalb Nov. 15 and features signature wood-fired pizza. The restaurant relocated from Ottawa.

Families can meet Santa's reindeer and get photos with the magical animals at the Christmas Town event, which runs through Dec. 23 on select dates.

Attendees will be able to taste and learn about 1950s recipes with ElliePresents performer Ellie Carlson. The party menu includes bacon rolls, stuffed grapes, tomato aspic, cottage cheese surprise, baked chop suey and lemon-filled jelly rolls.

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.

The Kishwaukee Valley Art League will host several programs and events in November at the Gallery on State, 322 W. State St., Sycamore.

Explore the fine wines of Italian winery Tenuta Luce as it celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Blumen Gardens will host a Holiday Open House Friday, Nov. 7 through Sunday, Nov. 9 at its Sycamore location.

Led by ESO Music Director Chad Goodman, the concert features works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Clara Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn.

National Sandwich Day is Monday, Nov. 3 Check out these award-winning sandwich shops in DeKalb, Kane and McHenry counties, Illinois Valley and Sauk Valley.

Check out this list of the best bakeries and donut shops in DeKalb, Kane, Kendall and McHenry counties, the Sauk Valley and the Illinois Valley.

“The Haunting of Hill House” is based on the 1964 play by F. Andrew Leslie and the 1959 novel of the same name by Shirley Jackson.

Country Music powerhouse Lainey Wilson will perform on the Grandstand Stage on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at the Illinois State Fair

Make the end of summer more memorable by planning a getaway at a unique resort or bed & breakfast in northern Illinois

Enjoy a free concert from the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, check out a Halloween-themed play at Stage Coach Players or trick-or-treat at the Ellwood mansion.

Discover the colors and activities of autumn at these parks in the Illinois Valley.

Check out these delightfully frightening haunted houses in northern Illinois, guaranteed to bring the scares this season.

The DeKalb Public Library will host its third annual DeKalb Day of the Dead Celebration in honor of the Day of the Dead.

Audiences will enjoy a full-production show complete with stunning laser lighting and immersive video displays that elevate the experience.

Oddities abound at this new shop of dark art and oddities in downtown DeKalb. Mr. Willy's Dark Art and Oddities first started doing business in town on Oct. 18.

The Sycamore Pumpkin Festival runs Wednesday, Oct. 22 through Sunday, Oct. 26.

From cinematic pumpkins to hometown VIPs and autumn vibes, the 2025 Sycamore Pumpkin Festival is poised to bring the flavor of fall to anyone who attends the festival’s 64th rendition.

Beatles tribute band Abbey Road and Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction will perform separate sets and a combined encore at their Oct. 24 show.

From the powerful guitar duel in “Hotel California” to the shimmering harmonies of “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” Heartache Tonight brings fans a true Eagles concert experience.

These northern Illinois pumpkin farms are ready to welcome guests for a day of family-friendly fall fun.

Activities are planned for every day of the five-day festival, from Wednesday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 26. Here's what to expect at Sycamore Pumpkin Fest:

This unforgettable evening of music blends country, classical, Broadway and contemporary hits.

The concert will feature vocalist José Carlos Díaz, BFH dance ensemble, cultural activities and more.

The DeKalb County History Center’s annual Historic Homes Tour Saturday will feature the theme theme is “Whimsical Houses,” showcasing some of Sycamore’s most interesting and somewhat quirky historic homes.

Watch football and baseball playoff games at one of these lively sports bars in northern Illinois.

Actors Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan and Elijah Wood will reunite with fans for "An Evening with the Hobbits: In Celebration of 25 Years," at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026.

Take a guided ghost tour of the historic Ellwood House mansion in DeKalb on Friday or Saturday night.

The Kishwaukee Concert Band will open its 24th concert season with a performance to honor the late William “Bill” Schulze" of Elburn, a fellow musician and friend of the band, according to a news release.