The free festival is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club, and runs from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.

A Crystal Lake-based food truck and a Lemont restaurant beat out dozens of competitors for the best burger and are now in the championship round in WGN radio’s first-ever Chicago’s Very Own Eats: Best Burgers Tournament.

Try the Mega Hike at Starved Rock State Park.

Enjoy live Oompah music and a special Oktoberfest beer.

The festive event will feature garden tours, hayrides, kids activities, live music, beer, food and more.

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

The fall fun festival will open in Lake Zurich on Sept. 26 in Paulus Park, 200 S. Rand Road. Jack O’Lantern World in Lemont, to be held at The Forge Lemont Quarries, 227 Heritage Quarries Drive, will open for its first year Oct. 2.

Looking for an outdoorsy getaway this season? Check out these four destinations in northern Illinois.

From wine tastings to historic tours, Galena is the perfect destination for a quick weekend getaway.

Naperville Irish Fest is Saturday, Sept. 20 at Central Park, while Glen Ellyn's Oktoberfest is at Two Hound Red Brewing Co. Thursday, Sept. 18 through Saturday, Sept. 20.

The festival opens Thursday, Sept. 18 and runs through Saturday, Sept. 20 in downtown Aurora.

Hayride of Horror and Curse of the Bayou run on Fridays, Saturdays and select Sundays in October at Dellwood Park in Lockport.

Beer, Bands and Barns, an outdoor music and brews festival, is Saturday, Sept. 20 at Dickson-Murst Farm in Montgomery.

The Guild in downtown Wheaton will offer breakfast, lunch and small and shareable dishes for dinner.

Ludacris, Timbaland and more hip hop artists will perform at the second annual event Saturday, Sept. 20 at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva.

The MAC, located on the College of DuPage campus in Glen Ellyn, opens its 2025-26 season with Steve Solomon's 'My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish & I'm in Therapy' Sept. 28.

National Cheeseburger Day is Thursday, Sept. 18.

Cantigny will offer a number of events this September, including a Revolutionary War Reenactment, Red Oak Farm Dinner, car show and more.

Robinson, a guitar virtuoso who's played with Emmylou Harris, Kenny Rogers, Chris Stapleton and more, will perform Saturday, Oct. 4.

Additional shows include "Annie," "9 to 5" and "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story."

The star of the brunch menu is The Greggory’s Big Baller Brunch, which includes a cooked-to-perfection 32-ounce Senku Wagyu Tomahawk, a buttermilk pancake tower with all the fixings, eight eggs any style, crispy hash browns and bottomless mimosas.

Downers Grove Oktoberfest runs Friday and Saturday in downtown Downers Grove. Grammy Award-winning band Gipsy Kings will perform Friday night.

The 10th Annual Elmhurst Craft Beer Fest will make its return Saturday, September 13 outdoors at the Elmhurst History Museum

The zoo's Frontera Farm-to-Table Dinner is Sept. 12, while Oktoberfest is set for Sept. 28. Many additional events are also scheduled throughout the season.

Get ready for a fun-packed fall with the Glen Ellyn Park District’s lineup of events this late September and October

Football season is back! Watch the game at one of these lively sports bars in northern Illinois.

West coast winemaker Dave Merfeld of Northstar Winery continues to promote Merlot, the often-maligned wine varietal.

The Education Foundation of Downers Grove School District 58 hosts its annual Oktoberfest this weekend in downtown Downers Grove

Upcoming shows include 'Come From Away,' 'Heartbreak Hotel,' 'Frozen The Musical' and 'Little Shop of Horrors.'

Exhibit highlights include rare and unpublished photographs of Hope; wartime correspondence between Hope and service members; WWII-era relics engraved to Hope; videos of his traveling, wartime troupe and Hollywood Victory Caravan programs and scrapbooks.  

The fall months bring several craft beer festivals throughout northern Illinois.

The Downers Grove Fine Arts Festival is Sept. 6-7, and the DuPage Comic Con is Sept. 6 at the DuPage County Fairgrounds.

The Downers Grove Fine Arts Festival will bring more than 50 artists to the city's downtown for this two-day event.

The annual SBC Invitation is Sunday, Sept. 28 at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Downers Grove.

One new addition will be Uzu Revolving Sushi, which is a dine-in restaurant with a fresh take on rotary sushi. The restaurant is expected to open this Fall.

Check out this list of apple orchards in northern Illinois for perfect family fun this fall!

Guzman Y Guzman, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant, will offer BOGO burritos or bowls from 4-11 p.m. Fridays September through November. Visit locations in Crystal Lake and Naperville.

This year’s event features eight local food trucks, a beer garden, family-friendly activities and live music from Bourbon Aristocracy and Marlon and the Shakes.

Here are seven destinations for artisan drinks along Route 66, including stops in Plainfield, Lockport and Joliet.

The Saturday event, taking place at Wilder Park from noon to 9 p.m., will feature seven bands, while the parade returns on Sunday.

Cantigny Park in Wheaton will host live music in its beer garden Aug. 28-29, and The Last Fling is Aug. 29-Sept. 1 in downtown Naperville.

Check out this list of outdoor gardens and parks in the Illinois Valley and suburbs to enjoy in spring and summer.

Mezzacorona has made a unique Pinot Grigio from high-altitude sites in the Italian mountains.

The festival presents music and storytelling performances on six stages which run continuously throughout both days, offering mini-concerts, in-the-round groupings of performers and teaching workshops.

The new season kicks off in October with a performance of 'Carmina Burana.'

Additional performers in the 2025-2026 season include the Soweto Gospel Choir, comedian Pat Tomasulo, Cirque Kalabanté and many more.

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

The owner of My Half of the Sky coffee shop has opened The Kiln, a co-working and social house in downtown Wheaton.

Former Poison frontman Bret Michaels will perform at the Joliet casino on Oct. 18.

The new festival will feature local, regional and national blues and Americana musicians, along with plenty of craft beer and other beverages from local breweries.