The annual Hometown Holidays weekend kicks off Friday, Nov. 21 in Rock Falls.

The annual Rock Falls Hometown Holidays Christmas Walk is set for 5-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21.

The Rotary Club of Mount Carroll will be hosting a trivia fundraiser night on Saturday, Nov. 22. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with trivia questions beginning at 6 p.m. at the Davis Community Center.

The Morrison Historical Society concludes its monthly programming on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025, with live musical entertainment, “The New Connection”. 

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

The owners of a Mount Morris bar and grill have put their own touch on a longtime establishment in recent years with its food, drinks, fun and free money making it more of a destination.

Comedian Lee Hardin will headline the Dec. 4 show at Mad Water Saloon.

The show was scheduled for Nov. 29.

This popular sports bar and grill in Amboy offers creative twists to its traditional menu, including their famous Philly cheesesteak.

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

The Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce welcomes the community to this three-day celebration from Nov. 20-22, 2025. Activities include Holiday Bingo, Christmas Walk, Love Light Reading, $1,000 Giveaway and Grinch Dodgeball.

Hilldale Cafe in Lanark combines creativity and comfort to craft dishes that surprise and delight.

The 36th annual Festival of Trees runs through Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at McCormick Event Center in Rock Falls.

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.

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.

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.

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

"Menopause The Musical 2" will be at the Dixon Historic Theatre for two shows on Saturday, Nov. 8.

The Dixon Historic Theatre welcomes Dishwalla on Nov. 29, and Texas Flood on Nov. 9.

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.

Rock Falls Tourism is excited to announce the evolution of its beloved Tour of Lights House Decorating Contest into a bigger and brighter community celebration – the Winter Wonderland House and Business Window Decorating Contests.

Dixon Stage Left is bringing its sold-out Chicago dinner show production of “Cake, Candles, & Murder!” to the Dixon Elks Club.

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

The Dixon Historic Theatre is showing classic horror movies and will welcome Mariachi Rock Revolution on Halloween night.

Thomas Gehlbach has enjoyed playing piano for the past 40 years. Gehlbach is going to share that enjoyment by playing in the Phidian Musicale at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at The Next Picture Show, 113 W. First St. in Dixon.  It is free and open to the public.

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.

Teams of six will be able to answer trivia questions for a chance to win prizes.

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.

Check out these award-winning pizza places in Kane, Kendall and McHenry counties, as well as the Sauk Valley and Illinois Valley, to celebrate National Pizza Month during October.

Relive the '80s hard rock era at the new Hard Rock Casino Rockford on Saturday, Oct. 25.

Dixon Stage Left’s first Senior Theatre showcase performance, “We Still Got It!”, will be Sunday, Oct. 26 at The Next Picture Show.

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

The Biz Boo! Trick-or-Treating event is from 4-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24 in Rock Falls.

Forreston Area Business Association is hosting Spooktacular Saturday on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025.

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.

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

Dixon's Scarecrow Fest is Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

The event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in downtown Dixon.

It’s time to celebrate Halloween in Rock Falls! The second annual Spooktacular Halloween Lighted Golf Cart & UTV Parade is Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. The parade route begins at Rock Falls Township High School and then goes west down Second Street.

The Illinois Valley has several haunted tours that explore the supernatural this Halloween season.

National Dessert Day is Tuesday, Oct. 14!

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

The Virginia hillside where Quaker Run Vineyard is located is an unlikely spot for growing grapes.

The Plein Air Exhibition and Stories in Portrait Exhibition, sponsored by the Rock River Valley Painters Guild, will open Oct. 22 and run through Nov. 15 at The Next Picture Show in Dixon.

Performing Arts Guild will present an original work, “Tapestry of Shadows,” Friday, Oct. 10, and Saturday, Oct. 11, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. in Mt. Morris.