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.

When the harvest ends, creativity begins – and round hay bales become art. Need an idea for a neat front yard creation? Look to Rochelle, where the community comes up with colorful creations on circular canvases.

The Bradley Village Board moved forward on its planned $51-million bond sale for construction of the planned indoor water park.

Large, fast-moving trains from Chicago to the West Coast zoom through Rochelle. It's where two important lines cross at a diamond, and where train enthusiasts cross paths at a park to enjoy seeing what each engine and car brings to their eyes.

Rock Falls VFW Post 5418 – Jerry Celletti, also known as The Bunker, has been awarded $957 through the Rock Falls 2025–2026 Façade Improvement Program, provided by Rock Falls Tourism.

Sometimes a trip off the beaten path can give people more things to learn and talk about. Take a drive from Mount Carroll to Scales Mound, and there's something for everyone.

Kankakee County has a new trail to travel - the interactive Kankakee County Mural Trail.

Kankakee County continues to experience growth in tourism with about 10% of the local economy fueled by visitors.

Gather all your ghosts, goblins, and creepy crawlies to deck out your house and yard for Rock Falls’ decorating contest.

Visit Lake County gathered tourism and community partners at its recent annual luncheon, celebrating another year of growth and showcasing marketing and sales initiatives, the bureau’s three-year strategy and vision shaping the region’s visitor economy.

Annual event is a fundraiser for the Village of Progress in Oregon.

Melinda Jones has a message for people – My hometown Rocks! – and the city’s tourism director and her team are committed to getting that message out to people near and far.

The festival will be from 3-10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, at the RB&W District, 201 E. Second St., Rock Falls. The throwdown is a celebration held in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month.

Check out some exciting seasonal events happening in this quaint, historic town located in far northwest Illinois.

Larry the Mule walks in a pen near the Lock 14 Illinois & Michigan Canal in La Salle. Larry is now for sale and the I&M Canal Boat rides are ending.

From national touring acts at a rock club to public orchestral shows in the park, there’s an event for everyone happening in downtown Joliet.

In year 2 of the Kankakee River Valley Regatta race weekend, Kankakee Mayor Chris Curtis said the event will most likely be a wash as revenues will cover expenses.

A Morrison couple loves living a life of Adventures, hauling their home away from home on highways and byways, and sharing their journeys with kindred wandering spirits.

Ross Eden recently completed the installation of 12 bluebird houses along the Rock Falls Birding Trail at Lawrence Park.

Plans for a centerpiece sculpture were set back this week, but Joliet city officials say downtown square is on schedule for Route 66 anniversary and should be ready for holiday parade.

Kankakee County continues to draw the visitors.

NASCAR will not be returning to Chicago streets next summer as the racing series takes its road act to likely sunnier weather in San Diego following two rain-plagued races out of its three years in Chicago.

Joliet is one of five cities that will host a festival to kick off the 100th Anniversary of historic Route 66.

The City Council will vote Tuesday on a $197,000 commission to be awarded for a sculpture in the new Joliet city square.

A Ricky Rockets Fuel Center is coming, and the new Hollywood Casino Joliet is in business. But it's not clear what else is coming to Rock Run Collection.

Racing returned for the second year to the Kankakee River for a weekend of Kankakee River Valley Regatta action over the Labor Day holiday weekend.

You’ll find traces of the past in the city’s scenic nature areas and public parks, the boutique shops, restaurants and entertainment venues housed in historic downtown buildings.

The plan to provide downtown visitors with at least two hours of free street parking goes into effect on Labor Day.

Rock Falls Tourism unveiled eight new works of art Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, at RB&W Park for their annual Art in the Park sculpture walk.

Showing will mark 45th year since release of movie that featured the former Joliet Correctional Center in the opening scene.

NASCAR announced Wednesday it will return to Chicagoland Speedway over Fourth of July weekend.

The banks of the Rock River will once again serve as a backdrop for art, music and food when the 8th annual Art in the Park Sculpture Walk & Outdoor Art Gallery returns Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, to RB&W District Park in Rock Falls.

The Aurora Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is developing a 10-year Destination Development Plan, and resident input is seen as essential to the process.

WCC is hosting a coffee for new volunteers at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at the center, 111 10th Ave., Fulton.

Bradley's $50-million, 12-diamond youth baseball and softball complex received rave reviews as it was opened to a business gathering on a sun-soaked Tuesday.

The City of Joliet has named Ann Sylvester as its new director of cultural affairs and special events. She previously worked for the city of Chicago's special events department.

Matt Hicks with the Sauk Valley Water Ski Shows group said his organization is seeking sponsors and donations to raise money to bring water ski shows and other aquatic entertainment to Rock Falls.

Kankakee Alderman Dave Baron is the new president of the Visit Kankakee County Board of Directors, formally known as the Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

A $45,500 contract to create a conceptual master plan for the now-Bradley-owned Northfield Square mall has been approved by the Bradley Village Board.

The operating profit may have been the first in the theater's 99-year history, Executive Director Wade Welsh told the Joliet City Council on Monday.

Christine Johnson told the Joliet City Council it's time remove a ban that keeps her husband and another former guard at the old Joliet Correctional Center off the prison grounds.

Deer Ridge Barn recently celebrated upgrades to the Limestone wedding and event venue which enables it to operate year-round thanks to a grant from the Kankakee County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The business hosted over 8,000 guests in 2024 as a seasonal venue.

Standing on the edge of a 300-foot limestone bluff in southern Illinois’ Shawnee National Forest, Machaela Sweeney could thank the perfect words she typed into ChatGPT for bringing her to the unexpected spot.

Hordes of Illinoisans will take a jaunt for July Fourth, packing O’Hare International Airport for far-flung adventures and the Tri-State en route to Michigan and Wisconsin.

The Hill BMX racetrack recently was named as the host track for the 2025 BMX State Championship. It's a chance to draw thousands to the area in September, an Elgin tourism agency official said.

Trucks, tractors, rat rods and cars were all on display Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Rock Falls' Touch-a-Truck event.

A growing number of visitors are discovering southern Illinois as a travel destination amid a recent effort to entice more people to visit for the summer season.

Over 170 vehicles were put on display Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Rock Falls for one of the largest Touch-a-Truck events in the region.

The Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce’s Summer Splash did its best to cool down visitors Saturday, June 21, 2025.

Street-legal race cars traveled to Rock Falls on Thursday, June 19, 2025, during a stop on Sick the Mag's travel tour. Several vehicles took part in a burnout show for the thousands who descended on RB&W Park. Visitors also could talk to drivers and get close-up views of cars.