Midwest travel: Spring Festival ushers in warm weather (we hope)
Chicago
Go fly a kite
A harbinger of spring in Chicago, the 17th Annual Chicago Kids and Kites Festival returns to Cricket Hill in Lincoln Park for free family fun. The city of Chicago provides kite kits for kids to build, decorate and fly (while supplies last). Make time to watch professional kite fliers demonstrate their skills with oversized and interestingly shaped kites. Don't tell the dentist, but the Big Kite Candy Drop, a piñata-like kite filled with candies that drop from the sky, takes place in the afternoon.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at Cricket Hill, Montrose Harbor, near Montrose Avenue and Lake Shore Drive. Free. (312) 744-3316 or chicagokidsandkites.us.
Holy mole
Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the Mexican army's triumph over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, has become a global celebration. Say "si" to a grande Cinco de Mayo festival held in the city's Little Village neighborhood that promises wall-to-wall live music, authentic Mexican food, colorful arts and crafts, and plenty of activities for families and children.
6 to 11 p.m. Friday, May 2, and 2 to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4, at 2600 S. Kostner Ave., Chicago. (773) 521-5387 or chicagoevents.com.
Beautiful day
It will be a great day to visit the Trailside Museum of Natural History in River Forest. The venue's Spring Festival offers wholesome activities for all ages from puppet shows for the little ones to interesting guided wildflower walks, beekeeping demonstrations, and animal meet and greets. Kids can work off some energy by climbing a tree, dipping a net in the pond for fish and frogs and making crafts. You can't beat the price: It's free.
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 3, at the Trailside Museum of Natural History, 738 Thatcher Ave., River Forest. Free. (708) 366-6530 or fpdcc.com/venue/trailside-museum-of-natural-history.
Midwest
In heaven there is no beer (because it's in Madison)
It's probably no surprise that the capital city of Wisconsin would be headquarters for a fab beer festival. The fifth annual Madison Craft Beer Week is 10 days and two weekends highlighting craft beer culture in Dane County. Wisconsin's largest craft beer week offers events ranging from tap takeovers and special releases to educational classes, beer and cheese pairings, and meet-and-greets with brewers.
May 1-10 in and around Madison, Wisconsin. Prices for events vary. See madbeerweek.com and for lodging ideas, visitmadison.com.
Life is a highway
You can combine a road trip to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to watch the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" - The Indianapolis 500 - with a visit to the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) to see "Dream Cars: Innovative Design, Visionary Ideas." Dream Cars showcases rare vehicles created by top names in the automotive field, like Ferrari, BMW, Porsche, Bugatti, Chrysler and Cadillac. Indy also boasts The Hall of Fame Museum at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
May 3 to Aug. 23 at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, 4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, Indiana. General admission is $18 for adults and $10 for kids ages 6-17. (317) 762-4886 or imamuseum.org.
Worth the trip
You are not going to duck into a pharmacy at the last minute for some off-brand chocolates this Mother's Day, are you? Not when Mexico's Velas Resorts are offering Mother's Day packages with spa specials, suite upgrades, gourmet cuisine and more. Give Mom a day (or week) to remember at Velas Vallarta and Casa Velas in Puerto Vallarta or Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit. Grand Velas Riviera Maya provides private round-trip airport transportation, in-suite gourmet breakfast for mothers to enjoy their first meal in bed, a romantic dinner on her spacious suite's private terrace, and a spa credit and complimentary Velas Fish Pedicure.
Available through May. Mother's Day packages start at $173 at Velas Vallarta, $224 at Casa Velas, $303 at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, and $698 at Grand Velas Riviera Maya. Rates are per person, per night, based on double occupancy. Package components vary by resort. Moms receive a $50 spa or golf credit per night at Grand Velas Riviera Maya, Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit and Casa Velas while they receive a $30 spa credit per night at Velas Vallarta. (866) 847-4609 or velasresorts.com.