Midwest travel: Hitmakers gather for Eau Claire music fest
Top pick
Eau boy
Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is a new outdoor summer festival featuring 40 acts, including Bon Iver, the National, Spoon, Sufjan Stevens, Haley Bonar, Polica, Doomtree, the Blind Boys of Alabama and the Indigo Girls. There's camping on-site in the Chippewa River Valley area, lodging at local hotels, and art elements like light installations, yarn bombs and mixed-media interaction. The fest is named Eaux Claires after the original French spelling of Eau Claire. Thursday through Saturday, July 16-18, at Foster Farm, just outside of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Single-day general admission passes are $75; there are a limited number of two-day general admission passes for $135. eauxclaires.com.
Chicago
Wrighty right
Your house probably seems like it's open for business all summer, especially if you have kids. But here's your chance to see how it was done a century ago at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park. The Summer Open House at the home and studio takes place on the anniversary of the museum's first public tour in 1974. The free event includes a highlights tour, an art project in the courtyard for young budding architects, and a cardboard cutout of Frank Lloyd Wright for photographs. Refreshments will be served, too. 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, July 17, at Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio, 951 Chicago Ave., Oak Park. Free. flwright.org
Chinatown Summer Fair
Have the family immersed in another culture, minus the 15-hour flight and expense, at Chicago's Chinatown Summer Fair. The neighborhood festival features a colorful Lion Dance procession, plus Asian cultural entertainment including music and dance. Have a taste of Chinatown's many wonderful restaurants and its unique, fun-to-browse gift shops, Chinese crafts exhibits, the children's area and street vendors with an array of merchandise. The daylong family event also offers a petting zoo, pony rides, cutest baby contest and a "hot legs" contest for men. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at Chinatown Gate, 200 W. Cermak Road, Chicago. Free. chinatownspecialevents.org
Midwest
Charming Charmant
The new Charmant Hotel, which has views of the Mississippi River and downtown La Crosse, Wisconsin, is offering value-added packages in anticipation of its opening late summer 2015. Consider themed stays at the hotel, which once served as a candy factory: Mark Twain's voyage along the Mississippi; an ultimate romantic escape with a chef-catered breakfast; a family getaway experiencing what La Crosse has to offer; an upcoming winter warm-up retreat; and a "small town goes big city" New Year's Eve celebration. The five-story property offers 67 guest rooms, including five top-floor suites with a wraparound outdoor balcony. The Charmant Hotel is at 101 State St., La Crosse, Wisconsin. Package details and rates are subject to change upon availability. (866) 697-7300 or thecharmanthotel.com
Blowin' in the wind
Where have all the flowers gone? They're in Woodstock, Illinois, for its 30th annual Folk Festival. The outdoor main stage features contemporary acoustic performers, folk circuit mainstays and plenty of bluegrass, Americana and country tunes. Bring your guitar and your nerve for an open-mic session. The Woodstock Children's Theatre presents "The Lion King Jr." at the historic Woodstock Opera House that day, too. Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 19, in Woodstock Square, Woodstock. Entrance to the event is by donation. (815) 338-2080 or woodstockfolkmusic.com/folkfestival
Worth the trip
Chicagoans are extremely aware of the short span of summer weather, and soon it'll be Polar Vortex time again. Providenciales, among the fastest-growing Caribbean destinations, will be closer in reach. United Airlines will start seasonal, nonstop service from Chicago Dec. 19, 2015, through April 30, 2016. Scheduled for Saturdays, it will be the airlines' first nonstop service available there from O'Hare International Airport. Turks and Caicos was recently voted the World's Best Island by readers of TripAdvisor. Bookings to Providenciales from Chicago are now available. (800) 864-8331 or united.com.