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Midwest travel: On your mark, get set, go-kart!

Top pick

Life is a highway

The annual Rock Island Grand Prix is a go-kart race that attracts the world's best drivers to the Quad Cities to compete in the largest go-kart street race on the globe. The one-of-a-kind experience for the 30,000 or so spectators includes licensed international racing, food and merchandise booths, a Family Fun Zone, the Driver's Parade followed by the kid's autograph session and a car show. The Quad Cities have a number of other events taking place Labor Day weekend, such as a Fall Harvest Festival and the Milan Indian summer Festival.

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5-6, in downtown Rock Island, Illinois. (800) 747-7800 or visitquadcities.com.

Chicago

Killer kapusta

You'll feel stuffed but happy after spending time at the Taste of Polonia, the largest Polish festival in the United States. The eating portion of the event invites you to sample bigos (hunter's stew), golabki (stuffed cabbage), beet soup, breaded pork cutlets, sweet poppy seed cake and the morsel that keeps 'em coming back for more - pierogi - stuffed with everything from spuds to strawberries. Plus there's nonstop live entertainment, rock, blues and polka music courtesy of Polish and American stars, dance, folk art, films and games.

5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday Sept. 4; noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5-6; and noon to 10 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7, at Copernicus Foundation Center, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago. (773) 777-8898 or topchicago.org.

The toddlers takeover

When the older ones get back to the school grind, it's time for the tots to lose their minds at the Chicago Children's Museum. The museum is dedicating all programming to its youngest visitors, ages 1 to 4, for Toddler Takeover. Every weekday in September, beginning Sept. 14, toddlers can get in on Hammer Time (a whole lot of pounding going on); Car Wash in Kids Town; Toy Car City; Dinoscape; Toddler Yoga; Kids Create Art; Baby's Got a Boo-Boo playing in a doll clinic; and more. All Toddler Takeover programs are included in museum admission.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Chicago Children's Museum, 700 E. Grand Ave., Chicago. Admission is $14 for adults and kids, $13 for seniors and free for kids younger than 1. Target Free Family Night is from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, and admission is free for all the first Sunday of every month. The museum will close for annual maintenance Sept. 8-11. (312) 527-1000 or chicagochildrensmuseum.org.

Local color

Whether you've managed a couple of summer getaways or you haven't stepped off the work treadmill, you can still enjoy a last-minute escape to celebrate Labor Day weekend in a world-class city. Hyatt Regency Chicago, just off the Magnificent Mile and steps away from Maggie Daley Park, offers a great rate for an end-of-summer hurrah. You can hop on the nearby water taxi to head to Chinatown for dim sum, saunter to the beach or enjoy Maggie Daley Park, then snooze in comfortable accommodations.

Friday through Monday, Sept. 4-7, at Hyatt Regency Chicago, 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Rates start at $179 a night over Labor Day weekend. (312) 565-1234 or chicagoregency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html.

Midwest

Eat this, not that

The 33rd Taste of Madison takes place all around Capitol Square featuring the fare of more than 80 restaurants - that's 300 menu items priced between $1-$4. Swing to tunes on the country, rock, R&B and variety stages, and don't miss the lighted boat parade on Lake Mendota, followed by fireworks on Sunday. Volunteers working the festival earn an hourly wage to benefit local nonprofit and charitable organizations.

2 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, around Capitol Square, Madison, Wisconsin. Free. tasteofmadison.com.

Yo-de-lay-he-hoo

For 78 years, the inhabitants of New Glarus, Wisconsin, have been presenting the Wilhelm Tell pageant, a play set near the end of the 13th century, and celebrating all things Swiss. There's a full roster of activities, including a children's lantern parade, the blowing of alphorns, a yodeling showcase, art show, and book sale, plus live music, street dance and tasty morsels of food, Swiss-influenced and otherwise.

8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4; 1 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5; and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6, in New Glarus, Wisconsin. Tickets for the Wilhelm Tell Pageant are $5-$10. (800) 527-6838 or wilhelmtell.org.

Rates start at $179 a night over Labor Day weekend at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Toddler Takeover will happen at the Chicago Children's Museum starting Sept. 14.
The 33rd Taste of Madison takes place all around Capitol Square and features the fare of more than 80 restaurants and live music Sept. 5-6. courtesy of Clint Thayer/Focal Flame Photography
Yodeling is encouraged at the Wilhelm Tell Festival in New Glarus, Wisconsin, Sept. 4-6. courtesy of Harold Rail
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