Storied Milwaukee Avenue: The city's other Avenue M

State Street and Michigan Avenue are great, but if you haven't visited Chicago's storied Milwaukee Avenue, it's a perfect time during the Milwaukee Avenue Arts Festival. The Logan Square neighborhood has been home to Polish and Hispanic immigrants and more recently lots of young hipsters. There is a large range of cuisines from area restaurants and you might pick up a treasure or two at the numerous sidewalk sales and at the Logan Square Farmers Market. Have a sip at an outdoor cafe while listening to music from glee clubs to indie rock. Other entertainment includes comedians, dancers from the Chicago Ballet Center and more.

4 to 11 p.m. Friday, July 23, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, at Milwaukee Avenue and Logan Boulevard. Admission is $5. Call (773) 549-3255 or visit milwaukeeavenue artsfestival.org.

Shop til you cop free parking

You owe yourself a trip downtown and next weekend is the time to hit up Water Tower Place on Michigan Avenue. The shopping mall is waiving the parking fee in its garage for up to 10 hours when summer shoppers spend $100 or more. Bring the boys to browse Billabong, which is hosting an in-store beach party Saturday afternoon, and the Adidas Sport Performance Store, while the girls can check out the 52,000-square-foot American Girl Place, Abercrombie & Fitch and Forever 21, among others. Plenty of unique dining experiences, like Mity Nice Grill, Wow Bao and food life, will satisfy hungry shoppers and Water Tower is within walking distance to Oak Street Beach if you'd like to have a picnic lunch. Stop by the concierge desk for a brochure detailing additional discounts and incentives.

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 23-24, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 25, at Water Tower Place, 835 N. Michigan Ave. Get a compete list of stores, events and special promotions at shop watertower.com or call (312) 440-3166.

Garden of eatin'

Surprise your favorite foodie or gardening guru with one of the Chicago Botanic Garden's Farm Dinners, a multicourse meal in the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden. The events are a celebration of Midwestern farmland that bring together local farmers, winemakers, breweries and the garden's own Green Youth Farm. The first dinner features chef Cleetus Friedman of City Provisions in Chicago. During cocktail hour and the family-style meal, you'll meet the chef, a farmer from River Valley Ranch in Burlington, Wis., staff and students from Chicago-area Green Youth Farms, and brewers and distillers from Two Brother's Brewing Company in Warrenville and Death's Door Spirits in Washington Island, Wis. Tour sections of the garden with a horticulturist to learn about organic vegetable gardening practices on the 4-acre island. Proceeds from the dinner support the Garden's Green Youth Farm program.

5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays, July 28 and Aug. 25. The cost is $200 per person and includes a garden tour, cocktails, appetizers and a multicourse meal including dessert. Parking is free for ticketed guests. Buy tickets at the Visitor Center Information Desk or at chicagobotanic.org/calendar/farm dinners. Call (847) 835-5440.

Midwest

He's a lumberjack and he's OK

A Lumberjack Festival will be held in the bucolic town of Stillwater, Minn., with most of the festivities held along the St. Croix River. There will be concerts by regional and national acts such as Chicago presented on a floating stage. Don't miss the grand parade, Thunder in the Valley fireworks spectacular, authentic 1860s-style baseball and wild lumberjack exhibitions. Kids will go for the inflatable play land, BMX and skateboarding shows and lots of hearty food. Stillwater is 30 minutes northeast of St. Paul and offers a historic downtown with antiques, art galleries, wineries, historic B&Bs and restaurants.

Noon to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 22; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 23-24; and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday, July 25, at Lowell Park in Stillwater, Minn. Call (651) 430-2306 or visit lumberjackdays.com.

Roll over, Chopin

Hot dog-eating contests? Pshaw! Try downing balls of dough packed with mashed potatoes, kraut, mushrooms and meat at the annual Pierogi Festival in Whiting, Ind., and we'll talk. The 16th annual dumpling extravaganza has been named the Year of the Jell-O Mold. Don't miss the Polka Dance Off, hosted by Polkahontas and judged by Mr. Pierogi and Ms. Paczki. Musical entertainment ranges from the Hoosier Grandpas doing barbershop tunes to ukulele strummers. Play Eastern Bloc Jeopardy, attend Busha's Cooking Show, play Pierogi Toss and enter the Pierogi Eating Contest. There's action for your little dumplings, a beer garden and more than 40 food vendors.

11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday to Saturday, July 23-24, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 25, at 119th Street and Indianapolis Boulevard in Whiting. Visit pierogifest.net or call (219) 659-0292.

Get a kick out of a country fair

Looking for a friendly summer fair that includes live music (on two stages), author readings, local artisans and food vendors, kids' activities, bike and farm tours, exhibits and workshops related to sustainability and organic cooking? Get to the Kickapoo Country Fair, a rural heritage festival held in the Kickapoo River Valley in southwest Wisconsin. Now in its seventh year, the Midwest's largest organic food and sustainability festival offers a kitchen tent where you'll learn how to make cheese, tortillas, raw fermented vegetables and pantry staples or find out about coffee from the top micro roaster in America. Listen to poets in the word tent, take a workshop in harvesting vegetables into late fall and winter or building with Compressed Earth Blocks. The festival is hosted by Organic Valley Family of Farms, 100 miles from Madison and 40 miles southeast of La Crosse in La Farge, Wis.

10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 24, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, July 25, on the grounds of Organic Valley's headquarters, 507 W. Main St., La Farge, Wis. Weekend passes, which provide access to all activities, cost $10 for adults, $8 for kids 6-12, and free for children 5 and younger. Call (888) 444-6455 or visit kickapoocountryfair.org.

Worth the trip

Club Med, the originator of all-inclusive vacations, is offering a WOW Sale featuring seven-night all-inclusive escapes at resorts in the Caribbean, Mexico and the French West Indies. Experience a wide range of land and water activities including snorkeling among coral reefs off the beaches of Cancun Yucatán, Mexico, or enjoy a round of tennis on the renovated courts of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Kids will have fun with the many children's programs and family-friendly activities offered night and day. Everything's included in one price including nightly entertainment, gourmet-dining options, a full open bar with premium beverages and accommodations.

WOW sale bookings must be made by Aug. 30 for travel dates now through Feb. 18. Rates start at $799, per person, double occupancy. A seven-night minimum stay is required and does not include airfare or spa treatments. Visit clubmed.us or call (800) 258-2633.