Chicago street festival celebrates the home
Design Harvest, Chicago's first street festival celebrating the home, will offers tents and courtyards filled with modern, vintage and handmade furniture and home accessories from more than 50 vendors. The inaugural celebration of home and garden design features live music and refreshments. Renegade Handmade presents a "DIY" tent that previews the best in the home design industry.
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 2-3, at Grand Avenue from Damen Avenue to Wood Street in Chicago. Call (312) 850-9390 or visit design-harvest.com/.
Holiday hotel
Is it too early to get into the holiday spirit? The Affinia Chicago hotel will offer a chance to get the best holiday entertaining and design tips from some of the city's top experts. In partnership with Chicago Collection magazine, the hotel hosts a lecture series event called "In the Know: Home for the Holidays." Learn the latest about modern cocktails, interior design and setting a formal table. Chefs of the on-site restaurant, C-House, will craft menus to represent each entertaining theme.
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, at Affinia Chicago, 166 E. Superior. The event is free, but advanced reservation is required. affiniachicago.com to RSVP.
Date night, no drama
Now that school is back in gear, how about taking a night just for the two of you that's beyond dinner and a movie? The Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort offers a new fall date night package that's more of a mini-vacation. The package includes overnight accommodations for two, a romantic three-course dinner at Shiraz on the Water, two tickets to your choice of movie at Hollywood Blvd. Cinema in Woodridge, buy-one, get-one free breakfast buffet and late checkout at 2 p.m. the next day so you'll have time for the indoor/outdoor pools, spa, workout center, golf course or just sleep in. In addition, snag a voucher for a $75 room rate on your next visit.
Offer available Friday, Oct. 1, to Thursday, Nov. 18, at $149 per night for two people. Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort, 250 W. Schick Road, Bloomingdale. Call (630) 529-0200 or visit IndianLakesResort.com.
Midwest
Think global, eat local
Would you like to get the kids thinking about the food they eat?
City Provisions tries to bring people closer to the origin and sources of their food and that includes the kids so it's hosting a family-friendly farm barbecue at Dietzler Farms in Elkhorn, Wis., about 90 miles northwest of Chicago. It will be a picnic style barbecue of burgers, grilled veggies, potato salad and more and guests are encouraged to stay as long as they would like to explore farm life. New Holland Brewing Company of Holland, Mich., co-hosts the event. The kids can check out the farm animals and fields and learn how the Dietzler farm works in a family-friendly way.
Noon, Saturday, Oct. 2, at Dietzler Farms, W4222 County Road A, Elkhorn. Tickets are $50 per adult and $20 for kids under 12 and includes food, drinks and tour of the farm. Call (773) 293-2489 or visit cityprovisions.com.
Rock the river
RiverRocks, a brand new festival in Chattanooga, Tenn., aims to be one of the nation's premiere outdoor festivals, showcasing natural resources, outdoor activities, entertainment and family-friendly fun. More than 90 events are planned over 10 days including hot air balloon rides in Coolidge Park, IMAX adventure films, canoe jousting, kayak races and leisure paddle rides, geocaching, casual bike rides, bird watching, rock climbing, mountain biking, trail running events and more. Chattanooga has been designated in the top "10 Dream Towns to Live Big, Play Hard and Work (if you must)" by Outside magazine and called one of the "Best Adventure Towns in the U.S. to Live and Play" by National Geographic Adventure magazine.
Times vary per day and activity, Friday, Oct. 1, to Sunday, Oct. 10. Visit RiverRocksChattanooga.com.
Oktoberfest Galena
The scent of bratwurst and sauerkraut and the sounds of oompah will waft through the air at the fourth annual Galena Oktoberfest. Be there for the ceremonial tapping of the keg; wiener dog races; polka lessons and dancing; bean bag tournament; the beer stein endurance contest; bounce house, pumpkin decorating, games and face painting for the kids, food, beer and a raffle.
Noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2, at Eastside Riverfront, Highway 20 and Park Avenue in Galena. Call (815) 331-0180 or visit galenaoktoberfest.com.
Worth the trip
Although the desert city of Lake Havasu, Ariz., is best known for the London Bridge (relocated in 1971), for countless personal watercraft fans, it's the jet ski capital of the world. This is especially true when the 29th Annual International Jet Sports Boating Association World Finals come to town. About 400 competitors from 30 states and more than 40 nations will meet on Lake Havasu and the Colorado River. All competitions will take place at Aqua Stadium located on a man-made island. Admission is free to the main stadium area and Performance Alley - the world's largest PWC Trade Show where you can see 2011 watercraft models and the latest apparel and accessories.
Sunday, Oct. 3, to Sunday, Oct. 10. Visit golakehavasu.com or call (800) 242-8278.