Go guide: Cooking show, 'White Christmas', 'Winter Pageant'

Chicago

• Want fries with that?

Nearly 150 exhibitors are ready to introduce your taste buds to the latest in main courses, sides dishes, desserts, wine, beer and spirits at the Great American Cooking Expo. Learn how to choose among olive oils, sample Korean cuisine, get tips on setting an inviting holiday table, watch an expert brew the perfect cup of coffee and sample spirits from tequila to chocolate liqueur.

11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday to Sunday, Nov. 13-14, at Arlington Park, 2200 W. Euclid Ave, Arlington Height. Tickets at the door are $15, children age 12 and under are free with an accompanying adult. Visit thecookingexpo.com.

• Pageantry and gadgetry

For something completely different in winter theatrical offerings, consider Redmoon Theater's “Winter Pageant” that's equal parts gadgetry, acrobatics and spectacle. Large-scale sets, puppets and songs snag the attention of children and adults as seven masked characters journey through the four seasons, each offering its own set of enchanting objects, choreography and music.

7:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 1 and 4 p.m. Sundays and Saturdays, Nov. 6 to Jan. 2 (except Nov. 25, Dec. 24 and 25); and 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, Dec. 12 and 19, at 1463 W. Hubbard St., Chicago. Tickets are $20. Call (312) 850-8440 or visit redmoon.org.

• I'm dreaming of an all-right Christmas

Book now to experience the ultimate holiday theater and shopping getaway with Broadway In Chicago's “White Christmas” paired with shopping at The 900 Shops and a stay at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. You'll get two premium tickets to “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin, exclusive preshow and intermission suite access for the show, pre-theater lunch or dinner for two in Café des Architectes, $50 gift card from The 900 Shops at 900 N. Michigan Avenue, holiday-themed welcome gift, late checkout at 4 p.m. and more.

Performance dates include: Friday and Sunday, Dec. 17, 19, 24 and 26 (matinee and evening). Packages starts at $455 per night at the Sofitel Chicago Water Tower, 20 East Chestnut St., and you must reserve at least 15 days in advance of performance date by calling (312) 324-4000.

Midwest

• Fly like an eagle

Lift off with the Migration Celebration at the National Eagle Center, which celebrates the beginning of eagle-watching season. Expect guided-boat tours, music and programs about eagles and tundra swans. The next two weekends are dedicated to the mystery and wonder of migration. Bring the family to meet raptors, critters, artists and more including migrating bird field trips, photography lessons and a lecture on global warming and Antarctica.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13-14 and 20-21, at the National Eagle Center, 50 Pembroke Ave., Wabasha, Minn. Adults $8, seniors 62 and up $6, students (4-17) $5 and kids 3 and under free. Call (877) 332-4537 or visit nationaleaglecenter.org.

• Where the grass is bluer

There is a place where “family” and a music festival meet at the Greater Downstate Indoor Bluegrass Music Festival in Springfield, Ill. Enjoy national, regional and local touring bands, catch impromptu jam sessions, enroll in a guitar workshop and see what instrument vendors are offering. This year's event features Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Nothin' Fancy, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Barry Scott & Second Wind and others.

Show times vary Friday, Nov. 12, to Sunday, Nov. 14, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 3000 S. Dirksen Parkway, Springfield. Tickets range from $5-$25 and a weekend pass is $55 to $60. Call (217) 243-3159 or visit bluegrassmidwest.com.

• Fingers don't fail me now

The Winter Art Festival in Madison, Wis., kicks off 21 years as a companion show to the summer Art Fair Off the Square. More than 140 exhibitors will display pottery, watercolors, fiber, wood, glass, photography, jewelry, graphics, sculpture and more while musical entertainment ranges from Celtic to New Orleans blues and classical. There is a Young Collector's Corner where the under-12 set are admitted to purchase artwork of their choosing.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, at the Monona Terrace Convention Center, 1 John Nolen Drive. Visit artcraftwis.org/WinterAF.html.

Worth the trip

Plan a trip with your best girlfriends, extended family or your sweetheart to historic Savannah, Ga. You won't be cramming into hotel rooms, but rather staying at one of five mansions available from Luxury Living Savannah, a boutique hotelier that restores historic homes to their original splendor and adds modern amenities. Experience the Old South in one of the nation's largest historic districts. Mansions and carriage houses accommodate between two and 22 guests so you can rent the entire home or choose from several, smaller rental options.

Book a four-night stay at Luxury Living Savannah and receive the fifth night complimentary between now and Feb. 28 (blackout dates include Thanksgiving and Dec. 20 to Jan. 3). Call (866) 886-0809 or visit luxurylivingsavannah.com.