On the road: Theater series
Chicago
Theater's in session
The theater lab series, In the Works, returns to Chicago's Millennium Park for a third season and opens with “TUTA Theatre Chicago's Fulton Street Sessions.” Sit on the enclosed stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in a climate-controlled environment and watch the cabaret-style production that includes sketches, musical numbers and interludes. After the show, meet TUTA Theatre Chicago artists in an informal setting.
7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, Jan. 12-14, at Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 201 E. Randolph St. Chicago. Tickets cost $15. Call (312) 742-8497 or visit tinyurl.com/6nh3z8t.
Snow patrol
The chic Affinia Chicago partners with Navy Pier's annual Snow Days Chicago, a free three-day winter festival featuring a national snow sculpting competition, dog sled demonstrations, snowboard rail jam and entertainment. The Snow Days package includes overnight parking, trolley ride to and from Navy Pier, breakfast for two at celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson's C-House restaurant and accommodations at Affinia.
Package is available from Thursday to Sunday, Jan. 26-29, at Affinia Chicago, 166 E. Superior St., Chicago. Rates start at $179. Call (866) 246-2203 and mention promotional code SNODAY or visit www.affinia.com/Special.aspx?name=Snow-Days-Chicago.
Midwest
Brrrrring it on
Cold enough for you? If not, you need to head north for the Icebox Days Winter Festival in International Falls, Minn., on the Canadian border. Featured events in the cold-weather festival include frozen turkey bowling, snow sculpting, smoosh races, candlelight skiing in Voyageurs National Park, snowmobile racing and a Freeze Yer Gizzard Blizzard Run, a 10K and 5K race. Visitors stay for fireworks, ice carvings, snowshoe softball and a Rainy Lake bonfire.
2:30 to 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20; 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 21; and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22. Event take place at various venues around International Falls. Call (800) 325-5766. or visit internationalfallsmn.us.Ski timeDuring January, the snow sports team at the Mountain Top at Grand Geneva participates in national #8220;Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month,#8221; a program that encourages taking lessons from pro instructors to learn how to ski or to improve skills. Located on the campus of the AAA Four Diamond Grand Geneva Resort Spa, the Mountain Top has a separate area for beginners, 18 trails on three hills, 10 kilometers of scenic trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and a terrain park for snowboarding. Grand Geneva and its sister property Timber Ridge Lodge Waterpark offer new promotions and packages from weekday ski specials, a variety of programs for families and lodging packages.7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, Wis. Lessons and lodging rates vary through January. Call Grand Geneva at (800) 558-3417 or visit GrandGeneva.com or for Timber Ridge Lodge, call (866) 636-4502 or visit timberridgeresort.com.
Snowy shenanigans
Embrace the cold side and head to Angola, Ind., for thrilling rides down the state's only refrigerated toboggan slide. Located in Pokagon State Park, the 1,780-foot dual lane toboggan delights nearly 80,000 people each season. One of only three in the Midwest, the slide operates even if there's not a flake of snow on the ground. Consider lodging at the historic Potawatomi Inn inside the park and make a weekend of it.
5 to 10 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Sunday, Feb. 26, at 450 Lane 100 Lake James, Angola, Ind. Toboggans rent for $10 per hour or bring your own. Call (800) 525-3100 or visit lakes101.org.
Worth the trip
Fans of food and winter sports will be in paradise visiting Colorado for the first annual Beaver Creek Food Wine Weekend, a three-day winter culinary celebration on the slopes. Chefs John Besh, Tim Love, Marc Murphy, Stephanie Izard, Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson and Richard Sandoval join local host chefs to produce casual and interactive events from après-ski to exclusive dinners with menus prepared by celebrity chefs.
Thursday to Saturday, Jan. 26-28. Events will be hosted at a variety of venues throughout the resort. Individual event ticket prices start at $75 and the standard package is available for $425 per person, per night and includes two nights of lodging, two days of skiing and tickets to Friday's Burgers Beers Après-Ski, a gourmet dinner and Saturday night's grand tasting.
Call (970) 754-4636 or visit beavercreek.com/foodandwine.