On the road: Sweet on corn festival
Chicago
Celebrate Serbia
Grab some krofne and cevapcici and you’ll be ready to spin to Serbian sounds at Serb Fest. In addition to music and dancing throughout the day and night, there will be tours of the ornate Holy Resurrection Cathedral, films, a Serbian Orthodox culture exhibit and inflatables for the kids. The menu features Serbian specialties including roasted lamb, pita, barbecued chicken, krofne (doughnuts), nut rolls, cookies and cevapcici, which is grilled minced meat and considered a national dish. Free admission and parking.
5 p.m. to midnight Friday, Aug. 9; noon to midnight Saturday, Aug, 10; and 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Holy Resurrection Cathedral, 5701 Redwood Drive, Chicago. (773) 693-3367 or www.serbfestchicago.com/
Retro weekend
Retro on Roscoe, a flashback weekend of pure fun, features six full blocks of great global cuisine, continuous entertainment, antique vendors, an Antique and Classic Car & Motorcycle show with more than 50 vehicles, artisan vendors and a children’s area with family activities. Musical acts include 16 Candles, Too White Crew, Wedding Banned and Hairbanger’s.
Noon to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 10-11, along 2000-2300 W. Roscoe St., Chicago. Admission is $10. (773) 665-4682 or www.retroonroscoe.com.
Midwest
Pickin’ and grinnin’
You think you had a whopper of a garage sale this summer? Check out Michigan’s Longest Garage Sale — 200 miles of collectibles, furniture, dishware, live entertainment, fresh produce, homemade food, antiques and objects of all kinds. Some areas will have many vendors while others may be scattered because of the rural nature of the highway. You can browse at businesses, farms, parking lots, fields and homes along U.S. 12 Heritage Trail that extends from New Buffalo to Detroit. The Garage Sale Map will be online a few days prior to the sale to highlight sites that have mapped their sales.
Friday through Sunday, Aug. 9-11, along U.S. 12 Heritage Trail that extends from New Buffalo to Detroit, Mich. us12heritagetrail.org/garagesale.asp.
Sow long
It’s August and the kids are getting grumpy about their waning summer freedom, so sow some fun in Mendota, Ill., a town that may have the corner on kernels during its Sweet Corn Festival. Tons of free, hot, buttered Del Monte sweet corn will be the highlight of the 66th annual celebration. There also will be a variety of entertainment for all ages, a Crafters Market Place and flea market, a queen pageant, a beer garden with live bands, a grand parade, and a carnival with rides and games. Enjoy free admission and parking. Be there around 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, when tons of Del Monte sweet corn will be cooked with the help of a vintage steam engine and then served free to fest goers.
6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug, 10; and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at Illinois Avenue and Jefferson Street in downtown Mendota. (815) 539-6507 or www.sweetcornfestival.com.