On the road: Ohio parks open for golf getaways
Chicago
Pickin' and grinnin'
Fans of vintage products will want to pencil a trip to the city for Randolph Street Market's “Spring Fling.” Count on fresh flowers, artisanal chocolates for Easter baskets and live music. Don your finest Easter bonnets and gain free entry; look for hidden Easter eggs containing Market Bucks, season passes and sweet treats; pose for your digital Easter Card in the Fotio Photobooth. The show offers free downtown furniture delivery, a re-upholstery station, consignment to make room for new purchases, Chicago food vendors and a great mix of 75-plus vendors selling art, antiques, fashion, home decor, furniture and more.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30, at Beaux Arts Plumber's Hall, 1340 W. Washington St., Chicago. Discounted $8 tickets are available in advance at randolphstreet market.com; general admission is $10, students with ID $3 or $5 at the gate. Children 12 and younger admitted free. Free parking. (312) 666-1200.
Here comes the sun
Can't get to the beach for spring break? Go out of this world and celebrate the sun with solar-themed programming and events at the Adler Planetarium. With extended museum hours, you'll have time to enjoy hands-on activities, family arts and science workshops, yoga under the stars and a lunar eclipse observing event with demonstrations that explore the science of eclipses and other lunar-themed activities. There are programs for everyone from toddlers (Young Explorer's Mondays) to adults.
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through April 27 at Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. Admission is $12-$28 for adults; $10-$26 for seniors/students; $8 for kids 8-11. For information about spring break programming, call (312) 922-7827 or visit adler planetarium.org.
Imagine all the people
Curated by two University of Chicago physicians, Imaging/Imagining the Human Body in Anatomical Representation is a multivenue exhibition. It explores the history of anatomical representation and the connection between the arts and medical science. The exhibits include more than 60 works in a variety of media dating from the Renaissance to today in a variety of media. See drawings, rare manuscripts, sculptures, engravings, X-rays and 3-D printed models dating from the Renaissance to today. Expect imaginative depictions of the human figure made by artists as well as scientific images of the body.
Runs March 25 through June 20. Venues include Special Collections Research Center, The Smart Museum of Art and John Crerar Library, all on the University of Chicago campus. Free. (773) 702-2787 or arts.uchicago.edu.
Midwest
Fixing a hole
Spring — the time of year when some fancies turns to golf. Four Ohio State Park Lodges are offering “Unlimited Golf” packages that allow you to play as much as you want on some of the state's most interesting and scenic courses. The package features two nights of lodging, two days of unlimited golf for two people, a shared cart each day, and breakfast for two one morning. The golfing is at Deer Creek State Park Lodge, Maumee Bay State Park Lodge, Punderson Manor State Park Lodge and Salt Fork State Park Lodge (rated four stars by Golfer's Digest). The courses range from links-style to hilly courses, located in lush forests.
April 1 through Oct. 31. Rates start at around $100 per golfer per day based on double occupancy. OhioStateParkLodges.com or (800) 282-7275. When reserving, use the promotional code GOLFBNB.
Mission possible
So you missed SXSW in Austin, Texas? Sample Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City, Iowa, when dozens of musicians, artists and writers perform at downtown venues. The annual celebration of the arts features performers such as Phillip Glass, The Head and the Heart of Montreal, Basia Bulat, Jason Isbell, and many others in concerts, comedic performances, literary readings, film screenings, public lectures, food and culture events. There's even a tech and innovation mini-conference. All events are within five minutes walking distance of each other.
Tuesday through Sunday, April 1-6, at various venues in downtown Iowa City, Iowa. Ticket prices vary but start at $10 for individual events. (319) 354-5830 or missionfreak.com.
Sticky note
It may be your last chance to see the tapping of the trees this year. The Maple Syrup Festival at the MacKenzie Environmental Center (25 miles north of Madison), serves up a pancake breakfast, guided tours of the sugar bush, demonstrations of tapping and syrup-making, and interpretive talks about how Native Americans and pioneers made syrup. Enjoy old-fashioned music and horse-drawn wagon rides, watch homemade ice cream being churned with an antique engine, and visit the live wildlife exhibit, which includes animals native to Wisconsin.
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at MacKenzie Environmental Education Center, County Road CS & Q, Poynette, Wis. Pancake breakfast is $7 for adults, $5 for kids in the lodge; guided tours and demonstrations are free. (608) 635-8105 or dnr.wi.gov/education/Mackenzie.