Old Town continues as flourishing entertainment district
Chicago
Everything old (town) is new again
Known as a flourishing entertainment district, Old Town is home to Second City, the famous improvisational club and training ground of comedians John Belushi, Bill Murray, Tina Fey and Steve Carrell, among many others. Countless trendy restaurants, unusual boutiques and one of the nation's oldest summer art fairs add to the cultural highlights of the neighborhood and you can learn all about it through the new Old Town InstaGreeter program, a free service offered by the Chicago Office of Tourism.
Drop by the Second City lobby for a free one-hour walkabout of Old Town guided by volunteers. Visits are given on a first-come, first-served basis with no reservations needed. Chicago Greeters will provide "insider orientations" to Old Town through the informal walking tours, which are limited to groups of six or less.
10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays from May 29 to Oct. 9 at 1616 N. Wells St. Visit ExploreChicago.org.
Happy feet
Penguins are kid favorites, so treat them to Shedd's new Polar Play Family Breakfast to see, meet and act like penguins. Enjoy a continental breakfast, then parade like a penguin to a private screening of the new, 12-minute "Happy Feet 4-D Experience." Next, you'll go to the Polar Play Zone to explore the touch pool and penguin playscape before the exhibit opens to the public. With the help of a trainer, you'll get beak-to-beak with one of the Shedd's playful penguins and experience a morning of interactive penguin games. The whole family can learn how to raise a penguin chick and do a penguin behavior study like a real trainer. The event also includes a free family photo, admission to the aquarium and reserved seats to Shedd's new aquatic show "Fantasea."
8 to 11 a.m., Saturday, May 22, at Shedd Aquarium, 1200 S. Lake Shore Drive. $39.95 ($35.95 members) per person. To register, call (312) 692-3355 or visit sheddaquarium.org.
Rolling on the river
Chicago Architecture Foundation architecture river cruise season opens for visitors and locals to get in-depth looks at a wide range of architecture all from the vantage point of the river. Your guide is one of the Chicago Architecture Foundation's docents, who interpret more than 50 buildings along the Chicago River, revealing how the city grew from a small backcountry outpost into one of the world's most important crossroads in less than 100 years. See historic and modern architectural styles, plus hear many stories about the people who designed and built our city. Cruises depart throughout the day. New this year will be "date night" cruises Thursdays and Fridays at 5:30 p.m. starting in June.
Tour times vary, but there are at least seven per day and each lasts 90 minutes. Cruises run through Oct. 3. Tickets cost $32 per person. Call (312) 922-3432 or visit architecture.org.
Midwest
A race to the finish
It's the 45th year for the bicycle street races of the Quad Cities Criterium in the downtown Arts & Entertainment District in Rock Island, Ill. About 500 cyclists from throughout the United States participate in the race that offers flashes of colorful jerseys, showy bicycles, 35 mph speeds and a full course wired for sound. There are also races for children, a free bicycle safety rodeo for kids and adults, Criterium Marketplace with food and official merchandise, live music, entertainment and activities for the entire family.
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, May 31, at 17th Street and 2nd Avenue in Rock Island. Call (309) 788-6311 or visit quadcitiescriterium.com.
Beer here
California may have Napa, but Wisconsin says "cheers" to the Kohler Festival of Beer on tap for Memorial Day weekend. Sample a broad range of suds from breweries across the country, ask questions, learn about the brewing process and vote for your favorites. The Blues, Brews and Barbeque event features smoky cuisine and tunes to pair with your beer. Overflowing with home-brew competitions, a beer-battered Wisconsin fish fry, tapping party, golf tournament, tastings and other beer-themed activities, the festival offers a la carte and day pass tickets and hotel packages with the American Club and the Inn on Woodlake.
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, May 28, and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 29-30, in Kohler, Wis. Prices for events and hotel packages vary. Call (800) 344-2838 or visit DestinationKOHLER.com/beerfestival.
Like a rolling stone
Many people make the short trip to Spring Green, Wis., to see Frank Lloyd Wright's home and studio, to enjoy Shakespeare at the American Players Theatre or to experience the absurdity of the House on the Rock. Others save Memorial Day weekend to visit for Bobfest - a celebration of Robert Zimmerman, otherwise known as Bob Dylan. The Spring Green General Store marks Bob Dylan's 69th birthday with wall-to-wall outdoor music, local beer on tap, food for purchase and '60s-style camaraderie. Admission is free.
11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, May 30, at 137 S. Albany St., Spring Green, Wis. Call (608) 588-7070 or visit springgreengeneralstore.com.
Worth the trip
Spoleto Festival USA, the American version of the original festival in Spoleto, Italy, is an annual mix of opera, musical theater, dance, visual arts, music from jazz to symphonic, plus a series of informative talks with festival artists. Held in Charleston, S.C., the internationally acclaimed 17-day festival showcases young, contemporary artists as well as acclaimed masters in their respective fields performing in the city's historic churches, theaters and outdoor spaces. Among this year's 700 events are an opera with marionettes, Ireland's Gate Theatre presenting Noël Coward's "Present Laughter," "Giselle" performed by the National Ballet of Georgia and the Ebony Hillbillies, a traditional string band quartet.
Friday, May 28, to Sunday, June 13, in Charleston, S.C. Call (843) 579-3100 or visit spoletousa.org.