Midwest travel: Chicago Improv Fest roars into the city, Schaumburg
Chicago
Play with this
You are living in the improv capital of the world, and if you'd like to see tomorrow's "Saturday Night Live" stars, get to the 19th Chicago Improv Festival. This year's event presents 160 acts in nine artistic categories representing distinctive styles of improvisation. See alternative/experimental, dramatic, emerging artists, home shows, long and short form and musical performances among others at 18 venues throughout Chicago. Expect intimate experiences with hand-picked acts at smaller venues. Monday through Sunday, May 2-8, at various venues in Chicago and at the Laugh Out Loud Theater in the Streets of Woodfield, 601 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg. Ticket prices range from $5-$25. For details, visit chicagoimprovfestival.org/ or call (773) 875-6616.
Got a minute?
For theater fans with short attention spans, the Chicago One-Minute Play Festival is your speedy ticket to culture. The sixth annual event celebrates the works of women and women-identified playwrights and directors. The marathon evenings of one-minute plays feature more than 70 Chicago established and emerging playwrights and directors. Tuesday and Wednesday, May 3-4, at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. Tickets cost $18 and are available at brownpapertickets.com/. For a full schedule, see oneminuteplayfestival.com/.
Mom's favorite
Procrastinators will have a last-minute chance to pick up a unique gift for mom at Chicago's May Art Market on the Friday and Saturday before Mother's Day. Select from jewelry, painting, sculpture and more that will surely move you up on the "Mom's Favorite" list. The event, which takes place at Daley Plaza, offers free souvenir photos to take home and a youth art tent where kids can make clay masterpieces. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 6-7, at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St., Chicago. Free. For details, see amdurproductions.com/ or call (847) 926-4300.
Midwest
Lincoln logs
A new exhibit at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield offers intimate glimpses into Lincoln's family, career, finances and presidency. "Unfinished Work" features documents and artifacts such as a promissory note for $379.82, an amount Lincoln called the national debt; his patent for a mechanism to get stranded riverboats off of obstructions (no other U.S. president has held a patent); an illustrated copy of the Emancipation Proclamation; and a ticket to his funeral at the White House. The exhibit takes its name from the Gettysburg Address, in which Lincoln described the unfinished work of bringing freedom to the nation as well as a reference to Lincoln's life being cut short. Now through May 15 at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, 112 N. 6th St., Springfield, Illinois. For details, visit www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov.
May we have this dance?
Maypole dancers, strolling accordionists, guided tours of furniture workshops, live theater, polka music, antiques, parades and lots of activities for kids usher in spring at the Amana Colonies in Iowa. Maifest also offers live bands, demonstrations at the old-fashioned woolen mill, food specials and horse-drawn carriage rides through the historic streets of Amana. Saturday and Sunday, April 30-May 1, in the Amana Colonies in Amana, Iowa. Explore festivalsinamana.com/maifest.html for a complete schedule.
Dutch treat
Tulip Time in Pella, Iowa, draws more than 100,000 tourists to celebrate spring and Dutch heritage. Experience a Dutch craft market, Pella city tours, ethnic foods, historical homes, kids' activities, a Dutch cheese market, street and stage entertainment, Dutch dancers, lots of gardens and flowers, and afternoon and evening parades. Don't miss the Pella Historical Village, with more than 20 buildings, some more than 150 years old. Most of the Tulip Time events are free. Thursday through Saturday, May 5-7, in downtown Pella and at the Pella Historical Village, 507 Franklin St., Pella, Iowa. (641) 628-4311 or pellatuliptime.com.