Fall Guide

Despite local opposition, in 1929 Henry Ford bought and dismantled the courthouse in Postville and had it set up again at his Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Mich. The courthouse became more valuable to the community when they learned they were going to lose it, says Shirley Bartelmay, coordinator of the Postville Courthouse State Historic Site […]

By now, your summer fling is either nearing an end, you’re thinking about taking the relationship to the next level, or the thought of spending the holiday season alone is depressing the heck out of you. Luckily, Springfield and central Illinois host an array of autumn activities and locales that are perfect for one last […]

Many days, Mother Nature locks you indoors and keeps you there with her sweltering heat or bone-chilling cold, soul-sapping humidity or ear-warping wind, rain, snow, sleet, thunder, lightning or hail. This time of year, though, she seems to lay down her weapons and summon us outdoors with her most alluring talents – temperatures that are […]

The colorful and raspy-voiced U. S. Sen. Everett McKinley Dirksen died in 1969, but his memory lives on at the Dirksen Congressional Center in Pekin, near Peoria. This is a research center, but a museum, too. The first thing that catches one’s eye is Sen. Everett Dirksen’s desk from his Capitol office. Dirksen, called the […]

Untitled Document You can do just about anything with corn — eat it, feed your pigs with it, concoct bourbon whiskey with it, and most recently, fill up your gas tank with it. But when the dog days of summer yield to fall’s feel-good temperatures, there’s only one thing to do with the yellow wonder: […]

Untitled Document Corn and soybean fields aren’t all Illinois has to offer in the landscape department. Pockets of magnificent foliage are scattered throughout the Land of Lincoln. This autumn, take advantage of the state’s scenic back roads and nature preserves as their trees’ leaves change colors. Hop into the car, fill up the tank, and […]

Untitled Document The people have spoken — and they want their flying pumpkins. Earlier this summer, the Morton Chamber of Commerce, which has coordinated an annual punkin-chuckin’ contest since the mid-’90s, dropped a bomb by announcing that the contest would be suspended indefinitely. Despite the popularity of the sport, the number of entrants, who design […]

Untitled Document When the air turns cooler, the leaves change colors, and the rhythm of life settles into that steady pace that’s found only between the start of school and the frenzy of the holidays, it’s the perfect time to gather up your significant others, pack a lunch, and go find a shady spot where […]

Untitled Document On the road again Hop in the car and make music your destination By MARISSA MONSON If you’re willing to put mileage in this fall, your options for seeing live music are endless. Here’s a list of shows in an array of genres happening around Illinois this fall. ST. LOUIS Sept. 8 — […]

Untitled Document Cribbing from lyricist Maxwell Anderson, I see that we’re approaching the time of the year when the weather turns leaves to flame and the days grow short and dwindle down. “September Song” is a love song, but it’s also a reminder that all things, good and bad, come to an end. What, then, […]

Untitled Document Here’s our quick guide to our favorite fall celebrations, festivals, and events in Springfield and Illinois. Look for additional information in weekly editions of Illinois Times. By MARISSA MONSON Through Oct. 27 Our Town: A Visual Journey: Celebrating the 175th anniversary of State Journal-Register, the Springfield Art Association displays more than 70 photographs […]