Since we’re only a few days into the new year, that brand-spanking-new 2018 calendar of yours is probably long on blank space.
Let us help fill it up with 20 events throughout Illinois, from food festivals (Milk! Corn! Pumpkins!) and an epic tug-of-war across the Mississippi River to a weekend re-imagining frontier life at Illinois’ first state park.
It’s the latest addition to our bicentennial bucket list: 200 things every Illinoisan should do — or see, eat or drink — at least once in a lifetime. (FYI: Dec. 3, 2018, marks two centuries of statehood for the Land of Lincoln.)
Our 200 To-Do List is divided into 10 categories, each with 20 entries. We’re rolling out a new category each month. We kicked it off in December with 20 history-related things to do. In January, “events” is the tie that binds.
We aimed to spread our selections throughout the state and avoid dwelling on the obvious, like Taste of Chicago and the big summer music festivals.
More Top Picks At T Tl96273
Think we missed a worthy annual event? Let us know by emailing [email protected], and your suggestion might make it into our final installment: People’s Choice.
If all of this bicentennial talk leaves you brimming with Illinois pride, here’s one more entry to add to your calendar: The state’s 200th birthday party Dec. 3 at the United Center.
To see the categories that have already run, go to www.chicagotribune.com/bicentennial.