Oakland
There’s a place in southern Illinois that most people have never heard of, and it sits above the Mississippi River like it’s been keeping a very pleasant secret for a very long time. That place is Fults Hill Prairie Nature Preserve, and it’s located near the small town...
Ready to find the best Mexican food in Illinois without leaving the state?. These 7 restaurants serve bold flavors and satisfying meals that’ll keep you coming back for more!. 1. El Tragón Taquería (Chicago) The name “El Tragón” roughly means “the big eater” in Spanish, and honestly,...
“May the toys be with you.” That’s the cheerful sign-off one Illinois collectibles shop uses whenever it thanks a customer for stopping by. I love that line, because it tells you exactly what kind of happy, slightly obsessed place this is. Its shelves hold Star Wars figures, Marvel Legends, Transformers, Funko Pops, model kits, and stacks of comics.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) - Knight’s Action Park raised $5,600 to benefit organizations around the Greater Springfield area this season. Funds were raised across 12 Tuesdays during the summer 2026 season with different organizations being represented from week to week. In May, Knight’s Action Park announced a brand-new charitable initiative...
Hemp-derived THC beverages containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will be pulled from liquor stores and other traditional retail outlets in Illinois beginning Nov. 12, following the passage of a new state law that places tighter restrictions on intoxicating hemp products. The Illinois Hemp Act, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in […]
Springfield Art Association is rearranging the seating at its Edwards Place headquarters, loaning its Lincoln Courting Couch to Indiana State Museum for an upcoming exhibit.
A hungry hunter in your yard can hear a mouse squeak under the snow from roughly 100 feet away. Then it leaps high, arcs through the air, and lands front paws first right on dinner. I watched this happen once at the edge of my garden just after dusk. My...
Sixteen first-place wins at Chicago’s WingFest is a lot of hardware for one modest neighborhood grill. Add four Best of Fest awards, and that shelf starts looking crowded. The place doesn’t stop at wings, either. Homemade tavern-style thin crust pizza comes out of the same kitchen, along with garlic buffalo wings that seem to have their own fan club.
Some of the best meals in Illinois come from places you would drive right past without a second look. A gravel lot, a plain sign, maybe a farmhouse porch, and then a plate of crackling, golden chicken that ruins every drive-thru for you. Southern Illinois is full of these quiet...
A pie called the Fat Elvis sits on the menu at a cheerful little shop in Illinois. Right next to it, you might spot a lamb and apricot hand pie. That combo alone tells you this place plays by its own rules. The chocolate cream pie is considered a house...
PEORIA (25News Now) - As Illinois’ firearm deer season approaches, conservation police are reminding hunters that knowing the rules and being fully prepared before heading into the field can help avoid common mistakes. The first firearm deer season runs Nov. 20-22, followed by a second season Dec. 3-6. Illinois...
Illinois Extension names 9 herbs that grow indoors in winter, from basil to winter savory, with light, temperature and fresh-to-dried conversion tips. The post 9 Kitchen Herbs That Keep Growing Indoors Through Winter, According to Illinois Extension appeared first on Timeless Dishes .
Dan Greaney, a longtime writer and producer for “The Simpsons” who humorously predicted a Donald Trump presidency, is now running for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination. An episode titled “Bart to the Future” aired on March 19, 2000, which imagined Bart Simpson’s life 30 years into the future....
Some of the best food in Illinois hides behind plain storefronts with hand-painted signs and a smoky smell drifting out the door. You walk in expecting a quick errand and walk out with a cooler full of brats, sausage sticks, and summer sausage you did not plan to buy. These...
Each spiky ball under your shoe holds dozens of tiny seed chambers, and every chamber has two little hooked beaks. I rolled one in my palm last October and counted more than forty points. No wonder it hurts. The same tree that drops them can keep raining them down from...
One stand on this list piles the fries right on top of the hot dog and still won’t hand you ketchup. Another claims credit for putting a batter-dipped hot dog on a stick along old Route 66. I love that kind of stubbornness. Illinois has plenty of flashy food...
Summer gets all the credit for ice cream, but some of the best scoops in Illinois come straight from working farms and dairy shops that stay open well into fall. While combines roll through the fields and the leaves start turning, these spots are still pouring soft serve, churning gelato, and handing out waffle cones.
Thanksgiving in Illinois comes with strong opinions, and everyone has a hill they’re willing to die on when it comes to the table. Maybe it’s the one side dish your aunt brings every single year, or the pie that vanishes before the coffee even brews. But when you look at the whole state, the consensus […]