While Illinois is blessed with the various pursuits associated with being a four-season Midwest destination, by April of every year, it is poised to step into the warmer months after cozying up for a long, cold winter. With spring and summer comes an outdoor to-do list that both locals and group attendees are eager to check off.
Chicagoland
After the cold Midwest winters that blanket Chicago and its environs, locals and visitors alike can’t wait to take to the streets. And in Chicago, one of the country’s most foot-friendly destinations, that’s often enough.
“We really are a walkable city,” says Meghan Risch, director of public relations at the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. “Attendees can walk to the Museum Campus in just minutes after their meeting at McCormick Place or take a walk along the lakefront during the lunch break.”
Millennium Park is another place that’s great for strolling, as well as hosting off-site group events complete with views of the city skyline. Among the park’s unique function spaces are the stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, the tree-lined Chase Promenade and Harris Theater's Rooftop Terrace.
“Millennium Park, celebrating five years, has quickly garnered a reputation as one of the city’s best landmarks,” Risch says.
The lakefront Navy Pier is another warm-weather hot spot, a veritable playground where groups can enjoy the boardwalk—complete with a 150-foot Ferris wheel, shopping and dining options—boat excursions and Segway tours.
Like its neighbor to the north, which has miles of park paths for biking and hiking, the Chicago Southland area has a great amount of public lands for delegates to explore, according to Mary Patchin, director of sales at the Chicago Southland CVB.
“A huge network of recreational trails crisscross the Chicago Southland, offering fitness options for active meeting attendees,” she says.
Along with trails, sports and music get groups outside in the Chicago Southland, Patchin says, citing the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, a major national outdoor concert facility.
Chicago’s pro soccer team, the Chicago Fire, play in Toyota Park, a 20,000-seat multipurpose stadium that also hosts summertime concerts, and the Windy City Thunderbolts, a minor-league baseball team, spends the summer at Standard Bank Stadium in the Southland.
“Balmoral Park Racetrack offers live harness racing four nights per week during the summer months, with many promotions and offers available for large groups,” Patchin adds.
In the nearby Oak Park area, the Brookfield Zoo and Oak Park Conservatory are among the popular options for group outings and events, according to Scott Devermann, sales and marketing manager at the Oak Park Area CVB.
“Meeting planners will find the area’s many attractions, shops, restaurants, meeting facilities and accommodations diverse and priced to meet their budget,” he says.
One favorite for group parties in the area is Maywood Park Race Track, which features the Winner’s Circle Dining room that overlooks the half-mile track. Groups of 10 to 1,000 people are welcome.
Located 20 miles west of Chicago is DuPage County, which enjoys lovely natural surroundings and more than 50 golf courses for group outings.
According to Lisa Landers, CMP, director of sales at the DuPage CVB, a couple of the area’s meetings-friendly properties offer outdoor facilities for groups. The Lisle, Ill.-based Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Hotel’s Corporate Learning Institute gets the group outside with team-building activities, including a ropes course, and the Herrington Inn & Spa in Geneva on the banks of the Fox River has a riverside courtyard area for memorable group mixers.
One of the most popular meetings properties in St. Charles is Pheasant Run Resort & Spa, where groups can enjoy warm-weather outdoor activities such as golf.
In addition to its reputation as an overall charming destination, St. Charles “sparkles” in the summertime, says Amy Egolf, executive director at the St. Charles CVB.
“There is so much to do here, from famous paddle wheel boat cruises on the Fox (operated by the Johnson Family since the 1940s) to renting canoes and peddleboats at Pottawatomie Park, to our newest outdoor attraction, Segway tours, which have kicked off our 2009 summer season,” Egolf says.
She adds that many of the outdoor activities available double as wonderful networking and team-building options. Last year, the CVB arranged a fun excursion for a group from Germany.
“They rented kayaks down-river in Geneva, and, after a quick how-to and safety demonstration, paddled their way upstream to one of our riverfront restaurants, Sage Bistro, enjoyed dinner, and paddled back in the dusk,” Egolf says.
The welcoming community of Burr Ridge, located on the border of DuPage and Cook counties, also takes full advantage of the warm-weather months. The city has plenty of parkland and the Burr Ridge Village Center, a hub of shopping and dining, features outdoor summer events such as a classic car show, an art show, a weekly farmers’ market and a concert series on the Village Green.
Northern Illinois
Located 60 miles west of Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Rockford has such a wide variety of outdoor activities available that, regardless of the interests or age of the group’s attendees, there is something for everyone, according to Jaki Berggren, meeting sales manager at the Rockford Area CVB.
“We have everything from world-class gardens like Anderson Japanese Gardens [and Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden] to family-friendly professional baseball action with the Rockford Riverhawks [at Road Ranger Stadium],” she says.
Groups convening in Rockford have also been known to cruise the Rock River aboard a Forest City Queen riverboat, golf at Aldeen Golf Club & Practice Centre, considered a “must play” in the Midwest, and visit Volcano Falls Adventure Park, which features miniature golf, batting cages, go-carting and Lazer Tag.
Situated on the Mississippi River, the Quad Cities of Moline and Rock Island, Ill., and Bettendorf and Davenport, Iowa, make for an “absolutely vibrant and appealing” destination when the weather warms up, according to Lynn Hunt, vice president of sales at the Quad Cities CVB.
“There are opportunities to take river cruises as a group, individuals can shop and dine via water taxi, and attend many of the outdoor festivals and events as part of their experience,” she says.
The Celebration Belle River Cruise out of Moline, for up to 800 people, is a standby outing for visiting groups, Hunt adds. Lunch, prime rib buffet dinners and sightseeing excursions are available.
“Golf is also an activity that is very affordable—an average round of golf with a cart is $36—and plentiful in the Quad Cities,” Hunt says, citing the Rock Island Arsenal Golf Club on the Mississippi River. “The golf course is located adjacent to meeting space at Quarters One, the second-largest government-owned residence next to the White House.”
In Galena, recently named by Forbes Traveler as one of the 10 “prettiest towns” in America, and Jo Daviess County, the summer months afford many more opportunities for groups to get outside, according to Celestino Ruffini, director of sales at the Galena/Jo Daviess County CVB.
“The serene beauty of northwest Illinois affords an excellent opportunity to experience a wide variety of activities such as kayaking, hiking, bicycling, golfing, boating and hot-air ballooning,” Ruffini says. “Savoring locally produced wine at a vineyard [is another option] to break out of the monotony of the standard meeting routine.”
Popular golf courses in the area include Eagle Ridge Resort’s South Course and Lacoma Golf Course, and hot-air ballooning excursions are arranged for up to 14 people by outfitter On The Fly.
At Massbach Ridge Winery, tasting, tours and breathtaking views of the Jo Daviess County hills are available for up to 50 people, and aboard the Mississippi Explorer, which departs from Chestnut Mountain Resort, groups can explore the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge.
In Lake County there are many beautiful outdoor settings and a wide array of recreational activities, according to Maureen Riedy, president of the Lake County Illinois CVB.
“But I think the venue that might be of the most interest is the Illinois Beach Resort & Conference Center, located in a lovely state park setting right on the shores of Lake Michigan,” she says. “Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony, is another spectacular outdoor setting for groups who can enjoy upscale picnics and classical music under the stars.”
Central Illinois
Conventions taking place in Springfield during the warmer months can take advantage of numerous outdoor venues for off-site events, says Gina Gemberling, director of sales at the Springfield CVB.
“Our convention services staff will assist planners with finding the perfect outdoor location among the many unique opportunities we have to offer in Springfield,” she says.
One such location is Springfield’s downtown, which has been the site of many creative off-site functions, including block parties, parades and pub crawls, Gemberling says. Another is Lake Springfield, where the Island Bay Yacht Club and Lake Springfield Beach House often host private parties for up to 200 people.
At Knights Action Park & Caribbean Water Adventure, delegates will feel like kids again among the rides, such as Bumper Boats, water slides, a giant wave pool, batting cages and a 50-tee driving range. The park also has sheltered picnic pavilions, catering menus and a group services staff.
In Peoria, people enjoy strolling, browsing specialty shops and dining in great restaurants along the riverfront, which really comes alive when the weather warms up, according to Brent Lonteen, president and CEO of the Peoria Area CVB.
“Most nights, and especially on the weekends, there is always something happening: Live music, entertainment, festivals and our authentic paddle wheeler, Spirit of Peoria, are huge attractions,” he says.
In late June, the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts (IAFPD) will host its members on the Peoria riverfront in an area near a festival, where there will be live music, food and beverages, Lonteen adds.
“The promoter of the festival worked with us to cordon off an area just for the IAFPD members,” he says. “Peoria takes hospitality to a whole new level.”
Groups have also been known to check out a Peoria Chiefs minor-league baseball game at O’Brien Field.
Over in Champaign County, outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the area’s many city parks and its Forest Preserve, which features multiuse facilities for group events, according to Scott Hockman, executive director at the Champaign County CVB.
He adds that outdoor group opportunities also include amateur and collegiate sporting events, and excursions to Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch and Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch.
Winding through Bloomington and Normal, the Constitution Trail is a terrific option for those in the group who want a little exercise, and at Miller Park Zoo, attendees will see a butterfly exhibit, red wolves, bald eagles and a tropical rain forest with free-flying birds, snow leopards and a Sumatran tiger.
There are also many golf options for groups in the Bloomington/Normal area, including The Den at Fox Creek and Ironwood Golf Course.
Southern Illinois
Carbondale’s southern position on the Illinois map means that when other parts of the state are cold, the area may boast welcoming, mild weather, according to Devon Clifford, sales manager at the Carbondale Convention and Tourism Bureau.
“Carbondale is the perfect base camp for exploring the natural wonders throughout Southern Illinois,” he says.
The Shawnee National Forest is probably a good place to start. The park’s more than 280,000 acres reside in the unglaciated areas of Southern Illinois, and groups are welcome to partake in activities from boating and fishing on Kinkaid Lake and Lake Murphysboro to hiking or just driving along scenic byways for picturesque views.
The Shawnee Hills Wine Trail comprises 12 wineries located in Jackson and Union counties in Southern Illinois, Clifford adds. Groups can arrange a tasting tour through the rolling hills, pack some lunch, as most of the wineries have picnic areas, or hold a meeting at Von Jakob Vineyards. Von Jakob has two locations, one in Pomona and one in Alto Pass, and offers facilities that can accommodate as few as 50 people and as many as 1,000.
