Seasonal shifts can shape meetings in the Chicago Suburbs, where theater-going and cocoa-infused dog-sledding outings are popular in the winter, and a hot-air balloon festival and lunch prepared with the help of buzzing bees are hits during the summer.
These and many more unique seasonal opportunities are available to brighten the group experience in this already exciting area any time of year.
Winter
In Skokie, connected to the DoubleTree Hotel Chicago-North Shore Conference Center, is the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, where groups can take in a performance by music acts, comedians and more.
“Meeting groups love The Capitol Steps [a political satire group], which enjoy sold-out shows each January,” says Gina Speckman, executive director at Chicago’s North Shore CVB, adding just across the street from the performing arts center is Westfield Old Orchard, a shopping destination with two movie theaters and many restaurants.
The Paramount Theatre in Aurora also has a full season of marquee entertainment, and according to Cort Carlson, executive director for the Aurora Area CVB, the theater’s Grand Gallery is an ideal setting for pre/post-show gatherings.
“Shopping is supreme in the Chicago Northwest region leading up to holidays,” adds Dave Parulo, president of Meet Chicago Northwest.
He says convention attendees enjoy local shopping destinations, including Woodfield Mall and Streets of Woodfield, both in Schaumburg. The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel offers shuttles to the Woodfield Mall.
DeAnn Wagner, associate director at the Greater St. Charles CVB, recommends groups visit downtown St. Charles for live performances at the Arcada Theatre or at Zanies Comedy Club.
From mid-November through the beginning of January, the Lisle-based Morton Arboretum, which is a terrific place for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, glows with LED lights and trees that respond to touch and voice, says Diane Homolka, executive director for the Lisle CVB. The annual installation, called Illumination, is considered a “must-see destination” by the Chicago Tribune.
According to Rosemont Mayor Brad Stephens, MB Financial Park is the epicenter for entertainment, shopping and nightlife where, during the winter months, “visitors can skate on the park’s ice rink, watch ice carving or take a ride down the Polar Peak sled hill,” he says.
Maureen Riedy, president for Visit Lake County, recommends groups check out the Sweets, Treats and Spirits Tour, which includes a candy-making class at Sweet Pete’s Candy shop, a stop at The Popcorn Factory, a light lunch at the nearby R & V Italian Market and Deli and a tour/tasting at North Shore Distillery, a purveyor of gin, vodka and absinthe.
Illinois’ first winery, Roselle-based Lynfred Winery, welcomes groups for tours and wine-tasting receptions, says Nanette Traetow, director of marketing and operations for the DuPage CVB.
Brookfield Zoo features over 2,400 animals, and on weekends in December groups can experience Holiday Magic, Chicagoland’s largest lights festival, according to Sara Barnett, president/CEO for Visit Oak Park.
From December until the end of February, bald eagles flock to the area’s Starved Rock State Park.
“Join an eagle-watch trolley tour or grab your binoculars and search on your own to see the eagles perched in trees or feeding from the lock and dam,” says Kate Meehan, marketing coordinator for the Heritage Corridor CVB.
And a great option for groups meeting in the Chicago Southland during winter is Musher Mania at the Monee Reservoir, where Juston Teach, communications manager for Chicago Southland CVB, says groups will find “sled dog exhibitions, live ice sculpting and a great cup of hot cocoa to warm you up on a cold winter’s day.”
Spring
Springtime experiences in the area range from a tram tour of the North Shore’s Chicago Botanic Garden, which has thousands of tulips in bloom, to exploring Oak Park’s Frank Lloyd Wright homes, to cheering for a Chicago Fire Soccer Club victory at Southland’s Toyota Park.
In Greater St. Charles, groups can book a party suite for a Kane County Cougars baseball game at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, and in Lisle they can check out Prospect League Baseball.
“Meeting planners can enjoy an outing of affordable entertainment, fantastic food and a memorable experience from start to finish watching collegiate baseball on the campus of Benedictine University,” says Lisle CVB’s Homolka.
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In the Aurora area, tours at Batavia-based Fermilab impress visiting groups.
“Explore the 6,800-acre grounds featuring walking trails, nature tours, bison herd and interpretive hikes,” Carlson says of the U.S. Dept. of Energy facility. “And plan a spectacular reception/dinner in the stunning atrium of Wilson Hall, the centerpiece of Fermilab.”
According to DuPage CVB’s Traetow, groups can preview the latest fashions during a customized Spring Fashion & Spa Luncheon hosted by a local shopping center, among them Oakbrook Center, Chicago Premium Outlets, Yorktown Center or Promenade Bolingbrook.
“We’ve had groups here where we’ve arranged luncheons with runway shows and light spa options, like hand and chair massages,” she says. “It’s always a big hit.”
Spring also marks the opening of Arlington International Racecourse, where according to Meet Chicago Northwest’s Parulo, meeting attendees can play the ponies, party in the park and host fun trackside events.
Summer
Groups are guaranteed entertainment at Chicagoland sporting events during the summer, including outings to witness Rosemont-based Chicago Bandits—women’s professional fast pitch softball—and Chicago Northwest’s Schaumburg-based Boomers baseball.
The Chicago Southland’s Teach adds there are more than 600 holes of golf awaiting groups in the area at courses such as Homewood-based Ravisloe Country Club and Tinley Park-based Odyssey Country Club.
The Ravinia Festival, the oldest outdoor music festival in the U.S., descends on Highland Park during the summer. Chicago’s North Shore CVB’s Speckman says special seating and catering is available for groups, who can enjoy music, dance and comedy acts under the stars.
Lisle’s Eyes to the Skies hot- air balloon festival is another of Chicagoland’s great festivals, during which groups will enjoy twice-daily hot-air balloon launches, nationally known music acts, a craft fair, food court, carnival and nightly fireworks. A highlight of the three-day July festival, says Lisle CVB’s Homolka, is the evening balloon glow, when tethered balloons are illuminated.
In August this year in Berwyn is the historic Route 66 Car Show, which, according to Visit Oak Park’s Barnett, features over 500 vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles along Route 66, as well as live entertainment and delicious food.
If attendees would prefer operating vehicles vs. simply admiring them, they can test drive one of the muscle cars from the Baltria Vintage Auto Gallery in St. Charles.
Visit Lake County’s Riedy recommends groups take a shuttle boat tour of Chain O’Lakes, which she says is rich in gangster history and folklore.
“Leave from Port of Blarney in Antioch and dock at the famous Blarney Island, only accessible by boat, for a casual lunch,” she adds.
And at Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center, groups will be delighted by a summertime tour of the resort’s Audubon-certified grounds, including beehives, a butterfly sanctuary and garden.
Afterward, according to the DuPage CVB’s Traetow, Executive Chef and Beekeeper Sean Patrick Curry will create an exclusive Chef’s Table meal for groups featuring dishes prepared with locally sourced ingredients, including the resort’s homegrown vegetables and honey.
Autumn
Chicagoland is home to Northwestern University, which provides a unique opportunity for visiting groups who are into Big Ten college football.
“Local hotels provide great tailgating experiences, and watching a football game in Ryan Field is a fall highlight,” says Chicago’s North Shore CVB’s Speckman, who also notes that special group seating and dining packages are available.
If the group likes leaf-peeping, some opportunities are available in the area to view fall foliage, including a tour of historic Riverside, Ill., with the Frederick Law Olmsted Society, a group walk at the Lisle-based Morton Arboretum, an outing on the Fox River in St. Charles via paddlewheel boats, canoes or kayaks, and a biking excursion.
“Enjoy the beautiful fall colors and wildlife while biking down the I&M Canal,” says the Heritage Corridor CVB’s Meehan.
Downtown Arlington Heights, home of the vintage Metra train station, is worth exploring during autumn, according to Meet Chicago Northwest’s Parulo.
“Meeting and convention attendees can stroll historic downtown enjoying dining, outdoor taverns and an Irish pub directly imported from Ireland,” he says. “End your evening at a performance at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre.”
