Lake County, IL Ultimate Activity Guide

Next Weekend: Plan for Fun

Get out your favorite writing utensil (or just use your phone) and start marking your calendar because Lake County's Ultimate Activity Guide is your passport to fun!

Winter

Hit the slopes on 23 unique skiing runs at Wilmot Mountain.
Head to Volo Auto Museum to check out Elvis’s custom Cadillac that he commissioned at Graceland.
Explore six different trails of cross-country skiing in the Lake County Forest Preserve s.
Brave sub-zero temps and take advantage of one of 75 lakes: A polar plunge awaits you.
Boil like a holiday goose in the bubbling hot tub at Marriott Lincolnshire Resort.

Fly down the hills at rapid speeds on your sled at one of 10 Lake County sledding hills.
Celebrate the American politician, the former Illinois governor, the diplomat, the intellect, Adlai Stevenson II, by singing happy birthday at his historic home.
Saunter through Gurnee Mills, Hawthorn Mall, Deer Park Town Center or Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets for some intense holiday shopping.
Choo, choo, choose a unique dining experience like Chessie’s Restaurant which sits in an Illinois Central Railroad dining car.
Everyone’s Irish on St. Paddy’s Day, which means a little whiskey should suit you well at Timothy O'Toole's Irish Pub.

Ride the 'Polar Express Metra Train with Santa Claus which stops in several Lake County communities.
Indulge your sweet tooth at the Long Grove Confectionery Nut and Candy Factory Store in Wauconda.
Travel through Lake County and experiment with your palate at Lake County Restaurant Week’s 10 Days to Savor.
Why don’t you get into those warm clothes and jump into a dry glass of wine at Downtown Antioch’s Winter Wine Walk.
Enjoy family, friends, fun and good old-fashioned fish at the Annual Chain O’ Lakes Fishing Derby and Winter Festival: over half-a-century old on the Channel Lake.

All Aboard the Wonderland Express as Chicago Botanic Garden hosts the renowned model train set all through the holiday season.
Take a tour through an elegant Venetian winter wonderland at Cuneo Mansion and Gardens.
Witness the elegance and grace of beautiful Loyola at Cuneo Mansion and Gardens during the holiday season.
Discover the life and times of Reverend John Alexander Dowie – who headed the Catholic Church, founded Zion and built a 25-room elegant mansion called the Shiloh House.
For a fun indoor activity, try a candy making class at Sweet Pete's in Lake Forest.

Spring

Sing ‘Anchors Aweigh’ to honor our fallen Navy at the National Museum of the American Sailor.
Challenge Peter Cottontail around Easter by practicing your hopping skills at Jump America.
Before hitting the adult courses, practice your putt game at Aloha Falls Miniature Golf & Games.
Is it wabbit season or duck season? It’s always fishing season at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World.
Be awestruck at the Crescent Tulip Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden where over 26,700 tulip bulbs are planted.
Warm yourself up by wetting your whistle at the Lynfred Winery for a wine and dessert pairing session.

Hear the classics like Mozart, Bach and Beethoven. They are all fair game as the College of Lake County puts on their final show of the school year.
Learn the true meaning of life being like a box of chocolates at Long Grove’s Chocolate Fest.
Pedal through or rent a boat and marvel at the beautiful sights of Independence Grove.
See a legendary performer grace the stage of Genesee Theatre in Waukegan.
Hit me for a few hands in Blackjack at the Potawatomi Casino.
Dinner on Bangs Lake is a surreal night when you’re eating at Lindy’s Landing Restaurant and Marina.

"Don’t quit till you’re a star on Broadway," so for reference, check out the wonderful shows at Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire.
Stroll, look and love as you scour through different art mediums at ArtWauk in Waukegan.
Experiment assorted sweet flavors and tour the Jelly Belly Factory in Pleasant Prairie.
Feast on the delectable bites, shop Lake County local, listen to live tunes and more at First Fridays on MainStreet Libertyville, 10 months out of the year.
Step into a world of gourmet decadence and taste the unique flavors of La Casa De Isaac Moishe Mexican Restaurant.
Catch a drink, delicious eats and live music every Friday at the Savanna House.
Receive a history lesson on the Village of Grayslake at the Grayslake Heritage Center.

Summer

Think you can take the challenge of the world’s tallest, steepest, fastest wooden coaster in the world? Take a ride on the Gurnee's amusement park's new 2017 ride The Joker, the Guiness Book of World Record-breaking Goliath and 14 other rollercoasters at Six Flags Great America.
‘The ship set aground on the shore of this uncharted Blarney Isle.’ Maybe you’ll run into Gilligan while you party hardy at Blarney Island.
Visit the world famous Grug, a water monitor once owned by Nicolas Cage at Wildlife Discovery Center.
Slip slide away down the tubes of Hurricane Harbor on a hot, humid Lake County summer day.

Cool down with a beer at Half Day Brewing Company where you can try nine house styles of suds.
Blanket: Check, Bottle of wine: Check, Cheese cubes: check, Picnic basket: Check, Fantastic live tunes: Check. See the talent Ravinia Festival books on its Highland Park stage.
Huzzah! Bristol Renaissance Faire will bid you good morrow, sit you down and have a laugh because mine eyes doth taketh interest in thee.
Pick up a fresh batch of produce and learn what the Beatles meant by Strawberry Fields Forever at Long Grove’s Strawberry Fest.
Eat a frank and check out an old-timey hot rod at Miller's Dog N Suds Drive-in.
Chow down some chowder at Dover Straits with a side of lobster…or the other way around.
Celebrate all of the festivities in GreenTown or Waukegan as we wish Ray Bradbury a very eerie birthday in August.
Grab your tackle box, bait and fishing rod and head to the Waukegan Harbor.
Be one with nature and the ways of the Native Americans at the Annual Potawatomi Trails Pow-Wow.
Explore Cairo, Lake County…or Wadsworth and see authentic Egyptian artifacts at the Gold Pyramid House.

Hang out with the farmyard folks and sink your teeth into an elephant ear at the Lake County Fair.
Wear your stars and stripes forever as you watch patriotic colors explode in the sky at Naval Station Great Lakes’ Fourth of July Celebration.
Find the freshest, locally-grown and deliciously ripe fruits and veggies of the season in Lake County’s Community Farmers Markets.
Cool off in hot town, summer in Lake County and jump in the drink at Chain O’ Lakes.
Let out your neigh before you go into battle as the Tempel Farm Lipizzan Horses put on a show of a lifetime in Old Mill Creek.
Saunter through the sand and find a good rock to skip across Lake Michigan at Illinois Beach State Park.
Be awestruck as you see the Mother Rudd House and Museum - a haven for the Underground Railroad.
See the beautiful colors fill the air at Lake County's only hot air balloon festival–Grayslake Color Aloft–in August.

Fall

Snap a photo at the beautiful USML with a scenic autumn aura behind you.
Partake in a little video game nostalgia on a Saturday night at Dave & Busters.
Get the daylights scared out of you as Dungeon of Doom will give you the heebie jeebie flu.
Howl at the full moon during a Halloween Hike at Ryerson Conservation Area.
Bob for some juicy treats at the Long Grove Apple Fest.
Weave your way through the largest outdoor labyrinth in the country at Richardson Farm’s Corn Maze.

When the moon hits the sky like a big pizza pie, that’s a Primo Italian American Cuisine.
Try a taste of over 30 fresh extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars at The Olive Tap in Long Grove.
Take a music lesson at David Adler Music and Arts Center in Libertyville.
Sing some iguana carols on National Reptile Awareness Day at Wildlife Discovery Center.

Sip on some seasonal suds and survey sports at Mickey Finn s on MainStreet Libertyville.
Get a lesson in how to blow glass at Peter Patterson Glassworks.
During Chicago Bears superfan season, it is a sin not to have an Italian beef sandwich from Portillo's Gurnee.
Goodness gracious: get a grasp about ghastly ghost and goblin stories at Volo Bog State Natural Area.
Absorb information about the life and times of some of your Lake County relatives at the Lake County Discovery Museum reopening September 2017.
Devour some sweet sugar cookies and then play with the puppies up for adoption at Lambs Farm in Libertyville.
Take the tour and taste the assorted flavors of North Shore Distillery in Green Oaks .

Cheerio to Downtown Antioch walkers at Dickens Holiday Village. Olde England comes alive in Historic Downtown Antioch with lifelike figures representing scenes from the Dickens era.
Take a page out of Patrick Skene Catling’s book, The Chocolate Touch and head to the Chocolate Sanctuary – where every dish is inspired with chocolate glaze, seasoning or fondue.
Jump on your bicycle and take the Des Plaines River Trail Challenge stretching 31 miles through 12 Lake County Forest Preserves.
Chomp down some peanuts (throw them on the floor) and devour a delicious slice of pie at Bill's Pizza & Pub.
Ride a pony, tractor, camel or hayride at Didier Farms...or just pick their plumpest pumpkin.

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