Belleville theater makes cinema history

• Movies
• Theater
• Belleville
• Slideshow

Lincoln Theater in downtown Belleville observed its 100-year anniversary this year. Established in 1921, the theater has entertained locals for a century, offering silent films, black-and-white movie reels, and the masterpieces that shake box offices today.

Located on 103 E. Main St., the Lincoln Theater is owned by Dave and Sandy Schoenborn after Sandy’s father, Richard Wright, bought the business in 1980 and ran it with his wife, Betty. The Schoenborn family took over management in 2007. The family will celebrate the Lincoln’s 100th anniversary with “A Century of Entertainment,” a variety show with music, dance and theater reflecting the 1920s through today. It will be performed on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 14 at 2 p.m. This show will also be live-streamed. More information about the event and its live stream can be found here.

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The H-ART of Illinois

• Arts & Culture
• Tourism
• Museums

Illinois is home to a number of famous artists, including Donna Zarbin-Byrne, Teresa Cash, Tony Abboreno, and so many more. Nov. 9th is National Go To An Art Museum Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the talents of artists and content creators everywhere. More than 30,000 museums around the world participate in National Go To An Art Museum Day by hosting events and displaying their exhibits according to a theme that changes annually. Illinois museums offer a variety of ways to discover the abundance of talent in the state.

Illinois has over 1,000 museums. Each location offers unique accounts of not only Illinois excellence but also nationally recognized artistry. These locations can be found across the regions, and their displays demonstrate the influence of every corner of the state. The art Institute of Chicago, for example, is featuring Barbara Kruger, who exposes the power dynamics of identity, desire, and consumerism through animations, photos, and more until late January. The Krannert Art Museum at the University of Illinois is hosting several temporary exhibits that highlight everything from individual artists, to themes to styles of production.

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Illinois businesses recognized as Makers

• Tourism
• Business
• Makers

The Illinois Office of Tourism has announced a list of new additions to the Illinois Made program, which recognizes businesses classified as hidden gems for locals and visitors to discover. The businesses highlighted by this initiative, called Makers, are recognized because they offer unique products and experiences to their customers and passersby.

The Illinois Made program, which now features over 200 Makers from all parts of Illinois, continues to plant people into small businesses around the state by promoting the unique destinations that make the state a one-of-a-kind place. Some of the products offered by Makers include music shops, art galleries, bakeries, farms and more.

The new round of Makers provides visitors with a range of vegan desserts, crafts, candles, general wares and other products that diversify and improve the lives of people across the state. This class of Makers includes 28 small businesses from every region of the state and comes just in time for the holiday shopping season. While the majority of these 28 Makers reside in the Chicago area, a healthy handful are sprinkled in the northwest, central and southern parts of Illinois.

The IOT celebrates Illinois Makers through its road trip itineraries, which run along paths created to endorse these local businesses. The IOT also operates Enjoy Illinois through which travel magazines, events, seasonal campaigns and the annual Illinois Made Holiday Gift Guide can be found. People can nominate businesses for the Illinois Made Program on a year-round basis here. Nominations are open to all businesses, but chosen businesses must adhere to criteria regarding location, visitor experience, manufacture process and history or origin.

The contributions made by Makers shape the state. Because Makers reflect a variety of business types—restaurants, breweries and wineries, farms and orchards, and even international markets that have humble beginnings as small businesses in Illinois—the artisan nature of the state facilitates visitor attraction and boosts tourist activity. Celebrating these contributions is one of many ways to support local businesses. Discover the many available experiences in every region of the state here.

Illinois is officially home to the world's largest corn maze

Illinois is officially home to the world’s largest corn maze. The Richardson Adventure Family Farm’s corn maze in Spring Grove takes the prize with its 10 miles of trails winding through 28 acres of corn stalks. The farm is located about 65 miles away from downtown Chicago. The farm is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and its 2021 theme will be “20 years of a-Maze-ing.”

The maze is actually created out of four smaller mazes. Each one has its own dedicated in-and-out path. There are multiple checkpoints throughout the maze, as well as three bridges that will help people find their bearings while looking at the map.

In order to avoid getting lost in the maze, the traveler must find several key checkpoints on their walk. Finding the checkpoints is the most challenging part of the experience. However, the farm cheers up all its guests by providing fresh donuts and hot chocolate just an easy walk outside the maze. People can typically find their way out in minutes. The challenge is to stay in the maze and make it all the way through. There is a perimeter path surrounding the entire maze, and there are no dead ends in this maze! And participants have the choice to do one maze or all four.

If a difficult challenge is not what someone is feeling up to, there are many other less stressful activities to choose from. The farm has many other attractions, including a 700-foot zip line, a 50-foot observation tower, pedal carts, giant slides, wagon rides and, of course, a pumpkin patch.

The Richardson adventure farm also has a Christmas tree farm during the holiday season. The farm is open Thursday through Sunday through Nov. 7. On Thursdays, the farm is open from 3-9 p.m. then from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.