Are you a Broadway fan? Then you might be surprised to know that famous performer and choreographer, Bob Fosse, was from Illinois!

Born and raised in Chicago, Fosse was drawn to dance at a young age. Starting at age 13, he had the opportunity to perform professionally in Chicago with Charles Grass as the Riff Brothers. Their performances toured venues across Chicago, as well as USO theaters and Eagles Clubs.

Every winter and holiday season, Illinois hosts numerous festive light shows in your favorite local spots! Whether you enjoy a relaxing stroll through a forested park with towering illuminated pine trees or a downtown experience driving through magical displays, Illinois has a light show for you to keep holiday traditions going.

Here are several notable displays to see:

Illinois was named the third best state for college students in 2025, according to a recent study from a non-profit charity rating organization SmileHub.

In order to determine the rankings, SmileHub compared each of the 50 states based on 28 key metrics and three specific dimensions: education quality and support, social life, and economic environment.

Illinois ranked fourth for education quality and support, and fifth for social life – with an overall ranking of third with a score of 60.15.

Higher education is extremely important to Illinois with nearly 700,000 students enrolled in higher education programs across the state.

The ranking also looked at highest state funding for higher education and Illinois tied for first.

View the full SmileHub ranking here.

As the holidays are nearing us, many museums in the state are offering free admission dates throughout the month of December! If you are looking free, family fun activities check out the locations and dates below:

Illinois’ favorite holiday market is back in Chicago and the suburbs. The Christkindlmarket, an annual holiday tradition that brings European customs to Illinois, is a favorite among Chicagoans and visitors.

The famous open-air market is inspired by holiday markets in Germany that date back to the 16^th century in Nuremberg. The Christkindlmarket has been an annual tradition in Chicago since 1996 and this year, the market will be in Aurora for its third year.