Kick off the new year by exploring flavors of food scenes in cities across Illinois this month.

With hundreds of options from casual eateries to fine dining establishments, Illinois restaurant week celebrations offer options for every taste and budget and provide the opportunity to find your new local favorite.

Aurora Restaurant Week

Aurora will be hosting its first-ever restaurant week, highlighting the city’s rapidly growing and diverse culinary scene. Aurora Restaurant Week will run from Jan. 21 through Feb. 4. View a list of participating restaurants here. 

Champaign-Urbana Area Restaurant Week

The 9^th annual Champaign-Urbana Area Restaurant Week will be held Jan. 24 through Feb. 1. The nine-day celebration will feature restaurants serving cuisines from across the world. View a list of participating restaurants here.

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.

The Illinois Product Holiday Market is returning to downtown Springfield, offering a wide variety of vendors and gifts for everyone!

The market will take place Dec. 6-8 at Jackson Street, between Fourth and Fifth Street, located north of the Governor’s Mansion. Finding the perfect gift at the market is like discovering a little piece of holiday magic.

Along with many shopping vendors, the market also offers a wide variety of food that is ready to eat. Some of the tasty Illinois food vendors that you can experience include 17th Street BBQ, Custom Cup Coffee, Peter’s Produce, Zillions Chili, Space Cadets Candy, and many more.

In addition to Illinois products, there will be daily giveaways. Visitors can stop by the Illinois Department of Agriculture tent to take the Illinois Product Pledge, committing to spend $10 of their weekly grocery budget on local items. Those who take the pledge will receive an Illinois Product sticker.

Oct. 26 celebrates National Pumpkin Day! Throughout the month of October, pumpkins are all around us on porches, at stores, and in patches. A pumpkin serves as a tribute to fall and Halloween. There are numerous ways you can celebrate National Pumpkin Day including baking, carving pumpkins and enjoying pumpkin flavored treats. One of the best ways to celebrate National Pumpkin Day and to get a taste of Illinois’ greatness is to visit an exceptional pumpkin patch.

Illinois has many fun fall pumpkin patches for the whole family. Here are a list of some of the best pumpkin patches across the state:

Illinois is a hub for merchandise with iconic city centers and modern shopping malls that bring the latest products and goods to locals and visitors from across the state and the country. Illinois also offers a variety of shopping experiences that cater to a large range of customers, including vintage shoppers.

Illinois is a hotspot for vintage with countless antique stores and local thrift shops. However, one of the greatest opportunities to shop vintage is the Illinois Vintage Fest. The Illinois Vintage Fest is a pop-up event that brings together numerous vendors of vintage goods in once place. The Illinois Vintage Fest originated in Joliet as a street pop-up in downtown. Over the years, the fest has grown in popularity and size and has begun hosting pop-ups in cities across the state.