The Northwest Illinois Calendar
What’s Happening
154 upcoming festivals, concerts, markets and main-street traditions across all four counties.
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Put It on the Calendar
Festivals, fundraisers, live music, farmers markets — if it happens in Carroll, Lee, Ogle or Whiteside County, we want it here. It’s free.
Arts & TheaterAll the World's a Stage Art Exhibition10:00 AM – 4:00 PMThe Next Picture Show Community Fine Arts Center · DixonAugust 26 – Sept. 19, 2026 Opening Reception & Awards Presentation: August 28, 2026
- Live MusicHops + Harmony6:00 PMSublette 365 at Centennial Park · SubletteA craft beer and country music festival in the village of Sublette, pairing regional breweries with a national touring headliner. Gates at 6, music at 7:30.
- Outdoor RecreationNachusa Grasslands Fall Festival10:00 AMNachusa Grasslands Visitor Center · Franklin GroveA free open house at The Nature Conservancy’s 4,000-acre tallgrass prairie, with guided hikes, bison-range tours, hands-on activities and live music — this year marking the preserve’s 40th anniversary.
