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
CommunityLes Allen - Taft Gallery - August 1 - September 3010:00 AM – 5:00 PMColiseum Museum of Art, Antiques and Americana (CMAAA) · OregonLes Allen Taft Gallery, August 1 – September 30
Arts & TheaterThe 19th Amendment and the Power of the Vote: A Musical at the Coliseum7:00 PM – 8:00 PMColiseum Museum of Art, Antiques and Americana (CMAAA) · OregonCelebrate the story of women's suffrage through music at The 19th Amendment and the Power of the Vote: A Musical at the Coliseum on Friday, Sept. 18, from 7–8 p.m. at the Coliseum Museum of Art, Antiques & Americana in Oregon.
Outdoor RecreationGolf Cart Tours8:00 AM – 10:00 AMIngersoll Wetlands Learning Center · ThomsonExperience the beauty of the Mississippi River wetlands on a guided Golf Cart Tour at the Ingersoll Wetlands Learning Center. Offered from May through October, these relaxed, small-group tours provide a unique way to explore the landscape while learning about native birds, wildlife, and the surrounding ecosystem.
- 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.
- CommunityFiesta Parade1:00 PMDowntown Sterling · SterlingThe 73rd Fiesta Days parade celebrating the Sauk Valley’s Hispanic heritage, stepping off in Rock Falls and running across the river into downtown Sterling. Line-up from 12:30.
Outdoor RecreationBos Brothers Old Fashioned Fall Harvest8:00 AM – 5:00 PMBos Brothers Historical Farm · ErieJoin us for our fall harvest show where we harvest corn and soybeans. See corn go from the field all the way to fresh cornbread on the table. Many demonstrations will be running in addition to the harvesting, such as plowing stalks & stubble, corn shelling, rock crushing, blacksmithing, sawmilling, and wood workin…
Arts & TheaterTaco Throwdown & ZOWA Live4:00 PM – 10:00 PMRB&W District Park · Rock FallsHead to the RB&W District Park on Friday, September 25, 2026, from 4–10 PM for the Taco Throwdown & Zowa Live. This lively event brings together local food vendors competing for the title of best taco—while guests sample, vote, and enjoy a variety of delicious eats.
- Festivals & FairsStillman Valley Fall FestivalSep 26 – Sep 27Downtown Stillman Valley · Stillman ValleyA free small-town festival on the fourth weekend of September: an indoor craft show, car and tractor shows, a horticulture show, a parade and live music the length of Main Street.
- Food & DrinkPawpaw Festival10:00 AM – 6:30 PMPaw Paw Veterans Park · Paw PawA festival for North America’s largest native fruit, in the village that shares its name — tastings, food trucks, tram tours out to the groves, growers’ talks and live music.
- Festivals & FairsFeaturedAutumn on ParadeOct 3 – Oct 4Downtown Oregon · OregonOregon’s largest event of the year and a first-full-weekend-of-October fixture, filling the historic downtown with a Saturday afternoon parade, craft and food vendors, and family activities across both days.
Arts & TheaterLumberjack Show11:00 AM – 5:00 PMSelmi’s Greenhouse and Farm Market · Rock FallsThe 6th Annual Lumberjack Show returns to Rock Falls on October 3, 2026, bringing a full day of high-energy entertainment to Selmi’s Greenhouse & Family Farm. Presented by Rock Falls Tourism, the event features Lumberjack Enterprises from Minnesota performing three action-packed shows at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.
Arts & TheaterNikki D & The Sisters of Thunder Concert7:30 PM – 9:30 PMThe Dixon: Historic Theater · DixonNikki D & The Sisters of Thunder bring a powerful mix of gospel, blues, soul, and groove to The Dixon on March 21. Based in Toledo, Ohio, the family ensemble is led by Nikki D, whose expressive steel guitar playing has earned national attention for its bold, inventive sound. Her gritty vocals and commanding stage pr…