13 Reasons to Visit Lake County in 2013

By: Jonathan Jones 02/07/2013

January has flown by with the blink of an eye, yet 2013 is still young! With so many fun activities to look forward to in Lake County this year, we have compiled a list of 13 must see events and attractions in 2013.

• BMW Championship – Lake County will be home to the 2013 BMW Championship September 9 – 15 at Conway Farms Golf Club. Over 120,000 spectators and attendees are expected to visit to watch Luke Donald, Rory Mcllroy, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods and more.

• Six Flags Great America & Hurricane Harbor – Beginning this summer, Six Flags & Hurricane Harbor will premiere igNIGHT – Grand Finale in the evenings before the park closes each day. igNIGHT will illuminate the dark night, bringing a phenomenally bright multimedia universe with music, singing, dancing, laser lights and pyrotechnics. Price of admission includes Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, igNight and much more!

• Ravinia – North America’s original outdoor music festival since 1904 is always a hot summer ticket and 2013 surely won’t disappoint. Known for its sold out summer concerts, this season’s Ravinia schedule will feature Sting, Jewel and Celtic Woman with many more acts to come.

• Outdoor Recreation – Lake County is home to 2 state parks: the Illinois Beach State Park in Zion located on Lake Michigan and the Chain O’Lakes. 170 lakes and over 30,000 acres of forest preserve can also be found in Lake County, Illinois. This summer, be sure to check out Independence Grove, a local favorite for outdoor recreation.

• Live Entertainment – Since reopening in 2004, the historic Genesee Theatre continues to be a hot spot for nationally touring entertainment acts. Established in 2011, Viper Alley is quickly becoming a premier destination for live music. For live Broadway musicals, be sure to visit the Marriott Theatre, founded in 1975 and still considered a prime venue for launching Broadway shows.

• Naval Station Great Lakes – The only naval recruit training center in the United States houses the Great Lakes Naval Museum, which is free and open to the public every Wednesday through Saturday, except on national government holidays. Learn what it’s like to go from recruit to soldier, explore America’s naval history and see important artifacts, including a piece of the USS Constitution.

• Abraham Lincoln: Self Made in America Exhibit – From March 23^rd through June 16^th, this nationally touring exhibit sponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum makes its final stop in Lake County’s Grayslake Heritage Center & Museum. Self-Made in America features high quality reproductions related to the life of our 16^th President, with proceeds aiding in the preservation of the originals.

• World’s Largest Hollywood Star Car Collection – The Volo Auto Museum features over 300 classic, antique, muscle and Hollywood cars on display including cars from Batman, Mad Max, Fast & Furious, Transformers, Back to the Future, The Dukes of Hazard, Ghostbusters, and much more. 2013 brings a brand new showroom, exhibit hall and theater to the museum along with new additions to its car collection including James Bond’s Aston Martin from Die Another Day.

• Specialty Beers at Local Pubs – For handcrafted beer, look no further then Mickey Finn’s Brewery in Libertyville, relocating down the street to a larger building in 2013. Another local treat can be found at the Marriott Resort with Honey Badger beer. This brew is made fresh in Lake County by extracting honey from a bee farm at the Lincolnshire Marriott. Light the Lamp in Grayslake is one of the newest hot spots in Lake County to catch a sports game on television along with a variety of handcrafted beers including their original “Red Line Ale.”

• Summer Events – The 85^th Annual Lake County Fair is set for July with live music, pageant contests, local food and so many more family friendly activities. Jubilee Days in Zion will be celebrating its 65^th annual celebration this September, featuring spectacular fireworks and Illinois’ largest Labor Day Parade with over 100 units participating.

• Winter Events – A Winter Wonderland Holiday Light Show in Vernon Hills and Kringle’s Kingdom in Zion both received overwhelmingly positive reviews and nearly record setting attendance in 2012. Make sure to watch for both of these holiday events in winter 2013.

• Diverse Artist Community – The third Saturday of each month in downtown Waukegan is ArtWauk. Come out to experience local art on display and available for purchase, live music, dancing and more during this increasingly popular event in 2013. Back for its 16^th year, the Lincolnshire Art Festival is ranked as one of the top 100 art festivals in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine.

• Historic Downtown Districts – This May, check out the 14^th Annual Chocolate Festival in the quaint downtown of Long Grove. Downtown Grayslake is the site of seasonal Spring and Fall Farmers Markets on Saturdays and Summer Farmers Market on Wednesdays. Lake County Farmers Markets can be found in downtown Deerfield this year from June 8^th – October 12^th and downtown Lake Forest from June 22^nd – October 12^th - both on Saturdays. Main Street Libertyville has great shopping, dining and more in a picture-perfect downtown setting along with beautiful Cook Park. Antioch’s historic downtown district is the gateway to the famous Chain O’ Lakes. Be sure to visit all of these historic downtown communities in 2013 for an architectural glimpse into Lake County’s past while enjoying modern day fun activities!