Travel & Leisure

Volume 1, Issue 2 - December 2011 - February 2012

Featured Attractions

Ho Ho Holidays

Now - Dec. 31, 2011

Planning your holiday getaway to the Peoria Area couldn't get any easier with our great deals. Choose from an array of hotel packages, delectable dining offers and holiday attractions all at your fingertips. Start a new holiday tradition with your family by creating your package today!

Festival of Lights - Winter Wonderland

Now - Jan. 1, 2012

Hours: 5 - 9 p.m. Sunday - Thursday

5 - 11 p.m. Friday - Saturday

Cost: $10 cars, SUVs and vans; $20 limousines, RVs, extended vans ** CASH ONLY ** and mini and party buses; $150 full size buses.

Located at 123 Par Three Lane, next to VFW Post 2078 Park off Springfield Road, East Peoria. (If you're using a GPS, use the address 801 Springfield Road, East Peoria.)

Celebrate the holiday season with a million sparkles of excitement by bringing the family to East Peoria's spectacular attraction, Winter Wonderland. A holiday tradition for many families, the more than two-mile drive through electric park is filled with 500 lighted and three-dimensional displays. This year promises to be the BIGGEST and BEST yet!! Don't miss this popular holiday attraction!

New!! Santa's Wonderland at Bass Pro Shops

Now - Dec. 24, 2011

Hours: 3 - 8 p.m. Monday - Friday

10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Saturday

Noon - 5 p.m. Sunday

Come live the magic this holiday season in Santa's Wonderland at the newly opened Bass Pro Shops in East Peoria. Kids will love the craft and activity tables where they can write a letter to Santa, put it in his mailbox and get a picture with him for FREE. The fun continues with a laser arcade, trains, slot car racing, video games and remote control trucks - also all FREE. At Bass Pro Shops, spreading holiday cheer is what they do best.

Luthy Botanical Garden Candlelight Walk

Now - Dec. 23, 2011

Friday and Saturday nights

Continue a holiday tradition or start a new one - visit Luthy Botanical Garden's Candlelight Walk where warm romantic candles guide your way through the collection of tropical poinsettias. Also enjoy live performances of holiday music. You'll get lost in the beauty that surrounds you. Conservatory admission is waived during the holidays, though donations are always accepted.

Kwanzaa Display, Luthy Botanical Garden

Dec. 27 - 31, 2011

10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Come learn the significance of Mishumaa Saba and Zawadi in the Garden Conservatory at Luthy Botanical Garden's Kwanzaa display. Kwanzaa is an African American holiday that celebrates family, community and culture. Learn about this wonderful cultural holiday and see the display of African plants while enjoying the beautiful holiday display of poinsettias. Conservatory admission is waived during the holidays, though donations are always accepted.

For more details on these events view the full Calendar of Events on peoria.org.

Upcoming Events

Eagle Day

Jan. 7

Forest Park Nature Center

Come celebrate our nation's bird 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Each year, hundreds of bald eagles over-winter in the Illinois River Valley. This day is dedicated to the appreciation of these incredible birds of prey. The Peoria Audubon Society and Forest Park Nature Center will be giving presentations and tours to view the bald eagles along the river. http://www.peoriaparks.org/

Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre

Jan. 21

Willett's Winery and Cellar, Manito

Actors present a fast-paced, funny, half-scripted and half-improvised interactive show. As the mystery unfolds, a murder occurs and the audience must figure out "who-dunnit." Social hour is at 6 p.m. followed by the start of a three-course dinner. The show includes some adult humor and is presented between meal courses. http://www.willettswinery.com/

Winter Gathering

Jan. 21

Dickson Mounds Museum, Lewistown

Participate in a traditional Native American Winter Gathering. Enjoy a variety of activities and demonstrations, including storytelling, music, group games and dances, doll making and beading. Celebrate a special dedication to Dorothy Lakota and witness other traditional ceremonies. This program is for all ages and there is no fee to participate. http://www.experienceemiquon.com/

Sauk Trail Gun Show

Jan. 28-29

The Sauk Trail Gun Collector's Show and Sale takes place at the Bureau County Fairgrounds in Princeton. The show features more than 60 exhibitors and vendors displaying many types of guns. http://www.bureaucounty.com/

Groundhog Day

Feb. 2

Wildlife Prairie State Park

Will Gertie the Groundhog, the park's prognosticator, see her shadow? She has a nearly 80 percent accuracy rate over about two decades of foretelling whether six more weeks of winter is on the way or spring time is near.

Havana Eagle Days

Feb. 4

Gather along Havana's beautiful Riverfront Park to learn about the majestic bald eagle. Take a look through binoculars and spotting scopes to see the birds perched along the river's banks or soaring through the sky. http://www.scenichavana.com/

Eagle Day Festival

Feb. 11

Dickson Mounds Museum, Lewistown

Featured exhibits include "Birds of Prey Up Close," which allows participants the opportunity to see a variety of birds such as eagles, hawks and owls, and "Illinois Raptors," a one-hour program with live birds of prey. There are also children's activities and a movie. www.experienceemiquon.com

Click here for our full Calendar of Events.

Tourism News

Peoria Riverfront Museum & Caterpillar Visitors Center

Opening October 2012 is the Peoria Riverfront Museum & Caterpillar Visitors Center in Downtown Peoria. A fusion of art, history, science and achievement through collections, exhibitions and programs, the museum lets you explore far-off galaxies in the 40-foot dome planetarium, discover Peoria's rich history with community icons and experience a movie unlike any other in the giant six-story screen digital theater.

Adjacent to the museum is the Caterpillar Visitors Center where a number of exhibits featuring the company's heritage and history, product development, manufacturing and more are on display. There's also a full-size replica of a 797 mining truck that is 24 feet tall and houses a movie theater.

Check back here for details on the project.