Chicago’s legendary jazz scene is preparing to shine on the world’s stage in April, when the city hosts the UNESCO International Jazz Day 2026 for the first time. The global event will kick off April 1 with weeks of educational programming, master classes and special performances to the city. The month will culminate in the All-Star Global Concert on April 30 at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House. It will feature more than 40 international artists, including Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling, Dianne Reeves, Ernest Dawkins, Dee Dee Bridgewater and Terence Blanchard.

For the first time since 1972, Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve will broadcast live from downtown Chicago, putting the city on a national stage as viewers across the U.S. ring in 2026.

Traditionally set in Times Square in New York City, the beloved New Year’s Eve special has become a cultural institution. Celebrating its 55^th year, the broadcast is taking on a historic expansion with Chicago hosting the Central Time Zone live countdown and a Spanish-language live broadcast from Puerto Rico.

Exciting news for baseball fans in Illinois and across the country! The Women’s Professional Baseball League plans to play its inaugural season in Springfield. Four teams from major cities across the U.S. – New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston – will be playing their 2026 season at Springfield’s very own Robin Roberts Stadium.

Illinois has played a central role in women’s baseball since the sport’s earliest days. Springfield’s connection goes back 150 years. In 1875, two women’s baseball clubs, the Blondes and the Brunettes, played a ticketed game, becoming one of the first women’s baseball events to have paying customers where players were paid.

Illinois is no stranger to deer crossings, but did you know that twice a year, one of the largest snake migrations in the United States takes place in Illinois as well?  For two months in spring and fall every year, Forest Road 345, more commonly known as ‘Snake Road’ is shut down for a nearly three mile stretch to allow up to 23 species of snakes to migrate between their winter habitat in the forest’s limestone bluffs and their summer base at LaRue Swamp.

Like many wildlife species, snakes face a dangerous obstacle when crossing trafficked roads. Snakes are particularly vulnerable because of their cold-blooded nature. Black asphalt is good at holding on to heat from the sun, and in the cooler early morning and twilight hours, snakes often like to lie out and bask in the warmth, rather than dart across the road quickly like other animals. This can have a deadly impact on snake populations; researchers estimate that up to 25% of all snakes are killed by drivers.

Located in Central Illinois, Morton is a small town with a big claim to fame: it is the Pumpkin Capital of the World. Known for its pumpkin patches, festivals and rich agricultural history, Morton has earned its title serving as the headquarters of the world’s largest pumpkin processing company – Libby’s.

Each year, Morton produces more pumpkins than any other place in the U.S. The town’s fields and surrounding areas yield millions of pumpkins, providing 95% of the canned pumpkin in the country and 85% of the canned pumpkin worldwide. Libby’s has been a major player in Morton’s identity since the 1970s when the factory began exclusively processing pumpkins.