Top Picks for a Fall Trip
- Award Winning Broadway Series at the Paramount Theatre
- Winter Lights & Holiday Shopping
- Outdoor Adventure & Fall Foliage on the Fox River
Located just 40 miles west of Chicago, the Aurora Area is where travelers can find excellent options for rest and recreation at a great value. The Aurora Area is home to a diverse array of unique attractions just off the Lincoln Highway and other major routes in and out of Chicago. Things to see & do range from award-winning theater and historic points of interest to the largest outdoor outlet shopping destination in the Midwest.
Whether you're headed our way or just passing through, our picks for an autumn trip will guide you to the best the area has to offer this season.
The 2017/2018 Broadway Series at the historic Paramount Theatre in Downtown Aurora, Illinois, will give audiences a taste of rock n' roll history with MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET; a modern holiday classic in ELF: THE MUSICAL; the sinful delight of CABARET; and an adaptation of the charming romance ONCE. Add in one-night-only events with powerhouse singers Kristin Chenoweth (Nov. 4) and Evan Tyrone Michael (Nov. 5), comedian Frank Caliendo (Nov. 10), and The Second City's Non-Denominational Christmas Show (Dec. 1-23) for even more reason to visit the Paramount Theatre this season.
Destination outlet shopping is available at Chicago Premium Outlets, the largest in the Midwest. Home to exclusive deals on designer labels, Chicago Premium Outlets is the perfect spot to do all of your holiday shopping. Pair your trip with a visit to the region's largest and longest-running holiday lights displays at Phillips Park and Mooseheart, where you can tour over 5 combined miles of festive seasonal splendor. Blackberry Farm's "Holiday Express" (pictured, left) is a hit with kids of all ages, and Aurora's Winter Lights Festival attracts thousands to Downtown Aurora each December.
Outdoor Adventure on the Fox River in Fall
Whether you're a weekend warrior looking to battle rapids at the Marge Cline Whitewater Course in Yorkville or seeking a more leisurely tour between the charming downtown districts of the Aurora Area, you're invited to hike, bike, stroll, or paddle on and along the Fox River and its adjacent trails. Everyone from anglers to photographers will find something to enjoy on this unique waterway that connects the ten communities of the Aurora Area, providing a unique perspective to the abundant fall foliage blazing along the tree-lined banks of the Fox. You can check our website for ideas of where to stay, where to gear up, and where to dine on the eclectic fare the Aurora Area is known for at hot spots like Hardware, a sustainable gastropub with an on-site brewery and hop farm. Check out our Craft Beer Tour on the #EnjoyAurora blog to learn more about this and other great trip ideas.