World Country Guide

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Food & Drink
Chicago is known for its prime rib steaks and deep pan Chicago pizza. It is packed with some 7000 restaurants of all types, serving food from around the world.

Theatres & Concerts
Major Chicago theatres include the Chicago, Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Shubert and Arie Crown. The Auditorium Theater stages ballet and musical events. Chicago is now home to the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet. The Civic Center for the Performing Arts stages performances by the Lyric Opera Company. The Chicago Symphony Orchestra performs at the new Symphony Center.

Nightlife
Chicago boasts everything from nightclubs, jazz spots, cinemas and discos to belly dancing, rock bands and folk music. It is the home of ‘urban blues’, a form developed by such greats as Muddy Waters and Elmore James, continued today in Chicago and around the world by performers such as Buddy Guy and Robert Cray.

Shopping
The main shopping areas in Chicago include State Street, North Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, Woodfield Mall and the quaint speciality stores in Old Town, Lincoln Avenue and New Town.

Sport
The Chicago Bears play American football from September to December at Soldier Field. The baseball teams, Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, play during the summer months at Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park. The Chicago Bulls take to the basketball court from January to April at the Chicago Stadium, which is also home to the ice hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks. Illinois has the highest number of public and championship golf courses in the USA; there are 700 of these, 200 of which can be found in the immediate Chicagoland area.

Special Events
The following is a selection of special events occurring in Illinois in 2005:
Feb Theater Fever, Chicago. Feb 13 Chinese New Year Parade, Chicago. Mar 4-6 18th Annual Illinois Horse Fair, Springfield. Mar 5 Ceilidh Festival, Peoria. Mar 10-12 Rootabaga Jazz Festival, Galesburg. Mar 12 Seventh Annual Storytelling Festival, Schaumburg; St Patrick’s Day Parade, Chicago. Apr 23 Festival of Spring, Decatur. Jun 4 Aquafest, Sullivan. Aug 8-10 Prairieland Bluegrass Festival, Jacksonville. Sep 9 Cajun on Chicago, Springfield. Sep 23-25 Honeybee Festival. Oct 1-2 Scarecrow Festival, Galesburg. Nov 19-20 Winter in the Woods, Monticello. Dec 3 Lights Fantastic Parade, Carbondale.