SPORT_67_Layout 1 11/8/17 12:20 AM Page 235 SPG ILLINOIS GUIDE • 2018 Illinois is Home to Unique Entertaining Sports River Towns Offer Family Fun 12 Site in a Beautiful InSpections Setting of Event-Ready Destinations and Their Top Venues A Premier Travel Media publication • www.SportsPlanningGuide.com SPORT_68_Layout 1 11/8/17 12:26 AM Page 68 Welcome to Illinois! Cory M. Jobe, Director Illinois Office of Tourism On behalf of the Illinois Office of Tourism, we look forward to welcoming you to the Land of Lincoln for your next sporting event. Illinois is a top destination for sports associations and organizations, and with thriving urban centers like Chicago, as well as scenic natural vistas that will take your breath away, there simply is no end to the travel opportunities that await you and your team in Illinois. The Land of Lincoln has a strong track record of successfully hosting a variety of events, from Olympic trials and PGA tournaments to college and high school competitions. In addition, Illinois offers more than 1,200 sporting venues and state-of-the-art facilities of all kinds across the state, which means we can meet your needs no matter how large or small. Illinois offers something for everybody. Whether you prefer the world-class culture and dining of the big city, the friendly hospitality of small town America or the serene beauty of our natural wonders, you'll find what you're looking for in Illinois. From professional sporting events to top-notch shopping, it's all here. Our theaters and museums represent thriving centers of culture, while lush forests and scenic parks set the stage for exciting outdoor adven- tures. You'll find an abundance of charming local restaurants, not to mention our many fine breweries, distilleries and wineries. Of course, there's no shortage of water parks, zoos, amusement parks, and other kid-friendly activities for the whole family. Illinois is a four season destination. Our winter eagle watching season offers unique views of one of the largest eagle migrations in the nation. Spring and summer offers prime opportunities for families to enjoy Illinois' scenic byways, beaches and parks. Autumn brings with it the fall colors and provides some of the most beautiful hues and landscapes to be found anywhere in the country. Go to sportillinois.com to learn more about Illinois sports facilities or to book you next sporting event, and visit enjoyillinois.com to start planning your next trip to Illinois. Your friend in Illinois tourism, Cory M. Jobe Director Illinois Office of Tourism 2018 State TOC's_Layout 1 11/12/17 9:12 PM Page 69 I L L I NO I S 4 Illinois Has Plenty to Satisfy Sports Fans 6 River Towns Offer Big Family Fun ©iStock.com/bgblue SI 8 AURORA AREA, IL 11 EFFINGHAM, IL 12 BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL, IL 14 CHICAGO SOUTHLAND, IL 16 ELGIN, IL 17 LAKE COUNTY, IL 20 CHICAGO NORTHWEST, IL IN ILLINOIS 24 ST CHARLES, IL KEEP THE OOHS AND AAHS ROCKFORD, IL GOING AFTER THE BIG GAME. 22 DISCOVER MORE THAN 1,200 VENUES for your next sporting event, surrounded by everything PEORIA, IL from water parks to world-class museums. An expert will help you plan every detail to ensure 25 your team makes memories on and off the field. 28 CHAMPAIGN COUNTY, IL FIND THE PERFECT VENUE AT QUAD CITIES, IL SPORTSILLINOIS.COM 29 (Illinois State Guide Cover Courtesy Chicago Wolves) SportsPlanningGuide.com Sports Planning Guide 3 SPORT_70-73_Layout 1 11/6/17 10:17 AM Page 70 ILLINOIS HAS PLENTY TO SATISFY SPORTS FANS From bicycle races to equestrian jumping, the state is full of nontraditional and fun competitions ith six professional teams in five major sports, and an BICYCLE RACING abundance of athletic clubs throughout the state, Illinois has The Bloomington Criterium is a series of high-speed bicycle races that W established itself as a sporting paradise. take place on the streets of historic downtown Bloomington, a city that Those aforementioned professional squads (the Chicago Bears, Bulls, resides 140 miles south of Chicago. Held each August, this one-day Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox and Fire) all ply their trade in the signature event has competed in Bloomington since 2013 and is known Chicagoland area, but they are hardly the only games in town. Entertaining among cyclists as “the toughest race in central Illinois.” The race unfolds sporting competitions unfold in every corner of Illinois, and those seeking on a short course and is held on blocked-off city streets. The course is an alternative to major team sport competitions can find plenty of unadul- typically less than 5 kilometers and is a closed circuit where riders terated diversions for little to no cost. complete multiple laps. The Criterium attracts hundreds of racers across Here are some lesser-publicized events to look forward to the country and provides spectators with an up-close look at some of the when 2017 winds down and 2018 gears up. finest athletes in the sport. 4 Sports Planning Guide SPORT_70-73_Layout 1 11/6/17 10:17 AM Page 71 DRAGON BOAT RACING Dragon Boat Racing is an event believed to have originated in China more than 2,500 years ago, but has been celebrated in Illinois for the better part of the past two decades. The sport involves 20 team members paddling in unison to a drummer’s beat in a long, narrow boat decorated at the bow and stern with a dragon’s tail and head. During the second weekend of June, St. Charles, a city that lies 40 miles west of Chicago, hosts the popular Festival of the Fox, whose centerpiece is the Dragon Boat Racing event that transpires on the Fox River. Each July, Arlington Heights, a village 25 miles northwest of Chicago’s downtown, holds the Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival, a celebration that features 30 Dragon Boat teams from the Midwest competing on Lake Arlington. Blue Island, a city located approximately 16 miles south of Chicago’s Loop, hosts a Dragon Boat Festival in June at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Waterfall Park along the historic Calumet-Sag Channel. EQUESTRIAN JUMPING Balmoral Park, the former historic harness racing track in Crete, a village 35 miles south of Chicago, re-opened in 2017 as a reinvented, state-of-the-art equestrian show jumping venue. Featuring nine compe- tition rings, with five set up for hunters (a classic form of forward seat riding) and four for jumpers, horses put on a show as they jump over fences with crossbars and maneuver through a number of obstacles. In 2018, visitors will enjoy the show from 4,467- seat grandstand from May until September and watch these magnificent animals entertain. GRAND NATIONAL TT CHAMPIONSHIP The longest consecutive-running dirt track race in the world, the Grand National TT Championship is considered the Indy 500 of motor- cycle flat track racing. Peoria, a city 165 miles southwest of Chicago, has hosted this event for the past 71 years, featuring high-flying action in which riders jump motorcycles as far as 130 feet down the track. The races run throughout summer and fall at the Peoria Motorcycle Club. Many of the world's best cyclists compete in the Bloomington Criterium. IFC FALL CUP The Dodds Sports Complex in Champaign (135 miles south of Chicago), will host the Illinois Futbol Club Fall Cup, a competition that CORNHOLE attracts 225 youth soccer teams from across the country. The cup will Lynwood, a village near the Illinois and Indiana border, will host feature boys and girls between the ages of 8-18 competing for tourna- the 13th season of the American Cornhole Organization’s Chicago ment glory from Sept. 28-30, 2018. Southland Major on May 25 and 26, 2018. Similar to horseshoes, cornhole is a game in which players take turns throwing bags of corn STEAMBOAT CLASSIC (or bean bags) at a raised platform containing a hole in the far end. For 44 years, runners from around the world have traveled to Peoria Contestants pitch their bags at the platform until the winner scores 21 every summer for the Steamboat Classic running event. The classic is an points. Onlookers will be astounded with the talent and accuracy equal-opportunity athletic competition, welcoming walkers, joggers and cornhole competitors display in their quest for a victory. runners of all ages and ability levels. The competition is famous for being one of the world’s fastest four-mile runs while the 15K is regarded as DIVISION III ATHLETICS Illinois’ toughest because of the course’s hilly terrain. Participants can Located 107 miles west of Chicago, Rockford will host three Division also compete in a less rugged two-mile contest. III championships in 2018. In March, the city will entertain the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Women’s Basketball Championship, UNITED STATES BOWLING CONGRESS giving patrons the chance to watch talented hoopsters battle for a title. WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS In May, the 2018 USA Ultimate Division III College Championships will Bowling zealots will have to wait a few years for this event, but in descend upon the area. Originally known as ultimate frisbee, Ultimate is 2021, the United States Bowling Congress Women’s Championships will a non-contact team sport played with a flying disc (frisbee). Points are return to Chicago for the first time since 1935. Addison, a city 21 miles scored by passing the disc to a teammate in the opposing end zone. west of Chicago, will host the tournament that is expected to welcome The NJCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championship will hit town in more than 32,000 competitors and visitors and will feature some of the November.