Sun-dried dog poop in the parkway? Disgusting. Desiccated cow poop flung across a field in Wisconsin? Get in the car! It doesn’t take much to make a road trip appealing in the summer, but if you need an excuse, take your pick. —Sam Worley
June
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American Players Theatre This year’s season at the theater in the woods includes performances of Shakespeare’s As You Like It and All’s Well That Ends Well, George Bernard Shaw’s Major Barbara, and Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. 6/5-10/17, performance times vary, American Players Theatre, 5950 Golf Course Rd., Spring Green, Wisconsin, 608-588-2361, americanplayers.org, $39-$64.
International Carillon Festival The Thomas Rees Memorial Carillon, a tower of 67 tuned bronze bells played manually using a keyboard, hosts six nights of performances by carillonneurs from around the world. 6/6-6/12, 7 PM (except Wed 6/9), Washington Park, 5531 S. Martin Luther King, Springfield, Illinois, 773-256-1248, carillon-rees.org/html/festival.html.
Cornerstone Festival Massive Christian music festival. Mon-Sat 6/28-7/3, Cornerstone Farm, 23325 N. Cornerstone, Marietta, Illinois, 773-989-2087, cornerstonefestival.com, passes $141-$155, family passes $308-$375 (both include camping), kids under 11 free.
Circus City Festival Peru, Indiana, bills itself as the circus capital of the world, and its 250-plus-member amateur circus calls itself the greatest amateur show on earth. This annual festival features daily circus performances, carnival attractions, and the second-largest parade in Indiana. 7/17-7/24, performances Sat 2 and 7 PM, Sun 3 PM, Mon-Fri 7 PM, parade Sat 7/24, 10 AM, Circus City, 154 N. Broadway, Peru, Indiana, 765-472-3918, perucircus.com, $10-$13, $1 off for kids under 12.
Indiana State Fair With the Giant Hot Air Balloon Race, Red Hat Day, and the World’s Largest Drive-Thru Breakfast. In honor of the Indiana pork industry, this is the “Year of Pigs,” so expect lots of those. 8/6-8/22, Sun-Thu 8 AM-11 PM, Fri 8 AM-midnight, Sat 8 AM-12:30 AM, Indiana State Fairgrounds, 1202 E. 38th, Indianapolis, 317-927-7500, in.gov/statefair, $8, kids under 6 free, advance tickets $7, grandstand performances require additional tickets.
