The Shakespeare Festival, St. Louis, Missouri

For one month each spring, right around sunset, a stage formed at the bottom of Forest Park’s temporary, bowl-shaped theater fills with elaborately dressed characters, and the noise of the feature production of the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis washes over the crowd. 

St. Louis resident Brett Wilhelm said he saw the majestic trees of Forest Park blend into “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” six years ago and hasn’t missed a production since.

“I used to go see Shakespeare a lot back when I was in high school and college, so I’ve been to a lot of different productions,” Wilhelm said. “What they do here is on par with what I’ve seen elsewhere, if not better.”

Macomb Balloon Rally, Macomb, Illinois

Every year in early September, the peaceful expanse of the Vince Grady Soccer Field in Macomb, Illinois, is suddenly clustered with crowds of spectators and the huge looming shadows of multiple giants. The multicolored balloons arise from their beginnings as limp sheets of fabric to become fire-breathing titans of the skies.

The crowd at the 21st annual Macomb Balloon Rally eagerly awaited the ascension of all 29 balloons from Western Illinois University in Macomb. Along with the balloons’ takeoff, many other events were planned in conjunction with the Balloon Rally to appeal to tourists and Macomb natives alike, making the weekend an ideal autumn excursion.