Here are some of the more interesting events, deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently:
?History and music share center stage during the Union County Covered Bridge Bluegrass Festival on Sept. 23-24 in North Lewisburg, Ohio, and throughout the county. There will be guided tours of the county’s covered bridges, which will also be the sites for bluegrass music, food and a Sunday church service. Also on tap: horse-drawn wagon rides, arts and crafts, farm animals and more. www.coveredbridgefestival.com
?The 2017 James Dean Festival takes place Sept. 21-24 in Fairmount, Ind., where the actor grew up. There will be free showings of “East of Eden,” “Rebel Without a Cause” and “Giant,” live music, Dean-related exhibits at the Historical Museum and more. www.jamesdeanartifacts.com
?Fans of old farm equipment will want to make tracks for the 23rd annual Franklin County Antique Machinery Show, Sept. 28 to Oct. 1 in Brookville, Ind. On display will be Oliver tractors and equipment and Wisconsin engines. Folks will demonstrate how to make soap and brooms, and you can see threshing, hay baling and antique tractor pulls. www.fcamc.org
?The 2017 Lake of the Ozarks Air Show will be held Sept. 23 at the airport in Camdenton, Mo. Among aircraft on display will be a B-25J Mitchell World War II Bomber, and acts will include the KC Flight Formation Team, Free Fall Express Skydivers and The Alabama Boys. www.lakeoftheozarksairshow.com
?The historic Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater, Mich., is staging its Entertainment Series from September to next March. First up will be “Love, Loss, & What I Wore,” a play written by Nora Ephron. Performances will be Sept. 22-24 and 28-30. On Nov. 11, actor Jeff Daniels will be in concert with the Ben Daniels Band. Details and tickets are at http://tinyurl.com/y7zz3rv7.
?The Michigan Hemingway Society will host its annual literary and history conference Oct. 6-8 at The Terrace Inn in Bay View. For 22 years, author Ernest Hemingway spent his summers exploring the woods and waters of Walloon Lake, Horton Bay, Petoskey and neighboring communities in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula. The keynote speaker for the conference is Steve Paul, author and editor of several books, including “Hemingway at Eighteen: The Pivotal Year that Launched an American Legend,” due out this fall. www.michiganhemingwaysociety.org
?The 2017 Milwaukee Film Festival is Sept. 28 to Oct. 12, when more than 300 films will be screened at five local cinemas, including the historic Oriental Theatre. The lineup features a variety of special events, including an opening-night party and a movie-themed bowling tournament. Tickets may be purchased online. www.mkefilm.org
?Seven notable homes in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Mich., will open their doors for viewing Sept. 24 during the Master Key Architectural Home Tour offered by the Southwest Michigan Symphony League. Among the tour offerings is an elementary school turned into residences. Tickets may be purchased online or at several local locations. http://tinyurl.com/y9oftrqd
?Adventure Life has a Machu Picchu by Train tour that’s priced from $1,621 per person, double occupancy. Included are one night’s lodging each in Lima, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu and three nights in Cuzco, five days of private guide service, as well as train travel between Cuzco and Machu Picchu. An internal flight of about $425 is extra, as is international air. 800-344-6118, http://tinyurl.com/y8nt3yye
?If you prefer independent travel and you’d like to have plenty of time to explore Rome, Gate 1 Travel has a Rome Value Vacation priced from just $758 per person, double occupancy. That includes round-trip air from Chicago in early January 2018 and six nights’ lodging. Other departure cities and dates are available. 800-682-3333, http://tinyurl.com/y8xg6ygx
?Uniworld has reduced or waived single-supplement fees for select Europe river cruises in 2018. Check them out at http://tinyurl.com/ybu3gprv.
?National Park Service sites will be offering free entrance Sept. 30, which is National Public Lands Day. http://tinyurl.com/go82aan
Deals and websites listed here have been checked for availability as of press time. Listings are not endorsements. Send tips at least a month in advance to ChicagoTribTravel@gmail.com.
Phil Marty is a freelancer.
