Here are some of the more interesting events, deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently:
* If you’re a Wisconsin Badgers fan, you may want to take in Bucky on Parade, which will feature 85 statues of 6-feet-tall Bucky Badgers designed by local and regional artists. They’ll decorate the streets of Madison and Dane County from May 7 to Sept. 12. www.buckyonparade.com
* The Michigan All-State Bonsai Show will be held May 12-13 at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. Bonsai trees in a variety of styles will be on display, and vendors will be selling trees and tools. http://tinyurl.com/ybamve92
* Jazz and wine come together May 11-13 during Jazz on the Vine at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, Wis. This is the 16th year for the event, which will feature well-known performers like Gerald Albright and singer and sax player Grace Kelly. There will also be food and more than 100 wines to sample. Early ticket purchases are recommended, as this often sells out. www.jazzonthevine.net
* The Lower Town Arts & Music Festival offers art, music, food, beer and wine from the Paducah, Ky., area. It will be held May 18-19 in the historic Lower Town Arts District near downtown Paducah. www.lowertownamf.com
* The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, Iowa, has a new exhibit, “Tallgrass to Knee High: A Century of Iowa Farming,” on display until Oct. 28. The exhibit looks at farming in Iowa and the Midwest from 1910 through today. A hands-on area for kids is part of the program. http://tinyurl.com/ydaqllsc
* Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay region comprises the cities of Bay City, Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Midland and Saginaw. Information on lodging deals can be found at www.gogreat.com/hotels.
* In preparation for the Memorial Day weekend classic Indianapolis 500, special events are being held throughout May in what’s called the 500 Festival. Though most events are near the running of the 500, there are also foot races and the Breakfast at the Brickyard held earlier. www.500festival.com
* Virgin Vacations offers an eight-day Madrid, Valencia & Barcelona by Rail package. The independent tour includes round-trip air from the U.S., two nights’ lodging in each city and rail between cities. We checked a July 4 departure from Chicago and found rates of $1,810 per person, double occupancy. Departures from other cities are available, and there are many options as to hotels and the class of rail service that will affect the cost. http://tinyurl.com/ybk3mmps
* The Online Vacation Center has Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas in October that are as low as $616 per person, double occupancy for a balcony cabin. http://tinyurl.com/y93cf2l5
* The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art is a new addition to the cultural scene in St. Petersburg, Fla. The 30,000-square-foot facility features roughly 400 paintings, sculptures and jewelry pieces from artists such as Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. www.thejamesmuseum.org
* Families planning an escape may want to check out the 10 Best All-Inclusive Family Resorts in the U.S. for 2018 from FamilyVacationCritic.com. http://tinyurl.com/ycc2nchl
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.
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