Editor’s note

Here’s your Fall Guide, a 68-page special edition of Illinois Times, featuring a comprehensive calendar of events, beginning on page 11, listing festivals, tours, plays, exhibits and musical events from Labor Day to December. Beginning on page 32 are articles on day trips to the Shawnee National Forest, Quincy and the Jenny Lind Chapel near Galesburg, plus features on autumn theater and music offerings. Starting on page 44 is our six-page Local First advertising section, including a directory of local independent businesses and an article on “The benefi ts of doing business locally,” in case you don’t already know. As always we have local news plus regular columnists Jim Krohe, Rich Miller, Tom Irwin, Julianne Glatz and Chuck Koplinski. There’s a lot here for you. Enjoy. –Fletcher Farrar, editor and publisher

Cover art is a painting by Springfi eld artist Greg Walbert. See page 11 for more about the artist.