Northwest Quarterly Magazine

09/04/2026

For the animals that arrive scared, injured or alone, Lisa Beardsworth of Lisa's Little Rescue is often their best chance at survival.

Lisa’s Little Rescue cares for small mammals like possums, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, woodchucks, and the occasional fox or coyote. Before sunrise on an early June morning, Lisa Beardsworth slips into a spare bedroom in her Winnebago County home where seven baby 13-lined ground squirrels hudd

08/24/2026

Some love stories live on long after the people who inspired them.

In Savanna, Illinois, Havencrest Castle stands as a remarkable tribute to the enduring love, creativity and imagination of Alan and Adrianne St. George. From Victorian-era costumes and elaborate gatherings to Alan’s painstaking recreations of Titanic sculptures, the castle is filled with stories of a life shared and a love that continues beyond it.

For those who enjoy a good love story, make-believe and fairy tales, there’s still a place where dreams come true. It’s hidden upon a hilltop in Savanna, Ill., and it’s a place where reality turns to fantasy. In reality, it’s where a husband and wife were very much in love and enjoyed entert...

08/21/2026

When a b**r company gave The Olympic Tavern a bicycle to use as a promotional prize, Zak Rotello had a better idea: instead of giving the bike away to a handful of regulars, why not use it to bring the neighborhood together?

Fifteen years later, that idea has become Tour De North End, a 12-hour bicycle crawl through Rockford’s North End that now includes 16 businesses — and no longer just bars and restaurants. Florists, a dog groomer and a vintage shop have joined the route, while longtime participant Kegel’s Bicycle Store brings a crew to offer free bike repairs along the way.

What started with a few passports and a prize bike has grown into a neighborhood tradition, complete with costumes, food, music and the occasional Scandinavian fish dish.

Tour De North End returns Sept. 26, when cyclists will once again take to the North End — not to race, but to see how much of the neighborhood they can discover.

Tour De North End’s 16 participating businesses include bars, restaurants, shops, florists and a dog groomer. (Photos Provided) When a b**r company’s sales rep offered The Olympic Tavern a new bike for a promotional prize, Zak Rotello got an idea. Rotello, who had recently returned home to run h...

08/19/2026

Some ice cream shops sell desserts. Others sell memories.

At Zammuto's in Rockford, a century-old Sicilian recipe is still taught by watching, doing and tasting. In Freeport, generations of families still line up for a scoop at Union Dairy. Over in Rockton, Brent Murray still folds every swirl by hand at Dairyhäus. And at Meggy Moo's Dairy Ripple, nobody has quite figured out who invented the famous widgets.

Across our region, these are the people keeping generations of summer tradition alive — one scoop at a time.

Meet the people who preserve generations of flavor, memory and summertime tradition. On any given night, in any given town in America, there’s a line at a walk-up window that stretches down the sidewalk. Children count quarters, a couple splits a malt on a tailgate and somebody’s grandfather stu...

08/19/2026

Have you gotten your hands on the Summer Issue of the Northwest Quarterly Magazine yet? We are excited to be featured in the magazine!

Stop by any one of our six offices to pick up a copy today. Happy reading! 😀📕

08/17/2026

The name has changed, but the recipes haven’t. At Ocello's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant in Poplar Grove, Giuseppina Ocello is carrying on her father’s restaurant — in the same spot, with the same family recipes.

Giuseppina Ocello carries on a family tradition at Ocello’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant, located in the same Poplar Grove, Ill., spot where her father, Joe, once operated Bravo’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant. If Ocello’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant feels like home, that’s exactly wh

08/12/2026

Women’s baseball has always had a home in Rockford. Now, the next chapter is being written here.

Team Captains (WBSC Photo) The trophies are awarded and the cheering crowds have headed home, but a lasting image remains of generations of women standing together, united by a game they have been part of since the beginning. Kat Williams (WBSC photo) This July, Rockford drew players from b

08/10/2026

Stories worth getting out and exploring.

The Summer 2026 issue of Northwest Quarterly is here, with a look at the people, places and traditions shaping summer across northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin.

From the homecoming of women’s baseball in Rockford to the ice cream stands carrying summer traditions forward, we’re celebrating the stories that connect us to where we live. Plus, a Wisconsin scavenger hunt, your summer festival guide, wedding advice, a look inside the future of manufacturing and more.

Pick up the new issue and see what’s happening in your own backyard.

08/05/2026

Great theater doesn’t only happen in big cities. For 65 years, Timber Lake Playhouse has been proving that world-class performances can thrive right here in the Midwest.

As the saying goes, “the show must go on,” and at Timber Lake Playhouse in Mount Carroll, Ill., shows have been going on since 1961. As the professional summer theater company marks its 65th anniversary, Timber Lake Playhouse remains at the heart of Mount Carroll’s cultural community, delighti...