Things to Do in Wheeling

The Capitol Steps performers draw upon 62 combined years of congressional staff experience for material in their political lampoons. The group, which has recorded 30 albums and puts on four broadcasts every year on NPR, will dish up rollicking numbers from their latest release, Liberal Shop of Horrors. No party or politician—from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, to the Tea Party and Sarah Palin—is spared from the cross-hairs of their razor-sharp satire. Exercise your laughing muscles as the group mocks social issues including prescription drugs and the wobbly economy.

While the horses gallop, you needn't worry about pacing yourself at the all-you-can-eat buffet. Take endless laps around the Winner’s Circle Buffet on Thursdays (6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.) or Grand Gourmet Buffet on Fridays (6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.), then head to the dessert table (open until 10:00 p.m. on Fridays). The buffet offers a variety of succulent offerings, including ornate carving stations where you can get a hunk of meat with a lovely etching of your head on a horse's body, as well as unlimited shrimp, so when the race comes down to a photo finish, you can temper your adrenaline by slipping into a deep, shrimp-induced coma.

Written by Pulitzer Prize nominee Janet Burroway and based on Euripides's classic Greek revenge tragedy, Medea With Child recounts the tale of Medea unleashing her epic fury on her unfaithful husband. As her vengeance rocks both her family and her country, it becomes less and less certain that any of the characters can escape their fates. As staged by the Sideshow Theatre Company, the experience is like watching a fever-dream version of the worst break-up you've ever had.

The Chicago Wolves, an NHL affiliate of the Atlanta Thrashers, add an exhilarating howl to the American Hockey League with a frosty flurry of slap shots, body checks, and thoughtful, fist-based debate. Darren Hydar, Spencer Machacek, and Andre Deveaux lead the attack on enemy net, all ably assisted by Jason Krog. Goalie Peter Mannino confidently flaunts his pristine puck-stoppage by storing his entire collection of vice presidential commemorative plates in the goal behind him. The high-octane entertainment is spiced with the family-friendly shenanigans of Skates, the official sideline silly goose that looks more like a big gray wolf.

The festive displays at Chicago Botanic Garden's Wonderland Express pluck visitors from forests of skyscrapers and tangles of telephone vines and prepare them for the holiday season. Energy-conserving LED lights⎯750,000 of them⎯twinkle in the crisp air of an outdoor magical winter wonderland. Inside, amid the falling of faux snow, tiny model locomotives chug through an elaborate 10,000-square-foot display featuring decorations, holiday trees, botanicals and poinsettias, and more than 80 mini models of Chicago’s famous buildings and landmarks. Designed by holiday wizard Paul Busse, the model-railroad garden combines artistic design, horticulture, and Windy City pride to delight children, parents, grandparents, and estranged snowmen cousins alike.

A member of the Arena Football League since 2001, the Chicago Rush have embodied excellence from their first year of competition. The team reached the playoffs in each of its first 10 seasons, taking home the 2006 league title in ArenaBowl XX. The Rush vie for control of the National Conference’s Central Division with the support of droves of fans and the Adrenaline Rush cheerleaders. Additional encouragement comes from construction-worker mascot Grabowski, a name coined by Chicago icon Mike Ditka to describe the hard-working, tough nature of the players and the excellent construction of Allstate Arena.