Indiana
March 3-6, 10-13: Big Ten Basketball Tournaments, Indianapolis. The women take to the court at Conseco Fieldhouse first, and the men follow a week later. Fees vary; 800-443-4837; tinyurl.com/65duoph. Miles from Chicago: 185
March 11-13: 2nd annual Elemental Arts Tattoo Show, Kokomo. Some of the country’s top tattoo artists will be on hand; plenty of music too. Fee varies; 765-461-9626; theelementalartstattooshow.com. Miles from Chicago: 160
Through April 10: “Through the Woods, Around the Block,” Michigan City. An international cast of wood turners was presented with a challenge: Create an original work of art out of two solid wood blocks measuring 6-by-6-by-3 inches, leaving one of the blocks untouched. The results are on display at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts. Free; 219-874-4900; lubeznikcenter.org. Miles from Chicago: 60
Iowa
March 13-June 26: “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition,” Davenport. The Putnam Museum hosts an exhibit of more than 125 legendary artifacts conserved from the Ship’s debris field. Fee varies; 563-324-1933; http://www.putnam.org/titanic. Miles from Chicago: 175
Michigan
March 1-April 30: “Butterflies Are Blooming,” Grand Rapids. More than 6,000 butterflies are on the wing in the 15,000-foot conservatory at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. Fee varies; 888-957-1580; meijergardens.org. Miles from Chicago: 180
March 10-20: LaughFest, Grand Rapids. Betty White and Bill Cosby are among the funny people performing at this annual event, which benefits Gilda’s Club, a cancer-support community. Fees vary; 616-735-4242; laughfestgr.org. Miles from Chicago: 180
March 12-13: 46th annual Maple Sugar Festival, Kalamazoo. The Kalamazoo Nature Center devotes this weekend to a celebration of maple syrup and how it’s made. Fees vary; 269-381-1574; naturecenter.org. Miles from Chicago: 150
Missouri
March 1-31: “March Morpho Mania,” Chesterfield. The Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House at the Missouri Botanical Garden is filled with up to 3,000 morpho butterflies, which are bright blue. Fee varies; 636-530-0076; butterflyhouse.org. Miles from Chicago: 320
Ohio
March 16-April 12: “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music,” Wilmington. The Quaker Heritage Center at Wilmington College presents a series of concerts and programs exploring uniquely American music. Free; 937-382-6661, ext. 719; http://www.wilmington.edu/qhc. Check the website for scheduling updates. Miles from Chicago: 330
Wisconsin
March 5-6: 46th annual Society of Model Engineers Train Time, Milwaukee. The Milwaukee School of Engineering is the site for this show, which features two dozen operating model train layouts, vendors and clubs. Free; 414-277-7254; some.groups.msoe.edu/main.shtml. Miles from Chicago: 90
March 10-13: 22nd Tribute to Bix Beiderbecke, Racine. The remembrance of the jazz great includes performances by singer Barbara Rosene with pianist Dave Drazin, Dave Greer’s Classic Jazz Stompers and Andy Schumm’s Beer Garden Jazz Band. Also, jazz bus tour, jam session, films, new and used record sales. Fee varies; 847-996-0246; bixfest.com. Miles from Chicago: 75
March 11-13: Canoecopia, Madison. Devoted to canoeing and kayaking, this event at the Alliant Energy Center features exhibitors including vendors displaying gear, clubs, outfitters and guides. Also included are various seminars. Fee varies; canoecopia.com. Miles from Chicago: 150
