According to USA Today, Chicago has made a name for itself as one of the top ten craft brew cities in the country. Illinois was named as a top craft brew state by the publication, and there are reportedly 54 breweries in the Chicagoland area. The fourth annual Craft Beer Week will celebrate these local breweries and offer 11 days' worth of food, beer and local favorites for everyone to enjoy.

Among new events this year is the first Craft Beer Fest in the West Loop, which will feature  more than 30 breweries alongside food at the French Market. Admission is $40 for a regular ticket and $65 for a VIP ticket, which includes samplings of rare brews.

For travelers coming to Chicago for the events, there is an official app that allows users to track events related to Craft Beer Week throughout the celebration

"This technology will help expedite customs processing for passengers arriving to O'Hare, further strengthening Chicago as a global destination," Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement. "Being the first airport in the U.S. to implement these advances demonstrates how serious we are about making Chicago the first, best and most welcoming city in the country."

The self-serve kiosks were recently debuted at Vancouver International Airport on May 7. Instead of filling out paperwork upon entering the United States, travelers will now be able to use the kiosk touch screen to move through customs at a quicker pace. The kiosk will print out receipts, to be presented at the Customs and Border Protection desk. These new devices allow travelers to experience less waiting and congestion as well as faster processing. Kiosks will also ensure that the safety and security of passengers, employees and visitors remains a top priority.

"We are very excited to provide the Automated Passport Control system for international travelers arriving to Chicago," Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino said in a statement.  "I want to express our appreciation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Vancouver Airport Authority, as well as our airline partners for their assistance and cooperation in bringing this new technology and better customer experience to O'Hare. We are fully committed to making Chicago O'Hare 'best in class' by continuing to invest in our facilities and adding award-winning concessions and new services that elevate the overall passenger experience."

O'Hare has received poor reviews on different occasions for long lines and less than 20 percent of flights leaving on time, according to U.S. News. The Chicago Tribune said that it can take up to two hours to get passengers through customs when multiple international flights arrive at the same time. With this new streamlined process, the CDA hopes to make traveling out of O'Hare a more pleasant experience. 

"These improvements will enhance operations at LaGuardia and are vital to ensuring LaGuardia Airport retains its longstanding place as a vital component in the metropolitan area's transportation network," Port Authority Vice Chairman Scott Rechler told Aviation Pros. 

In addition to the other improvements, The Wall Street Journal also reported  that the project will feature a $57.5 million estimated expense to create a continuous restricted vehicle service road to reduce traffic crossing the runways. The project is expected to be completed by December 2015. 

Officials at the airport said that the new changes will enhance travel for people flying out of the airport as well as better the runway safety zones to comply with Federal Aviation Administration's current runway requirements.

Runners who want to meet a quick running goal and participate in a Mexican fiesta will gather at Montrose Harbor on May 5. After the race, which begins at 9:30 a.m., runners and those coming to cheer on friends and family can head over to the beer garden for a beer, churro​s, chips and salsa, or a breakfast burrito. The celebration continues all day long with live music.

Even though the weather may not be warm, Chicagoans can ensure that the fourth annual Cinco de Mayo Festival will be full force at 26th and Kostner in the Little Village neighborhood. Guests can enjoy food, crafts, artwork and lots of dancing. In true Chicago fashion, there are plenty of pub crawls taking place throughout the city, including all-you-can-eat Mexican buffets and trolley service. 

Heavy construction is set to begin May 7 and will proceed south to north, said spokeswoman Kimberly Reason. This new development is said to increase traffic by 5,400 customers a day, according to Sen. Murray, chair of the Senate Transportation Appropriations Committee. The above ground station will have covered waiting areas and public art pieces. Officials in the city are hopeful that the area will become a new gathering place for residents and travelers.  

"That's 5,000 more customers for local businesses and 5,000 less cars on Interstate 5," Murray told Highline Times.

On April 24, the transit agency released a 3-D animation that shows how trains will operate on the 1.6-mile elevated station between the airport and Angle Lake at South 200th Street in Sea-Tac. The project is designed and built by a global company called PCL, and will include a 700-car parking garage and a plaza with retail space and public restrooms. In addition, Sound Transit will build a 300-stall surface parking lot to the west of the station. 

From Angle Lake, those riding the light rail system will be able to get to a Mariners game in 31 minutes, downtown shopping in 38 minutes, and the University of Washington in 45 minutes, Julia Patterson, D-SeaTac, a member of the Sound Transit board and Metropolitan King County Council told The Seattle Times. 

Organized by ReedPOP, a company that also runs New York Comic Con, will feature guests like "Goosebumps" series author R.L. Stine, professional wrestler Diamond Dallas Page and "Doctor Who" actor Peter Davison. The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau will also offer a program called "Sweet Deals, Chicago". These deals allow visitors and other C2E2 attendees to get discounts at  more than 60 Chicago restaurants.

To get Chicagoans ramped up for C2E2, local restaurant Revolution Brewery has designed a craft beer especially for the expo called "Galaxy Hero." C2E2's show manager, Lance Fensterman​, expressed excitement for the release of the beer as well as for the crowds expected at this year's show.

"This tasty partnership only proves what I have always believed to be true – that pop culture influences are everywhere in our lives," Fensterman said. "Thanks to the folks at Revolution Brewing, artists in their own right for creating this hoppy masterpiece just for C2E2, our fans and yes, the staff. Cheers!"

The renovation comes after a 2006 appeal of the Wright amendment enacted in 1980, which limited flights in and out of the airport to protect Dallas/Fort Worth's nearby airport, which has more travelers and more traffic than Dallas Love Field.

On Oct. 14, 2014, all aspects of the Wright Amendment will disappear, and airlines can fly nonstop to any U.S. destination. Love Field's Aviation Director, Mark Duebner​, told NPR affiliate KERA that he expects that the current four million passengers will reach six million when the amendment is lifted. The new terminals at Dallas Love Field symbolize a new start for the airport. Travelers should be aware of increased traffic to the refurbished terminals, and seek Dallas Love Field airport parking in advance.

Bob Montgomery, Southwest's vice president of airport affairs, told The Dallas Morning News that he's hopeful that the airport's new look will ramp up airport traffic.

"Once we get out from under the Wright amendment in 2014, then we have opportunities to fly all over the country," he said. "The stage length will increase, and that means that more people will check bags. More people will use the ticket counter. It's really built for that."

The new terminals are eco-friendly, lit by energy-efficient lighting and filled with recyclable building materials. Dallas Love Field will offer travelers 30 minutes of free WiFi as well as give them a few new restaurants and stores to browse that reflect Dallas culture. Travelers will also notice locally made artwork gracing the walls of the new building.

According to the Chicago Weather Center, a new line of thunderstorms is coming in from Chicago's southwest suburbs and is expected to hit Chicago in mid-afternoon through the evening.  Travelers should expect winds around 40 mph to 50 mph as well as frequent hail. The storms are expected to produce almost two inches of rain. Those trying to make a flight by this evening should take caution when heading to the airport, but the National Weather Service says that the worst of the storms should be over before noon. 

This wet weather adds to O'Hare's list of delays, with fog and mist on April 9 causing flights at O'Hare being delayed for almost four hours. NBC Chicago reports that fog caused decreased visibility and 170 flights to and from the airport were canceled.

CBS Local reports that JetBlue, the official airline of both the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Marathon, should have about 650,000 passengers at Logan this month. Furthermore, Alaska Airlines launched nonstop flights on April 1 between San Diego and Boston, and Logan airport is bracing itself for a fall merger between American Airlines and US Airways, which could affect flights. 

According to Travel Daily News, the new changes at Logan airport will be positive ones.

"This expansion of service by Alaska Airlines is good news for Boston Logan International Airport and the millions of passengers who choose to fly from New England's gateway," said Ed Freni, director of aviation for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which owns and operates Logan.

Travelers will be coming into the city from far and wide for the Boston Marathon on April 15. Research from the Boston Athletic Association says that more than 62 percent of the runners as well as friends and family traveling with them will arrive by air.  About 60 percent of the athletes come from outside of New England, and 18 percent coming in from a foreign country.

"We're going to bring in different genres," Sea-Tac's Music Program Coordinator Tami Kuiken told KIRO Radio. "We're going to have people playing mostly acoustic type instruments. We'll be doing anything from jazz to blues to folk, even some pop. We'll have guitars, violin, maybe some a cappella."

The goal of the new music program is to allow travelers to hear local talent while waiting for their flights. This could mean that less Sea-Tac parking will be available, depending on the size of crowds attending the performances. 

Travelers are already taking to the airport's musical performances, saying that it's a relaxing way to wait for a flight. 

Known for its unique music scene, Seattle pays tribute to the musical style referred to as grunge, with bands like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains making their debut here. Music has shaped Seattle's culture, and the city is as widely known today for its sound as it is for its famous coffee companies. Over history, Seattle has earned its title as the "City of Music," and this title is kept alive through music festivals and radio stations who aim to support local talent.