The Chicago Blues Festival kicks off Friday with a tribute to Alligator Records. Founder Bruce Iglauer and musician Toronzo Cannon reflect on the significance of the music they love.

Chicago’s green thumb just got some international accolades. A garden designed by the Chicago Park District was awarded a gold medal at Bloom, Ireland's largest gardening show.

The Grant Park Music Festival opens in one week, making classical music accessible to anyone who's interested. But the makeup of orchestras across the country doesn't always reflect the makeup of surrounding communities.

A pair of Midwestern artists makes richly detailed paintings that explore mythology and nightmares. Aside from mysterious themes and striking visuals, the works of painters Gina Litherland and Paul Lamantia are essentially different.

Forty years after Richard J. Daley’s death, Chicago still identifies itself with the man who steered it for more than two decades. Belly up to the bar and get a little taste of Chicago’s spirited history: an Irish whiskey and smoky mezcal blended drink.

Maryville Academy started nearly 133 years ago as an orphanage, but as a result of major cuts in funding, the agency announced it will no longer house children. We speak with Maryville's executive director about the changes and organization's new direction.

The new permanent location for the museum opens on Saturday. Chicago Tonight got a preview of the new space located on the Bubbly Creek branch of the Chicago River. 

There’s a festival for just about everybody this weekend, from Maifest in Lincoln Square to the Gospel Music Festival in Millennium Park and the 57th Street Art Fair in Hyde Park, plus scores more.

Geoffrey Baer tracks down answers for three questions about Chicago's bygone streetcar heyday. 

We check in with the Chicago Public Library chief about being named in Fast Company's 100 “Most Creative People in Business” and what books he's taking to the beach this summer.

Following a whopper of a blizzard in 1979, Sauganash native Jane Byrne narrowly upset Mayor Michael Bilandic for the Democratic mayoral nomination. Belly up to the bar and get a little taste of Chicago’s spirited history: a frosty milkshake spiked with whiskey and vodka.

The Chicago Sun-Times theater critic reviews four plays that address societal challenges and conflicts, including Goodman Theatre’s revival of the rarely staged second play by “Raisin in the Sun” author Lorraine Hansberry.

A prominent work of art has been out of the public eye for almost five years. Titled “Above and Beyond,” the installation commemorates American soldiers who lost their lives in the Vietnam War, and it's back on display at the Harold Washington Library.

The political life of America’s 16th president is being told in a new multi-volume series by Chicago native Sidney Blumenthal.

Enjoy the long weekend with a long list of things to do around town, including a performance by the Chicago Children’s Choir, the opening of the new Ferris wheel at Navy Pier and the annual Bike the Drive event.