Stories by Nicole Cardos

Come Fat Tuesday every year, “Paczki Day” is celebrated across Chicago and the Midwest, and the doughnuts are recognized as a symbol of Polish culture and pride.

WTTW News visited a few of the city’s bars and restaurants to see which NA, or non-alcoholic, options are being offered. Here’s some of what we found.

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry’s “Christmas Around the World” and “Holidays of Light” exhibits are still here to keep your Christmas spirit alive. The annual exhibit started in 1942 with a single tree that was newly decorated for 12 days to represent the nations fighting alongside the U.S. during World War II.

Field Museum scientists have new CT scans of mummified people from the museum’s “Inside Ancient Egypt” exhibit. Researchers hope the scans will help the public see the mummified individuals as people instead of artifacts.

The students behind efforts to name the Calvatia gigantea the state mushroom of Illinois had an opportunity to learn more about the “giant puffball” at the Field Museum.

Since 2018, the Dixon Brotherhood Reunion has brought together formerly incarcerated men. The event was born out of a need to network for jobs and housing and to build social connections that weren’t centered around funerals.

If it appeared in a movie, sports game or meme, chances are it’s been made into a bobblehead. And if it’s a bobblehead, it’s likely exhibited on one of the dozens of wooden bookshelves inside the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

From brats to cheese, downtown Milwaukee businesses are hoping for a boost from the Republican National Convention. So far, business has been on the slow side. 

Eight-time marathoner Martinus Evans says he didn’t always feel welcomed in the sport. He now wants to help others feel good about picking up their running shoes. 

Shake any family tree, and a few skeletons are bound to fall out — that’s as true for birds as it is for people. Except that for birds, the wacky cousin lurking in one of those branches is T. Rex.

Nearly 2,000 people gathered at Triton College in west suburban River Grove to view the solar eclipse Monday afternoon.

Of the nearly 1,300 polling places across Chicago for Tuesday’s primary election, there will be a few private businesses that offer up their space for voters.

The paczki many Polish Americans grew up eating, made with plum, rose or raspberry fillings, aren’t the only kind available these days. We take a look at the Fat Tuesday tradition. 

Paczki are fried Polish donuts filled with jam. Residents across Chicago and the Midwest celebrate the donut every year on Fat Tuesday, better known to some as “Paczki Day.”

In her new book, Lauren Viera compiles a list of places to eat, buy food, drink, shop and sleep with a short description of why each location is a “hidden secret.”

Longtime friends Bhavik Modi and Ray “Gator” Schrand have created what might be the only Indian brewery on tap in the American craft beer market: Azadi Brewing Company. The co-founders said everything about each Azadi beer is a lesson in Indian history and culture.

It’s race week for more than 47,000 participants in the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. We’ve compiled tips from one runner who shares what to expect at this year’s race.

Since January 2018, Whitney Bradshaw has photographed more than 375 women who participated in her “Scream Sessions.” All portraits are now on display together for the first time in a new exhibit at the McCormick Gallery called “Outcry.”

It’s home to trainers, jockeys and others in the horse racing industry. And during summer weekends, it’s a place for fans to bet on their favorite racehorse. Arlington International Racecourse is officially open for what could be its last season.

Whether you loved it or hated it, a school picture day was something everyone had growing up. But that isn’t the case for some Chicago-area students during the pandemic. How one local couple is recreating the tradition.

Chinese scholar Yingying Zhang went missing in June 2017 at the University of Illinois. Her story is detailed in a new documentary that goes beyond true crime. We speak with the film’s director and a producer to learn more.

With Illinois’ stay-at-home order in place through the end of May, some of us are looking to pick up new hobbies — or new books. We asked a trio of book lovers to share their picks.

Patients diagnosed with COVID-19 have described a range of symptoms, and they’ve lived with a fear of spreading the illness to their family and friends. A Chicago-area resident shares her story.

If there’s one thing Aleksandra August hopes viewers take away from her new show “Flavor of Poland,” it’s that they learn something more about the country than its offerings of pierogi and kielbasa.

A new collection of 2,000 stamps at the University of Chicago offers a unique look at North Korea. We stopped by the Regenstein Library to see it – and meet the librarian who acquired it.

There’s a new library in Chicago and it’s stocked with pretty much everything except books. We visit the Chicago Tool Library in Bridgeport.