The summer film series runs most Tuesdays between June 30 and Aug. 18. All film screenings are free. This year’s lineup features crowd favorites and milestone anniversaries.

Mayda Alexandra del Valle will serve a two-year term and receive $70,000 to commission new works and create public programming. As Chicago’s second poet laureate, del Valle will serve as an ambassador for the city’s literary and creative communities.

The tree lighting ceremony will take place Nov. 21 in Millennium Park.

The event series, hosted by DCASE and the Chicago Film Office, includes a film screening series with post-screening conversations featuring acclaimed guest speakers, along with a live performance, that aims to honor two of Chicago’s most iconic voices in film criticism.

Applications are now open for the city’s official Christmas tree, which will stand at the center of celebrations in Millennium Park.

The Chicago House Music Festival and Conference will be held Aug. 21-24. Events are set to take place at Millennium Park and other areas of downtown. Events are free and open to the public.

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events will give one-time emergency grants between $10,000 to $25,000 to eligible nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Chicago that have experienced recent federal funding cuts.

Chicago native Natasha Olguin has been named deputy commissioner of the Chicago Film Office.

Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced Thursday the dates for this year’s spring and summer festivals.

The holiday-related activities such as holiday markets and tree lighting ceremonies begin this month and run through early January.

A new community gathering space has officially opened its doors in Bronzeville. It will offer a variety of activities raging from arts and sports to business support and wellness. 

The free Saturday events are part of the “Arts for Everybody” campaign led by One Nation/One Project, which brings people together at 18 sites across the country to put a spotlight on the role of arts in the healing and health of communities.

The nonprofit A Long Swim is planning an open water swim event in the Chicago River this fall. Proceeds will support ALS research and Learn to Swim, a program that teaches children in underserved communities how to swim.

Live theatre attendance in Chicago has dropped by 60% in the last four years, according to a recent report commissioned by Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events contains alarming data.

The selected tree will serve as the centerpiece of Chicago’s official holiday celebrations in Millennium Park. Here’s how to submit yours for consideration.

Ten Chicago-based artists will be taking part in a new job training program that has them apprentice at the city’s mental health clinics and become certified community health workers.