The water is already on at some Chicago Park District splash pads, just in time to provide relief from summer’s first heat wave.

Friday marks the unofficial start to summer, with the city’s lakefront beaches opening for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

To address “long-standing registration frustrations,” the district announced the first wave of improvements to the process, set to take effect this year.

You don’t have to travel to Italy to experience the sport.

Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer and the official end of the Chicago Park District’s outdoor swim season.

A Chicago music venue will soon host a karaoke blowout like no other. It’s a rare chance to step onto a big stage and sing in front of … 5,000 people. In other words, it may be your wildest dream or your worst nightmare.

Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional death for children in the 5 to 14 age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Diversify Ice Fellowship and Foundation is now working to make skating more accessible and show what can be achieved through mentorship, sponsorship and fun.

Shedd Aquarium is once again offering an opportunity to explore the Chicago River while learning about efforts to take care of it. The Kayak for Conservation program offers pay-what-you-can tours.

The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history. The organization steeped in tradition has made seismic changes after decades of turmoil, from finally allowing gay youth to welcoming girls throughout its ranks.

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.

During the day, Lexi Longsworth is a speech pathologist. By night, she runs DivaDance Chicago, a dance studio focused on building confidence and community.

The Chicago Youth Foundation offers a new program to introduce figure skating to diverse neighborhoods across the city.

“If we didn’t take it, it would’ve gone to the scrap heap,” Gary Marine, Melrose Park’s director of public works, said of the historic Kiddieland sign that now lives in the Melrose Park Public Library parking lot.

Professional Bull Riders is a sports league based on the most popular event at rodeos: bull riding, the man-versus-beast contest in which a cowboy rides a bull in search of eight seconds of glory and a slice of prize money. A tour is coming to Rosemont Jan. 12-13.

“They make an environment where it’s easy to be a beginner, it’s easy to not know people and find someone to talk to and work on a trick together,” longtime skateboarder Randi Rogers said of froSkate, a Chicago collective centered around women, people of color and queer people.