Board games and binge-worthy shows and books – you don’t have to go out (and risk getting sick) to have a fun-filled weekend. Here are 10 things you can do from the comfort of your own home.

Beijing’s Winter Games – and that singular sport, curling – won’t awe and inspire spectators for another two years. But there’s plenty of curling happening now in Chicago’s western suburbs.

Board games are a multibillion-dollar analog unicorn in a digital world. How Chicago is catching up on the trend with hyperlocal games, a meetup group and a trio of board game bars/cafes.

Every year, artists meet about 80 miles northwest of Chicago to sculpt works of art from an unusual material. We take a look at their frozen creations at the 34th annual competition in Rockford.

A grant from the state will help fund creation of the Chicago Park District’s first campground and a fully accessible 3-mile trail at Big Marsh, a natural area rising up from the waste of big steel on the city’s Southeast Side.

From the Amazon to Jiuzhaigou Valley, the world’s forests are racking up hashtags. But there’s no need to travel out of Cook County in search of photogenic flora.

Chicago’s popular 606 trail has led to skyrocketing property values in the surrounding area. Several aldermen now say they want to hit pause on some development because it’s leading to displacement of longtime residents. But the plan has its critics.

The good news for kids this Halloween: They’ll likely come home with a bigger pile of candy than of healthy snacks while out trick-or-treating.

On Sunday, the Chicago Marathon will host around 45,000 participants and an estimated 1.7 million spectators across the city. For 30 years, Carey Pinkowski has been at the helm of the massive event.

Autumn is upon us, and soon Illinois will be awash in fall foliage. Here’s your guide to when – and where – you can spot those red, orange, yellow and purple leaves during their peak throughout the Land of Lincoln.

The fate of a 6-acre nature sanctuary on the city’s South Side is at the center of a debate over Tiger Woods’ $30 million plan to transform two golf courses. And it’s health is also in question. We go for a visit.

Sure, you could go to your local grocery store and grab a gourd – but what’s the fun in that? We share a bounty of spots for plucking a pumpkin.

It’s been nearly three years since pro golfer Tiger Woods announced his plan to restore and merge two historic golf courses on the South Side. We discuss the proposal and the varying reactions to it.

A new report raises some red flags about the potential health risks associated with swimming at local beaches.

Pools are a popular way to beat the heat during the summer months, but a new federal report warns of the dangers they pose to children. 

A bold plan to get hundreds of people into the Chicago River for a 2.4-mile swim remains docked for a year or so after organizers struggled to secure permits and coordinate with a number of city agencies.