Jazz musicians set up in driveways, front lawns and other outdoor spaces as part of this year’s Back Alley Jazz — a series of pop-up concerts inspired by performances that took place across the South Side in the 1960s and ‘70s.

Watch locally made films at home or with other enthusiasts at Chicago parks and drive-in locations during this year’s Chicago Onscreen Local Film Showcase, which kicks off Aug. 29.

With Chicago’s beaches closed, Evanston has been a lakefront refuge for many city dwellers, but now even that option is becoming limited as summer nears its end.

Unlike the pier’s shutdown for several months in the spring due to government orders driven by the coronavirus pandemic, directors of Navy Pier are this time choosing to close the cultural attraction for economic reasons.

For decades, students learned to pirouette, tumble, tap and twirl at Miss Geri’s School of Dance. But last month, owner Geri Mroz Panicko decided to hang up her dance shoes and close the studio permanently because of the pandemic.

Be on the lookout for Perseids on Tuesday night and early Wednesday as the meteor shower hits its peak. Here’s how to maximize your chances of seeing these fireballs streak across the sky.

Chicago artist Matt Bergstrom wants kids across the city to get to know the homes that make up their neighborhood blocks by building them with their own hands, one free printable model at a time. 

Ready to hit the open road? You might want to rethink those travel plans. Even a simple day trip to Wisconsin could cost you two weeks at home — or a possible fine.

The new documentary “A Most Beautiful Thing” tells the story of Manley High School’s rowing team on Chicago’s West Side. We speak with some of the men featured in the film.

With the number of new coronavirus cases rising in Illinois and a handful of outbreaks linked to youth sports, the governor announced new guidance restricting youth and adults sports in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The “greatest lake of all time” has a Twitter account to match its swagger, run by a human who speaks not on behalf of the lake but as the lake in a brash, anthropomorphic way. And we can’t get enough of it.

As temperatures soar, you might be tempted to jump into Lake Michigan. But with Chicago beaches closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, water safety advocates say there’s an increased risk of drowning. 

In any other year, a parking spot near Wrigley Field on a game day would be a mirage or a miracle. But on the third day of the 2020 baseball season, parking spots were easy to find, and the cheek-to-jowl lines were nonexistent.

For cyclists, there’s never a good time for a slipped chain or flat tire, but there might be a good neighborhood for running into those hiccups: Portage Park. Here’s why.

Organizers are moving forward with the outdoor event, which showcases urban livestock and agriculture in its many forms. Prospective hosts have until July 26 to apply to be part of the September 2020 tour, no chickens required.

With more than 300 acres in a prime downtown location, it’s no wonder Grant Park is sometimes referred to as Chicago’s front yard. But if you ask the leaders of the Grant Park Advisory Council, some yard work is in order.