The 78

Cynthia Pelayo doesn’t just write horror — she lives it. From the flicker of streetlights on a foggy Chicago night to the ghosts that whisper through the city’s alleys, Pelayo turns the soul of her hometown into stories that linger long after you’ve turned the last page. Before the awards, before the literary acclaim, and before Stephen King himself took notice, Pelayo was climbing the corporate l...

When you think “rock star,” your mind probably doesn’t go straight to a turkey farmer — but Paul Kelly isn’t your average bird man. The founder of  KellyBronze , the UK’s most celebrated heritage turkey brand, has taken his slow-grown, free-range, hand-plucked birds across the Atlantic, setting up shop in Virginia and taking Thanksgiving by storm. Paul holds not one, but two Guinness World Records...

Dwight H. Little isn’t just a name buried in the credits of your favorite cult classics—he’s the guy who resurrected  Michael Myers  and helped redefine late-’80s horror. With  Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers , he took one of cinema’s most terrifying icons and brought him roaring back to life. But that was only the beginning. Over the next few decades, Little built a career that crossed g...

Have I got a story for you. This weekend, Chicago’s skyline won’t be the only thing drawing crowds — the city’s hidden heart is cracking open for Open House Chicago 2025, and tucked among its 200+ architectural gems lies a true musical pilgrimage site: Electrical Audio. For the first time ever, Steve Albini’s world-famous recording studio will open its doors to the public this Sunday, and we got a...

Bill Hillmann doesn’t just tell stories—he  lives  them like a man sprinting down a narrow street in Pamplona with a half-ton of fury on his heels. The acclaimed Chicago author, journalist, professor, speaker, and former Golden Gloves boxer has spent his life chasing meaning in the chaos—whether in the ring, the classroom, or the dusty roads of Spain. Born and raised in Chicago’s Edgewater neighbo...

There’s something wicked flickering in the dark again on Southport Avenue. Last year,  Music Box of Horrors: The Dream Child  haunted Chicago’s horror faithful with a fever dream of terror and nostalgia. This October, the nightmare grows up—twisted, restless, and, as the Music Box promises,  Dead and Loving It . For thirty-one blood-soaked nights, the city’s most iconic indie cinema transforms int...

Chicago has no shortage of food pilgrimages, but walk into Jake and Ariel’s spot and you’ll feel something heavier than nostalgia—it’s a love letter to the Jewish deli, equal parts family scrapbook and kitchen revolution. Their menu reads like a mixtape of greatest hits: bagels and lox that drip with Sunday-morning tradition, matzah ball soup so light it feels like a benediction, Grandma Eunice’s...

Riot Fest  has never been subtle—and thank god for that. The festival that turned Chicago’s Douglass Park into the ultimate playground for punks, misfits, and rock lifers is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2025, and the lineup reads like a rock ’n’ roll fever dream. Kicking off on Friday, September 19, pop-punk gods Blink-182 headline a night that throws “Weird Al” Yankovic, Alkaline Trio, Ril...

Roll the opening credits: on a prim, quiet block in Lakeview, just steps from the cinematic cathedral that is Chicago’s Music Box Theatre, something wicked this way pops up. Terror Vision Records & Video—an analog dreamscape and horror cine-odyssey—has emerged at 3729 N Southport Ave, and it’s as badass and fleeting as a midnight VHS rewind. Conceived by horror-obsessed impresario Ryan Gravefa...

Chicago knows how to party like it’s 1985—or 1975, or even ’65. And this September, Roscoe Village once again transforms into a living, breathing time machine with the 30th Annual Retro on Roscoe Festival. From Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7, the neighborhood becomes ground zero for nostalgia junkies and festival die-hards. Three stages blast out decades-spanning hits—everything f...

Step inside The Alley Chicago and you’re stepping into decades of rebellion, leather, studs, and stories. On the walls? A collection of rare CBGB relics that pay tribute to the East Village club that rewrote music history. Opened in 1973 by Hilly Kristal, CBGB was supposed to be about country, bluegrass, and blues—but instead it became ground zero for punk and new wave’s raw explosion, launching i...

In the shadow of Chicago, tucked inside an unassuming building on Ogden Avenue, beats the neon heart of the world’s largest arcade. With over 900 restored cabinets, a flat $25 entry fee, and a no-token, no-BS approach to classic gaming, Galloping Ghost Arcade is nothing short of a digital cathedral — a living, beeping, button-mashing monument to video game history. And at the center of it all? Doc...

Chicago’s about to get louder, hotter, and cheesier — and not just because of August. Pizza City Fest Chicago is back for Year Three, rolling into River North August 22–24 with a brand-new format, a new venue at 430 N. Rush St., and a soundtrack cranked up courtesy of Q101 and Duff Entertainment. Think: a pizza-fueled block party one block off Michigan Avenue, where molten cheese meets live guitar...

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgcwBBIFXqCUuscCXh4RM4kg1pZIj6H_n&si=y8Vf3Bhe_Mivsln1https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKYFfirGPpVn_sSaUvoceJg? If you’ve never been to Northalsted Market Days, you’re missing one of the Midwest’s wildest, most unapologetic weekends of live music, glitter, and pure Chicago energy. The 42nd Annual Market Days is back August 8–10, 2025, bigger than ever — and th...

A Living Monument to Creativity Nestled along Michigan Avenue in the heart of the Loop, the Fine Arts Building isn’t just another historic Chicago structure—it’s a time capsule that still pulses with life. Built in 1885 and reimagined in the 1890s as a haven for artists, this nine-story Gothic Revival beauty has been home to everyone from poets and painters to tuba players and ballet dancers. Step...

Chicago, get ready to crank up the volume and raise a glass—Taste of Lincoln Avenue is back for its 41st year, and this isn’t your average neighborhood street fest. Set in the bustling heart of the Lincoln Park/DePaul neighborhood, the iconic summer celebration returns July 25–26, transforming 2500 N. Lincoln Avenue, between Fullerton and Wrightwood, into a full-blown sensory experience. This isn’...

Celebrate Pride Month at the Leather Archives & Museum—a powerful, one-of-a-kind destination in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood that honors the legacy and culture of the LGBTQ+ leather and kink communities. Founded in 1991 by Chuck Renslow and Tony DeBlase, this nonprofit institution is dedicated to preserving the history of leather, fetish, BDSM, and alternative sexual expression. As Pride...

🌮 Let’s  taco  ‘bout one of the tastiest weekends in Chicago! The Chicago Taco & Tequila Fest is bringing the heat (and the flavor) to Wrightwood Park in Lincoln Park Friday and Saturday, June 27–28. This two-day fiesta is loaded with mouthwatering tacos from over 10 of Chicagoland’s best vendors, plus live music on two stages, a tequila tasting experience, and margarita flights if you’re fee...

Red Bull Dance Your Style, the world’s largest all-styles street dance competition, is back for its 2025 season—bringing high-energy freestyle battles to the Midwest with a City Qualifier in Chicago and a Regional Qualifier in Kansas City. This unique event challenges dancers to showcase their skills in hip hop, house, locking, popping, and more—all to unpredictable tracks that range from current...

Jack’s Mannequin is back—and not just for nostalgia’s sake. In 2025, the beloved alt-pop rock group, fronted by singer-songwriter-pianist  Andrew McMahon , celebrates a remarkable 20-year milestone with  The MFEO Tour , a 25-date headlining North American tour that includes festival stops and a highly anticipated Chicago show at  The Salt Shed on June 20 . The return of Jack’s Mannequin marks a po...

Reserved by nature but a force in the kitchen, 69-year-old Rogers Park resident Mark Warnaar recently found himself in a fierce, neck-and-neck culinary competition with chefs from across the country. Warnaar was a standout finalist in the James Beard Foundation’s national  Favorite Chef  competition—a celebration of top chefs, passionate home cooks, and food artists pushing boundaries with creativ...

Chicago’s iconic Old Town Art Fair proudly celebrates its 75th anniversary on June 14–15, 2025, with a historic first: a specially commissioned commemorative poster titled  Soaring Around Old Town  by acclaimed local artist Chuck Meyers. A full-time Chicago painter for over 23 years and a Fair exhibitor for more than a decade, Meyers created the piece using a series of drone photography sessions t...

In a rapidly changing world,  Downstage Arts  is a nonprofit organization in Chicago making a powerful difference by providing free, professional-level performing arts training to young people ages 5 to 35. Since launching in January 2020, the program has grown by over 3,900% in student participation, helping to build a more inclusive and diverse future for the arts. Through vocal training, perfor...

Looking for one of the best food festivals in Chicago this summer? Mark your calendar for the Fourth Annual Windy City Hot Dog Fest, happening May 30–June 1, 2025, in Chicago’s Portage Park neighborhood. This year, the popular event expands to three full days of mouthwatering hot dogs, live music, local vendors, and family-friendly fun! Hosted by the Six Corners Chamber of Commerce and sponsored b...

The Goonies Live in Concert | 40th Anniversary at Chicago's Auditorium Theatre. Hey you guys! Get ready to relive the adventure of a lifetime— The Goonies  is hitting the big screen like never before! The Auditorium Theatre (Chicago’s historic gem at 50 E. Ida B. Wells Drive) and the acclaimed  Chicago Philharmonic  are teaming up once again for their second season of  The Auditorium Philms Concer...