City Cast Chicago

It wouldn't be summer fest season if we didn't talk about some of Chicago's amazing food festivals. Host Jacoby Cochran is joined by Dario Durham, the co-host of 77 Flavors of Chicago, a podcast that takes you to the city’s neighborhoods to try the best food and drinks they’ve got. They discuss their perfect food fest lineup and favorite festival bites. Fests Mentioned: Sundays on State: June 16 a...

While Chicagoans enjoy thousands of summer options every year, have you ever stopped and wondered just how much goes into making these block, neighborhood, and citywide festivals work? City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran sits down with Neal Heitz, director of event production for the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, to get a behind-the-scenes look into the business of s...

Summer festival season is here! That’s why we’re bringing you a guide to the neighborhood fests you have to check out and how to make the most of them. Host Jacoby Cochran, executive producer Simone Alicea, and producer Michelle Navarro pick their can’t-miss fests, talk summer planning, and give you tips to stay comfortable during long summer days. We’ll be talking summer fests all this week, spon...

Earlier this week law enforcement officials including Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling assured Chicagoans that CPD is prepared for the DNC. However, Inspector General Deborah Witzburg pushed back, explaining, “persistent concerns remain about whether Chicago police officers are prepared to lawfully police the massive protests.” Joining us to break down the latest updates are...

Summertime Chi is always busy. So we want to make sure we’re keeping you up to date on the best things to do during these summer weekends. That’s why we’ve enlisted City Cast Chicago contributor Greta Johnsen to put us on the events to check out, talk about parks versus beaches, and get our summer reading list on lock. Events mentioned: Shout OUT: A Tribute to Gays in Gospel Music Pride Skate Part...

‘Tis the season for patios, rooftops, and other outdoor dining opportunities in Chicago. The Infatuation’s Adrian Kane and John Ringor give host Jacoby a rundown of the city’s best alfresco dining spots from romantic patios to rooftops where you can actually avoid getting sunburned. Spots mentioned: Mott St Enoteca Roma Hopleaf Bar Soul and Smoke (Avondale) Kimski Rica Arepa Reggie’s Afro Joe’s Te...

Last Thursday, Mayor Brandon Johnson announced that the Roseland Mental Health Clinic will reopen after 35 years. The city will also add mental health services to a Chicago Department of Public Health clinic in Pilsen in August and inside the Legler Regional Library in West Garfield Park. The City Cast Chicago team breaks down how this announcement delivers on the mayor’s campaign promises and som...

As Summertime Chi heats up, some neighborhoods will be hotter than others. And with those higher temps come bigger risks from extreme heat. Last year we talked with Tribune reporter Sarah Macaraeg, who investigated and mapped these disparities. She told us what she found and explained what the city could do to protect all Chi neighborhoods.  Good News: Crosstown Classic at Wrigley  Want some more...

Chicago Public Schools’ new funding formula moves away from enrollment-based funding to a needs-based approach that they say prioritizes the most vulnerable schools and students. But Chicago Sun-Times education reporter Nader Issa tells host Jacoby Cochran how individual school budgets are a mixed bag, with hundreds of schools expected to see staff and after-school program cuts next school year. W...

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Chicago community.  Can you believe we’re almost halfway through the year? Since time seems to fly even faster in the summer, we’re here with tips to make the most of June in Chicago. We’re making our summer bucket lists, planning our festival season, and staying safe...

Sick of expensive grocery store eggs and dreaming of ways to avoid them? Living in a big city, you might think there are a lot of rules about keeping chickens and other farm animals in your yard. But Chicago actually has some of the most permissive urban livestock laws on the books. Viviana Okakpu from Advocates for Urban Agriculture tells host Jacoby Cochran about what Chicagoans should know abou...

We at City Cast Chicago have spent a lot of time covering public housing, from the legacy of demolition, to private development on public housing land, to the Chicago Housing Authority’s decades-long waitlists. Now the head of CHA is under fire following investigations from Block Club Chicago into the agency’s scattered-site program. Host Jacoby Cochran talks with reporters Rachel Hinton and Mick...

Earlier this week, City Council voted 34-14 on an ordinance aimed at keeping ShotSpotter, an attempt to reverse Mayor Brandon Johnson’s decision to end the city’s use of the highly controversial gunshot detection system in November. WTTW’s Brandis Friedman and freelance writer Reema Saleh tell Jacoby Cochran about the latest news, including why Illinois wants you to eat this invasive species, upda...

While National Mental Health Awareness Month is coming to an end, the Chicago Department of Public Health will be continuing its Healing Arts programming, which combines art and wellness. One program is the Audio Pharmacology Sound Spa, and it happens Mondays at the Englewood Mental Health Clinic. Creator Shannon Harris talks with host Jacoby Cochran about what audio pharmacology is, how the spa w...

The days are getting warmer, making this the perfect time to get yourself something sweet and cold. Host Jacoby Cochran and the City Cast Chicago team pull up to Mario’s Italian Lemonade in Little Italy to try the iconic frozen dessert. From ice cream to snow cones, they discuss the best (and most overrated) frozen treats in Chicago. Spots mentioned: Fannie May Lickity Split Shawn Michlle’s Homema...

It’s the last week of the spring session for Illinois lawmakers. Hundreds of bills have already passed but there are some big things still on the agenda including the state budget, CPS funding, and a potential transit merger. Executive producer Simone Alicea and host Jacoby Cochran break down the critical bills making their way through Springfield. Plus, we look at results from our Hey Chicago wee...

For the first time in nearly two centuries, Illinois is home to federally recognized tribal land. The Prairie Band Potawatomi signed paperwork in April allowing the Department of Interior to place 130 acres in west suburban DeKalb County into a trust, giving the tribe sovereignty over the land. Host Jacoby Cochran talks with Prairie Band Chairperson Joseph Rupnick about the generations-long fight...

Earlier this week representatives from the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools were together in Springfield to lobby the state for increased education funding. CPS schools are currently missing out on over $1 billion based on the state’s evidence-based funding formula. WTTW’s City Hall reporter Heather Cherone and author Arionne Nettles break down the significance of this joint move....

Janet Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Pink, Pearl Jam, and other icons will play Chicago’s biggest arenas and stadiums at hefty prices this summer. But luckily for Chicagoans, we’ve got artists playing every day at some of the coolest venues all around the city that won’t break the bank. City Cast’s Caroline Patton runs Chicago Show Calendar which she updates weekly with the latest music shows happen...

For the first time in over 200 years, two broods of cicadas are emerging simultaneously. While we have answered what cicadas are, where they’ll emerge, and if they bite, author and Newcity dining and drinking editor David Hammond is more concerned with how they taste. The author shares with host Jacoby Cochran some of his favorite cicada recipes.                      Want some more City Cast Chica...

A former Loretto Hospital executive has been charged with helping to embezzle money from the West Side hospital during the COVID crisis. And a new report from ProPublica and the New York Times sheds light on an IRS audit of Donald Trump and his eponymous Chicago tower that could cost the former president $100 million. Host Jacoby Cochran and executive producer Simone Alicea discuss these latest sc...

It has been one year since Brandon Johnson was inaugurated as Chicago’s 57th Mayor. Host Jacoby Cochran sits down with the mayor to reflect on his first year in office and his plans for CTA, affordable housing, the Bears, and much more.  Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our Hey Chicago newsletter.  Follow us @citycastchicago You can also text us or leave a voice...

Hey there! We are excited to share the trailer for a new special limited series from our friends and colleagues at City Cast Denver. If you’re a fan of what we do at City Cast, you’ll want to check it out: You’ve probably heard a story about Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. Like, how she got kicked out of a production of “Beetlejuice” for vaping and groping her date. Or, that time she heckled Preside...

After an eight-day pro-Palestinian protest at University of Chicago, police cleared the encampment on early Tuesday. Invisible Institute’s Trina Reynolds-Tyler and City Bureau’s Sarah Conway are here with the latest. Plus, we discuss the new director of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, celebrate Chicago’s 2024 Pulitzer Prize winners, and send some Mother’s Day love. Want some m...

Summer dance season is almost here. And if Taylor Bennett’s new single “2 Much” is any indication, Footwork is going to be a big part of summertime Chi this year. Born on Chicago’s West and South Sides, the art form pairs fast-paced dancing with uniquely Chicago house and juke music. We talk to Dr. ShaDawn Battle, a lifelong dancer and Footwork historian, about the roots of the genre and where you...