Things To Do

Conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus receive applause at Millennium Park’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Review: A monumental finale for the Grant Park Music Festival’s summer

Classics, yes, but it was the 21st century works that reigned in a season-capping concert by conductor Giancarlo Guerrero and the Grant Park Orchestra and Chorus in Millennium Park.

Tori Amos rises from her piano bench while performing at the Auditorium Theatre on Aug. 14, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Review: A fiery and unrestrained Tori Amos fills the Auditorium Theatre

While no longer in the commercial spotlight, the singer and pianist played with a passion...

Yellow jackets are considered beneficial insects that pollinate flowers. They prefer sugary foods and nectar from flowers, but will eat your picnic food that’s left outside. (RJ Carlson / Chicago Botanic Garden)

Late summer is the time of year for yellow jackets

Yellow jackets can be annoying when you are trying to eat outside in late summer,...

Arts

Mayor Richard J. Daley (closest to the sculpture) unveils the 162-ton, 50-foot-high steel artwork by Picasso as a gift "to the people of Chicago" on Aug. 15, 1967. (Chicago Tribune archive)

Today in Chicago History: Pablo Picasso’s steel sculpture — ‘a cow sticking out its tongue’ — unveiled

Here's a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Aug. 15, according to the Tribune's archives.

Books

"Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History" by Kurt Andersen, his new book "The Breakup" and "Evil Geniuses: The Unmaking of America: A Recent History." (Random House)

Biblioracle: Kurt Andersen’s speculative work ‘The Breakup’ is a one-of-a-kind book

Kurt Andersen's new novel, "The Breakup," is the culmination of a trilogy that started with two earlier nonfiction books, "Fantasyland" and "Evil Geniuses."

Fashion

An entrance is shuttered and the parking lot is empty on the west side of Ford City Mall on June 19, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Developer proposes replacing now-shuttered Ford City Mall with warehouses and distribution buildings

The plan, which will be presented at the Chicago Plan Commission’s monthly meeting, could potentially bring the now-vacant indoor shopping center one step closer to demolition.

Home and Garden

Leaf damage to arrowwood viburnum by viburnum leaf beetle larvae. (Tom Tiddens/Chicago Botanic Garden)

Avoid blanket pesticide sprays in your garden

Integrated pest management will result in healthy plants under less environmental stress, and presents fewer insect and disease problems to address.

Movies

LOS ANGELES, CA – JULY 14: Tallulah Willis (L) and Bruce Willis attend the Comedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis at Hollywood Palladium on July 14, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rich Fury/Getty Images)

Bruce Willis remains under round-the-clock care amid daughter’s wedding

The 71-year-old 'Die Hard' actor was diagnosed in 2023 with frontotemporal dementia, which affects a person's personality, behavior, and ability to communicate.

Museums

Examples of ways to treat windows to avoid bird collisions are displayed as visitors tour "Flyway City: Architecture for a Flourishing Ecosystem," a show by Studio Gang, on June 9, 2026, during a preview of two new exhibits on wildlife conservation initiatives opening at the Chicago Architecture Center. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Architecture Center new exhibits highlight region’s natural and built wonders

“Chicago's Living Habitat” and “Flyway City” examine the region’s ecosystems, migratory birds, and intersection of nature and architecture across the Chicago area.

Music and Concerts

Sooper Records, a wide-ranging, artist-run local label celebrates its 10th birthday, with Steven Daoud, Jess Myers Rigoni, Glenn Curran, Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Frances Farley and Sen Morimoto, Aug. 3, 2026. (E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago DIY is changing — but Sooper Records, hitting a decade of ‘genre-combusting freak music,’ is here to stay

To understand Sooper Records, the anything-goes local label, you have to understand the 2010s DIY world from whence it came.

Theater

Alex Edelman in a previous production on Broadway in New York. (Matthew Murphy)

Review: Alex Edelman’s ‘What Are You Going to Do’ riffs on faith and uncertainty

“Jesus is an answer; Judaism is a series of questions,” the Jewish comedian Alex Edelman says as part of his latest show, now in Chicago at Steppenwolf Theatre.

A film about an Elmwood Park bocce ball league has received a national rollout courtesy of Yahoo and the Nonfiction Hotlist. “How We Roll,” which Anthony Ciancio completed last year, was one of 20 chosen from a field of 600....

Restaurants, Food and Drink

Diners stop by The Dinner Belle's table at Taste of Andersonville. (Nick Robins Photography)

10 pop-up events to eat and drink at in Chicago this August, from a spritz party to Panda Fest

August is the last chance to take full advantage of summer before the weather starts to cool, and Chicago bars and restaurants are making the most of the season.

Recipes

Juicy blackberries with a hint of lemon are topped with a golden brown crumbly topping to make a dessert that’ s just begging for a scoop of ice cream. (Alex Lepe/TCA)

Recipe: Blackberry crumble

This hearty berry is juicy and full of flavor, which makes it the perfect star of the show for a simple homemade dessert.

Travel

Chris Dever at the Damen Avenue Pink Line station on Aug. 12, 2026. Dever was a full-time Lyft driver until he was priced out due to rising fuel prices. He opts to take public transit more since ending his time with Lyft in the spring. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

With gas prices back on the rise, some Chicagoans are reconsidering how they get around

Gas prices have surged since late February at the start of the war in Iran. Following a brief reprieve in June and July, gas prices in Illinois are climbing once again.

Things To Do

A pair of U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 Fighting Falcons break from formation over Gary/Chicago International Airport during a preview event for the upcoming Gary Air Show on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025. (Kyle Telechan/for the Post-Tribune)

Gary Air Show canceled in wake of damaging storms

As the Chicago Air Show roars to life this weekend from the Gary/Chicago International Airport, Gary's own Air Show has been grounded for this year.

Entertainment

Kevin Coleman flies a Red Bull aerobatic plane during the Chicago Air and Water Show Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

What to do in Chicago: Chicago Air and Water Show, Tori Amos and Fan Expo in Rosemont

Around the area this weekend, the Salt Shed transforms into a skating rink, the CSO takes on Radiohead at Ravinia, and the sound of jets will be hard to miss at the lakefront. Plus, a rare Kurt Russell sighting at...

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