Festival & Special Events

A small, crowded theater full of college students buzzed with energy one April evening as everyone waited for the show to start. Most people had a beer or some sort of alcoholic beverage in hand, and the crowd happily talked over the music to their neighbors. This is the usual scene at Studio Be’s weekly...
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For two weeks as spring was in the air, Macy’s department store was transformed into a stunning garden for its Annual Spring Flower Show. Macy’s is known for its fashion, accessories and home products by an array of different designers. These products were being promoted at the Spring Flower Show at the Macy’s...
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On Friday, May 7 from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., Chicagoans can join in the fun at Daley Plaza, 50 W. Washington St., where Chicago Fair Trade will host its 3rd Annual World Fair Trade Day Festival. The event will feature street stalls, West African drum music, and a noontime program...
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A popular area within the neighborhood of Lakeview, better known as “Boystown,” is home to the Center on Halsted, one of the largest LGBTQ community centers in the nation. Famous for its annual gay pride parades held each summer, the area is also known for its off-the-wall nightlife and inviting ambiance. The Center on...
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Profound and thought-provoking words about artistic expression, women’s rights and personal struggle glided from the mouths of five African women writers at the “Celebrating African Women Writers” panel at Columbia’s Film Row Cinema April 13. With poetry, storytelling and performance in common, all five women use the arts to convey passionate messages from their personal...
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This film follows filmmaker Bobby Bailey and a team through Africa to tell the story of malaria and examine its effects on the lives of mothers and daughters, fathers and sons. Malaria is preventable, but causes nearly 500 million illnesses each year and kills nearly one million of those...
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Getting away from the office, turning your cell phone off, having a drink in the sun or just catching up on sleep. Whatever you consider to be a vacation, the economy has not stopped people from taking them — at least in Chicago. One-third of the nation’s population is within 500 miles of Chicago, and...
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The success of “Slumdog Millionaire” at last year’s Oscars has popularized India’s dance culture. Bollywood dancing has dominated clubs and school teams nationwide, creating a higher demand amongst Chicago’s growing number of Indian dance schools. The youth craze for Bollywood dancing is the biggest competition for classical Indian dance schools, said Pranita Jain, artistic director...
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Sherron Parker, a fifth-grader at May Community Academy, 512 S. Lavergne Ave., was once just a normal kid, attending school in her Austin neighborhood and hanging out with her friends. But since winning first place in her age group in a community-wide spelling bee last year, Sherron, 10, is now like a rock star. “Everybody is nicer...
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The Rink at Wrigley closed its gates for the season on Feb. 28, and it may not return next year. Over 12,000 people this winter visited the ice rink, which was located for the first time this winter on the northwest parking lot of Wrigley Field, according to Chicago Park District spokeswoman Monique Lehman. “Compared to...
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