(macdeedle / Pixabay)

A Halloween parade, costumed canines, a zombie apocalypse and international films usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

From left: Aurora Adachi-Winter, Ian Michael Minh, Matthew Yee in “Vietgone.” (Photo credit: Michael Brosilow)

Qui Nguyen’s play, now receiving its Chicago premiere at Writers Theatre, is a second generation, rap-era kid’s flashy, sexually charged version of a story about the pain and rage that come with being a refugee, and the difficult process of assimilation. 

Windy City Ribfest returns this weekend (Credit: Special Events Management)

Barbecue ribs, vegan burgers, Brazilian samba and hot-air balloons usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Alice the corpse flower (Courtesy Chicago Botanic Garden)

Nearly three years after becoming the first corpse flower to bloom at the Chicago Botanic Garden, Alice the Amorphophallus is on the verge of blooming again.

(Courtesy Chicago Botanic Garden)

Remember Spike the corpse flower? The plant made famous in 2015 for being the first of its kind to (nearly) bloom in Chicago is on the comeback trail – and climbing to new heights.

Peek into hanging terrariums for an ant’s-eye view of nature with the “Local Homes: Nature in Your Backyard installation" by artist Vaughn Bell at the Unearth Science festival. (Chicago Botanic Garden)

Earth Day activities, heaps of chocolate and international pop bands usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Frankie Leo Bennett as Tobias Ragg in “Sweeney Todd” at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre. (Credit: Cody Jolly Photography)

Theater critic Hedy Weiss reviews “Pretty Woman,” “Sweeney Todd,” plus dramas at the Goodman Theatre and more.

From left: Julian Parker, Kayla Carter, Deanna Myers and Erik Hellman in “Smart People” at Writers Theatre.

In her brilliant play “Smart People,” Lydia R. Diamond creates an impossibly thorny and twisted verbal, emotional and intellectual maze of race, sex and “super-achieverdom.”

(Courtesy of South Side Irish Parade Committee)

An early St. Patrick’s Day parade, thousands of orchids and a new take on Homer’s “Odyssey” usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Holiday ornaments, right, and glühwein: a recipe for shopping success. (Glühwein photo by Kameron Sears)

Holiday markets, pop-up festivals, giant balloons, magic shows and indoor snow usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A total solar eclipse, which is when the Moon completely covers the Sun, will occur across 14 states in the continental U.S. on Aug 21, 2017. (Credit: NASA)
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Join us online for live coverage from Chicago’s Adler Planetarium starting at 11:40 a.m. Heading outside? Here are 12 places in and around Chicago where you can celebrate the eclipse. 

Head to Naperville for fireworks and finger-licking food. (Naperville Ribfest / Facebook)

Fireworks, festivals and plenty of live music usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

(Quinn Dombrowski / Flickr)

Frank Lloyd Wright homes, outdoor festivals, comfort food and a giant garage sale usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

C2E2 returns this weekend. Is your costume ready? (Chris Favero / Flickr)

A giant pop-culture convention, Earth Day celebrations and a wine festival usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago. 

(Todd Rosenberg Photography / The Second City)

Treat family and friends to a Chicago-style Christmas. Here are 10 things to do in and around the city.

Artists of the New York-based company Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns can spend up to 15 hours on a single gourd. (Courtesy of Rise of the Jack O’Lanterns)

A plethora of pumpkins, eerie mind games and Dr. Ruth usher in the weekend – and Halloween. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.