(Photo by Darkroomjoes.com)

Street festivals, retro tunes, cultural celebrations, opera under the stars and a jump in the river usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Photo by Chicago DCASE)

Stunt planes, Italian fare, vintage finds and hummingbirds usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Florida alligator expert Frank Robb holds an alligator during a news conference, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky)

Most of the costs arose from city workers putting up and removing barricades to keep people away from the lagoon in Humboldt Park after the male reptile was first spotted there last month.

(Pixabay)

Researchers analyzed the results of a 2015-2016 survey to assess the health of Chicago’s youngest residents in nine communities. Among their findings: widespread food insecurity and not enough physical activity.

Florida alligator expert Frank Robb holds an alligator during a news conference, Tuesday, July 16, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Amr Alfiky)

The 4-foot, 18-pound American alligator will stay alone for 90 days to make sure he is illness-free, and then join other gators, says St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park Director John Brueggen.

The Humboldt Park alligator was caught early Tuesday, July 16, 2019. (Courtesy of Chicago Animal Care and Control)

The alligator had a good run as day after day the people hunting for him in a Chicago lagoon came up empty, but in the end he was no match for an expert the city shipped in from Florida.

An alligator floats in the Humboldt Park Lagoon on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in Chicago. Officials couldn’t say how the creature got there, but traps are being placed around the lagoon in hopes the animal will swim into one and be safely removed. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune via AP)

Half of Humboldt Park closes as search enters second week

Sections of Humboldt Park are closed Monday while the search continues for the elusive gator, which is at least 4 feet long. 

Efforts to capture an alligator in the Humboldt Park Lagoon continued for the fourth day on Friday. (Alex Ruppenthal / WTTW News)

Dozens of people lined a wall overlooking the Humboldt Park Lagoon on Friday waiting for a glimpse of an elusive alligator that continues to evade authorities’ efforts to capture it.

(Zsolt Palatinus / Pexels)

As the search for the Humboldt Park Lagoon alligator continues, learn more about these fear-inducing creatures – and why they shouldn’t be brought home as a pet.

An alligator floats in the Humboldt Park Lagoon on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in Chicago. Officials couldn’t say how the creature got there, but traps are being placed around the lagoon in hopes the animal will swim into one and be safely removed. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune via AP)

Chicago police investigators have cracked the case: A 4- to 5-foot alligator is living in a lagoon at one of the city’s most popular parks.

(Photo by Steven E. Gross)

Finger-licking barbecue, scores of electric scooters, Latin beats and rare books usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A monarch butterfly (Pixnio)

It’s a colorful sign of summer: brightly colored butterflies floating on the wind. From nature museums to forest preserves to beachfront parks, Chicago has plenty of spots to see these beautiful insects. Here are 10 of the best. 

Shedd Aquarium’s Kayak for Conservation program aims to introduce residents to the Chicago River ecosystem and the wildlife that call the waters home. (Hilary Wind / Shedd Aquarium)

Chicago summers are nature’s way of rewarding your winter survival skills. And now that warm weather is here, it’s time to get off the couch and actively embrace the season. Here are 10 fun, easy ways to do just that.

(Credit: One of a Kind Show)

A unique fair, sudsy beverages and classical music usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Ian Freimuth / Flickr)

The three-year funding award will be used to develop population-specific cancer prevention and screening programs at community hospitals and health centers in Austin, Humboldt Park and South Shore.

A Divvy docking station in the Chicago’s West Loop. (Tony Webster / Flickr)

A new study found that Evanston residents were generally accepting of bike-share programs like Divvy, while residents in Humboldt Park viewed such programs as signs of privilege and gentrification.