The NFL season officially kicks off Thursday, but the Bears have to wait until Sunday for their prime-time matchup with the Rams. James “Big Cat” Williams, former offensive lineman for the Chicago Bears from 1991 to 2002, offers his take on the season.

After a one-year hiatus, Chicago’s homegrown Pitchfork Music Festival returns. (WTTW News)

After a one-year hiatus, Chicago’s homegrown music festival returns this weekend with a typically eclectic lineup of new music and some legendary artists. We meet a few performers with local ties as they prepare for a moment in the spotlight.

Riot Fest is set to return to Douglass Park in September. (Riot Fest / Facebook)
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Less than a month after the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash closed down a swath of Douglass Park and surrounding streets, Riot Fest is about to do the same. Residents said they're fed up with the loss of green space and the “literal paywall.”

In this September 1958 file photo, Notre Dame football coach Terry Brennan, left, talks with tackle Bronko Nagurski Jr. during practice in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo, File)

Terry Brennan, a star halfback on three unbeaten Notre Dame teams who was hailed as a wunderkind when he succeeded Irish coaching great Frank Leahy at just 25 years old, has died. He was 93.

(Photo by Ken Carl)

Street festivals, dance classes, outdoor concerts and unique eats usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

“Footnotes” co-producer Brandon K. Calhoun talks about the art of footwork. (WTTW News)

Footwork is an art form that consists of both music and dance, and it’s brought people together from around the world. Now it’s bringing folks downtown to see animated projections on the Merchandise Mart.

Comedian Dave Chappelle arrives at Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to receive the 22nd Annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in Washington on Oct. 27, 2019, left, and comedian Jon Stewart performs at the 9th Annual Stand Up For Heroes event in New York on Nov. 10, 2015. (AP Photo)

A star-studded group of comedians will perform for one night only at Madison Square Garden to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

The pandemic has shut down the Mexican Independence Day parade for a second year, but Fiesta Boricua is going ahead with its plans. (WTTW News)

The pandemic has shut down the Mexican Independence Day Parade for a second year, but Fiesta Boricua is going ahead with its plans. We talk with the event organizers about their decisions.

Cubs announcer Omar Ramos appears on “Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices” on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. (WTTW News)

As the 2021 baseball regular season winds down, the Cubs and White Sox are headed in different directions. Chicago’s Spanish-language baseball announcers slide in to talk about the teams’ prospects in the postseason and next year.

“Flower Thrower” is one of many recognizable work featured in “The Art of Banksy.” (WTTW News)

It’s one of the biggest touring exhibitions of one of the world’s most well-known street artists. We take a look at “The Art of Banksy,” on view in River North through October.

(Special Events Management)

Beefy burgers, music festivals, cycling on Lake Shore Drive and mini golf usher in the holiday weekend. Here are a dozen things to do in and around Chicago.

(Photo courtesy of Eduardo Cornejo / Gage Park Latinx Council)

A new outdoor exhibition in Gage Park tells the neighborhood’s history from the perspective of its residents. It’s part of a new program from the Gage Park Latinx Council that invites young people to reclaim their community’s narrative. We go for a look — and a local history lesson.

The Cabrini-Green rowhouses stand in front of a residential tower in Chicago in 2018. (Daniel Acker / Bloomberg / Getty Images)

Nearly 30 years after “Candyman” was released, people are still daring one another to say the title character’s name in the mirror to summon this hook-wielding ghost. Some urban legends don’t die, they’re just reborn.

In this March 7, 2010, file photo, actor Ed Asner arrives during the 82nd Academy Awards in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo / Matt Sayles, File)

Ed Asner, the burly and prolific character actor who became a star in middle age as the gruff but lovable newsman Lou Grant, first in the hit comedy “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and later in the drama “Lou Grant,” died Sunday. He was 91.

Outdoor movie screenings in Millennium Park, 2021. (Courtesy of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events)

The 1975 cult classic has just been added to Millennium Park’s outdoor film series. And while it wouldn’t be a proper “Rocky Horror” screening without audience participation, the city has some dos and don’ts when it comes to your DIY props.

Participants in Chicago Westside Sports play baseball at Columbus Park. (WTTW News)

A group of police officers and community leaders are using their time off to give back to underserved communities by getting young kids to play sports. We head to Columbus Park on the West Side to learn more.