(Courtesy South Side Irish Parade)

A trio of St. Patrick’s Day parades, a green river, Japanese drumming and environmental films usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

(WTTW News)

High-flying skiers, ice sculptures, sledding hills and one-act plays usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

The vacant land near Higgins Road and Cumberland Avenue that GlenStar wants to transform into a 297-apartment complex. (Credit: Google Maps)

The proposal from Glenstar at 8535 W. Higgins Road will build the 41st Ward’s first affordable housing in decades amid a cluster of hotels and office mid-rises along the Kennedy Expressway near O’Hare Airport and steps away from the CTA Blue Line.

The vacant land near Higgins Road and Cumberland Avenue that GlenStar wants to transform into a 297-apartment complex. (Credit: Google Maps)

The committee vote represents a nearly unprecedented rebuke of the decades-old tradition of giving alderpeople the final say over housing developments in their wards.

The vacant land near Higgins Road and Cumberland Avenue that GlenStar wants to transform into a 297-apartment complex. (Credit: Google Maps)

Members of the Chicago City Council have until Friday to respond to 10 questions posed by federal officials probing whether aldermanic prerogative has created a hyper-segregated city rife with racism and gentrification.

(WTTW News)

The Chicago City Council may be forced to confront the role its decades-old tradition of giving aldermen the final say over housing developments in their wards has played in creating a hyper-segregated city rife with racism and gentrification. 

Taste of Greektown (Photo by Dimitri Kandalepas)

Greek eats, house music, circus acts and retro tunes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

Michael Mangan (Chicago Police Department)

Cook County prosecutors claim Michael Mangan, 36, broke a total of 82 windows at a Northwest Side elementary school, valued at $16,400, and did so because “the school ruined his life.”

(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.

March 17, 2012 (Max Talbot-Minkin / Flickr)

A green river, St. Patrick’s Day parades, nature photos and Indian dances usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Courtesy of Chicago Bar Association)

Political parodies, holiday songs, craft fairs and beer yoga usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

(The Magnificent Mile / Facebook)

Twinkling lights, new toys, barrel-aged beer and holiday markets usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

,

Several South and Southwest Side communities lag behind national health and wellness benchmarks, according to a new community health survey.

Norwood Park Hotel (Courtesy of Norwood Park Historical Society)

Navigating the Norwood Park neighborhood can be gnarly. Geoffrey Baer is here with all the twists and turns in this Northwest Side enclave’s history in this week’s edition of Ask Geoffrey.

More than 400 vendors set up camp along Division Street in Wicker Park this weekend. (Courtesy Renegade Craft Fair)

Salute the season with an authentic Oktoberfest celebration, get crafty in Wicker Park, gear up for the Bears, stay up late for an all-night concert of classical Indian music and more this weekend.