West Fest Chicago (Photo by Ann Phan)

Music fests, hot air balloons, finger-licking ribs and an art fair usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(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.

Sweet potato maple Cajun bacon tartlet from Zed451 at Baconfest 2014. (opacity / Flickr)

Food fests decidated to bacon and donuts, an epic pillow fight, an artisan market and political posters usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

The Field Museum’s new pop-up “Dig Site” (333 N. Michigan Ave.) aims to replicate a location where paleontologists might search for fossils. (Courtesy The Field Museum)

After teasing social media by announcing the discovery of “unprecedented” dinosaur fossils under a Michigan Avenue storefront, the Field Museum unveiled a new pop-up exhibit that replicates a “dig site” where paleontologists search for fossils. 

Jovan Battle, left, and Menelik Jackson (Chicago Police Department)

Two men are charged with first-degree murder in the weekend slaying of an off-duty Chicago police officer who was repeatedly shot while sitting in a parked car.

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.

(Hans / Pixabay)

Chocolates, an artisan market and a sweet walk in the woods usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

This weekend, the largest digital art projection in the world will be projected onto a Chicago landmark. Here’s a preview of Art on the Mart.

A rendering of the dog-friendly green space planned for two parking spaces in River North on Friday, Sept. 21. (Courtesy of The Anti-Cruelty Society)

Two parking spaces in River North will be transformed into a temporary dog-friendly area as part of PARK(ing) Day, a global movement calling attention to the need for more open space in cities. 

Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park (Photo by Matt Lief Anderson)

Grammy-winning musicians, indie acts, Mexican fare and superheroes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Special Events Management)

Summer festivals, cycling on Lake Shore Drive, global fare and Chicago Dogs baseball usher in the weekend. Here are a dozen things to do in and around Chicago this long holiday weekend.

Manifest 2017 (Philip Dembinski for Columbia College Chicago)

Street performers, fair trade pop-ups, tiny homes and indigenous plants usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Courtesy of One of a Kind Show)

A unique shopping fair, craft cocktails, irreverent improv and films about furry friends usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

A rendering of the proposed skyscraper on the Tribune Tower site. If built, the building would be the second tallest in Chicago. (Golub & Co. / CIM)

Proposal details 1,400-foot tower, 300 new condos

The site of the Tribune Tower will include nearly 300 condominiums and what would be one of Chicago’s tallest skyscrapers under a new redevelopment proposal developers believe will both revitalize and preserve the international landmark.

(Tianyu Arts & Culture)

Thousands of sparking lights, airborne marshmallows, egg hunts and bunny ears usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Arm wrestling, hot chocolate-inspired treats, freakish performances and a salute to Langston Hughes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.