Fun and Games – Page 23

Duke Mallard, the Oak Lawn Park District's mascot, interacts with families Oct. 17 at the Park District's Howl-O-Ween festival at Wolfe Wildlife Park. (Janice Neumann/Daily Southtown)

Duke Mallard ‘boogies down’ as Oak Lawn Park District mascot

By Janice Neumann

October 30, 2026 at 5:03 a.m.

Duke Mallard, the official mascot of the Oak Lawn Park District after taking over for...

Riders aboard the Raging Bull roller coaster scream as they head into a dip on May 26, 2016, at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee. (Anthony Souffle/baiduhai)

Six Flags roller coasters getting seat belts in wake of fatal accident: ‘Trust is earned through actions’

By Joseph States

October 27, 2026 at 2:19 p.m.

All Six Flags parks and rides will also undergo a review of safety procedures, the...

An Aztec dance group will be among the highlights of the Dia de los Muertos Festival on Nov. 1 in Oak Park. “I think the community is ready to celebrate again," said organizer Alma Martinez. "The community is asking to get together to honor our ancestors.” (Daveed Holmes, Aperture Photography)

Oak Park Dia de los Muertos Festival returns a year after being canceled by immigration enforcement fears

By Myrna Petlicki

October 26, 2026 at 2:07 p.m.

Public ofrendas are returning to Oak Park for a Dia de los Muertos Festival that...

Olympians Brandie Wilkerson, right, and Melissa Humana-Paredes celebrate after a point during the women’s finals at The AVP Chicago Open at Oak Street Beach on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (Eileen T. Meslar/baiduhai)

Beach volleyball fans flock to Oak Street Beach for ‘tips and tricks’ at the AVP Chicago Open

By Karina Atkins

September 2, 2024 at 8:27 a.m.

While the sun beamed down and Lake Michigan showed off its best sparkle, crowds of...

The Cottage at Bunker Hill Farms has six suites and a wraparound porch. (Bunker Hill Farms)

This invitation-only luxury resort in Woodstock is now open to the public as a way to help charities

By Danielle Braff

August 24, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

Starting at $1,150 per day, Bunker Hill Farms carries a steep price tag, but proceeds...

Big Sur's rugged coast looks especially dramatic from Ragged Point in the northwest corner of San Luis Obispo County. (Lori Rackl)

Summer in San Luis Obispo County encapsulates classic California fun

By Lori Rackl

August 7, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

The SLO CAL region, as it’s called, is full of timeless Golden State experiences: beaches,...

People dance at Earlybirds Club, a dance club that starts early and ends early, '90s prom party at Color Club in Chicago on July 19, 2024. Earlybirds, founded by Laura Baginski and Susie Lee, began as a dance club for middle-aged women, female-identified people, trans, and nonbinary people who need to wake up early. (Tess Crowley/baiduhai)

This Chicago dance party is for ladies who want to wind down before midnight

By Rebecca Johnson

July 27, 2024 at 5:41 p.m.

As dozens of women crowd the dance floor at Color Club in Irving Park, many...

FILE - Voice actor Sarah Elmaleh poses for a photo in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. While negotiators with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have made gains in bargaining over wages and job safety in their video game contract, or interactive media agreement, leaders say talks have stalled over a key issue: protections over the use of artificial intelligence. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Video game actors are going on strike. Here’s why.

By Sarah Parvini

July 25, 2024 at 3:17 p.m.

Hollywood's video game performers voted to go on strike Thursday after negotiations with game industry...

Ed O'Bannon arrives at the world premiere of "Air" on March 27, 2023, at the Regency Village Theatre in Los Angeles. O'Bannon challenged the NCAA's right to make money off the name, image and likeness of athletes in college sports video games. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

How college sports video games became the entry point to dismantle the NCAA’s amateurism rules

By Ralph D. Russo

July 23, 2024 at 2:57 p.m.

After a 10-year hiatus, EA Sports' college football game has returned with great fanfare. The...

Cubs historian Ed Hartig, a Palos Heights native, shows the vintage style of baseball used in the 1850s before a game July 13, 2024, between Blue Island and Lemont. (Jeff Vorva/for the Daily Southtown)

Vintage games bring back 1858 baseball: ‘I love the nostalgia and I love baseball’

By Jeff Vorva

July 21, 2024 at 5:13 a.m.

The Blue Island Brewmasters and the Lemont Quarrymen are among vintage baseball teams playing under...

Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Colorado wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter and Michigan running back Donovan Edwards are on the cover of EA Sports College Football 25. (Courtesy EA Sports/TNS)

EA Sports College Football 25 — among the most anticipated sports video games in history — hits the market

By Ryan Kryska

July 19, 2024 at 7:23 a.m.

EA Sports College Football 25, among the most highly anticipated sports video games of all...

Three 4-H Club members display their contest entries at the 2023 Kane County Fair, which this year is being held through Sunday at the fairgrounds in St. Charles. (University of Illinois Extension)

New attractions, rides part of this year’s Kane County Fair, running through Sunday

By Mike Danahey

July 18, 2024 at 11:18 a.m.

From 4-H Club events to the carnival midway, there are new attractions at this year's ...

Marshawna Clark, center, serves food to Jenna Piehl during the grand opening of Sheila’s @ Douglass 18 on June 29, 2024, in Douglass Park. (Vincent Alban/baiduhai)

Sheila’s concession stand in North Lawndale serves mini golfers while nurturing the community

By Darcel Rockett

July 9, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

A grant helped the owner open Sheila's, which will used its income to keep the...