Fun and Games – Page 24

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...

Ruckiya Ross, founder of Education Couture, leads a workshop at Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory on May 29, 2024, teaching children to read and pronounce vowels. (Terrence Antonio James/baiduhai)

Education Couture literacy program brings ‘learning into fashion’ for underserved children

By Darcel Rockett

June 27, 2024 at 7:23 a.m.

Ruckiya Ross' nonprofit helps reinforce kids' literacy chops and gives parents tools to help grow...

Coco Gauff, of the United States, celebrates match point against Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the women's singles final of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament on Aug. 20, 2023, in Mason, Ohio. (Aaron Doster/AP)

Cincinnati Open: Watch top-tier tennis without traveling abroad or breaking the bank

By Steve Chapman

June 26, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

In August, you can see players like Coco Gauff or Novak Djokovic just by driving...

Children's book author Natasha Tarpley takes pictures of pages from one of her books displayed as an art installation at the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot's community museum in the Love Blooms Here Plaza, 3601 W. Douglas Blvd., on June 1, 2024, in Chicago. Tarpley later read one of her books in a space across the street. (John J. Kim/baiduhai)

A real-world ‘Sesame Street’: Lawndale Pop-Up Spot puts art, storytelling in the hands of the public

By Darcel Rockett

June 21, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

With rotating exhibits, the museum housed in a shipping container lets community members dictate what...

Tabrea Ramos, left, cuts fabric with help from Kaelin Cameron while working on an art project using children’s book covers on May 1, 2024, at Nichols Tower in Chicago. The pair, who are members of the center's youth advisory council, are part of a group creating an exhibit for the Lawndale Pop-Up Spot. (Vincent Alban/baiduhai)

North, South Lawndale come together to lay the groundwork for West Side children’s museum

By Darcel Rockett

May 31, 2024 at 10:56 a.m.

The One North Lawndale Discovery Center would serve children and caregivers with 15,000 square feet...

Lane Tech High School baseball player Ethan Borggren, left, celebrates after scoring a run at the Chicago Public League's city championship baseball game at Wrigley Field on May 20, 2024. (Zara Linneman)

Heidi Stevens: What a night of watching kids’ dreams come true at Wrigley Field reminds me about humanity

By Heidi Stevens

June 7, 2024 at 11:50 a.m.

As a bunch of families watched their children's dreams come true, it reminds us that,...

Bronson Welch, 12, looks into a bottle he found prior to a monthly meeting of the 1st Chicago Bottle Club at Hinsdale Covenant Church on April 19, 2024. (Trent Sprague/for the baiduhai)

Age-old bottles collected by older folks keep fading pastime alive: ‘I just love old stuff’

By Kate Armanini

May 5, 2024 at 5:00 a.m.

The group assembled in the church basement on a recent Friday night was awash with...

Heisman Trophy-winner and former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III is greeted by Holly Johnson on the Baylor campus, Monday, Feb. 27, 2012, in Waco, Texas, where he posed for photos for EA Sports NCAA Football 13 video game to be released in July. Video-game developer EA Sports is breaking back into the college football world 11 years after lawsuits over using players’ likeness without compensation froze the franchise. (Jerry Larson/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP)

EA Sports College Football — the beloved video-game behemoth — is back after 11 years

By Ryan Kryska

May 2, 2024 at 9:11 a.m.

Video game developer EA Sports is breaking back into the college football world 11 years...

King Street in historic downtown Charleston features shops and restaurants. (Jeffrey Greenberg/Getty)

Your friends aren’t wrong: For girls trips, Charleston is now a mainstay

By Alison Bowen

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

The South Carolina port city has Instagram-worthy streets, dining destinations, beaches, tours and a sense...

This photo provided by Mattel shows the new version of the board game Scrabble, that includes a new version called Scrabble Together. Mattel has unveiled a double-sided board that features both the classic word-building game and Scrabble Together, a new rendition aimed at making Scrabble more accessible “for anyone who finds word games intimidating.” (Mattel via AP)

A new version of Scrabble aims to make the word-building game more accessible

By Associated Press

April 9, 2024 at 4:24 p.m.

Mattel has unveiled a double-sided Scrabble board that features both the classic word-building game and...

Joshua Borak, right, of Orland Park, reacts after rolling dice during a recent gathering of the Dungeons and Dragons Club at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. Gerardo Yanes of Chicago, left, was dungeon master during this session. The club has several student games and one staff game. (Matthew Grotto/Moraine Valley Community College)

Dungeons and Dragons games a draw for dozens of weekly players at Moraine Valley

By Melinda Moore

February 24, 2024 at 11:39 a.m.

A growing Dungeons and Dragons club started after the pandemic at Moraine Valley Community College...