The Time Out Chicago blog team

Can you catch a pop fly while doing a cartwheel? How about turning a triple play by tossing a ball between your legs? If so, you might have what it takes to join the Chicago Snowballs, the city’s new coed entertainment baseball team in the vein of the Savannah Bananas. Based in Chicago, the Snowballs will tour throughout the Midwest, blending baseball with high-energy stunts à la the Harlem Globetrotters or, yes, the Bananas themselves. Chicago is building on the momentum of the Savannah Bananas, the wildly popular barnstorming sportstainment team known for its offbeat mix of baseball and over-the-top physical antics. The Bananas sold out Rate Field last summer and are set to take over Wrigley Field for three nights in July 2026. However, it is important to note that the Chicago Snowballs have no affiliation with the MLB or the Banana Ball Championship League founded by the Savannah Bananas. Now, the Snowballs are looking to assemble their own roster. Billing themselves as “America’s Most Playful Ball Club,” the team is hosting open tryouts January 5 to 8 at the Rosemont Dome, with callbacks scheduled for January 9. There’s even a referral bonus: Recommend someone the team ends up hiring, and you could walk away with $100 and four tickets to the May opener. The Snowballs aren’t strictly seeking athletic talent: The team is welcoming players of all abilities. “We’re not looking for typical baseball players to try out—we want multi-talented athletes with other skills....

All eras—even Taylor Swift’s—must eventually come to an end. The viral “Swiftmas” Christmas House, located at 1228 Atlas Lane in Naperville, will make its final appearance this holiday season, closing out a three-year run that turned a quiet suburban street into something between a pilgrimage site and a very cheerful case study in suburban enthusiasm. Two years ago, Naperville resident Amy Scott conceived the Taylor Swift–themed display after watching Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour documentary with friends—a viewing that, for some people, inspires awe, and for others apparently inspires architectural ambition. Her family proved fully on board. Scott and her husband, Brian, co-own a printing business, which meant the household had both the requisite enthusiasm and the industrial capacity to produce bespoke signs, lyric installations, album art recreations and even a full-scale Lover house. What began as a festive experiment soon became an annual production. This year marks the third—and final—installment of Swiftmas. RECOMMENDED: The 17 best Christmas vacations in the U.S. for a festive getaway @tswifthouse Thanks for everyone who has come to see the lights! 💗💗 #christmaslights #taylorswift #swiftie #traviskelce #swifttok ♬ Bejeweled - Taylor Swift Over the past two holiday seasons, the Scotts have paid tribute to seven of Swift’s albums, including Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Evermore in 2023, followed by Folklore, Reputation and The Tortured Poets Department in 2024....

Chicago Restaurant Week is back and bigger than ever. From January 23, 2026 through February 8, 2026, more than 500 restaurants will offer specially-curated prix fixe menus, giving you an excellent reason to come out of hibernation and enjoy amazing food that spans the globe. This year marks the 19th edition of the event and, according to Choose Chicago, this will be the largest lineup yet with a record number of participants in 33 neighborhoods and 61 suburbs. Longtime favorites and up-and-comers will be participating, each one offering approachable price points—$30 for brunch or lunch and $45 or $60 for dinner. What that means is that you can finally check out those restaurants you've been meaning to try over the past few months. A slew of eateries are making their Restaurant Week debut, 76 to be exact. Lula Cafe, a Logan Square essential known for its creative, unfussy plates, is joining the party. Truth Be Told in Hyde Park brings polished pub fare to the table. Lincoln Park’s Café Yaya arrives with bright Mediterranean flavors. As first-timers, their menus will surely be designed to impress. Plenty of returning favorites are also on the list. Gene & Georgetti, one of the city’s oldest steakhouses, will tempt traditionalists. You can dive in to coastal Southern cooking at Big Jones in Andersonville. Dove’s Luncheonette in Wicker Park has been a reliable stop for Tex-Mex, so now's the time to check it out. These restaurants know how to do Restaurant Week right,...