Wendy Altschuler

Everyone knows that to really experience Chicago, you must visit the neighborhoods, where the true beating heart of the city exists. Part of what makes the Windy City such a fantastic place to live, work, and play are all of the quirky happenings. Prime example? The Sugar Hole, an ice-cream pop-up serving up delicious treats via puppets (more on that in a minute) for the young and the young at heart from a porthole in Irving Park at 4146 N. Elston Avenue. RECOMMENDED: The 26 best ice cream shops in Chicago, from towering cones to over-the-top sundaes Solidly in its second season, this magical window is a crowd favorite. Don’t be surprised if you see children lining up to order a cone or to meet their favorite puppet character. Who’s responsible for this joy-giving fun? Chicago’s Color Club—an events and arts gathering space with married couple Josh Dihle and Abby Monroe at the helm—has made fostering creativity a priority. In an interview with WBEZ Chicago, Dihle—a father—said: “There’s a fair amount of puppets strewn about the house, for whatever reason, they’re just part of how toddlers like to play, and so one day at dinner we were talking about the Sugar Hole and what if it was a puppet hand that took the change or money when you paid and my wife Abby was like, maybe puppets should just worked there.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Chicago (@timeoutchicago) From 3pm to 8pm every Saturday and Sunday beginning on May 17, you’ll mee

Thousands of concertgoers have flocked to the city over the last seven years for Michelada Fest, also known as Miche Fest, a lively cultural celebration that began in Pilsen as a street festival and has evolved into a massive multi-day musical showcase full of live music and the titular beer cocktail (also known as the Mexican Bloody Mary). This year, due to growing apprehension around the current state of American politics, the festival has been canceled. RECOMMENDED: Chicago canceled the Cinco De Mayo parade: Here’s why In a letter to the community posted on the official festival website, the Miche Fest team said: “Due to the uncertainty surrounding artist visas and the rapidly changing political climate, we’re no longer able to guarantee the full experience we had dreamed up for you with all your favorite artists. Although we tried to push through, it became clear that we wouldn’t be able to deliver the full lineup as planned.” Full refunds have been issued to ticketholders—the event was scheduled to take place on July 19 and 20 at Oakwood Beach, with headliners including Grupo Firme, Danny Ocean, Anitta and Luis R. Conriquez set to perform—as well as regrets. "This was not an easy decision for us to make. For seven years, we’ve poured everything into this festival to create something truly special for our community. Last year was our most incredible celebration yet, and we were ready to make this year even bigger, with more energy, creativity, and corazón,” the organizers

Summer is festival season in Chicago and there’s one event happening that should not be missed—the Chicago Jazz Festival is not only a great way to hear international powerhouses and local musical artists alike, but it’s also a fun outdoor experience that you can enjoy free of charge. This annual four-day event, which takes place during Labor Day weekend on August 28 to 31, is run by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) with programming help from the Jazz Institute of Chicago. (DCASE works hard to expand access to the arts throughout all of the Windy City’s neighborhoods, supporting artists and local communities along the way.) Free and open to the public, as always, make your way to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, the Chicago Cultural Center and other venues around the city to celebrate all-things jazz. And the performers' docket is packed—headliners include the bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding, piano legend Monty Alexander, trumpeter-vocalist Kermit Ruffins, Afro-Cuban guitarist Eliades Ochoa of Buena Vista Social Club, and saxophonist Gary Bartz with his ensemble NTU Troop. Elsewhere, you can hear an impressive roster of Chicago’s finest jazz treasures and talents, including Patricia Barber, Ari Brown, Ernest Dawkins, Sarah Marie Young, Ava Logan, G. Thomas Allen, the Natalie Scharf Quintet featuring Paul Asaro, and Silvia Manrique & Marcel Bonfim.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chicago DCASE (@chic

In the heart of sun-filled Miami Beach, exciting things are happening, especially for artists and art enthusiasts. Lincoln Road—a beautiful pedestrian promenade home to more than 200 small businesses, shops, cafes, art galleries and studios—is about to have its first-ever art walk. RECOMMENDED: The best art galleries in Miami to get immersed in the city’s creative scene The Lincoln Road Business Improvement District presents the Lincoln Road Art Walk, a brand-new initiative that aims to highlight the area’s arts and culture. Beginning Thursday, May 15, from 6pm to 8pm, the new monthly experience will invite art lovers to experience the promenade's established galleries and public art pieces in a new light, with extended hours, rotating exhibitions, artist meet-and-greets, prize giveaways and live performances. The walks are timed to coincide with another popular free event, the City of Miami Beach’s Culture Crawl. As part of the May 15 debut, Lumas Art will host a fun opening reception where you can sip wine or champagne and receive free miniature artworks and exclusive discounts on custom pieces. Visitors can also experience an engaging "Rooted in Culture" pop-up curated by Ketevan Paitchadze, featuring a special live performance by Georgian artist Sergo Tbileli. Amazingly, more than 70 original art pieces will be created by the artist in real time during the show’s run. Photograph: Courtesy Lincoln Road BID/Avant GalleryAvant Gallery Whether you visit with family and frie

Have you been excited about Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour? Get in line, ya'll! Queen Bey will be walking them boots into the Windy City for three nights next week (Thursday, May 15, Saturday, May 17 and Sunday, May 18, to be exact) at Soldier Field and to celebrate, she's getting the Beyhive glammed up in preparation.  The music icon's beauty company Cécred—pronounced “sacred”, a haircare brand founded in 2024 that utilizes bioactive keratin ferment and special ingredients for stronger, shinier, and more springy hair—will be hosting a special curated event connected to the ongoing stadium tour. The Cécred Roadshow will bring its chrome-wrapped pop-up experience to Cowboy Carter stadium locations across the country, including, happily, Chicago. View this post on Instagram A post shared by CÉCRED (@cecred) Bey fans can find the immersive experience at Soldier Field on May 15, 17 and 18, as well at Ulta Beauty locations in Chicago on May 16. Along with taking home exclusive products (we'll personally be stocking up on that Nourishing Hair Oil, STAT) and free gifts like a limited-edition Cécred x Cowboy Carter keychain, attendees can enjoy a plethora of interactive and Instagram-worthy fun: there will be those aforementioned chrome-wrapped trailers as well as a Cécred salon stage, a larger-than-life "Ceyoncé" inflatable and a Cécred Fan Cam, complete with a wind machine, of course, for you to whip around your newly lustrous locks. (Just don't get

Powerhouse singer and former American Idol star Adam Lambert recently made his Broadway debut as the Emcee in the Tony Award-winning Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in New York last year and, now, the 43-year-old star is set to dust off his stage chops again as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar at our very own Hollywood Bowl on August 1 to 3. What’s more, Lambert will star opposite fellow vocal powerhouse Cynthia Erivo, who was previously announced to take on the role of Jesus. Show tickets will be available online starting to at 10am tomorrow right here. The production is something of a homecoming: The show—featuring lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber—was originally performed at the Hollywood Bowl in 1971. The current revival is directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, with Stephen Oremus serving as conductor and musical director. Originally performed at the Hollywood Bowl in 1971, this production is a bit of a homecoming. Lyrics are by Tim Rice and music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The current production is directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, a Tony Award winner. Stephen Oremus, a Tony and Grammy winner, is responsible for conducting and musically directing the production.  “For many Angelenos and concertgoers, the Hollywood Bowl is the premier summer destination for live music,” LA Phil President and CEO Kim Noltemy said in an official statement. “Each season, the LA Phil presents world-class artists in a truly one-of-a-kind setting, and this

Avocado toast, French dip sandwiches, big salads and fresh tacos aren’t the only culinary staples Los Angeles is known for. In fact, the list of local epicurean delights is long and officially includes some of the very best steaks across the world—at least if you believe the judges behind the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list.  Gwen, located on Sunset Boulevard in the heart of Hollywood, has already earned a Michelin star for its high-quality cooking and is now number 43 on the World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list, an accolade of the highest order in the steak ecosphere. This trusted annual catalog uses quality-driven ranking criteria to determine which eateries should earn a coveted spot at the top.  In 2014, Australian celebrity chef Curtis Stone opened Michelin-starred Maude in Beverly Hills. (As of last September, Stone has closed Maude, repurposing the space as the Pie Room, a more casual bakery, café and wine bar.) Gwen, which opened in 2016, is Stone’s second venture, which he runs with his brother, Luke. Both destinations are named after their grandmothers.  Part butcher shop, part fine dining restaurant, Gwen is a carnivore’s dream. Perhaps it’s the meat lockers where hanging cuts are on full display, showing discerning diners that there’s nothing to hide when it comes to your meal. Or maybe it’s the elegant dining room with ambient lighting and curved architectural details. Could it be the duck-washed dirty martinis that you spot on tables or the head somme

Give your mother something she really wants this Mother’s Day: a sun-filled vacation in an exotic locale.  Just in time for the holiday, Arajet, a budget carrier that trims the fat when it comes to in-flight extras, is offering up to 50% off the price of flights using the promo code, MOM25. Valid for bookings of two or more passengers, this is a deal that you don’t want to pass up. To be clear, the promotion applies to flights from Miami to a variety of locations for a limited time only. The activation runs from today through May 9 and applies to travel between June 1 and November 30.  You can fly from Miami to Kingston for a little over $150, for example, or opt to head to Medellin for closer to $100. Routes to Quito, Santiago de Chile, El Salvador, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires, Aruba and Punta Cana abound as well. Browse through all available options and book your tickets right here. Encouraging more people to travel through affordable flights, Arajet curates fares to meet demand, bundling certain services and add-ons for a customer-forward approach. The Smart Plan, for example, includes just the essentials: a personal item and access to online check-in. The Comfort Plan allows for a personal item, online check-in, one checked bag, seat selection and the ability to change your flight only paying the fare difference. Finally, the Extra Plan has all the bells and whistles that you’re accustomed to with other flights, including priority boarding and the ability to make up to thr

The Alamo Drafthouse at 60 Seaport Boulevard #315 will be hosting a series of movie parties this month in Boston and you can expect the crowd to be a lively bunch.  The lineup, which you can browse in full right here, is looking stocked—but we'd be remiss not to mention a few highlights. If wearing a shark hat while holding a beverage in a yellow floatie sounds like a fun moviegoing experience, then secure tickets to screening of the 1975 classic, Jaws, on May 26 at 3:30pm or 7pm. What better way is there to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg iconic masterpiece, after all? Those scared off by classic thrillers can instead opt to catch Britney Spears light up the screen in Crossroads, a coming-of-age story that will be playing at the theater on May 21 at 7pm. You'll get to sing along with a crowd of new friends while watching and leave with a bunch of fun tchotchkes—a globe keychain, feather earrings and a butterfly bandana, all reminiscent of the movie's props—that will be given out during the screen.   Have kids? Plenty of family-friendly options are on the schedule as well, including The Wiz Re-Release, showing on May 17; How to Train Your Dragon, playing on June 12; and National Theatre Live: The Importance of Being Earnest, screening on June 27.  Movie fans will also love the multi-course menu options that are delivered straight to your seat. Who can resist the “Royale with Cheese” burger or warm chocolate chip cookies? Of course, you can’t have a name lik

Chicago has a rich, meaty history when it comes to steakhouses—one that dates back to the Union Stockyards and the city’s influential meatpacking industry, which helped shape the local culinary landscape. From Gene & Georgetti, Chicago’s oldest and arguably most iconic steakhouse, founded in 1941, to Morton’s The Steakhouse, which opened in 1978 before expanding to 65 locations nationwide, and Chicago Chop House, serving locals since 1986 in a historic Victorian brownstone, the Windy City’s love of meat and potatoes runs deep. It's no surprise, then, that Chicago would earn three coveted spots on the recently released 2025 World’s 101 Best Steak Restaurants list. Managed and published by London’s Upper Cut Media House, the ranking is the work of "steak ambassadors" that take into account 28 specific criteria—from taste and quality of meat to restaurant ambiance, service, wines on offer and more.  In Chicago, Asador Bastian, an intimate Basque-inspired restaurant located in a historic townhouse built in 1883, landed at number 13. The eatery's secret to success involves the meat masters’ ability to grill timeworn dairy cows over live embers to create distinct flavors that you can't easily find anywhere else. With rich Spanish reds to whet your whistle, you can be sure that you’ll leave satiated and happy.  Located in the Fulton Market District, Swift & Sons, which is ranked at number 71, is a lively locale for celebration, especially if patronizing one of the private dining roo