Stories by Meredith Francis

Take our July news quiz to see how much you know about the stories in and around Chicago that made headlines this month.

South suburban Homewood, Illinois is home to Rabid Brewing, a mythology-inspired brewery that the founders say is meant to be a welcoming place for people who might not stereotypically fit into the brewery scene. 

Joe Weber, founder of Four Star Mushrooms near the West Loop, thinks mushrooms are a prime example of how to produce food that is both good for the environment and for people.

The food events in and around Chicago this August feature an eclectic bunch: beer, wine, corn, garlic, and ribs—to name a few.

Revist the 1915 Eastland Disaster, which took 844 lives when the steamship tipped over onto its side before leaving the dock on the Chicago River.

Chicago hosted the inaugural Special Olympics at Soldier Field on July 20, 1968. Take a look back at the event’s history.

Between black bear sightings and jockeying for a new Bears stadium, there were plenty of local and state headlines to keep up with this month. How much news do you know? Take our monthly news quiz. 

Between at least three taco-centric events, beer festivals, farmers markets, and an entire street fest devoted to burgers, there is plenty to dig into this month in and around Chicago.

The upcoming NASCAR race in downtown Chicago might feel like a brand-new experience for much of the city, but it’s certainly not the first time the Chicago area has hosted an auto race.

Did you keep up with the news in Chicago and the rest of Illinois this month? Take our May news quiz now!

Greek food, German beer, wine, and strawberries are the stars of the show for food events in Chicago and the suburbs this June. 

The 34th annual National Memorial Day Concert airs Sunday, May 28 at 7:00 pm and 8:30 pm on WTTW. Here's a list of the performers scheduled to appear. 

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) has become an increasingly popular way to support local farmers while getting a share of fresh produce, meat, and eggs. Here is a running list of CSAs that serve the Chicago area. 

For Nirali Chauhan, a UIC medical school student and a contestant on the new season of The Great American Baking Show, baking is both an art and a science. Chauhan shares her journey to the famous baking tent and a recipe for her family's chai. 

Dr. Sonat Birnecker Hart, president and co-founder of Koval Distillery, talks about what makes her distillery's bourbon uniquely Midwestern: it's all about the grains.