What to do in Chicago this weekend: Chicago Pride Fest, Juneteenth Festival and Summer Smash

Our picks for events in and around Chicago this weekend.
Get your rainbow on at the 24th annual Chicago Pride Fest. Jesse McCartney, Confidence Man, Deborah Cox, Aluna and The Aces headline the two-day celebration in Northalsted. Beyond the three stages — which also will feature drag performance and the Chicago Gay Men's Chorus — watch for the Proud Pet Parade at noon June 22 and check out spaces dedicated to teens and seniors.These Chicago LGBTQ-owned businesses offer rainbow cakes, colorful coffees and a 'third space' for allSoak up summer at Meltin' Margs, as this genre-defying festival brings together house and country music. Dance and sway all weekend long as a dozen acts perform, including Ship Wrek, Wuki and the Eli Young Band.Starting in 2020, Black boating enthusiasts have gathered on Lake Michigan for a 'floating festival of culture.' The event spills onto land with a lineup jam-packed with concerts and parties. Bring your own boat or join a Facebook group to network your way onto someone else's crew.Don Toliver and Yeat, Future, Young Thug and Chance the Rapper top the bill at this three-day hip hop festival. Want to plan your Summer Smash weekend? Check out Britt Julious's full guide on what not to miss.The Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Diana Krall offers a fantastic excuse to board the train to Ravinia. Perfect summer night. Ravinia's Reach Teach Play Jazz Mentors & Scholars will also perform.How many times have you walked past the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on your way to the Lincoln Park Zoo, but never ventured inside? Your visit is overdue, and now you have a great reason to go. On June 20, the museum will stay open late for a special evening featuring live animals, drop-by scientist tables, nature play, music, face painters, nature walks and more. While you're there, check out the rest of the museum and its new, interactive exhibit, 'By a Thread: Nature's Resilience.'More than 30 years since its founding in Australia, this beloved children's band continues to delight. The Wiggles' Bouncing Balls Tour rolls into the Rosemont Theatre — a fun, air-conditioned way to burn off preschooler energy.Keep the Juneteenth celebration going this weekend at a festival in West Pullman featuring live music and dance, family fun and food from Black-owned restaurants. Hosted by the Far South Community Development Corp., the event also offers small business and housing workshops.Juneteenth in Chicago: Ric Wilson, line dancing and AshantiJumpstart your exercise routine with something a little more scenic. Stretch on Millennium Park's Great Lawn with Raven Harris' pilates class or Paula Bui's yoga. Try cardio kickboxing with Jake Garcia or Zumba with Xavier Euzarraga. Mecca Perry programs the music for the first two classes.Can you summit Soldier Field's 1,600 stairs — roughly the equivalent of an 80-story building? Take on the challenge to support the American Lung Association.

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Yahoo

33 minutes ago

• Yahoo

Juneteenth events and Black-owned businesses in Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19, is a U.S. federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery and the American Civil War. While the city of Albuquerque already celebrated the holiday at Civic Plaza, there are other events still to come. Here are some upcoming Juneteenth events happening around Albuquerque, as well as some local Black-owned businesses to support. Juneteenth celebrated at Civic Plaza Thursday, June 19 Sunset Acequia Stroll Celebrate liberation and Juneteenth with a little bit of nature. This free offering to the community consists of a slow, guided walk involving mindfulness exercises and playful nature explorations. This event is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Candelaria Nature Preserve. Third Thursday: Juneteenth Join the Albuquerque Museum for an evening of food, music, and celebration, featuring special performances and goods and services. End the free evening with a walk through the sculpture garden and Tiguex Park. This event is from 5 p.m. to 8:30 Community Gospel Concert Empower and celebrate the community with a night of encouraging and uplifting contemporary gospel music. This free event is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at North Domingo Baca Park. Juneteenth Freedom Block Party United We Dance Studios hosts a freedom and community event, a vibrant evening full of music, dancing, food, and fun for all ages. Shop through local vendors, participate in raffles and giveaways, and play dominoes and spades from 5 p.m. to People's Juneteenth Visit Roosevelt Park from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. to celebrate resistance. Attendees can expect dynamic political education on Black history, beautiful cultural performances, family- and kid-friendly activities, free food, and more. The beginner's guide to celebrating Juneteenth Albuquerque has an abundance of Black-owned businesses, from restaurants to retail. Whether patrons are visiting from out of state or shopping around their hometown, their money and support can go a long way. This compilation is limited to select leisure activities, food, shopping, entertainment, and attractions. For a more comprehensive list, visit Coffee House & Pub Big Boss Hot Links Food Truck Biscuit Boy Bobbi's Homestyle Catering Frank's Famous Chicken & Waffles Nexus Restaurant & Brewery Q's Cakes and Sweets Boutique Rude Boy Cookies Yummy's Mini Donuts & Ice CreamLotus Sound Bath Tour ABQBaskets of Africa Bert and Jess Clothiers Biggers Farm FlowerLoop High Desert FlameworksAfrican American Performing Arts Center and Exhibit Hall Beyond Poetry Mothership Alumni NB Artistry New Mexico Black Leadership Council New Mexico Entertainment Magazine Pride and Equality Magazine The Syndicate A guide to what the Juneteenth holiday is and how to celebrate it Childhood Development Centers Most City Offices Community Centers Health & Social Service Centers KiMo Theatre Libraries Open Space Visitors Center Senior, Multigenerational & 50+ Sports & Fitness Centers Senior Meal Sites Jerry Cline Tennis Facility 311 Community Contact Center Albuquerque Museum Balloon Museum Animal & Adoption Shelters ABQ RIDE & Sun Van Albuquerque International Sunport Aquarium, Botanic Garden, Tingley Beach & Zoo Golf Courses Shooting Range Park Swimming Pools Sierra Vista Tennis Facility Trash & Recycling Learn more about the Juneteenth holiday as well as Black history at the Albuquerque Public Library. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

CNN

5 hours ago

• CNN

These Dads Offer Hugs—and a Spiral—at Pride - CNN 5 Good Things - Podcast on CNN Audio

Krista Bo 00:00:00 Hey there, good to have you. Today's Feel Good Stories span tens of millions of years, with a few classic tunes in the mix. A newly discovered dinosaur species is helping scientists fill in a big missing piece of the T. Rex family tree, plus. Hoboken My Way Sinatra Sing Off Contestant 00:00:24 "New York, New York" clip Krista Bo 00:00:24 In Frank Sinatra's hometown, fans of all ages are keeping the late and great singer's legacy alive, one note at a time. From CNN, I'm Krista Bo, and this is Five Good Things. Krista Bo 00:00:39 There are all kinds of ways to let someone know they're welcomed and accepted. And at pride events across the country, one Pennsylvania dad does it with a Nerf football. John Piermatteo 00:00:48 Not all of us were lucky to have loving supportive fathers, especially in the LGBTQ plus community. And in many instances, they may not have realized how much they missed having a father hug them and tell them that they're proud of them until we do it. Krista Bo 00:01:08 Since 2019, John Piermatteo has been showing up at pride events, offering to toss a ball around with anyone who needs a moment of connection. The idea came to him after seeing free mom hugs and grandma hugs at pride event. John Piermatteo 00:01:21 I painted a sign that said play catch with a dad, leaned it up against a tree, and just kind of sat there waiting to see what would happen. I had no idea what might happen. Krista Bo 00:01:32 He didn't have to wait long. A young woman walked by and asked if she could play catch, tossed the ball twice, and then broke down crying. John Piermatteo 00:01:40 She was just so grateful that I was there and told me how her dad just stopped doing things with her, especially playing catch. They used to be close, but when she came out, everything changed, and it was an amazing moment, and I knew that I might be onto something. Krista Bo 00:01:57 That first interaction was all the motivation John needed to create the nonprofit organization, Play Catch with a Dad. John and his crew of volunteer dads have expanded beyond Pennsylvania to Pride events in San Diego, Phoenix, and this year, Chicago and Maryland. Last week, they played catch outside Wrigley Field during the Chicago Cubs Pride night. And next week, they'll be in Maryland at the Baltimore Orioles game. John Piermatteo 00:02:21 Sometimes it might just be a 60 second, 90 second interaction for a dad. But for those people, it could mean just so much more than that catch and the hug and the, and I love you and I'm proud of you. And we just never know how we might touch someone's heart. We just never know. Krista Bo 00:02:43 What started as just one sign under a tree has turned into something much bigger. John Piermatteo 00:02:49 My dream is that anytime there's a pride event in the United States, there's dads there to play catch and give hugs. Krista Bo 00:02:55 If you want to donate or volunteer in your area, head to The link is also in our show notes. Krista Bo 00:03:08 A mom in Newton County, Indiana is sharing her incredible survival story just three months after a scary car crash. Brieonna Cassell 00:03:16 One of the first things I told myself was, all right, you gotta stay calm, because if you freak out, it's not gonna help you. Krista Bo 00:03:22 'Brieonna Cassell, she goes by Brie, is a 41-year-old mother of three. Back in March, CNN affiliate WLS reported she fell asleep behind the wheel on a rural road and went into a ditch. Her legs got trapped in the car and she couldn't move. Brieonna Cassell 00:03:38 My car ramped up, it smacked into the embankment on the other side, it crunched like an accordion. It threw my body into the floorboard. Krista Bo 00:03:48 She had hoped someone would find her in the morning, but her car was so deep in the ditch you couldn't see it from the road, and her phone was just beyond her reach. Brie's mom reported her missing, but she was in this position for six days, using her clothing to soak up water from the ditch to stay hydrated, with the thought of her family to keep her going. Brieonna Cassell 00:04:09 But my kids are, my kids, are most. That's what I was really worried about. I wasn't leaving my babies. Krista Bo 00:04:18 On the sixth day, Brie knew she couldn't go on like this any longer. Brieonna Cassell 00:04:22 I said I've done everything that I can think of. I cannot get out of here alone. You have to let somebody see me or I'm not gonna make it out. Krista Bo 00:04:30 Little did she know, a man driving a tractor saw her car and alerted a local volunteer fire chief. That fire chief found Brie and had her airlifted to a nearby hospital, where she learned she had compound fractures in her legs and forearms, and numerous broken ribs and vertebrae. Brieonna Cassell 00:04:47 I get emotional talking about all that too because if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be here. Kim Brown 00:04:52 Brie is an amazing, amazing young woman. Thank you so much for finding my baby. I could never repay you. Krista Bo 00:05:01 After 13 surgeries and the placement of several rods, plates and pins, Bree was released from the hospital and now she's back at home with her loving family. She's expected to be back on her feet soon with the help of physical therapy and she plans to write a book about her remarkable story of survival. Krista Bo 00:05:23 Scientists have just discovered a new dinosaur species related to the T. Rex that lived 86 million years ago. Jared Voris 00:05:30 We found a new species of one of those ancestors, and we named that Khankuuluu Mongoliensis, the dragon prince of Mongolia. Krista Bo 00:05:37 'Jared Voris is a paleontologist and post-doctoral scholar at the University of Calgary, and the lead author of a recent study published in the journal Nature that fills in a big missing piece of the Tyrannosaurus family tree. Jared Voris 00:05:49 And the reason we settled on that was because tyrannosaurs are generally regarded as being these giant, you know, kings or whatever. And so Tyrannosaurus Rex itself literally translates to tyrant lizard king. So we wanted a name that would kind of signify that this is an ancestor or the predecessor or right before they became kings. So we settled upon Khannkhuuluu, which means the Prince of Dragons. Krista Bo 00:06:11 Discovered in a fossil collection in Mongolia that hadn't been touched since the 1970s, the Khankuuluu helps explain how the tyrannosaurs evolved from smaller, speedier hunters into massive apex predators we see in the Jurassic Park films. Jared Voris 00:06:26 I jokingly refer to them as predatory horses, because they're about the size of a horse. They were pretty big, but compared to what they were going to be or what their descendants would be, which are elephant sized, they were still quite small. They had these really long, shallow skulls, kind of like horses do. Their teeth were actually designed for cutting through flesh, so different than what you see with T. Rex teeth, which would have been able to crunch through bone. So, Khankhuuluu didn't have that capacity yet. And it also had these really long limbs. So it was actually probably an animal that was built for speed. Krista Bo 00:06:58 So if you're not a dinosaur fan, you might be asking why should we care? Jared Voris 00:07:03 Paleontology teaches us about our past. By understanding how ecosystems of the past have changed over time, that can help us to understand what the future might hold for us. Krista Bo 00:07:15 'It's pretty common to hear about dogs that give mail carriers a hard time. But fortunately for long-time postal worker Ian Burke, that's not the case. Ian Burke 00:07:24 Good boy. Good boy. Come on, go this way. Krista Bo 00:07:27 Ian lives in Denton, Texas, which is just outside of Dallas. And last week he told CNN affiliate WFAA that he had adopted a dog straight from an old delivery route. Ian Burke 00:07:38 Probably one of the best things that the postal service inadvertently issued me. Krista Bo 00:07:41 The dog's name is Floyd, and today he weighs 70 pounds. When Ian first met him on the job three years ago, Floyd was just a puppy who belonged to an elderly Vietnam veteran. And Ian just looked forward to seeing him. Ian Burke 00:07:54 And he got out the door and he like charged at me, right? A little puppy. Krista Bo 00:07:58 Ian lost touch with the dog and his owner when his route changed about a year and a half ago. But when the veteran died, the postman who took over the route let Ian know that Floyd had been taken to a local animal shelter. Ian Burke 00:08:09 I kind of felt responsible to, to take care of him. This is a dog that was loved and cherished by a former customer of mine. I think he would, he'd be pleased to know that his former mailman is taking good care of his, of his dog. Krista Bo 00:08:25 It didn't take Ian long to make his next move. Ian Burke 00:08:28 I went down to the shelter at about 10 a.m. Because when they opened, I got there at 9:50 to make sure I was first in line. Krista Bo 00:08:35 And he was! Ian left the shelter with Floyd. As the two start a new chapter in their lives together, Ian says he hopes to inspire others to adopt shelter dogs. Krista Bo 00:08:48 'All right, pop quiz. What's the last song Frank Sinatra sang in public? The winner of a Sinatra sing-off in his hometown sang it, so the answer's after the break. Stay with us. Krista Bo 00:09:07 In Hoboken, New Jersey, Frank Sinatra's spirit lives on in ways that are just as timeless as his voice. Geri Fallo 00:09:14 He was born in Hoboken, December 12th, 1915. They named the street after him. The post office is named after him, the park, the waterfront park is named after him and there is, you know, a statue of him now. Krista Bo 00:09:31 Gerri Fallo spent more than 30 years as Hoboken's director of cultural affairs and now serves as a trustee on the board of the city's historical museum. She's the one who spearheaded the citys' annual Sinatra singing contest. Krista Bo 00:09:43 It was first launched in 2007 to celebrate Hoboken rich musical roots. And since then, people all over the world have contacted Jerry over the years to try to compete. Geri Fallo 00:09:53 Last Thursday, with the New York City skyline as the backdrop, 10 contestants competed in the 16th annual My Way Sinatra Sing Off. At Hoboken's outdoor Sinatra Park amphitheater. Gerri says this year's event had something extra special. Geri Fallo 00:10:07 I would say we've had singers 18, 19 years old, but never this young. Krista Bo 00:10:21 '10-Year-old Joseph JoJo Trusso was the youngest contestant ever to compete in the competition. He belted out Sinatra's 1964 rendition of "Fly Me to the Moon," from the DECA record label with a full-on swagger. And while he didn't win, Gerri said the judges thought the fifth grader has a long, promising career ahead of him. The first place winner, however, had some special ties to the city and Sinatra. John Rennell 00:11:00 I am John Rennell. I live now in Ellentown, Florida, but I was born and raised in Hoboken. I've been performing live music since I'm 14, and I'm 70. But music can keep you young, and especially so with me. Always loved Sinatra's music. It's done a lot for me. I stand on the shoulders of what the styles he invented. Krista Bo 00:11:27 And using a golden mic he said was once used by the iconic singer himself, John sang his 1964 hit, "The Best Is Yet To Come," from the record label Reprise. Krista Bo 00:11:44 Fun fact, "The Best Is Yet To Come," was the last song Sinatra sang in public before he died in 1998, and the phrase was originally inscribed on his tombstone. In the city where he got his start, Sinatra's songs still inspire fans of all ages, doing it their way on a summer night in Hoboken. Krista Bo 00:12:24 All right, that's all for now. Join us tomorrow for the next edition of One Thing. Krista Bo 00:12:28 FIve Good Things is a production of CNN Audio. This episode was produced by Eryn Mathewson and me, Krista Bo. Our senior producers are Felicia Patinkin and Faiz Jamil. Matt Dempsey is our production manager. Dan Dzula is our technical director, and Steve Lichteig is the executive producer of CNN Audio. Krista Bo 00:12:45 We get support from Joey Salvia, Robert Mathers, Jon Dianora, Leni Steinhardt, Jamus Andrest, Nichole Pesaru, and Lisa Namerow. And special thanks to Wendy Brundige. And thank you, as always, for listening. If you liked the show, please consider giving us a good rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or sharing it with a family member or a friend. That's the best way we can spread the good vibes. Take care, till next time.

Yahoo

6 hours ago

• Yahoo

Hot weather hopes for large Pride turnout in city

Thousands are expected to turn out to what promises to be a scorching edition of Stoke-on-Trent Pride this year. Saturday's event will be held at Hanley Park from noon until 18:00 BST, featuring hours of entertainment and more than 140 stalls. Among the musical acts performing on the main stage will be former X-Factor contestant Honey G, singer Rob King and dance-pop vocalist Berri. Carl Gratty, director of Stoke-on-Trent Pride, said the sunny and warm weather on the forecast for Saturday was a "long time coming" for the event. There was a huge turnout the last time the event had good weather, he said, and he predicted it would be a similar case for 2025. "Pride is there for everybody, it's not just for the LGTBQ+ community – it's for everybody who wants to show support for equality and diversity in the city," he added. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Pride banner vandalised for sixth time 'LGBT rights must be defended with all our might' Photographer's work showcases city Pride event Pride flags and bunting torn down and stolen 'Lifeline' pride event to go ahead after appeal Stoke-on-Trent Pride