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Chicago Tribune
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Fireworks 2025: All the Fourth of July shows in the Chicago area
With the Independence Day holiday comes fireworks — read on to find the best displays near you. Downtown Chicago fireworks at Navy Pier are every Wednesday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 10 p.m. through Aug. 30, including at 10 p.m. Saturday, July 5; more at Almost a hundred Chicago-area communities are listed below, many with celebrations spread out over the Independence Day weekend (July 4 falls on a Friday this year). If no time is mentioned, most displays begin at dusk (about 9:15 p.m.) and last about half an hour. Antioch: Parade at 10:30 a.m. July 4, followed by festivities at 4 p.m. and fireworks at a new site at Sequoit Creek Park (845 Main St.); Arlington Heights: The local Frontier Days Festival at Recreation Park (500 E. Miner St.) is back, running July 2-6. The parade is 10 a.m. July 4; more at But no community fireworks display for 2025. Aurora: The city of Aurora will host an Independence Day fireworks display on July 3, best viewed from Aurora Transportation Center (233 N. Broadway Ave.) with music from DJ Suave Smooth; and McCullough Park (150 W. Illinois Ave.) with music from DJ Pena. Parade in downtown Aurora (from Benton and Broadway) at 10 a.m. July 4; Barrington: Main Street parade at 10 a.m. July 4, then fireworks at 9:30 p.m. at Barrington High School (616 W. Main St.); Bartlett: The town's Fourth of July Festival returns to Community Park (corner of South Bartlett and Stearns Roads). Skydivers at 7:35 p.m. July 4, then fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Festivities continue through the weekend, including a parade at 10 a.m. July 5; Batavia: The Batavia Sky Concert will be 9:30 p.m. July 4 in Engstrom Family Park (326 Millview Drive), with fireworks set to music; Beecher: The Fourth of July Commission for the town of Beecher will host the 4th of July Festival from July 2-5. Look for fireworks at 9:30 p.m. July 4 at Firemen's Park (675 Penfield St.); Bensenville: The Independence Day Parade kicks off the celebration at 10 a.m. on July 4, starting at Town Center (12 S. Center St.) and ending at the Redmond Recreational Complex (545 John St.). LibertyFest begins at 6 p.m. Fireworks will be launched from the Public Works facility at 9:30 p.m.; Berwyn: Gates open for fireworks at 8 p.m. July 3 at Morton West High School (2400 Home Ave.); Blue Island: The Fourth of July Parade will run from Prairie Street on Western Avenue, beginning at noon July 4. Fireworks have not yet been announced; Bolingbrook: Grounds open at 3 p.m. July 4 for music and food vendors at Bolingbrook Golf Club (2001 Rodéo Drive), with fireworks at sunset; Bridgeview: The annual fireworks at Commissioners Park (8100 S. Beloit Ave.) have not yet been posted; more information at Brookfield: The Brookfield Fourth of July Parade has a new route for 2025, starting at Garfield Avenue and heading south on Grand Boulevard. Fireworks have not yet been announced; Buffalo Grove: The annual celebration at Willow Stream Park (651 Old Checker Road) begins with a patriotic-themed concert at 7 p.m. July 4 with the fireworks display at 9 p.m.; Burbank: Party in the Park with a carnival, music and food will be June 26-29 in Narragansett Park (77th St. and Narragansett), with Saturday night fireworks at 9:45 p.m. June 28; Burr Ridge: The Pleasant Dale Park District's fireworks will be at dusk July 3 in Walker Park (7425 S. Wolf Road). Food vendors and family fun begin at 5:30 p.m.; Crystal Lake: Fireworks at dusk July 6 at Main Beach (300 Lakeshore Drive). The parade will kick off at 1 p.m. at City Hall, finishing at Lakeside Festival Grounds; Deerfield: The Deerfield Family Days is back in Shepard Park (440 Grove Place) with live bands, carnival games and food vendors from 5:30 p.m. July 3 and fireworks at dusk. Then a parade at noon July 4 begins at Deerspring Pool (200 Deerfield Road); DeKalb: The celebrations are in Hopkins Park (1403 Sycamore Road), with music and festivities starting at 4 p.m. July 4. Fireworks at dusk; Des Plaines: The community plans a fireworks display June 29 at Oakton College (1600 Golf Road), with gates opening at 7 p.m. and fireworks at 9:15 p.m. Then a parade at 10 a.m. July 4 from the intersection of Center Street and Wicke Avenue; Downers Grove: The Village of Downers Grove Independence Day Parade is 1 p.m. July 4, from Main Street and Grant. The joint Woodridge-Downers Grove fireworks display is 9:30 p.m. July 4 (corner of 75th Street and Lemont Road); Elburn: The Lions Club of Elburn will present a fireworks show on July 12 at Lions Park (500 Filmore St.). Food and nonalcoholic concessions will be sold; Elgin: The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. July 4 at the intersection of Douglas and Slade. Later, there will be food, a pie-eating contest and concerts in Festival Park (132 S. Grove Ave.) and the night will end with a fireworks display on the Fox River; Elk Grove Village: The village's celebration begins with a concert with Cheap Trick music at 8 p.m. July 4 on Rotary Green (164 Lions Drive) and fireworks at 9:30 p.m., sponsored by the Lions Club; Elmwood Park: The village's Fourth of July parade will start at 9 a.m. July 4 at 78th and Fullerton Avenues, ending in the Circle. Gates open for the holiday celebration at Elmwood Park High School (8201 W. Fullerton Ave.) at 6 p.m., Sucker Punch plays at 7:15 p.m. with fireworks at 9:30 p.m.; Evergreen Park: The 55th annual community parade and fireworks will be on June 27, with the parade at 6:30 p.m. from 95th and Springfield, followed by fireworks at dusk at Martin B. Duffy Park (92nd and Ridgeway); Evanston: Parade at 2 p.m. July 4 on Central Street, a live band in Dawes Park at 7:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. at the lakefront; Fox Lake: Celebrate Fox Lake has a parade that starts at Grant Community High School at 10 a.m. June 28, then an event 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Lakefront Park (10 Riverview Ave.) with fireworks at dusk; Fox River Grove: The town's annual fireworks event opens 6 p.m. July 12 at Picnic Grove Park with music and food before the show; Frankfort: The celebration begins at 7 p.m. July 4 at Main Park (200 S. Locust St.) with music and fireworks at 9:15 p.m.; Glencoe: Party in the Park at Lakefront Park (99 Park Ave.) begins 5 p.m. July 3, with live music, food trucks and fireworks over the lake from 9 p.m. The Independence Day Parade steps off at 1 p.m. July 4 in downtown Glencoe; Glen Ellyn: The Fourth of July Parade begins at noon at Memorial Park, with fireworks at dusk at Lake Ellyn Park (645 Lenox Road); Glendale Heights: The annual Glendale Heights Fest is back July 10-13, with a carnival and live music, plus fireworks at 9:30 p.m. July 13 in Camera Park (101 E. Fullerton Ave.); Glenview: Northwest suburban Glenview has a parade at 11:20 a.m. July 4 and fireworks show at 9:20 p.m. in Gallery Park (2001 Patriot Blvd.) with music beginning at 6 p.m. and the Glenview Concert Band at 7 p.m.; Gurnee: Fireworks are 9:45 p.m. nightly July 3-5 inside Six Flags Great America (with regular park admission); Also village fireworks for Gurnee Days on Aug. 9; Harvey: The city's celebrations begin at 2 p.m. July 4, with a parade, a carnival and fireworks at 8:30 p.m.; Hawthorn Woods: Fireworks are planned for 9:15 p.m. July 3 at Community Park (5 Park View Lane), with the park opening at 3 p.m. for live music and food vendors; Highland Park: The village plans Independence Day events beginning on July 3 with a festival at the Preserve of Highland Park (1207 Park Ave. W). After a remembrance ceremony at 9 a.m. July 4, the downtown parade returns at 11 a.m., beginning at First Street and Laurel Avenue. No city fireworks or drone show for 2025; Hoffman Estates: The Northwest Fourth-Fest runs July 2-6, including a carnival, live music, a parade along Illinois Boulevard at 9 a.m. July 4, a drone show at 9:30 p.m. July 4 at Village Green, and fireworks 9:30 p.m. July 5 at NOW Arena (5333 Prairie Stone Parkway); Huntley: After a Main Street parade at 4 p.m., the Independence Day fireworks show begins at about 9:30 p.m. July 4 in Deicke Park (11419 IL-47); Itasca: The Village of Itasca has announced that Fourth of July fireworks have been canceled for 2025 due to construction around Hamilton Lakes; Joliet: Joliet Slammers baseball games include fireworks the nights of June 20 and July 4 at Joliet Slammers Stadium (1 Mayor Art Schultz Drive); La Grange: Fireworks from La Grange Country Club will be 9:30 p.m. July 3. The usual viewing space for nonmembers in Waiola Park (corner of 47th Street and Waiola) is closed for construction through October; Lake Forest: The 18th Annual Lake Forest Festival and Fireworks will be July 4 at Deerpath Community Park (400 Hastings Road), set to music. Gate opens for a concert at 5 p.m., fireworks at dusk; Lake Zurich: The annual Independence/Family Day at Paulus Park (200 S. Rand Road) begins 10 a.m. July 4 with music and food vendors. Then fireworks are launched over the lake at about 9:15 p.m.; Lemont: For Freedom Days 2025, a July 3 celebration at Centennial Park (16028 W. 127th St.) opens at 4 p.m., with live bands at 6 p.m. and fireworks at 9:30 p.m.; program guide at Libertyville: The fireworks event at Butler Lake Park (835 W. Winchester Road) begins with a concert by the Village Band at 7:30 p.m. July 4 at the Band Shell, followed by fireworks at 9:30 p.m.; Lincolnshire: The annual Red, White and BOOM! festival will be July 3-4, with food and entertainment July 3 in North Park (1025 Riverwoods Road), followed by a 10 a.m. parade, 2 p.m. cardboard boat regatta and 9:30 p.m. fireworks on July 4 in Spring Lake Park (49 Oxford Drive); Lisle: The village will have July 3 fireworks at Community Park (1800 Short St.) at 9:30 p.m. Also, live music begins at 5:30 p.m. on the Van Kampen Stage. On July 4, a parade kicks off at 10 a.m. from Lisle Junior High School (5207 Center Ave.); Lockport: City of Lockport and Lockport Township Park District are hosting the annual fireworks show on July 3 at dusk in Dellwood Park (corner of Woods Drive and Highway 171); Lombard: The village plans to host fireworks at dusk on July 4 at Madison Meadow Park (East Madison Street and South Ahrens Avenue); McHenry: The city's fireworks will be 9:30 p.m. July 13 as part of Fiesta Days at Petersen Park (4300 Petersen Park Road). Fiesta Days will be July 10-20 with carnival rides, live music, an art fair and a July 20 parade; Mokena: The village's annual fireworks will be at 9:30 p.m. July 3, with music starting at 5 p.m. in Main Park (10925 W. La Porte Road); Morton Grove: The Morton Grove Days festival July 3-6 has fireworks July 4 at dark at Harrer Park (6140 Dempster St.). Plus a parade at 2:30 p.m., as well as live music and a carnival all weekend; Mount Prospect: The 86th annual Mount Prospect Lions Club Festival will be July 2-6 at Melas Park (1500 W. Central Road) with a carnival, music and fireworks on July 2 (short show) and July 4 at 9:30 p.m.; Mundelein: The Mundelein Community Days 2025 will be June 29 to July 6, mostly near Seymour Avenue and Crystal Street. Fireworks are 9:30 p.m. July 4, with a parade from Mundelein High School (1350 W. Hawley St.) at 1 p.m. July 6; Naperville: The Naperville Salute will not be held this summer, but community fireworks will be 9:30 p.m. July 4 at Frontier Sports Complex (3380 Cedar Glade Drive); New Lenox: Fireworks at 9:15 p.m. July 4 at New Lenox Village Commons (101 Veterans Parkway), with music by Billy Gray Music at 6 p.m., followed by music by the Joliet American Legion Band for the display; North Riverside: The Fourth of July Parade will start at 10 a.m. July 4 on 9th Avenue and 26th Street. Then music and food vendors, including a concert by Hello Weekend, starting at 7 p.m. at Village Commons (2401 S. DesPlaines Ave.), followed by fireworks provided by the Riverside Golf Club; Northbrook: Fireworks at dusk July 4, which can be seen from Techny Prairie Park and Fields (1750 Techny Road) and Meadowhill Park (1479 Maple Ave.). Plus other events all day, including a parade at 4 p.m. from Westmoor School (2500 Cherry Lane); Oak Brook: The annual Taste of Oak Brook returns at 4 p.m. July 3 at the Village Sports Core Fields (700 Oak Brook Road). Fireworks and drone show at dusk; Oak Lawn: Fireworks at dusk (at 9 p.m.) July 4 at Richards High School (10601 Central Ave.). Come back between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. July 5 to help with cleanup; Oak Park: The Village of Oak Park plans a parade at 10 a.m. July 4 from Longfellow Park (Ridgeland Avenue and Adams Street), but no fireworks this year; Orland Park: Independence Celebration begins on July 4 with a pet and kids bike parade at 5 p.m., then a concert at 5:30 p.m., followed by Presentation of Colors and fireworks at 9:30 p.m. in Centennial Park West (15609 Park Station Blvd.); Oswego: Fireworks will be at dusk July 4 at Prairie Point Park (4120 Plainfield Road); Ottawa: A fireworks event begins at 8:45 p.m. July 4 on the Fox and Illinois Rivers at Ottawa Township High School (201 E. Main St.); Palatine: The Palatine Jaycees Hometown Fest runs July 2-6 in Community Park (256 E. Palatine Road). Fireworks at dusk July 3 and a parade beginning on Wood Street at 11 a.m. July 5; Palos Heights: Inflatables and games from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 3 in Community Park (south of Route 83 on 76th Avenue). At 5 p.m., food and music start in Memorial Park (7600 W. College Drive), followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m. A parade kicks off at noon July 4 on Harlem Avenue; Park Forest: A concert featuring Carla Prather at the Village Green (349 Main St.) followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m. on July 4; Park Ridge: Live music at 8 p.m. and fireworks at dusk July 3 at Maine East High School (2601 Dempster St.); Pingree Grove: The community's Independence Day Celebration will be July 11-12. A parade starts at 4 p.m. July 12 at Alta Vista Drive and Wester Boulevard, and Mad Bomber fireworks are planned at 9:30 p.m. at Cambridge Lakes (1125 Wester Blvd.); Rochelle: After a Municipal Band concert, the fireworks will be at dusk July 5 in Atwood Park (10th Avenue and 20th Street); Romeoville: Three simultaneous fireworks shows at 9:30 p.m. July 3 at Lukancic Middle School (725 Normantown Road), Volunteer Park (1100 Murphy Drive) and Discovery Park (300 S. Highpoint Drive); Rosemont: The west suburban Parkway Bank Park (5501 Park Place) hosts an annual 'Rockin' In The Park' free concert series. A concert featuring a Bob Seger cover band at 7 p.m. July 4 will have post-show fireworks; Round Lake: Fireworks will be 9:15 p.m. July 5 near the Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center (2007 Civic Center Way), with bands and festivities for Beachfest beginning at 5 p.m.; Sandwich: The annual Sandwich Freedom Days is back with a 10 a.m. July 5 parade, then fireworks at dusk at Sandwich Fairgrounds (1401 Suydam Road); Schaumburg: The popular way to see fireworks in Schaumburg is to catch a Schaumburg Boomers baseball game at Wintrust Field (1999 S. Springinsguth Road). There will be fireworks after select home games, including July 3-5; Skokie: The town hosts a downtown parade at noon July 4. It's followed by a family festival at 6:30 p.m. at Niles West High School (5701 W. Oakton St.), with fireworks at 9:30 p.m.; Sleepy Hollow: A daylong holiday celebration July 4 includes a parade at 11:30 a.m. in Sabatino Park (Winmoor Drive and Thorobred Lane). Then the fireworks are 9:30 p.m. July 6, with gates open at 7 p.m.; South Holland: A Family Fun Festival runs noon to 4 p.m. July 4 at Veterans Memorial Park (500 E. 160th Place), followed by fireworks at dusk; Spring Grove: The July 4 celebration will include a noon parade at Winn Road and Highview Street and fireworks at dusk, best viewed from Thelen Park (8516 Winn Road); St. Charles: The St. Charles Park District is planning fireworks at dusk on July 4, launching from Langum Park. Best viewing will be on the south side of downtown St. Charles, plus parts of Langum Park (50 Devereaux Way) and Mt. St. Mary Park along Geneva Road (look for a red balloon during the afternoon to check your view); Tinley Park: Festivities in McCarthy Park (16801 S. 80th Ave.) kick off with live music by Five Guys Named Moe at 4 p.m. July 4, with fireworks at 9:30 p.m.; Vernon Hills: The parade will start at 9 a.m. July 4 at the corner of Deerpath and Atrium Drive. Music begins in Century Park (1002 Lakeview Parkway) at 7 p.m., followed by fireworks around 9:15 p.m; Wauconda: The Big Bang fireworks celebration is dusk July 3 at Bangs Lake; Waukegan: Music for ROCK in the U.S.A. begins at 6 p.m. July 4 at Green Town on the Rocks (175 N. Harbor Place). Fireworks will be 9:30 p.m. at the Waukegan lakefront; Warrenville: Organized by the Warrenville Friends of the 4th, the celebration kicks off with festivities in Cerny Park (4S150 River Road) at 5 p.m. and a parade at 6 p.m. July 3. Then fireworks at 9:15 p.m. July 4; Westmont: The Independence Day Celebration will begin at 4 p.m. July 4 at Ty Warner Park (800 Blackhawk Drive), with fireworks at 9:30 p.m., launched from the Willow Crest Golf Club north of the park. Also, food trucks and music; Wheaton: Independence Day will be celebrated with a carnival from 5:30 p.m. and fireworks and drone show around 9 p.m. July 3 in Graf Park (1855 Manchester Road), plus a downtown parade at 10 a.m. July 4; Wheeling: The village's Rock 'n' Run the Runway event is June 28, with bands from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and fireworks at 9:15 p.m., all at Chicago Executive Airport (1080 S. Milwaukee Ave.); program at Wilmette: Fun & Fireworks is planned for July 3; festivities and music begin at 5 p.m. and fireworks at dusk at Gillson Park, on the lakefront north of the harbor; Winnetka: The Fourth of July parade starts at 10 a.m. July 4 at the corner of Elm Street and Glendale. Concert and the Jesse White Tumblers begin at 7 p.m. at Duke Child's Field (1321 Willow Road) before fireworks at 9:20 p.m.; Woodridge: The annual 4th of July Picnic is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Castaldo Park (3024 71st St.) Later, the joint Woodridge-Downers Grove fireworks display is 9:30 p.m. July 4 (corner of 75th Street and Lemont Road); Woodstock: Fireworks begin at dusk on July 4 in Emricson Park (900 South St.). The park opens 7 p.m.; Yorkville: The town is planning a July 4 celebration with a parade starting at 9 a.m. at Yorkville High School and ending at Town Square Park. Fireworks begin at dusk near the corner of Route 47 and Countryside Parkway; Email us to add a show to this list.
Chicago Tribune
a day ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Daywatch: Advocates condemn court decision on gender-affirming care ban
Good morning, Chicago. Chicago-area trans and LGBTQ+ community groups responded with disappointment and anger to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to uphold Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care. In the case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, three families with transgender children and a health care provider challenged Tennessee's law banning puberty blockers and hormone treatment for trans minors. The state has kept those drugs legally available for other purposes. Plaintiffs argued the ban violates their constitutional right to equal protection under the law, while Tennessee contended it is necessary to protect children. Chicago trans rights advocates said they're worried the ruling could push trans youth in other states to more dangerous, unsupervised sources of gender affirming care in states with bans similar to Tennessee. Despite the Supreme Court's decision, advocates stressed that Illinois continues to be a sanctuary state for young people and families seeking gender affirming care. Read the full story here. And here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including the latest in the debate on teen curfews in Chicago, layoffs announced at Columbia College Chicago and what to do this weekend in Chicago. Today's eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History Mayor Brandon Johnson announced he will issue a rare mayoral veto after aldermen granted Chicago's police superintendent the power yesterday to declare a teen curfew anytime, anywhere in the city. The highly contentious ordinance faced months of City Council debate before passing in a 27-to-22 vote. After the vote, Johnson, who had blasted it as 'lazy governance' and unnecessary, said he will issue the first mayoral veto in decades in a bid to kill the ordinance. Johnson called the measure 'counterproductive to the progress that we have made in reducing crime and violence' and said it will elicit costly lawsuits against the city. Mayor Brandon Johnson faced stiff criticism from a City Council opponent yesterday as he introduced an ordinance to implement a grocery tax at the city level. Johnson's administration has argued the 1% city grocery tax is necessary as a state grocery tax that sent revenue to municipalities ends. But Ald. Brendan Reilly accused Johnson of sneaking the ordinance's introduction during a meeting to avoid legislative pushback, in what he characterized as a violation of the Open Meetings Act. Iran's supreme leader rejected U.S. calls for surrender in the face of more Israeli strikes yesterday and warned that any military involvement by the Americans would cause 'irreparable damage to them.' European diplomats prepared to hold talks with Iran tomorrow. The U.S. State Department said yesterday it is restarting the suspended process for foreigners applying for student visas but all applicants will now be required to unlock their social media accounts for government review. What Jamal Williams remembers from Plano's Juneteenth celebration three years ago isn't just its record attendance — the organizer and former alderman said about 1,100 people showed up. Between the live band and fireworks, he was proud that residents of all races and political affiliations celebrated together. 'It was overwhelming. There was no negativity there,' he said. 'The police were getting along with people. People were parking, people were grilling, kids were jumping around.' Plano, a town near Aurora in Kendall County that's home to about 12,000, made history in February 2021 when it became the first municipality in Illinois to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, officials there say. It has held annual celebrations ever since, until this year. Due to dwindling attendance and derogatory comments on social media, this year's festivities were initially canceled, Williams said. But some residents wanted the show to go on. So organizers decided to move the Thursday event to a church in Yorkville, just a few miles away. Columbia College Chicago laid off 20 full-time faculty members as part of planned cuts to academic programming, the school announced this week. Columbia has been plagued by financial troubles for years, with a budget deficit once expected to surge to nearly $40 million. The school's cost-cutting initiatives in December reduced the number of undergraduate degrees offered from 58 to 33. A nonprofit civil rights advocacy group called for hate crime charges to be brought against a woman accused of attacking another woman, who caught her defacing a painting of a Palestinian man on a mural in the Pilsen neighborhood. An auction that seeks to find a possible buyer for Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Dolton has been extended a month while a federal judge declined to block the village from its own attempt to acquire the property. As state and local governments look to transition to clean energy, some Winnetka residents were disappointed the Village Council voted to extend by 20 years the village's contract with an energy provider supplied largely by a downstate coal plant. Whether Ryan Donato ever leads the Chicago Blackhawks again in goals won't matter. The scrappy forward is sticking around for the long haul, agreeing to terms Wednesday on a four-year, $16 million contract through the 2028-29 season. He will have an annual salary-cap hit of $4 million. The right sports movie can really do a number on you. It can maneuver around cliches, resistance points and aversions to string-pulling to win the big race against your more skeptical instincts. But it's usually not immediate. Movies tend to roll around in your head, half-remembered, for decades. And then it's there again, when you need it. Last weekend, for example. Last weekend, the 1979 charmer 'Breaking Away,' nominally about cycling but about much more, glided out of the mists of time to push Tribune film critic Michael Phillips up another series of hills on the second day of a three-day, two-night bike-packing trip Route 66 extends nearly 180 miles across the Texas Panhandle, starting in the ghost town of Glenrio, which straddles the border between Texas and New Mexico. About 20 miles east, the town of Adrian advertises itself as the route's midpoint, equidistant to Chicago and Los Angeles. The road passes vast farm fields, undulating grasslands dotted with towering wind turbines and sprawling cattle ranches before entering Amarillo, the Panhandle's largest city. At its western edge sits one of Route 66's most photographed attractions: Cadillac Ranch. Looking for something to do this weekend? We've got you covered with events in and around Chicago, from the 24th annual Chicago Pride Fest to Meltin' Margs and the Black Yacht Festival.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Cheesecake Factory opens in Naperville's Block 59 development
Tuesday marked the grand opening of the Cheesecake Factory in Naperville's Block 59 development. The national chain's local debut is one of a series of restaurants and businesses that are opening at Block 59 this year as the long-awaited dining and entertainment complex continues to take shape. 'We're really excited about the Cheesecake Factory,' said Rich Dippolito, vice president of redevelopment for project developer Brixmor Property Group. 'They bring a great food offering and, of course, their cheesecakes are fantastic. … They're going to provide a really good quality restaurant to our development.' The Cheesecake Factory's menu boasts more than 250 dishes and some 40 cheesecakes and deserts, according to a news release for opening. Its Block 59 location at 428 S. Route 59 is the chain's first restaurant in Naperville. Other Chicago-area locations include Chicago, Lincolnshire, Oak Brook, Schaumburg, Orland Park and Skokie, according to the Cheesecake Factory's website. The Block 59 location will be open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays. Shake Shack was the first Block 59 restaurant to open, making its debut this spring. The 82,500-square-foot Block 59 venture is complete, the complex will not only include a slew of new restaurants but also a centralized event plaza. Brixmor Property Group spent last summer clearing property at Route 59 and Aurora Avenue to make way for the development. More openings are due over the next few months, Dippolito said. Fast-casual casual breakfast and lunch spot First Watch is expected to open by the end of this month and Stan's Donuts is under construction and anticipated to open in the next month or so, he said. Italian restaurant Piccolo Buco is expected to follow later this summer as well as Crisp & Green, Velvet Taco, Fresh Fin and Cava later this fall. Yard House is looking to open by the end of the year, while Ruth's Chris Steak House is planning to open by the beginning of next year, Dippolito said. 'There will be a lot more activity, other than construction activity, by the end of the year,' he said. The Naperville City Council OK'd project plans for Block 59 in March 2023. That's also when the council signed off on establishing the site as a business district to help fund infrastructure improvements needed for the project. The district places an added 1% tax on sales made at businesses within its boundaries — including Block 59's predecessor, the former Heritage Square shopping center — as well as a portion of the neighboring Westridge Court shopping center. Block 59's event plaza is expected to open by the end of September, Dippolito said. Brixmor is also working with an ice rink operator so it can offer ice skating to patrons during the winter months, he said. As the development comes to fruition, Dippolito said, 'It's really starting to look and feel like what we had designed.'
Business Journals
3 days ago
- Business
- Business Journals
How Julie Smolyansky built $200M kefir brand Lifeway Foods
Story Highlights At age 27, Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company after her father's sudden death. Despite remarkable success, Julie has faced intense challenges, including a family power struggle and a takeover attempt by Danone. She turned her father's kefir startup into a global wellness brand, championing female empowerment, gut health, and cultural authenticity. Julie Smolyansky's journey is the kind of story made for headlines — and heartbreak. At just 27, she became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company, stepping into the leadership of Lifeway Foods after the sudden death of her father. A Soviet immigrant, wellness advocate and trailblazing entrepreneur, she transformed her family's modest kefir business into a global powerhouse, championing gut health, female empowerment and innovation along the way. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events Under her leadership, Lifeway's annual revenue soared from $12 million in 2002 to nearly $200 million in 2024. In addition, the Chicago-area company (Nasdaq: LWAY) has expanded its distribution across the U.S. and internationally, reaching markets in Mexico, France, Ireland, and parts of Central and South America and the Caribbean. Yet behind the scenes of Lifeway's remarkable growth — the company delivered its 22nd consecutive quarter of year-over-year net sales growth in the first quarter — Smolyansky has faced two incredibly difficult challenges as CEO: a deeply personal family rift in which her brother, Edward, and their mother, Ludmila, have launched a bid to oust her from the company she has led for more than two decades; and a takeover bid by French dairy giant Danone, which first invested in Lifeway in 1999 and currently owns just under 25% of the company's stock. Despite those challenges, Smolyansky said she's proud of her determination 'to fight for what's right.' 'I know that I have the moral high ground in this situation,' she said. 'My father taught me to fight, and I didn't come this far to only go this far. I know that I am strong, I'm not afraid. I'm not going anywhere. 'We always were underestimated, yet here we are, 22 years later, about to be a $200 million company,' Smolyansky added. 'We have no debt. We have cash in the bank. We are sold nationwide, in every grocery store, and we are known for all the great things that we do in our communities and around the world.' Bizwomen, an affiliated publication, talked with Smolyansky recently about her career journey, guiding a public company in the midst of multiple challenges and more. Would you share more of your story from the time you and your family arrived in the U.S.? My parents and I were refugees from a part of the world that is Ukraine today, but at the time it was called the Soviet Union. I was born in Kyiv at the height of the Cold War, and when I was born, my father made a promise to get me out of the country. He absolutely hated communism and felt stifled, suppressed and persecuted. So, he started a plan to get out of the Soviet Union, and when I turned 1, that plan was realized. We defected in the middle of the night, and we were exiled for three months while we waited for our green card and the approval to settle in the U.S. We finally arrived in Chicago in August 1976 with just $116 in our pockets. My mother learned English watching 'General Hospital' like so many immigrant women. My father was an engineer by trade, and he was able to go through some of the Chicago alleyways and take broken electronics and repair them and then sell them for money. A few weeks later, he got an official job as a draftsman at an engineering firm, even though it was a demotion from what he was in the Soviet Union. But he continued to have aspirational dreams. One day when we walked into the grocery store, my mother cried because she couldn't believe how much food there was. She and my father both grew up in scarcity in the Soviet Union and had to go to bread lines. Knowing that there's a difference in the Slavic Eastern European food, she opened up the first Eastern European deli in Chicago's Rogers Park two years after we settled. Rogers Park really became ground central for all immigrants who were escaping from the Soviet Union. And that sort of started her entry into the food industry. By 1985, she already had a handful of delis and was importing and distributing Eastern European food to other delis around the country, in places where Eastern European Soviet immigrants were settling around the United States. Kefir is a 2,000-year-old staple from my ancestors, a recipe that was passed down generation to generation. It is an ancient fermenting process that has been known intuitively by my ancestors to have beneficial healing properties. So, my father was like, 'Wow, America has everything, but it doesn't have kefir.' Someone told him, 'Why don't you design a plant, and I'll sell the kefir through my distribution network?' And just like that, six months later, Lifeway Foods was incorporated. My father started making kefir in our basement. I was 11 years old the first time I tried the very first spoonful of Lifeway Kefir in America. He was able to get in touch with my grandmother, still in the Soviet Union at the time, and ask her to send bacterial cultures through a care package, and then we recreated that bacteria. It was real, authentic cultures that my ancestors really nurtured. My father continued to grow Lifeway and became the first Soviet immigrant to take a company public in 1988. Did you always dream of taking over the company one day? I actually was going to be a psychologist. I was an in-home mental health family counselor with kids. I also was a certified rape crisis counselor. But then serendipitously, I ended up in my father's office and found out about the impact of kefir and all the good things that it could do for people. Something went off in my head where I realized I could actually channel my passions for helping people and improving the world by bringing positive things to people through a for-profit business. It made me proud to help my dad. I really saw all the good that he was doing. Instead of resisting his queries about coming to work with him and helping him, I left grad school after my first year, went to work with him side by side for five years and got to know him in a new way. He was my greatest advocate and encouraged me go as far as I could. Lifeway was growing at the time and was a $6 million company when I came to work for him. But in 2002, he had a sudden heart attack and passed away at the age of 55. I was I just 27, and I became the youngest female CEO of a publicly traded company. But it was devastating. My father's best friend said there's no way a 27-year-old girl could run this company and encouraged people to sell their stock. The next day, Nasdaq halted trading because the stock was collapsing. Despite all that, the board eventually voted me in as CEO. What differentiates Lifeway Kefir from its competitors? Our original recipe, for starters. That's No. 1. We have a whole variety of different kinds of milk, so whether you want grass-fed or organic or conventional, there's really something for everyone. We have a very diversified portfolio, making sure that no matter who you are, you can have access to our products. We have the most active culture product out there in the marketplace. We also are laser-focused on what we do. There are a lot of dairy companies that have a surplus of dairy, so they make milk, and they make butter, and they make this, and they make that, and they're just like, 'Oh, let's put kefir in the mix,' but it's just another dairy product for them. We're 100% laser-focused on kefir. You've had several challenges in your career journey, including the ongoing battle with family members for control of the company. How do you handle challenges as CEO of Lifeway? One of the greatest challenges any CEO faces is leading through uncertainty while staying true to a clear vision. Over the years, we've had to navigate everything from global disruptions like the pandemic to rapidly shifting consumer preferences and economic headwinds. For me, effective leadership has meant staying adaptable, fostering resilience within our team and communicating transparently, even when the path ahead isn't clear. Balancing short-term pressures with long-term strategy is never easy, but Lifeway's mission to nourish communities and promote wellness has always kept us grounded and focused. Are you doing anything new for 2025? We have a series of new items. We're launching a probiotic kefir-based salad dressing. We're also launching a collagen kefir that's got 5 grams of collagen. And we're launching a whole milk conventional line and premium dairy. We are introducing 10 new flavors that are really cool and trendy, like pistachio, rose vanilla and pink dragon fruit. Any advice for other women entrepreneurs? Don't give up. Keep going and know what you stand for. And always trust your gut. It won't steer you wrong. Lifeway Foods Top official: Julie Smolyansky, CEO About: The Morton Grove, Illinois-based company — founded in 1986 — is a leading U.S. supplier of kefir and fermented probiotic products to support the microbiome. Q1 data: Net sales were $46.1 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025, an increase of $1.5 million or 3.3% from the same period in 2024. The company reported net income of $3.5 million or 23 cents per basic and diluted common share for Q1 2025. Cindy Barth is a freelance journalist based in Lexington, Kentucky. Reach her at cindyjbarth@ Sign up for the Business Journal's free daily newsletter to receive the latest business news impacting Chicago.
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These three Chicago restaurants took home James Beard Awards last night
Chicago has a storied history with the James Beard Foundation Awards, taking home a whopping 50 trophies since the culinary honors hosted its first ceremony back in 1991. And that connection triumphantly continued at the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards, which were held at the Windy City's own Lyric Opera of Chicago—its home base through 2027—on Monday, June 16, where two top-rate local spots got their well-deserved dues. Chicago had 22 semifinalists up for awards in categories like Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Chef and Best New Restaurant, two of which ultimately took home a coveted medal. First-time nominee Kumiko —Julia Momose's elegant West Loop bar that pairs Japanese omakase with bespoke cocktails to sublime results—was rightfully crowned this year's Outstanding Bar, beating out worthy competitors like Scotch Lodge (Portland, OR), The Lovers Bar at Friday Saturday Sunday (Philadelphia, PA), Water Witch (Salt Lake City, UT) and Wolf Tree (White River Junction, VT). And over in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category (which honors top toques in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio), Noah Sandoval of two-Michelin-starred Oriole in the Fulton River District, continuing a nice little streak for Chicago-area chefs. This is the fourth time in five years that a local chef has won in the category, with Sandoval joining Kasama 's Tom Flores (2023) and Genie Kwon (2022) and Virtue 's Erick Williams (2021). What a group! Outside of the competitive categories, a longtime Chicago favorite also got some James Beard love this year: Lem's Bar-B-Q, the longstanding barbecue joint in Greater Grand Crossing, was the recipient of one of the foundation's 2025 America's Classics Award, which recognizes 'locally owned restaurants with timeless appeal that serve quality food and are beloved by their communities.' Lem's was joined by fellow iconic eateries including the Pioneer Saloon in Ketchum, ID; Sullivan's Castle Island in Boston, MA; Lucky Wishbone in Anchorage, AK; Dooky Chase in New Orleans, LA; and Gaido's in Galveston, TX.
