Nature

The Pretty Muddy women’s mud run is arriving in Chicago on Saturday, September 15th at Pretty Muddy Farms in Orland Park. And if you hurry, you can register before the event sells out! What can you expect? A women-only event featuring obstacles, great activities, a pretty awesome after party and yes, the opportunity to get muddy.

City Winery Chicago opened last week at the west end of the Randolph corridor, anchoring restaurant row and extending the repertoire of venues. It’s Wine Country in the West Loop. With a bold focus on wine and a fully functioning winery, City Winery crafts a culture of music, food and entertainment hinged upon the cornerstone of great wine as envisioned by founder and owner Michael Dorf.

It’s that time of year when Chicagoans flock to rooftops across the city, tourists and locals alike head to the beach and people of all ages settle in to watch jaw-dropping aerial and water stunts. Yup that’s right, I’m talking about the über popular Air & Water Show – the largest free military air & water show in the country…and it’s back for its 54th year! This coming weekend, August 18th-19th starting at 10am, prepare to be wowed by the U.S. Navy Blue Angels, U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team & U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds as they take to the skies to perform dazzling acrobatics 12,000+ feet in the air. The best part, it’s completely free.

Via Meghan Goulette: Had such a fun afternoon in the park yesterday with our CEO, Billy Dec, after invited to watch him play in the Nike Northside vs Southside Challenge. White Sox player AJ Pierzynski may have coached the Southside team to a victory, but Billy and the Northside crew gave them a run for their money (led by Johnny Knox of the Chicago Bears who stepped in to coach when Cubs’ Ryan Dempster ended up on DL). The event showcased the Nike Fuel Band, keeping stats on calories (check the video for Johnny poking a little fun at Billy’s stats), steps & more…I actually just bought the band for my dad! Highlight of the game by far was Billy’s double play complete with a sky high catch (AJ coined it the “2nd best catch ever”…see what he called first best in the video). Shout out to all the players listed below!

Great weather is forecast for this weekend in Chicago, yet again! Summer is well on its way along with all the non-stop events happening around. However, the city can welcome a new event to its list this weekend: Oak Street Summer Block Party! Check out this LIVE mention on ABC 7 Chicago's of this awesome event: http://bit.ly/MkCGEg

Wigs, gaudy makeup, beads, crazy costumes and...don’t forget the rainbows. Chicago’s 43rd annual Gay Pride Parade is this Sunday at 12 pm! Show your support for our city’s vibrant LGBT community by lining the streets for one of the most popular parades in the city (and country!). It’s always a crazy event with people cheering the procession and enjoying the show, culture, and reveling in our city’s dazzling diversity!

Summer nights in the city are fun. The warm weather gives us plenty of activities to do at night! Last year, Whole Foods Market in Lincoln Park had a bike-in movie night and they are bringing it back!

Watch out! This summer GIRLS really will run the world! On June 9th at 8:30 a.m., 13,000 participants, 3,000 spectators and 500 volunteers will come out to Soldier Field for the Girls on the Run 5k run and walk.

Friday, June 1st promises to be a one-of-a-kind night at Lincoln Park Zoo. The zoo’s auxiliary board is hosting their signature fundraiser, Zoo-ologie, in the heart of the Zoo. All the proceeds raised during this unique event will go towards helping care for the animals, keep up exhibits, as well as continue education initiatives all while keeping the zoo free to the public. Lincoln Park Zoo is currently one of only three free zoos in the entire country – and we want it to stay that way! If you live anywhere near Chicago, chances are you’ve enjoyed the beautiful grounds of the LP Zoo at some point in your life. As a DePaul Alum, I walked through the zoo countless times on my way to and from the beach just because I could; not much is free these days, so you have to take advantage and enjoy those few things that are.

Summer is actually here...and I think it's here to stay! The weather for this Saturday is looking great! So far…it’s looking like it’ll be warm, sunny and in the 80’s, a perfect day to come to Elmhurst’s 24th Annual Pet Parade! An event put on by the Spring Road Business Association and the Elmhurst Chamber of Commerce, this is one fun family filled event that you want to come to!