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City Cast Chicago

Sidney Madden

While the Chicago flag is seen everywhere from buildings to tattoos, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_Illinois.svg">Illinois’ state flag</a> is less well-known. That’s probably because it’s just not very good, says “<a href="https://nava.org/good-flag-bad-flag">Good Flag, Bad Flag</a>” author Ted Kaye. <a href="https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=1818&amp;GAID=17&amp;DocTypeID=SB&amp;LegId=146496&amp;SessionID=112&amp;GA=103">State lawmakers are exploring a flag redesign</a> in hopes more people will fly it. While those recommendations wouldn’t come until next year, Kaye tells host Jacoby Cochran why we should care what our flag looks like and what makes a good one. Want some more City Cast Chicago news? Then make sure to sign up for our <a href="https://chicago.citycast.fm/newsletter/">Hey Chicago newsletter</a>.  Follow us <a href="https://twitter.com/CityCastChicago">@citycastchicago</a> You can also text us or leave a voicemail at: 773 780-0246 Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info <a href="https://citycast.fm/advertise/">HERE</a>

Why Chicago's Flag Rules, and Illinois' Flag Doesn't

Statewide voting starts soon with 10 finalists, the current flag, and two vintage flags in the running. Read more about the 

Hey Chicago wants to know: Which one is your favorite?

Illinois' current state flag could be seeing its final days with a new statewide poll soon to be underway. (

Kayleigh Padar

It doesn’t matter how weird and niche your favorite genre is. I’m here to prove to you that Chicago definitely has a film festival for you. And lucky for us, lots of them take place in the fall!

 Don’t be afraid to check out festivals’ volunteer opportunities — it’s a great way to get in for free!

The longest-running underground film festival in the world, CUFF exhibits “the most genre-defying, groundbreaking, and unique films,” and champions independent filmmakers who might be sidelined by traditional film fests.

The festival began Sept. 23 and runs through Sept. 27. One of the feature films is called “

,” and explores “what it costs to keep calling yourself an artist after the dream has already failed.”

The 44th annual Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival takes place Sept. 17 to 27, 

featuring award-winning feature films, social documentaries, and shorts

. It’s the second-longest-running film festival of its kind and prides itself on demonstrating the rich diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.

 celebrates emerging women and gender-expansive filmmakers. It takes place from Oct. 11 to 13 at the 

The festival’s closing night will showcase Emily Robinson’s feature-length debut “

,” which follows an actress’ attempts to contort herself until she achieves the “perfect cry.” After the show, stick around for a Q&A with the film’s creators, whose previous works include “Eighth Grade”

One of the largest film festivals in Chicago runs from Oct. 14 to 25 and features more than 

 from over 50 countries. Each year, about 45,000 people attend the festival, which spans several theaters throughout the city.

! This Sunday, check out a showing of the Spanish and Argentinian film “

” at the National Museum of Mexican Art at 1852 W. 19th St.

Here are the film festivals in Chicago that you won't want to miss in September and October 2026.

Best Chicago Film Festivals this Fall

‘Tis the Season of Film Festivals

Keep It Local

Sign up for Keep It Local from City Cast Chicago

There’s nothing I love more than walking into a movie theater that looks the same way it looked when I was a kid. You can’t fix perfect! And Chicago’s historic indie theaters know that better than anyone.

Here’s where you can get your nostalgic movie theater fix this fall!

 at 6746 N. Sheridan Road reopened this year under a new owner. I’m pretty sure everyone’s favorite indie movie theater is the one that’s closest to their home, and this one’s mine.

🤑 It’s hard to beat The 400’s prices. Evening shows cost $11 for adults and $6 for kids.

Originally opened in 1918 as the Pershing Theater, the 

 at 4614 N. Lincoln Ave. first showed vaudeville acts and silent films. It was brought back to life in January 2016 and designated a historical landmark.

🎟️ You can support the theater by joining its 

. For $50 a year, you’ll get $2 off all tickets, a 15% discount on concessions, early access to tickets, and more!

 at 2646 N. Milwaukee Ave. opened in 1915, it only had one screen. It was renovated in the ‘90s, revealing the theater’s original architecture that had been hidden under decades of plaster.

🎃 Every year, The Logan Theatre hosts a 

 to celebrate Halloween. This year, you can see classics like “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” and “Casper Saves Halloween.” 

Come in a costume for an extra raffle ticket!

Much like some of the other theaters on this list, 

 at 5238 S. Harper Ave. originally opened in the 1910s. It reopened in 2023 with a new immersive sound system and heated luxury recliners. After your movie, check out its 

👻 To help you get into the Halloween Spirit, Harper Theater is bringing some beloved 

 movies back to the theater in the coming weeks, including “

Ditch the megaplex and check out this guide to our favorite indie and historic movie theaters in Chicago.

Guide to Chicago's Indie Movie Theaters

Your Guide to Chicago’s Indie Theaters

Emily Mack

It’s officially fall — which means it’s officially cuffing season. Normally, I do not partake. But when my best friend Cori signed up for 222, an AI-curated meet-up app, curiosity (and FOMO) took over.

I’ve now explored multiple types of singles mixers across the city.

. After paying the hefty monthly fee, users answer a questionnaire that runs the gamut from Ye vs. Taylor Swift to your thoughts on abortion. Then the app invites you to group events matching your profile.

. I attended a seated dinner, which meant I spent almost two hours with machine-selected tablemates. Cori turned out to be the only female at her table. (My dream, her nightmare.)

My table’s gender ratio was mixed. Our conversations, though cordial, felt somewhat forced. Things got friendlier once we all moved to a nearby bar. Drinking might have helped.

Next, Cori and I tried Offline Dating Night, a happy hour at the Goose Island Taproom in West Loop. At the very least, I figured, a Google employee might buy our beers.

The bar offered three cup types: green (“Come talk to me”), yellow (“Proceed with caution”), and red (“I’m here by accident”). The showing wasn’t terrible, about 25 people, but most men were holding red cups.

Green cups in hand, Cori and I mainly talked to each other. Other women appeared to do the same. One man approached us — no connection. It seemed people were mainly there for the $3 Honkers. 

I did, however, meet a cute guy at the spot we went after to debrief …

The second Thursday of every month, Butch McGuire’s in Gold Coast turns into a sloppy, flirty mess. Entertaining to witness, but the crowd skewed 

. (Hence the sloppy flirtiness.) “Wow, you look good for 28,” someone told Cori.

The gender divide seemed even throughout the crowded rooms, and people took advantage, leaning in close to chat over loud music. Drinks were spilled. Phone numbers were exchanged. “We have nothing like this in Montana,” one out-of-town visitor told me, gushing.

I also made friends in the bathroom! It really was like being 22 again.

The singles mixers I attended were primarily straight, but plenty of queer events are coming up:

Got recs for singles like me? HMU!

Ahead of cuffing season, I explored Chicago's "singles" scene. I am still single.

Are Singles Mixers Worth It?

Everything to know about Chicago neighborhoods: Where to go, eat, shop, drink, and more.

Chicago Neighborhood Guides

Neighborhood Guides

More rain means more combined sewer overflow in Chicago — and it’s been 

rainy. This summer alone, Bubbly Creek’s combined sewers 

 combined sewers? And how can we prevent damage?

Most sewers in Chicagoland carry a combination of sanitary sewage (read: poop) and rainwater from storm drains. 

 were built before the advent of wastewater treatment technology and once flowed straight into waterways, hence Chicago’s “

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District — more on that later — added intercepting sewers to carry that water to cleaning plants in the early 1900s. But during heavy rainfall, even in 2025, more water can enter these combined sewers than can be cleaned, causing overflow.

This overflow can pollute waterways and flood banks, streets, and, yes, basements.  It can also disrupt the environmental food chain. But there are ways to ease the strain.

When it’s especially rainy, the WMRD declares Overflow Action Days. That’s when Chicagoans should:

Replace old or leaky faucets, toilets, and showerheads
 

In conclusion: You can be a little grody on Overflow Action Days. It's nothing compared to the grodiness of flooding sewage.

The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

You’ve seen the name on your ballot, and maybe you’ve passed right over it. But as former MWRD commissioner 

Kim Neely du Buclet told City Cast Chicago

, “It’s the most important agency that no one knows about.”

 your home — whether through flushing the toilet, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, taking a shower, anything. Meanwhile, water that comes 

 the home is handled by the Water Department. Think of it as drains versus faucets.

The job of MWRD, essentially, is to make sure wastewater doesn’t go back into the lake, where we get our drinking water. That’s why the agency sets Overflow Action Days. 

Editor’s note: A version of this article was originally published May 22, 2025.

You can be a little grody on Overflow Action Days. It's nothing compared to the grodiness of flooding sewage.

What Are Overflow Action Days?

How to Not Overflow Chicago's Sewers

What Chicagoans have been wondering. We break down why things in Chicago are the way they are and how they work.

Chicago, Explained

So, I jumped in the Chicago River. Considering 

, you might think me brave. Or stupid. But ever since 

, I’ve wondered, viscerally, what it would be like to wade in.

 was a fundraising effort for ALS research and swim education. On Friday, I took a small part in the festivities, jumping in alongside other passionate Chicagoans, some politicians, and former Bear Charles “Peanut” Tillman.

And I gotta say: Come on in, the water’s fine! Well, mostly.

As a multitude of speakers assured us before the jump, the water quality had been tested repeatedly. That didn’t 

 assuage my nerves — “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” But I took a literal leap of faith.

Once I jumped in, I immediately forgot about the river’s nasty reputation. The water was perfectly warm. It smelled only slightly metallic. And I gotta say, floating on your back while staring up at Marina City towers is downright dreamy.

Sure, after the swim, I couldn’t stop thinking about 

. There’s a reason swimming in the Chicago River is technically prohibited. But ongoing efforts to clean the river show.

When I told my friends I planned to jump in the river, they shuddered. Visibly shuddered. 

 It was once the “Stinking River,” flowing (slow and brown) into Lake Michigan, sickening Chicagoans.

Famously, the flow was reversed in 1900. But that didn’t mean the water was suddenly clean. Treated as a dump for decades, 

 until the 1970s. That’s when the Deep Tunnel Project began to 

Fifty years later, the project is still underway, expected to complete in 2029. Who knows? By then we might be meeting each other for a dip in the Loop.

I jumped in the Chicago River. It was quite warm!

So, I Jumped in the River

Have you been following the news in Chicago this week? Prove it! Take the City Cast Chicago news quiz.

Looking for a previous City Cast Chicago news quiz? Find it here.

How closely were you paying attention to this week's current events in Chicago? Test yourself in our weekly trivia quiz.

Your Weekly News Trivia Quiz

Take This Week's Chicago News Trivia Quiz

As the city gears up for the Bears’ first home game of the season, don’t sleep on college football games playing across the city.

Chicago State University’s Division 1 football team

 — that technically makes them Chicago’s only Division 1 team. (Sorry, Wildcats.) And 

But if you’re cheering for another Midwest alma mater, here are some sports bars to watch from. (Perhaps unsurprisingly, most are around Lincoln Park.)

A guide on where college football games are playing across the city.

City Cast Guide on Where to Watch College Football

Where to Watch College Football

 for help setting the scent vibe for any situation you find yourself in this fall.

Co-owners Mark Towns and Stephen Pearlman opened their store in 2022, after spending years experimenting with scents and making their own candles at home in a crockpot. (Fun Fact: The first time the couple ever sold their creations was in 2016 at the annual Edgewater neighborhood yard sale!)

Without further ado, here are Mark’s scent recommendations for every mood!

 is our bestselling scent for a good reason! Many people love the scent and say it's just the thing for relaxation.”

 scent is a beautiful ode to fine pencils, and might be just the thing for a study mindset.”

 is a woodsy spicy scent, and I love it for its clean and sharp aroma.”

You’re hosting (or attending) a dinner party: 

 scent is one of our most popular host gift candles, and it's easy to see why! People tell us they can almost feel the effervescence when they smell this one.”

 is a cozy dream. It leans more towards luxurious than gourmand, while still balancing warm spices and sandalwood.”

. All day, all night, 24/7, 365! I love this scent with all my heart — I bathe with our Palo Santo body wash, and even use our Palo Santo Rollerball to spread a little oil and scent in my hair!”

I reached out to the experts at Edgewater Candles for help setting the scent vibe for this fall.

Edgewater Candles Has Scents For Every Mood

Pick from 10 finalists, the current flag, and two vintage flags in our poll. 

Vote on Illinois' New State Flag!

What Should Illinois' New Flag Be?

What's being decided in Chicago City Hall and why it matters. We monitor local elections, political news, and Chicago City Council. 

Chicago Election and City Hall News

Local Civics

. But during Chicago’s 2022 midterm primary, just 22% of the city voted. We can do better than that!

It’s Election Day Today … and Tomorrow? Plus, Our Summer Plans at Ravinia

 and the city’s downtown supersite will continue operating through 7 p.m. today. Same-day registration is available at all those sites, plus additional 

Here’s what you’ll need for same-day registration.

Already registered? Today, you can hit your local polling site — 

, make sure your ballot is postmarked today! Vote-by-mail procrastinators should consider dropping ballots off at an early-voting spot.

The retirement of longtime Sen. Dick Durbin has opened up a competitive Democratic race, currently dominated by three front-runners: 

Other competitive congressional races are happening in the 2nd, 7th, 8th, and 9th Districts:

 are running to replace Krishnamoorthi, including 

 Thirteen candidates want to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Danny Davis, including 

Fifteen candidates hope to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Among them: 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle faces 

 from (the relatively conservative) Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd).

 are vying to become comptroller, aka the person who pays the bills in Illinois.

As property taxes rise, the Democratic party has 

 Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi, supporting suburban challenger Pat Hynes.

The Cook County Board of Review also faces a potential shakeup, following 

Actually, I can’t tell you who to vote for … but I can help you get informed! Consider consulting these heavily researched guides:

 both allow for easy comparison between candidates.

 offers helpful details for evaluating judicial candidates. (This year, though, 

 is a progressive independent option with a casual tone

 aims to appeal to young voters and includes many visuals

More on the biggest races we’re watching 👀

In Chicago, primaries often decide winners. So go vote!

Your Last-Minute Illinois Primary Election Guide

Your Last-Minute Election Guide

Don’t forget — the Illinois primary is coming up in March. And as any Chicagoan can tell you, that’s where the action is.

Here are the big races we’re keeping an eye on

Across both parties, 17 (!) candidates are running to replace longtime U.S. Sen.

Dick Durbin, who is retiring after nearly 29 years in the Senate. 

 are perhaps the most well-known names in the crowded race.

Krishnamoorthi was first elected to the 8th district in 2016. 

He’s also the biggest fundraiser in the race

 in 2013 to replace Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. after his sudden resignation amid an investigation into campaign finance fraud. Stratton became Gov. JB Pritzker’s running mate in 2018 and has served as his lieutenant ever since.

Those three Democrats recently released their economic proposals

On the GOP side, the former state party chair Don Tracy is (somewhat) well-known. He resigned abruptly in 2024, just before the RNC, 

. Tracy is more of a pre-MAGA Republican.

Kelly and Krishnamoorthi are stepping down from their current positions as they vie for the Senate.

The Illinois primary is coming up in March — and that’s where the action is. Here are the races we’re keeping an eye on.

Local Civics

What Should Illinois' New Flag Be?

Sidney Madden

City Cast

Why Chicago's Flag Rules, and Illinois' Flag Doesn't

Share article

Local Civics

Your Last-Minute Election Guide

The Primary Races to Watch

Donald Trump and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Week in Court

Why You Can Thank Chicago for Labor Day

How Alders Maintain Control of Their Ward

City Council Nepo Babies: The Quiz

What Reduced Parking Mandates Mean For Chicago

Weigh in on Your Ward’s Budget

The latest in Chicago

‘Tis the Season of Film Festivals

Your Guide to Chicago’s Indie Theaters

Are Singles Mixers Worth It?

How to Not Overflow Chicago's Sewers

So, I Jumped in the River

Take This Week's Chicago News Trivia Quiz

Where to Watch College Football

Edgewater Candles Has Scents For Every Mood