Genevieve Bookwalter

3 weeks ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Matt Moore |Courtney Kueppers |Genevieve Bookwalter

Many Chicagoans would agree that street festivals are a staple of summer culture here. We endure harsh winters and gloomy spring days to let loose at Pride Fest, catch a great band at Wicker Park Fest or pretend like the cold isn’t around the corner at Lincoln Square Ravenswood Apple Fest. But a coalition of organizers from those fests and several others are raising concerns about the rising costs of all that goes into making these events happen — and the little they get in return.

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Matt Moore |Rafaela Jinich |Genevieve Bookwalter |Cindy Hernandez

Back in 2019, piping plovers returned to Chicago’s beaches for the first time in nearly 65 years. They’ve since become objects of fascination for local bird lovers, as the small, sand-colored shorebirds return each spring. Some plover fans have taken on the role of monitor, in hopes of helping these endangered birds once they come back to the city. In today’s newsletter: How piping plover monitors are preparing for their feathered friends’ arrival.

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Genevieve Bookwalter

When muralist Pugs Tomz moved to the Park Manor section of Greater Grand Crossing in 2022, one of his first thoughts was, “why doesn’t my neighborhood have a bunch of art?”Whatever the “why,” Tomz decided to do something about it. The result is an organic and growing mural art corridor on East 71st Street between South King Drive and South Cottage Grove Avenue. Watching the strip come together “felt awesome,” Tomz says.

1 month ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Matt Moore |Kristen Schorsch |Genevieve Bookwalter |Lisa Shames

Thursday marks five years since Gov. JB Pritzker issued a statewide stay-at-home order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic — one of many hallmarks of an era defined by loss, divisiveness and collective trauma. In today’s newsletter, we’ve got reporting from my colleague Kristen Schorsch on the issues revealed by the pandemic and how local health officials and community leaders are putting what they’ve learned into action.

2 months ago | chicago.suntimes.com | Genevieve Bookwalter

Erin Minckley drew inspiration for her Mayfair mural by walking through the North Side neighborhood on spring and summer days and shooting phone photos of the flowers. Now, the Mayfair resident and custom wallpaper designer shows off the flowers in her “Welcome to Mayfair” mural at 4219 W. Lawrence Ave. on the side of Relativity Textiles, the business that she owns. “I literally was walking Mayfair and taking the flora of the neighborhood and incorporating it in,” she says.