Cook County Lifestyle
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Despite cool June and wildfire smoke in July, suburban pools have been busy this seasonJul 26, 2026 8:30 pm - Despite a cool June and smoke-related closures this month, customer counts at suburban swimming pools and water parks generally are above or near seasonal averages so far this summer.
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Faeries festival enchants South Elgin with third annual celebrationJul 25, 2026 4:53 pm - The vibrant sounds of electric harps from the Harp twins and Viking drums from the Volfgang twins filled the Faerie realm at Vasa Park in South Elgin during Saturday’s third annual Faeries of the Forest Festival.
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‘Investing in an experience’: $5 million interior upgrades at Hawthorn mall part of broader reinvestmentJul 25, 2026 8:00 am - As the sweeping redevelopment of the Hawthorn mall property in Vernon Hills continues with new restaurants, luxury apartments and more, a $5 million investment inside the traditional mall is underway.
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‘Create some memories’: 10 activities to do with your kids before school startsJul 24, 2026 12:47 pm - With less than a month before school starts in the suburbs, here are 10 activities, from mini golfing to visiting a museum, that will help keep kids entertained for the remainder of summer.
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South Elgin trolley museum aims to bring history to life with new eventJul 22, 2026 5:10 pm - Visitors to the Fox River Trolley Museum Aug. 1 and 2 will encounter reenactors portraying everything from 18th-century French fur traders and Wild West train robbers to members of the legendary 65th Infantry Regiment, known as the Borinqueneers.
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Father-son duo expand auto body shop business with new Geneva locationJul 22, 2026 4:58 pm - Derrick Crome, 26, of St. Charles, has taken over the former State Street Collision body shop in Geneva, renaming it Bodylines Inc., after previously commuting over an hour to work at his Belvidere shop with his father Roger.
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‘Magical’: 2 more piping plover chicks hatch in Waukegan, bringing total to 4Jul 22, 2026 1:20 pm - Pepper and Blaze had another surprise up their wings, it seems. The Waukegan piping plover mates welcomed not just two, but four new chicks over the weekend, according to the Lake County Audubon Society.
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Harper College joins nationally recognized Metallica Scholars Initiative as workforce education program expands to over 90 schoolsJul 22, 2026 12:31 pm - Harper has been selected to join Cohort 8 of the Metallica Scholars Initiative, a national workforce education program that supports community college students preparing for high-demand careers.
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In honor of Dennis: Elgin Classic bike race honors veteran whose death changed Illinois cycling lawsJul 22, 2026 10:34 am - The Elgin Classic in Memory of Dennis Jurs honors a cyclist and Vietnam veteran whose death in 2015 inspired a law granting bicyclists the same rights as motorists.
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Home & garden calendar, July 21-Aug. 1Jul 21, 2026 1:12 pm - Upcoming gardening club meetings and events in the Chicago suburbs, covering topics like Blanding’s turtle research projects, green initiatives and more. Also listings on garden shows, nature walks, and workshops.