Are you ready to give the remaining summer weekends all you’ve got?  I hope so because there’s only two more weekends after this one before autumn officially arrives!  So, let’s see what the city and its various neighborhoods have planned for us.

Returning to its home in Grant Park (301 S. Columbus Dr.) in The Loop, and now being held in September instead of the first weekend of July, the Taste of Chicago takes place this Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.  This annual food and music festival will feature over 35 vendors and 15 food trucks showcasing the diversity of Chicago’s culinary offerings along with world-class musical performances.  Plus, there are many other activities featured some of which include:  the Lifeway Foods Family Village where there’s plenty of kid-friendly fun activities for the little ones; for the adults, there’s the Chicago Sings Karaoke with a grand prize of $500 to the crowned winner; and the annual Eli’s Cheesecake Birthday Celebration beginning with performances and ending with the arrival and cutting of the 1,000-pound Eli’s Cheesecake, and a free piece of cake being offered to attendees while supplies last!

Celebrate Chicago’s diverse communities at the 4^th annual World Dumpling Fest this Saturday (12 p.m.-7 p.m.) on Milwaukee Avenue at Logan Square Park (3150 W. Logan Blvd.) in the Logan Square neighborhood.  This fest features diverse cultural dumplings from over 10 vendors that include Chinese bao, pierogi, Haitian doumbrey, empanadas, Filipino lumpia, and many other dumplings.  Plus, artists will perform a variety of dances and music from different cultural traditions on the main stage such as Korean drumming, South Asian dance, Puerto Rican bomba dancers, and others!

The much-anticipated 3^rd annual Chicago Brew Fest returns this Saturday (1 p.m.-5 p.m.) at the Irish American Heritage Center (4626 N. Knox Ave.) in the Albany Park neighborhood.  This fest serves up the city’s finest and best craft beers and ciders along with BBQ provided by Chicago’s favorite Soul & Smoke for an unforgettable day of indulging!

The largest free outdoor literary showcase in the Midwest takes place this Saturday and Sunday (10 a.m.-6 p.m.) with the 38^th annual Printers Row Lit Fest spanning five blocks on Dearborn Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Polk Street, and Polk Street from State to Clark Streets.  This huge outdoor book market not only features selected offerings from over 100 booksellers representing tattered to “hot off the press,” and newly published, but also offers talks with the artists and authors!

One of the premier fine art outdoor festivals being held this Saturday and Sunday (11 a.m.-7 p.m.) is the 18^th annual Lakeview East Festival of the Arts along Broadway Street from Belmont Avenue to Hawthorne Place in the Lakeview neighborhood.  Over 120-juried artists will be featuring original paintings, sculptures, photography, jewelry, and more.  Plus, the festival includes live music on multiple stages, wine, beer and food vendors, an interactive garden oasis, a Kidzone to keep the little ones entertained, and much more!

Finally, the annual PAWS Chicago 5K takes place this Saturday (7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.) at Montrose Harbor, Grove 16 (4400 N. Lake Shore Dr.) in the Uptown neighborhood.  Both dogs and their humans will make their way along a lakefront course to raise money in support of this local no-kill animal shelter.  After crossing the finish line, it’s time to enjoy live entertainment that includes a dog agility course and a doggy oasis with pools for cooling off!  And, if you don’t have a dog, there will be plenty around for you to pet, or maybe, even to adopt!!

Sue Moss and Dean’s Team Chicago

With Lincoln Square’s Oktoberfest coming up this weekend, it seems only fitting to stop by North Center’s Laschet’s Inn is in what was historically a German area along Lincoln Avenue. 

Laschet’s Inn came to be in 1971 when Karl Laschet, a prominent member of the German community, purchased a neighborhood tavern across the street from the famous Schulien’s Restaurant, according to its website. As they recall, ”locals fondly remember having their first beer at Latchet’s.” Twenty two years ago, they started serving German specialties and some American dishes In 2019, Erin and Scott became proprietors of Laschet’s Inn, and reviewers continue to rave about their food, the service, and of course, the beer!

Start your adventure in German cuisine with appetizers like Hackepeter.  This one is more like the Wisconsin version than Germany’s pork-based peter. Instead, we get steak tartar spread over rye bread, served with chopped onions and capers. Jumbo Bavarian Style Pretzel is served with Dusseldorf mustard (as God intended!) Potato Pancakes are crispy and pan-fried, and served with sour cream and apple sauce.

If there’s one German specialty I love, it’s bratwurst! Grilled, with sauerkraut, on a French roll with Dusseldorf mustard, please! Here, Bratwurst means a white veal sausage that is boiled, then grilled and served on a French roll with sauerkraut and French fries. Yessss! Their Leberkase Sandwich is a sliced Bavarian veal loaf, pan-fried, topped with fried egg, served on a French roll with French fries and coleslaw. Frikadellen Sandwich is a flat, pan-fried meatball, made with ground beef, pork, herbs and seasonings served on a sesame seed bun or pumpernickel bread with sauerkraut and French fries. 

All dinners include your choice of a cup of their homemade soup of the day, a cup of goulash soup,  cucumber salad, three-bean pineapple salad or a tossed salad with your choice of dressing. Skip the American hamburgers (no offense, but this is a place for good German food) in favor of their Sausage Dinner—your choice of a white veal bratwurst, a spicy beef and pork thuringer, a garlic beef knackwurst or a veal wiener, served with warm German potato salad and sauerkraut. Sauerbraten, with slices of beef marinated for 30 days and served in a traditional sauer gravy with spaetzle and red cabbage. Chicken Schnitzel is a tenderized chicken breast, breaded and pan-fried, garnished with lemon wedges and served with roasted potatoes and red cabbage. 

Laschet’s Inn is located at 2119 W. Irving Park Road. They are open Tuesday- Friday, 12pm-2am (Kitchen closes at 10pm); Saturday from 12pm-3am; and Sunday 12pm-2am (Kitchen closes at 9pm.) They are closed on Mondays. For more information, click here. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

If you’re planning on selling your home and moving some time in the near future, you should think about the features in your house, and whether or not buyers want what you’ve got. Yet a lot of home buyers might be hesitant to blow money on upgrades if they don’t plan on taking advantage of them for long.

Think about it, the cost you incur to make these upgrades might be a lot less compared to the loss you’ll take upon the sale of your home if you don’t include certain features that buyers in your area desire. It really can mean the difference between getting the price you want, and letting the listing go stale.

Here are a few popular features that will most likely help you sell your home faster.

Gourmet Kitchen

The kitchen is always a huge selling point for homes. Buyers love it when they walk into a home and see a kitchen masterfully outfitted with updated features and appliances. Kitchen makeovers are always at the top of the list when it comes to the biggest ROI.

What exactly sets a typical kitchen update apart from a gourmet kitchen?

Three features are a part of this equation:

1) Cutting-edge appliances

2) Gorgeous surfaces

3) Tons of storage

You can’t call a kitchen ‘gourmet’ if it’s not equipped with a top-of-the-line gas range and deep refrigerator. Don’t forget the convection double oven, warming oven, and microwave drawer – gourmet cooks appreciate having these features in their kitchens. At the very least, consider installing stainless steel appliances, which are always sharp-looking and make a statement.

When it comes to the surface that cooks like to work on, consider stainless steel or stone counters. If these aren’t in the budget, you can mimic the look with a laminate. People who watch all those home improvement or cooking shows expect kitchen to look like the ones on TV.

Potential buyers will definitely be going through all the drawers and cabinets in the kitchen. Those with ample space will always score big points.

Energy Efficient Appliances, Windows and HVAC Systems

Buyers are savvy these days, and they are increasingly expecting homes to feature energy-efficient windows and appliances to help shave the cost off their monthly utility bills.

Energy Star windows come with an invisible glass coating, vacuum-sealed gaps with inert gaps, durable weather stripping, and high quality framing materials – all of which can help to cut down energy costs by as much as 15%.

‘Green’ HVAC systems can cut 20% off your annual utility bills, and can provide efficiency even in extreme hot or cold weather conditions. The cutting-edge technology used to adjust heating or cooling can manage the air temperature in the home for the ultimate in comfort, while using the least amount of energy possible.

Refrigerators, stoves, washers and dryers are all energy-suckers, which is why making the switch to energy-efficient models makes sense. You can save a few hundred bucks at the end of the year by opting for appliances that use less energy to complete the same tasks as their non-energy-efficient counterparts. And the government might even pitch in with incentives if you choose to make the switch.

Knowing that your home is easy on the environment and affordable to operate is a huge feature that buyers look for.

Backyard Deck

After checking out all the rooms in the home, buyers love ending off their tour by walking out to an expansive and well maintained deck in the backyard. Millennials in particular have come to expect this feature, so give them what they want and build one if you haven’t already got one.

Even if you’ve got a teeny tiny yard, that doesn’t mean you can’t install one. A deck that fits a couple of chairs and a little table is just enough to provide an outdoor living space. Aside from pressure-treated pine (which is a common material used in building home decks), there are other materials you can consider using, including concrete or composite materials that require less maintenance than wood.

Throw in a few built-in pot lights and you’ll thoroughly impress buyers.

Open Concept

Plenty of homeowners with a separate formal dining room rarely use the space. Actually, scratch that. It is used, but more often for storing junk than for actual sit-down dinners.

These days, millennials prefer an open floor plan with minimal walls that cut off the space. Instead of a separate dining room, living room and kitchen, consider knocking down a few walls to open up the space and bring in more light.

Not only is an open floor plan brighter and more functional, it’s also more conducive to interaction among everyone in the home. Parents can keep tabs on their kids better, and guests can socialize amongst each other regardless if one is in the kitchen and the other is in the living room.

Storage Space in the Garage

Garages aren’t just for storing vehicles – they’re also hugely depended on by homeowners to store things. This is especially true for young couples with growing families. In addition to the basement, the garage tends to be depended on to store all those big items, like strollers, bikes, patio chairs, boxes of old toys, and other things that you’d rather not lug up the stairs from the basement.

Additional storage in the garage allows homeowners to ensure that the inside of their homes is not cluttered and much more organized. After all, the less stuff you have in the house, the less organizing and tidying up is necessary.

Adding this extra storage is easy, and you don’t need a massive garage to make it happen either. All you need is some cabinetry, a peg wallboard to hang your tools, and some lighting to make finding your items a cinch.

Not only should you eliminate features in your home that are considered outdated and unattractive (popcorn ceilings and peeling vinyl floor tiles, that means you!), you should seriously consider incorporating some of the above features to attract the masses of buyers. In addition to these features, there are plenty others that can do the trick to bring in the offers. Consult with your real estate agent for more tips and ideas to get your home sold quickly.

September 5, 1882 was the United States’ first Labor Day, celebrating the social and economic achievements of American workers. 

Over the years, it’s also come to mean the end of summer. (insert crying emoji) 

If summer must end, as it always does, what better way to celebrate than three days by the lakefront, celebrating the oldest of Chicago’s free lakefront music festivals?

The Chicago Jazz Festival has been part of the city’s summer music lineup for more than 40 years. The range of artists run the gamut from jazz legends to influential modern masters and crucial new voices in the genre’s continuing evolution.

The Roots of Chicago Style Jazz

Jazz began as a fusion of African and European musical traditions in the Deep South. 

The “Chicago style” of jazz originated in southern musicians moving North after 1917, bringing with them the New Orleans “Dixieland” or sometimes called “hot jazz” styles, according to Wikipedia sources.

As Wikipedia sources tell it, King Oliver and Jelly Roll Mortonbecame stars of the Chicago jazz scene. King Oliver brought Louis (‘What A Wonderful World’) Armstrongto Chicago in 1922 while he was performing with his Creole Jazz Band. In the WTTW-produced jazz documentary ‘From Riots to Renaissance: Jazz and Blues in Chicago,they say ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong came to prominence as a precision cornet player and later as an energetic trumpeter. He created a new sound known as “scat” — singing nonsensical syllables in lieu of lyrics — using his voice as another instrument.

As WTTW’s documentary tells it, as more musicians came to the Windy City, they found themselves influenced by urban sights, sounds, and rhythms. The music evolved and grew, and with the help of Chicago’s recording industry, the sound of popular bands spread to every corner of America. Out of these beginnings came thousands of variations, including bebop, soul, fusion, swing, cool, and free jazz. 

According to Wikipedia, important musicians coming out of the Chicago style included Lovie Austin, Muggsy Spanier, Jimmy McPartland, Bix Beiderbecke, Eddie Condon, Bud Freeman, Benny Goodman, Gene Krupa, Frank Teschemacher, and Frank Trumbauer.  

The gangsters of Chicago engaged musicians like Earl Hines, who led an orchestra in one of the city’s top locations. Louis Armstrong was also friendly with gangsters, such as Al Capone who frequently paid for private use of jazz clubs.

Chicago Jazz Festival History 

Shortly after Duke Ellington’s death in 1974, a festival was organized to honor him in Grant Park, according to Wikipedia sources.  

More than 10,000 jazz fans attended, and it became an annual event, attracting crowds of up to 30,000. In 1978, another group organized a Grant Park festival to honor John Coltrane.In 1979, the Jazz Institute of Chicagobegan preparations for its own Grant Park Festival, which would have resulted in three separate jazz festivals being held in Grant Park at the end of August, the Mayor’s Office of Special Events stepped in and joined the three different festivals together into the Chicago Jazz Festival.

Four Days of Jazz: August 31-September 3, 2023

Today, jazz remains relevant in all its forms, and those who have followed have improved on the masters listed above. 

The 2023 edition of the Chicago Jazz Festival begins at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Claudia Cassidy Theater, 78 E. Washington Street, 2^nd Floor North: 

• From 11am-12pm, the Festival gets underway with the ‘ Live the Spirit Residency Young Masters.’ 
• From 12:15-1:15pm, it’s the Asian Improv, Francis Wong’s “Legends and Legacies”
• 2-3pm – The Fred Jackson Quartet – Presented by The Elastic Arts Foundation
• 3:15-5:15pm – What is this thing called Jazz? Presented by the Education Committee of the Jazz Institute of Chicago.

At Jay Pritzker Pavilion, 8/31

• 6:30-7:30pm – Chico Freeman-100 Von Freeman Centennial
• 8-9pm – Ron Carter and Foursight 

The Chicago Jazz Festival is free, and a complete schedule can be found by clicking here. 

Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago

The idea of emotional intelligence has been around for a while now. Its importance in business cannot be denied. It can have quite an impact, helping you feel less overwhelmed and more successful at work. Much of what has been written about EI makes it seem like it takes a huge amount of effort and a lifetime commitment to learn, so it’s easy to see why someone would be a bit overwhelmed. But there are a few things we can do everyday to boost our EI!

Becoming more aware of your feelings is an important first step. Take a minute to use words to describe your emotional state. This will give you a sense of awareness and control. Share one positive emotion with another person. Something that they said or did that made you feel good. 

Try to avoid monologues. When talking to someone ask yourself if the topic you are excited about would be of any interest to them. We’ve all been in a situation when someone goes on and on talking about something that we have no interest in. We try to get away as soon as possible. Instead ask them about their life. Most people love to talk about themselves. This will help you forge deeper connections as they will understand that they are important to you. 

Try and listen more. Often when others are speaking, we are thinking of what our response will be. Next time focus on what they are saying. Ask questions. People are so used to not being listened to you will receive their respect. 

Sometimes you just need a time out. We all feel powerful emotions and it’s good when they are positive, like when your team wins, but many times we can experience anger and it is not a good idea to express it immediately. Give yourself a time out. Count to 10 or hum a tune in your head. Find something that works for you. It may save you from saying something you may regret. 

At the end of the day do a review. Consider what went well in your interactions with others and what did not. Give yourself congratulations for those that worked out and celebrate that you are in charge of your emotions and feelings. If something didn’t go well, think of different ways you could have handled it better and resolve to do it. Remember that any progress is a win and will keep you moving in the right direction!

Kathleen Weaver-Zech and Dean’s Team Chicago