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Ravinia Festival announced another series of renovations on Wednesday, this time to the Martin Theatre, the last original structure standing from when the 36-acre wooded park in Highland Park opened in 1904. The Martin Theatre refresh will cost an estimated $38 million. The Northbrook-based Negaunee Foundation gifted Ravinia the funds to complete the modernization project. The building will close down after English singer-songwriter Jacob Collier performs on Sept. 23, and the first phase of construction will begin on the Martin in October, according to a press release. Next summer, the renovations will pause for performances slated during the 2027 season, but work will resume shortly after it ends, then officially reopen to the public during the 2028 season. The Martin Theatre sits just past the park’s main gate. This photo is from when the music hall was renamed the Murray Theatre, from 1960 to 1995. Courtesy of Ravinia Festival “The Martin Theater has always been the soul or the heart of Ravinia,” said CEO Jeffrey P. Haydon. “It's a very rare living example of a true Arts and Crafts theater.” He’s referring to an architectural style made popular by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and other 19th- and 20th-century architects. The Martin Theater, with its stained glass windows and thoughtfully crafted wood details, is a prime example of the Arts and Crafts movement. Notably, the historic structure’s stained glass windows inspired the design of the new acoustics shell that Ravinia opened this summer, the result of a $70 million round of renovations. The windows at the Martin Theatre at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times “We feel this is a really important project for us to preserve,” Haydon said. But a lot of basic infrastructure work needs to be completed. Ravinia is once again working with Lohan Architecture’s principal architect Michael Barnes and his team for the updates. From rotting wooden beams to corroded electrical lines and rain damage, the Martin Theatre has been due for a restoration for some time, Haydon said. New light and sound systems will be installed, along with upgraded dressing rooms and better bathrooms. That includes making it comfortable for music lovers of the 21st century, too. “We're all bigger than we were 120 years ago, and so the seats need to be a little bit further apart and we need to have more expanded bathrooms,” Haydon said. “Artists are just as important as the people in the audience.” When the Martin Theater opened in 1904, it primarily served as a cinema and a vaudeville house — meaning the building housed a variety of performances and genres. Frederick Stock and members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra on the steps of the Ravinia Theatre, circa 1905-1906. Courtesy of Ravinia Festival The desire to keep programming diversified at the Martin remains a goal of the updates, Haydon said. “Our intention is to continue building on the classical music tradition with chamber music recitals and operas, but also add more versatility and functionality so that it can better also support jazz, folk, Americana, and some pop,” he said. Haydon said that the new design for the theater will also support Ravinia’s youth music education programs, which have expanded over the last two decades. The multimillion-dollar gift from The Negaunee Foundation is the largest in Ravinia’s history, according to the press release. Concertgoers walk in and out of the present-day Martin Theatre. The building was renamed to the Murray Theatre from 1960 to 1995. Courtesy of Ravinia Festival The updates are part of a major revamp effort in preparation for the park’s 125th anniversary in 2029. Last year, Ravinia unveiled the first of its renovated venues, the Sandra K. Crown Theater inside The Audrey, ahead of its grand reopening this past July. Concertgoers bought tickets to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform with pop artist Lizzo and classical pianist Yunchan Lim, and were among the first to experience the $70 million makeover of the park’s signature stage, the Hunter Pavilion. That update included a bigger stage, wider chairs and better acoustics — but fewer seats. Future phases of renovations include updates to the Carousel Stage and Bennett Gordon Hall.

A pair of homemade wooden benches painted bright yellow and blue appeared last week at CTA bus stops in Ukrainian Village. The benches were built and installed by a neighborhood group tired of seeing bus stops without them. Several people posting online praised the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance for building the benches. The group wants to build more, but is waiting to see what the city does. Technically, the benches are illegal. They were placed without seeking permission from the city, said Sam Kovnar, 25, founder of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance. "A lot of public transit agencies fall short on quality-of-life issues," Kovnar said. "If there's no bench at the bus stop, that makes a difference whenever an older person chooses to use the stop. It makes the five-, 10- or 15-minute wait possible or not." One bench is at Damen Avenue and Thomas Street; the other at Division Street and Oakley Boulevard. People roundly praised the benches in posts on Reddit. One commenter said, "As a person who needs to be able to sit while waiting I thank you for the work you are doing." Kovnar, reflecting on the positive feedback, said, "It was also distressing to read how much difference a bench could make." A blue and yellow bench at a stop for the No. 70 bus near Division Street and Oakley Boulevard. Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times The Chicago Transit Authority has nearly 11,000 bus stops in Chicago. Many of them don't have benches. Over last decade, the city has removed benches from bus stops to deter loitering, according to news reports. It's unclear whether the city will allow the new benches, which aren't bolted down, to stay. The CTA and city Transportation Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the benches. "We're waiting to see what happens," said Kovnar, who works in software. "Obviously if the city sends us an angry letter, we will stop. ... But I think it's hard to argue that the benches are not wanted." Kovnar said he was inspired to build the benches from his time living in Milwaukee, where he helped others build and place homemade benches at bus stops. Eddie Lehwald, a member of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance, said he built one of the two benches a couple of years ago but hesitated to place it at a bus stop. "It stayed in my yard," said Lehwald, 43, of Logan Square. A handmade bench sits at a bus stop at North Damen Avenue and West Thomas Street in Ukrainian Village. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times It took a critical mass of support, and the several dozen members of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance, to inspire Lehwald to finally place it in public. "I was glad to make this bench useful," he said. It's a matter of dignity to have a place to sit while waiting for the bus, Lehwald said. "Anyone who's waited for a bus has experienced the inconvenience of not having a place to sit down," Lehwald said. "If you're a parent and have little kids, or you have a body that's not functioning at 100%, a place to sit is a basic amenity for human dignity." So what's next? "What I'd love is for the city to say, 'A-ha! We do need to do this, and we hear you. This isn't hurting anybody. It's helping people. We tacitly agree not to remove these,'" Lehwald said. The city could even go a step further and bolt down the benches, he said. "The worst thing the city could do is remove them. I think they would be missing an opportunity to positively engage their communities," he said.

A mat Pilates class taught by Keke Palmer is just what you’d imagine: a casual, friendly environment; instruction delivered in a conversational tone; and lots of laughter. Nearly 250 fans experienced it firsthand Sunday at the Salt Shed during the second annual exercise festival “Move at the Shed.” The room was bathed in tranquil green lighting, which the 33-year-old actress, singer and host complimented from the stage. Wearing hot pink leggings and a matching top, she shared anecdotes and cracked jokes as she led the attendees through leg stretches, hip rolls and squats. She occasionally sang along to the background music — a playlist of songs from her albums. Keke Palmer leads nearly 250 participants in a Pilates class during “Move at the Shed” at the Salt Shed on Sept. 13, 2026. “She feels like a friend that you know from home,” said attendee Natalie Dowdell. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times The Pilates class was part of the Robbins native’s latest venture, Practice by Palmer, a digital wellness platform that provides workouts, recorded audio messages and live chats. Palmer, who got her start working with Chicago talent agencies, isn’t the only millennial celebrity cultivating a fitness brand. Rapper Gunna has built a following with his global Wunna Run Club, emcee ASAP Ferg is teaching cycling and boot camp classes, and actress and singer Hilary Duff is the face of a “stronger, not smaller” campaign for the Ladder workout app. In a cultural moment defined by the promotion of GLP-1’s for weight loss, Palmer’s brand is about building community and promoting mental and physical well-being rather than being thin. “Everybody's body is beautiful,” Palmer said during a fireside chat with ABC7 anchor Val Warner after her class. “Pilates is really just about being able to be mobile. It's not about having a six-pack. When you really get deep into your practice, the last thing you're worried about is how you look. You're really worried about how you feel.” Keke Palmer leads a Pilates class during “Move at the Shed” at the Salt Shed on Sept. 13, 2026. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times For Natalie Dowdell, 38, of Ravenswood, the class was “a good mix” of Keke’s personality and a workout class. ”She feels like a friend that you know from home,” Dowdell said. “Anything that she does, I'm like, ‘I gotta check it out.’” Palmer started doing Pilates following the birth of her son in 2023, but quickly discovered she wanted to move beyond personal practice and give back to others. “How can I be on my Tony Robbins?” she said, referencing the famous motivational speaker. Palmer said she has been learning to reconnect with herself and wants to help others do the same. As she mentions in a recent TED Talk, “How I Set Myself Free,” she is getting better at preventing burnout. Working since 11, she found herself in constant survival mode. “I started so young,” she said at the Salt Shed of a career that began with roles in “Akeelah and the Bee” and “True Jackson VP” on Nickelodeon, and grew to include starring roles in hit films such as “Nope” and “One of Them Days.” Her parents, who met working in Chicago’s theater scene, supported her dreams. But she felt pressure to be the breadwinner at a young age. “So much of what I was doing was helping my family. We were getting out of poverty. Scarcity is really scary. Everything feels like you’re a second away from losing it. That’s trauma. And it took me years to understand what was driving me.” Salt Shed Alternative Events Manager Mary McKeen organizes the annual “Move at the Shed” exercise festival at the Salt Shed. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times Palmer’s message resonated with Salt Shed alternative programming manager Mary McKeen, who was looking for “rare and unexpected” experiences for "Move at the Shed." “She is so inspirational,” McKeen said. “Keke is all about finding ways to remember to take care of yourself.” Most of the attendees in Palmer’s class were women in their 20s and 30s who have been following the Emmy-winner for years. For Keralynn Little, seeing someone onscreen who looked like her was “pivotal.” “There weren't a lot of Black girls in movies with lead roles,” said Little, 29, of River West. “I've been a fan ever since. And then I love fitness. So the fact that she got into fitness, it kind of feels like she's growing up with us.” Ines Herrera praised Palmer for being “authentically herself.” Ines Herrera exercises in Keke Palmer’s Pilates class during “Move at the Shed” at the Salt Shed on Sept. 13, 2026. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times “I just love what she stands for,” said Herrera, 26, of Lincoln Square. “So when this came about, I was just like, ‘I'm gonna be here. I'm gonna be in the front row.' And she may never know who I am, but I'm still a dedicated fan.” Jennifer Hill, a 62-year-old Pilates instructor, said she attended the class to observe Palmer’s style and sequence. “With a mass group, you’ve got to be able to tailor to what everyone wants and needs, without being able to see and know the bodies,” said Hill, of South Shore. “She was able to do that.” Hill also said her daughter was a fan of “Akeelah and the Bee.” “It was an empowering movie,” she said. “And [Keke] is continuing to do that now — empowering people.” Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Garth Walker also stopped by to present the star with a resolution proclaiming Sept. 13 “Practice by Palmer Day.” Attendees exercise in Keke Palmer’s Pilates class Sunday during “Move at the Shed” at the Salt Shed. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times

This article references suicide. If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. Michelle Thompkins wants to empower her son about cannabis and drug use, not scare him. “They didn't really do a good job with steering millennials away from those things,” Thompkins said. “It kind of made us want to rebel even more.” The 34-year-old mother brought her son, Micah Thompkins, to the “It’s Not Just Weed,” community forum, held at Kenwood Academy on Wednesday night. Micah Thompkins, 15, is a freshman at Kenwood, and is clear that he’s not interested in trying cannabis anytime soon. “That's just the personal boundary of mine. I'm not too really bright on trying anything that I don't really want to,” Micah said. The Thompkinses were two of about 60 people — mostly parents — who were present. Attendees expressed their concerns about weed and THC-based products getting into the hands of young people. Parent Michelle Thompkins attends a cannabis awareness event at Kenwood Academy on the South Side, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times After marijuana was legalized in 2020, medical professionals predicted an increase in emergency room visits due to consumption of products with higher THC concentrations. Those predictions have come to pass, according to Dr. Maria Rahmandar, an event panelist and medical director of the Substance Use and Prevention Program at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. “There is a risk of cannabis-induced psychosis following cannabis use, particularly in young people,” she said, explaining teen consumption of highly concentrated products. In 2023, five teens were hospitalized after taking gummies while at school at an Uptown neighborhood high school. In Illinois, people are most likely to start using cannabis between the ages of 18-25, according to the Illinois Cannabis Project at the University of Illinois at Chicago. But youths aged 12-17 are not far behind in their usage Kenwood Academy principal Karen Calloway said she hopes this is the first of many events of its kind to address the community's fears. “I think it's important because we have a large population of Chicago public school students,” Calloway said. “We're currently around 2,300 students, and so if we can provide more information to them, I think eventually it becomes a movement around making different and better decisions as it relates to this type of THC usage.” ### Impacts of teen cannabis use In 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a proposed rule to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug, which would define it as a drug with less potential harm than Schedule I drugs that are more likely to be abused. This year, Attorney General Todd Blanche signed an order solidifying that reclassification. Proponents hailed the move, arguing the drug has medical benefits and that the decision both legitimizes medical marijuana programs and eases barriers to research. But critics worry it sends the wrong message to users — especially those who are younger — causing them to underestimate the drug’s effects. Johnny’s Ambassadors founder Laura Stack created the nonprofit to educate parents and teens about the dangers of teen cannabis use in honor of her son who died by suicide after suffering from cannabis-induced psychosis. “There's a lot of confusion out there and a lot of misinformation, and we just really want people to understand why teens should not smoke weed,” Stack said. A student attends a cannabis awareness event at Kenwood Academy on the South Side, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. Stack’s son Johnny died by suicide after years of heavy cannabis usage. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times Kenwood freshman Jarriah McGee, 14, chooses not to use cannabis for a very simple reason. “I’m an athlete, I don't want to partake in those things and ruin my body,” she said. She sees how it influences her peers who seem, “off a little bit, sleepy, head down, a little energetic, too energetic, hungry, thirsty, all those things.” She made this decision even before her grandmother, Kimberly McGee, who was also at the forum, made her attend. Kimberly McGee, a Chicago police officer, said she’s seen young people overdose on marijuana because it’s been laced with meth or rat poison. She has also seen how it impacts young people’s ambition. “They have no drive, no motivation,” she said. “It's ‘wake up, get dressed, go get high.’ Over and over. They have nothing to look forward to. They don't care.” Dr. Maria Rahmandar points to advertisements and social media that expose young people to cannabis early on, which encourages them to try it. “Regulations that allow for colorful packaging that is marketed to youth without sufficient age verification practices, with Instagram models that are appealing to youth, all of that is very concerning,” Rahmandar said. “[These processes are] going to normalize cannabis use for adolescents and young adults and increase their risk of use and negative consequences in the future.” ### ‘I ain’t doing that’ Kenwood Academy’s auditorium can hold 780 people, more than 10 times the number of people who attended Wednesday's forum. Patricia Jones Blessman, a clinical psychologist and panel member, said many schools shied away from hosting the event. “We have gone to a number of high schools around this city, and there were folks who just really didn't even want to touch this subject,” Jones Blessman said. “There's a certain stigma attached to admitting or acknowledging that there may be students or family members who have a substance abuse problem in their home or in their school.” Panelists discussed how to amplify the dangers of marijuana, just like how the dangers of teen pregnancy were marketed to previous generations. Cannabis awareness materials lie on a table at Kenwood Academy on the South Side, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. Candace Dane Chambers/Sun-Times After Stack’s lecture about higher concentration products, like oil used for dabbing, which is inhaling vapors of highly concentrated THC wax after burning, CPS board member Che “Rhymefest” Smith referenced users not knowing the potency or what’s really in the weed they’re consuming. “What I learned today about the dab, they done turned weed into crack,” the Grammy Award winner said. “I'm thinking about family members that I talk to, and I say, ‘You'll buy an Adderall off the street and take it. You'll smoke whatever they give you out the dispensary.” Fellow Grammy-winning songwriter Adam “Bruza” Wright shared his story of smoking four to five joints a day. Now celebrating two years of sobriety, he said he smoked because the type of products he used were a status symbol. “It's all just kind of filtering back into consumerism,” Wright said. “And just exploitation because it all just surrounds flex culture, which all comes back to just making you more fanatic and more addictive.” Smith said there needs to be a new narrative that catches on. “But you gotta make it enticing for young people to say, 'I ain't doing that,'" Smith said. “Young people don't really smoke cigarettes no more. You don't have a lot of teenage pregnancies no more. You used to have a lot of that. There are a lot of negative things that used to happen that young people just don't engage with anymore. How do we do that?"

Chicagoans woke to a clear blue sky and a light fall breeze Friday, just as they did 25 years ago. At Navy Pier, Chicago Fire Department members stood at attention for a memorial ceremony to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Many of the firefighters in attendance were too young to remember that day; others in attendance had caravanned in 2001 to New York City to help firefighters search through the rubble of the Twin Towers. Dignitaries including Sen. Dick Durbin, Gov. JB Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Reps. Jonathan Jackson, Delia Ramirez and Mike Quigley stood by but did not speak to the crowd. Instead, a CFD chaplain offered a prayer for the departed as Chicago Fire boats floated off the pier and a CFD helicopter soared over the crowd. Bagpipers played “Amazing Grace” followed by an Illinois State Police trooper playing “Taps.” The ceremony was a short and solemn reminder of another beautiful September day. Members of the Chicago Fire Department participate in a moment of silence Friday during a ceremony at Navy Pier to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Members of the Chicago Fire Department honor guard perform a ceremonial bell ringing Friday during a ceremony at Navy Pier to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt hugs a supporter as members of CFD commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks Friday during a ceremony at Navy Pier. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Members of the Chicago Fire Department participate in a moment of silence during the ceremony Friday. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Members of the Chicago Fire Department commemorate the Sept. 11 attacks during a ceremony Friday at Navy Pier. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times (From right) U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson join members of the Chicago Fire Department during the ceremony Friday. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Cadets join members of the Chicago Fire Department to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Two pieces of steel from the World Trade Center are present Friday during the ceremony at Navy Pier. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Two pieces of steel from the World Trade Center are present Friday during the ceremony at Navy Pier. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Members of the Chicago Fire Department commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Cadets join members of the Chicago Fire Department during the ceremony. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times Members of the Chicago Fire Department commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks Friday during a ceremony at Navy Pier. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times