winter cycling workshop

Have you been thinking about riding your bike in winter but weren't sure how to stay warm, or needed a few other ideas to make it happen? Check out this Bike Winter workshop - Get Layered: Winter Cycling Tips and Tricks. It's a free outdoor workshop to promote biking as year-round transportation in Chicago. Free gaitors and stickers! It's happening on 10/11 from 11am-1pm at the Logan Square Farmer's Market: 3111 W Logan Blvd.

music at Blue Moon on Friday 10/2

Visit Blue Moon Friday evening for a bite, and enjoy the unique rock of Slump, 7 p.m. The food and drinks are excellent. Check it out at 1742 W. 99th St., just east of the Metra tracks.

tomorrow night at World Music Company

...and every Wednesday night, 7:30 to 10:00 p.m., the Beverly All Stars play jazz for you. Join them for a night of fine music tomorrow night.

World Music Company is a great place to relax in the evening. Tell your friends. Meet some new ones. C'mon down to 1808 W. 103rd St., just east of the Metra tracks ($3 cover).

Jazz Showcase

Looking for something cool to do this week? Check out the Jazz Showcase calendar.

Working Bikes 10th anniversary

Working Bikes is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this Saturday 9/26, 6-10 pm at its "new" location, 2434 S. Western Ave. There will be live music, food and Fat Tire and Hoptoberfest beer provided by New Belgium Brewing.

Over the last ten years Working Bikes has gathered, repaired and distributed about 10,000 bikes in the Midwest and about 30,000 bikes internationally, providing sustainable transportation all over the planet, making people smarter and healthier and the earth a better place to be. Celebrate 10 years of community service and international aid!

Daniel Burnham scavenger hunt 9/26

It's happening on Saturday 9/26. Check it out if you and a team of friends want to test your knowledge in local history and architecture.

ShamrOcktoberfest at Cork and Kerry

Cork and Kerry is hosting its annual ShamrOcktoberfest Sat. 9/26, 3pm to close. Bands will play in the beer garden and inside the new Kells Room. $10 donation (at the door) goes to supporting local charities, including BAPA. Enjoy samplings of Authentic Munich Oktoberfest Beers and Domestic Octoberfest favorites. Your donation also gets you a T-shirt and beer glass, while supplies last.

history mystery bike tour coming soon

The History Mystery Bike Tour is back - Sunday 10/4, 11am-4pm. Take a ride through the neighborhood with family and friends - answering clues along the way. We have a mini-mystery tour for the little ones! Sign up in advance to make sure you get an event bike bag!

transit freebie today

McDonald's is giving away free coupons and transit cards this morning for a promotion. Read the article for details.

out and about in the neighborhood

I was out for a ride this morning, running some errands, and noticed a few things.

When I first checked out the new Dat Donuts on 111th, there was a large group of us, and we watched each other's bikes. This morning I stopped there and realized there are no bike racks on that section of 111th. Checked the signpost nearby - don't lock to that! Someone could easily pull the loose pole and take off with your bike. The iron fence next door worked as an improvised rack. Afterwards, I noticed orange paint marks on the sidewalk nearby - early warning of a new bike rack. Yeah!! Also, there are a couple of racks around the corner on Longwood next to the BAPA office.

Next stop, 103rd St. I've long appreciated all the racks within a block or so of the Metra tracks, and I use them often. Stopped in at Calabria to pick up a few goodies. They've taken out another cooler and added more tables. Goodbye, Pellegrino Limonata. I love that stuff. They've changed the product mix a bit, presumably because a greater variety of people have been visiting for lunch. Now they have Jarritos Limon instead. It's tasty if I want something sweet. I guess I'll have to get my next tart lemon fix with Schweppes Bitter Lemon from County Fair.

Oak Lawn bike and dine on 9/26

The Bike Psychos bike club of Oak Lawn is having a bike and dine progressive lunch/dinner from 1-5 pm on Saturday 9/26. Riders will meet at 12:45 at the Oak Lawn Village Green, 94th & Cook and leave at 1:00 to have appetizers at Baja Sol, salad at Jason's Deli, entree at Grassano's Pizza and dessert at Millie's Ice Cream. ($20 per rider - includes water and a soft drink. Other drinks available at additional cost.)

Registration deadline is TOMORROW 9/20. Helmets are required, and riders must be at least 18 years old. If you're interested, contact Debbie at dastof@sbcglobal.net

(park)ing day

This event has been happening for a few years now, but I know that plenty of you haven't heard about it yet. It's a creative way to make a statement about the need for green space in our cities.

Here is the current list of the various Park(ing) Day sites taking place in the Chicago area.

Moss and Strand Design, 3552 N Southport Ave near Addison
Quatrine Custom Furniture, 670 N. Wabash
Architecture for Humanity, 3337 N. Broadway

World Music Festival starts TODAY

Chicago's excellent World Music Festival starts today in many different venues around the city. Beverly will host a concert tonight: Cara Dillon at World Music Company.

Chicagoland car-free day is 9/22

Will you go car-free on Tuesday?

cooking classes here in the neighborhood

Have you ever wanted to take a cooking class here in the neighborhood but didn't know where to find one?

Cakewalk Chicago on 99th St. is the place to go for baking, cake and cookie decorating, candymaking, gingerbread houses and children's classes.

Beverly's Pantry on 103rd offers a variety of cooking classes, including "create a class," where you and a group of friends choose a theme and get a class designed just for you. They have classes for kids, too.

Koda on Western occasionally offers classes, which are advertised via their e-mail list. Cooler weather will be coming soon. It's a great time to get back into the kitchen to cook up a treat.

Larry Gray Jazz Trio at WMC on 9/19

The Larry Gray Jazz Trio will be playing at World Music Company on Saturday 9/19. This will be a show worth seeing. Come check it out for yourself.

Boulevard Lakefront Tour

This is absolutely my favorite big ride in Chicago - a wide range of city neighborhoods, a great mix of people, live entertainment, food, and fun. This year's 21st anniversary event is happening on Sunday 9/13. Registrations are accepted up to the start of the ride.

It starts at Washington Park, within easy riding distance of the CTA red and green lines, if you prefer not to drive. It's even a Climate Neutral event (the first of its kind in Chicago). There's a route for every ability: 15 mile family ride, 27 mile Beverly Cruise, 35 mile Boulevard Tour, and 62 mile (metric century) Ultimate Neighborhood Ride. The 27 and 62 mile routes visit Beverly and Pullman.

The Ride Guide will point the way and offer details on Chicago’s rich history and main points of interest along the route. The post-ride festival will feature live entertainment, picnic lunch and drinks by Goose Island Brew Pub.

Registration includes:
• Event T-shirt and post-ride festival
• Volunteer support and five rest/water stops on the course
• Ride guide with points of interest along the route
• Scavenger hunt for raffle prizes
• Live entertainment at the festival

If you'd like to support the event but can't ride, please volunteer.

Either way, I hope we'll see you out there!