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It’s Thursday, Chicago.

And on this Friday Junior, we’re looking at another weekend of festivities.

Father’s Day greets us Sunday, and Juneteenth is Monday, so we have a few ideas on how to pass the time, including where to take the father figure in your life out to eat across the city and a festival celebrating hip hop in Hyde Park. We’ve also got an all-encompassing guide to summer farmers markets in the city and suburbs.

Then again, a mishmash of muggy hot and cool weather in the city this week might have you seeking relief indoors. If that’s the case, intriguing new shows such as “Stars on Mars,”

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a biography on Martin Luther King Jr. bringing new revelations to light and the premiere of “The Flash” in theaters, can take up ample time inside.

Enjoy the weekend, we’ll see you back next week.

— Lauryn Azu, deputy senior editor

Review: Meatfree Mexican? 3 vegan taquerias tap into this growing genre

Potato and poblano taco, portobello and bell pepper tacos and Taco Magico marinated cremini taco at El Hongo Magico on May 23, 2023.
Potato and poblano taco, portobello and bell pepper tacos and Taco Magico marinated cremini taco at El Hongo Magico on May 23, 2023.

Three new vegan Mexican restaurants are influencing Chicagoans to try their tacos meatless. Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger samples these restaurants and scores them based on whether they appeal to just vegetarians, or omnivores too. Read more here.

Hyde Park Summer Fest will be back, with Chicago’s hip hop scene taking center stage

Crowds at 2022's Hyde Park Summer Fest.
Crowds at 2022’s Hyde Park Summer Fest.

Hyde Park Summer Fest is back this weekend on the Midway Plaisance at 59th Street and Dorchester Avenue, to honor the 50th anniversary of hip hop music. On deck is a star-studded lineup including Clipse, 2 Chainz, Lil Kim and Vic Mensa. Read more about the festival, and how to get tickets, here.

Father’s Day specials at 34 Chicago restaurants, from backyard barbecues to brunch buffets

Father's Day specials at Adalina.
Father’s Day specials at Adalina.

Dine out with dad at one of these 35 food establishments offering specials across town for the holiday. Treat dad to gelato with a magician, a barbecue along the Chicago River, or a 5k and free beer in Bridgeport. Get more gift inspiration here.

‘The Flash’ review: As DC’s running man goes in circles, Michael Keaton’s Batman periodically saves the day

Ezra Miller, from left, Michael Keaton and Miller in “The Flash.”

Michael Keaton’s back as Batman in “The Flash,” which premieres this weekend. Ezra Miller stars as the title character who hopes to go back in time to undo a grisly crime that tore a family apart, in a storyline with “a series of entwined spaghetti strands,” Tribune critic Michael Phillips writes. Read more about the upcoming movie here.

Step right up: Workers in Lincoln Square’s new gelato shop perform circus acts as they serve up vegan scoops

Professor Pinkerton Xyloma performs at Sideshow Gelato, on North Western Avenue in Chicago, on June 1, 2023. Sideshow Gelato is an artisanal gelateria, sideshow, and dime museum displaying a collection of strange and unusual objects.
Professor Pinkerton Xyloma performs at Sideshow Gelato, on North Western Avenue in Chicago, on June 1, 2023. Sideshow Gelato is an artisanal gelateria, sideshow, and dime museum displaying a collection of strange and unusual objects.

Get a show with a side of gelato at a new Lincoln Square parlor, where workers perform circus acts while they scoop. The gelateria opened a few weeks ago, after owner Jay Bliznick was inspired by a trip to Florence and his love for show business. Read more about the vegan flavors and acts dished out here.

Jonathan Eig wrote ‘King: A Life’ about Martin Luther King Jr. — the man this time, instead of the myth

Jonathan Eig, a writer who has become one of the most accomplished biographers in the country, in his Chicago home office on May 16, 2023.
Jonathan Eig, a writer who has become one of the most accomplished biographers in the country, in his Chicago home office on May 16, 2023.

Biographer Jonathan Eig wrote the first major biography of Martin Luther King Jr. in 40 years, “King: A Life”based off around 200 interviews. Tribune reporter Chris Borrelli speaks with Eig and sits in at a cross-congregation book club in Bronzeville to get the real impact of the work. Read the story here.

Guide: 53 farmers markets in Chicago and the suburbs, including one saved by neighborhood moms

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Deepa Beshmukh, a private-sector dietician, speaks with Ralph Lopez of Michigan-based Lopez Farms at the Aurora Farmers Market on Saturday, which was the last day of the season for the market.
Deepa Beshmukh, a private-sector dietician, speaks with Ralph Lopez of Michigan-based Lopez Farms at the Aurora Farmers Market on Saturday, which was the last day of the season for the market.

After hearing news of its cancellation, a group of neighborhood moms took charge of the Everyday Edgebrook Farmers Market, saving its return to the corner of Hiawatha and Central avenues this summer. With the arrival of pleasant outdoor weather, communities see farmers markets as a way to connect with neighbors and local businesses. Check out our map of 53 Chicago-area farmers markets to find one near you.

Column: The reality show ‘Stars on Mars’ is ‘Big Brother’ meets ‘The Martian’ — and a whole lot of propaganda

“Celebronauts” are part of “Stars on Mars” on Fox.

The Fox series “Stars on Mars,” which premiered earlier this month, poses 12 celebrities in competition to see if they can survive life on Mars. Tribune critic Nina Metz discusses the show’s merits in an interview with physicist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein in her latest column. “I think ‘Stars on Mars’ is too dull to be either informative or entertaining, but I’m curious about what it’s actually doing when we scratch beneath the surface,” Metz writes. Read on here.

The Who’s Pete Townshend tells the story behind ‘Tommy,’ now reinvented at the Goodman Theatre

Pete Townshend at the Ritz-Carlton on Oct. 11, 2022, in Chicago. “The Who’s Tommy,” co-created and written by Townshend, will be performed at the Goodman Theatre in 2023.

The Chicago reboot of the musical “Tommy” opens at Goodman Theatre soon, named for the fourth studio album released by The Who. Tribune critic Chris Jones interviews “Tommy” songwriter and composer Pete Townshend about what audiences can expect, and gets a glimpse at rehearsals. Read more here.

Chicago hotel guide: 7 new, updated and renovated spots for summer tourists and staycations

Dutch hotel chain citizenM opened its first hotel in downtown Chicago with 280 rooms and art by Nina Chanel Abney, who painted an abstract tribute to the city on the building's exterior.
Dutch hotel chain citizenM opened its first hotel in downtown Chicago with 280 rooms and art by Nina Chanel Abney, who painted an abstract tribute to the city on the building’s exterior.

Summertime in Chicago is worth traveling from faraway lands for, and hotels are eager to welcome new guests after renovating during the pandemic. Read on about the latest upgrades worth booking here.