Gina Grillo – Page 2 –

Crossing the finish line, during the second annual Walking for Avenues, at Maine South High School in Park Ridge on Saturday, a fundraising walk hosted by Avenues to Independence, a nonprofit serving adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. (Gina Grillo/ for the Pioneer Press)

Walking for Avenues draws hundreds in Park Ridge to celebrate independence and raise money

June 16, 2026 at 5:59 a.m.

Hundreds gathered Saturday for a community celebration of independence and to participate in the second annual Walking for Avenues, at Maine South High School in Park Ridge.

Live singing performances by members of the Kiki Queens Chicago drag cabaret troupe, donating 100 percent of performance proceeds to LGBTQ+ community organizations. Kiki Queens and supporters have raised more than $200,000 for local nonprofits, with additional music by DJ Gloria entertainment during the third annual Pride in Park Ridge Community Celebration on June 5. at Hodges Park. (Gina Grillo/ for the Pioneer Press)

Third annual Pride in Park Ridge Community Celebration on June 5 draws hundreds of attendees

June 9, 2026 at 12:29 p.m.

Of the hundreds who attended Pride in the Park on Friday in uptown Park Ridge, many have grown up here and say they never thought they’d see a Pride Celebration...

Along with National Cemetery Administration staff, representatives from the Libertyville VFW Post 8741 (pictured here), Bugles Across America, Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Community Pageants, and National Women Veterans United, also took part in the 7th annual Fort Sheridan National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony, in Lake Forest on Sunday. (Gina Grillo/ for the Pioneer Press)

Annual Fort Sheridan National Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony remembers those who made ultimate sacrifice

May 25, 2026 at 2:38 p.m.

The morning rain cleared, revealing a blue sky on Sunday, May 24, for the 7th annual Fort Sheridan National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony in Lake Forest.

Sean Loughran, 9th Infantry Division Reenactor with Joe Pinter, Luke Pinter, 8, Noelle Pinter, 9, and Hannah Pinter, 4, all from Park Ridge, during the 3rd annual Living History: Military History Exhibit, hosted by the Park Ridge Historical Society on May 16. (Gina Grillo/ for the Pioneer Press)

Park Ridge History Center holds annual Living Military display for Armed Forces Day

May 18, 2026 at 3:45 p.m.

While World War II memorabilia for some of us can end up in a cardboard box gathering dust on a shelf in the basement, at the Park Ridge History Center...

Sharing the gastronomic delights of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region is part of the family legacy of Highwood residents and first cousins, Mada Ugolini Hitchmough and Ruthie Amidei – fulfilling a long-time dream with the opening of Pelago Café, at 325 Waukegan Avenue in Highwood, May 14, 2026. (Gina Grillo/ for the Pioneer Press)

Highwood’s new restaurant, Pelago Cafe, to feature cuisine inspired by Emilia-Romagna

May 11, 2026 at 5:19 p.m.

Sharing the gastronomic delights of Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region runs through the blood, and the family legacy of Highwood residents and first cousins, Ruthie Amidei and Mada Ugolini Hitchmough.

Linden Hong, 6 years old, of Wilmette, takes part in the Cook County Department of Resources Management’s tree climbing activity during Sunday’s 4th annual Earth-A-Palooza, a free eco-friendly festival at Linne Woods in Morton Grove. (Gina Grillo/ for the Pioneer Press)

Morton Grove sees fourth annual Earth A Palooza in Linne Woods for area residents

April 27, 2026 at 3:50 p.m.

Amidst an array of national Earth Day celebrations, in Morton Grove, area residents gathered Sunday to celebrate not just the ways we can help our planet, but the ways the...

Hundreds of protesters gathered on Touhy Avenue between Summit and Prospect in Park Ridge for Saturday’s No Kings rally. The rally was followed by a mile-long march down Prospect Avenue through the center of town. (Gina Grillo/ For the Pioneer Press)

Hundreds in Park Ridge participate in No Kings protest Saturday

March 30, 2026 at 4:46 p.m.

As Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. blared from a distant car radio, hundreds of protesters gathered on Touhy Avenue between Summit and Prospect in Park Ridge for Saturday’s No...

Eliza Rauh, 6 years old, and Ayla Rauh, 8 years old, from Highland Park,

take part in Saturday’s Up Up and Away, a hands-on kite building and kite flying adventure hosted by the Park District of Highland Park at Rosewood Beach, one of many public programs offering area families a connection to nature. (Gina Grillo/ For the Pioneer Press)

Families take part in kite building and flying at Highland Park’s Rosewood Beach

March 23, 2026 at 3:02 p.m.

Saturday’s spring temperatures beckoned area families outdoors to Rosewood Beach to take part in a kite-flying adventure.

Cyclists pose for a pre-ride photo Saturday morning during the 7th annual celebration of International Women's Day Together We Ride at Trek Highland Park. (Gina Grillo/ For the Pioneer Press)

Cyclists and hikers gathered in Highland Park on March 7 to honor International Women’s Day

March 9, 2026 at 6:55 p.m.

Saturday’s spring temperatures and light rain didn’t deter cyclists and hikers who gathered to honor the 115th anniversary of International Women's Day.

Rendezvous Arts: Latin Jazz -- Featuring James Sanders &; Conjunto offered sizzling Latin Jazz by James Sanders & Conjunto, Caribbean rhythms presented alongside the vibrant-hued and light-filled paintings of Anna Lentz, at the Gorton Center on the evening of Jan. 16. Here, Gorton Center Hospitality Coordinator, Jasmin Rodriguez, dances in the aisle. (Gina Grillo/ for the Pioneer Press)

Latin Jazz Show at Lake Forest’s Gorton Center kicks off new year of partnership with Rendezvous Arts

January 22, 2026 at 9:44 a.m.

Can listening to a musical performance conjure a color, a shape, or a scene in your mind? Co-founder of Rendezvous Arts, Deb Stevenson, says finding an association between visual art...

All Stories