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🌱 It's Peak Fall Foliage, Chicago + City's Must-Try Spooky Cocktails

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Chicago.

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(Patch Media)

Good morning! Thanks for checking out today's Chicago Daily. In today's guide to local stories:

  • 🍂 It's peak fall foliage week
  • 🏎️ 5 shot, 3 killed in massive drag racing incident
  • 🍸 Must-try spooky Halloween cocktails

P.S. Don't forget: Early voting begins today in all 50 wards!

☀️ The weather:

Variably cloudy and warm. High: 74 Low: 60.

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📰 Top 5 stories in Chicago:

1) Petitions out for Rep. Garcia mayoral run; lawmaker still mulling Chicago City Hall bid. While Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, D-Ill., ponders a 2023 run for Chicago mayor, his allies on Saturday started circulating mayoral nominating petitions on his behalf. One political matter Garcia's team is weighing has to do with the Chicago Teachers Union. The CTU already endorsed one of its employees for mayor: Brandon Johnson. In September, Garcia told reporters the odds of his running in the 2023 City Hall contest were 50-50.

Chicago Sun-Times

2) 5 shot, 3 killed during massive drag racing incident. Five people were struck by gunfire and three died in connection with an overnight shooting during a drag racing incident involving about 100 cars. The shooting happened shortly before 4 a.m. yesterday near the 4300 block of South Kedzie Avenue. A massive caravan gained control of a West 43rd Street intersection and cars were drifting in the middle of the road. All five victims had gang affiliations.

Patch Chicago

3) Monkeypox kills 2 in Chicago's first fatal cases. The Chicago Department of Public Healthannounced on Friday the first two monkeypox deaths in Chicago. The disease quickly spread throughout the city this summer, peaking in July with 142 new cases. Its transmission has sharply slowed as vaccination and awareness have increased. Five people have died as a result of monkeypox across the country, though nearly 30,000 have been infected.

Chicago Tribune

4) It's officially peak fall foliage week in the Chicago area. Fall foliage is in full force in Chicago. For the past couple of weeks, trees have been showing patchy coloring. Now, it looks like they're bursting with it. The Smoky Mountains' 2022 Fall Foliage Map indicates that Chicago's fall foliage will hit its peak today. The colors will begin to fade in about a week, waning out by Halloween.

NBC Chicago

5) Must-try spooky cocktails from your favorite Chicago bars. Floating eyeballs? Witches blood? If you plan to celebrate Halloween this year, you'll want to try these spooky cocktails from your favorite Chicago bars. Don't say we didn't warn you!

Urban Matter

📌 Today in Chicago:

  • Grab and Go: Halloween Pinch Pots at Sulzer Regional Library (10:00 AM)
  • Pier Pumpkin Lights at Navy Pier (11:00 AM)
  • Immersive King Tut at Lighthouse ArtSpace Chicago (1:00 PM)
  • Sweet Dreams The Halloween Experience at Rizzo's Bar & Inn (5:00 PM)
  • Mark Tuan at House of Blues (7:00 PM)
  • Annual New Belgium Pumpkin Carving Contest at Easy Bar (7:00 PM)
  • Blushing with Lucid Express & Astrobrite at Empty Bottle (7:30 PM)
  • Madison Cunningham with Bendigo Fletcher at Thalia Hall (8:00 PM)
  • The Lone Bellow - Love Song For Losers Tour with Bailen at SPACE (8:00 PM)
  • Bingo with Tyler at Reggies (8:00 PM)
  • Spooky Movie Night at Cafe Mustache (11:00 PM)

📱 Social chatter:

  • Faceless phantom: "What was the faceless phantom-like "thing" that haunted Edgewater? We took a look:" (Block Club Chicago via Facebook)
  • Día de los Muertos: "Join us on Saturday, October 29th from 3:00 – 8:00pm as we celebrate Día de los Muertos by transforming the Museum and its surroundings into a beautiful space to remember our loved ones. On this special day, guests will enjoy ofrendas created by community members, live musical performances, art activities, and a large illuminated ofrenda projected outside of the museum" (National Museum of Mexican Art via Facebook)
  • Trick-or-treat signs: "If you live in the 23rd Ward and want a sign, they are available at no charge. Pick up yours weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at either of Ald. Tabares' two offices." (Southwest Chicago Post via Facebook)
  • PSLF application: "One of our Black veteran teachers at a South Side elementary school just had $140,000 in student loan debt forgiven. This could be you. Act now!" (Chicago Teachers Union via Facebook)
  • Kolaches: "Are kolaches a possible trend around town?" (Eater Chicago via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Monday off right! I'll see you around.

— Nicole Cvetnic

About me: I'm a Midwesterner and very happy to call Chicagoland home. I love the outdoors—especially hiking, performing arts, photography, good food, travel and gardening. You can often find me reading to my two-year-old daughter, watching a tv series with my husband or cuddling with our special needs dog

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Chicago Daily? Contact me at chicago_il@patch.com

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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