City Cast Chicago
😭 Why are groceries SO expensive?
July 30, 2025 · — Emmi Mack
Hey pierogi heads! In 2019, potato pierogies at Berghoff cost $9.50. Guess what they cost today in Crain’s nifty price tracker — reubens and saurbraten too.
Spoiler alert: Everything is (way) more expensive now. Expensive groceries are the subject of today’s podcast. Let’s get into it 👇
What Chicago's Talking About
Why Is Everything So Expensive?!
Grocery prices across the country rose 28% between 2019 and 2024. And it’s not getting better. The Sun-Times’ Stephanie Zimmermann has been tracking prices across grocery stores in Chicago since December. Today, she joins the City Cast Chicago podcast to discuss her findings. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
Chicago Comedians React to Colbert Cancellation
Long before Stephen Colbert became host of “The Late Show,” he honed his comedy craft in Chicago. Now that his show is slated to end, Chicago comics are sharing predictions for the rest of its run. Their general consensus? The gloves are coming off when it comes to President Donald Trump. [WBEZ]
- Related: Stephen Colbert is a Chicago guy. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
Will ICE Affect Fiesta del Sol?
Fiesta del Sol kicks off Thursday in Pilsen, but organizers worry U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement will show up unannounced. In preparation, they’ve been working to inform neighbors of their rights. Despite fears, the event is expected to draw over 1 million attendees. [Block Club]
A Rapid Response Team Forms To Help Trans Youth
As Chicago hospitals cut back on care for trans youth, a rapid response team has emerged to connect families with other doctors and cover costs. Currently, the network includes nurse practitioners and doctors, some of whom will perform surgeries. [Sun-Times]
- Related: Here’s how young trans Chicagoans are under threat. [City Cast Chicago 🎧]
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What To Do
Wednesday, July 30
- 🧜🏾♀️ “The Little Mermaid” | Gallagher Way | Wrigleyville
- 🚇 CTA Chat | Davis Purple Line | Evanston
- 🕺🏻 Pisco Disco | Tanta Cocina Peruana | Streeterville
- 🌸 “Moana 2″ | Donovan (George) Park | Bridgeport
- 🌳 “Seeds (Semillas)” | Kilbourn Park | Belmont Gardens
- 🦔 “Sonic 3” | Washington Park Refectory
- 🎆 Bottomless Margaritas & Fireworks | Riverwalk | Loop
- 🎥 "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" | Rooftop Cinema Club | West Loop
- 🎶 Whisker Album Release | Constellation Chicago | Bricktown
- 🎥 "Audre Lorde: The Berlin Years 1984-1992" | Chicago Justice Gallery | Pilsen
- 🎨 Creative Wellness Wednesday | PorkChop | Rogers Park
- 🎶 Sierra Ferrell | Metro | Wrigleyville
- ✈️ Prospa | Vertiport Hangar | Near West Side
- 🎵 Otoboke Beaver + Spread Joy | Empty Bottle | Ukrainian Village
Thursday, July 31
- 🎵 Lollapalooza | Grant Park
- 🏮 Argyle Night Market | Argyle Street from Kenmore to Sheridan | Uptown
- 🧙🏽 “Wicked” | A. Montgomery Ward Park | River North
- 🚇 CTA Chat | Paulina and Howard bus terminal | Rogers Park
- 🎥 “IF” | Armour Square Park | Bridgeport
- 🖼️ The Artistry of Plastic Surgery | International Museum of Surgical Science | Gold Coast
- 🦔 “Sonic 3” | Woodhull Playground Park | South Shore
- ✍️ Poetry workshop | National Public Housing Museum | Near West Side
- 🧙🏼♂️ "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" | Rooftop Cinema Club | West Loop
- 🎶 Bleachers | Metro | Wrigleyville
- 🖼️ Body Bits | The Arts Club of Chicago | Streeterville
- 🎵 Ravyn Lenae | Park West | Lincoln Park
- 🌮 Bodegapalooza | Bodega Taqueria y Tequila | West Loop
- 🎶 Lollapalooza Afterparty | Hubbard Inn | River North
Sponsored Content
It’s Wing Week: Deals, Sauce, + Malört BBQ?
Wing Week is taking over Woodie’s, Hopsmith, + all three Fatpour locations with deals on wings, eating contests, rotating sauces like Woodie’s award-winning Sriracha Soy, Garlic Parmesan, and even… an unhinged Malört BBQ sauce. Celebrate National Chicken Wing Day (7/29) the only way we know how: all damn week.
🚲 Happy 10th birthday to the 606! Although hanging out on the defunct railroad was pretty fun, scootering this paved trail for the past decade has been a treat.
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