One more time, for old time's sake, the Mills Senior Orchestra will present a concert, their fond farewell, at 1 p.m. on May 28 at the Oak Park Arms ballroom.

Two noteworthy Oak Park forces will combine on May 23 in a timely fundraiser for the Historical Society of Oak Park-River Forest. The National Historic Landmark Heurtley House will open its doors for a rare glimpse into its Frank Lloyd Wright-designed interiors and local graphic novelist Chris Ware will be on hand to sign copies of his "time-warp" poster, featuring the Heurtley House, and to share insights into his work on the acclaimed "boxed" novel, Building Stories along with his covers for the New Yorker and work with the New York Times.

A guide to local shopping and activities to kick off your summer.

Our must-have list of local products to start your summer.

Now that the seasons of colorful blooms are here, planting an eclectic variety of native plants in a front or backyard garden is an eco-friendly idea that is catching on.

2013 may be remembered as the year that Ridgeland Common closed for construction, taking away one of Oak Park's two public pools for an entire summer season. While the Ridgeland pool will return new and improved in 2014, for this year, other local pools are prepared for increases in visitors.

Sitting on a blanket, with a bag of popcorn and a beverage in tow, to take in free outdoor movies on jumbo screens in popular parks, or pools, is a rite of summer in Oak Park, Forest Park, Riverside and Brookfield. In those places, it seems, seeing an outdoor flick on a humongous movie screen is the right thing to do this summer.

Forest Park Park Director Larry Piekarz said that part of the appeal of the No Gloves Tournament is the elements that have remained constant through the years: top-notch softball, smoke rising from grills and busy beer tents. However, for the 45th annual tournament, there will be some new attractions.

With better weather and longer days, local farmers' markets are readying for opening day.  In Oak Park, Riverside, and Forest Park, residents will soon be abandoning the frozen food aisle and buying their produce fresh from the farm.

Looking for local summer races in or near the western suburbs? Those hard core runners can always find high-intensity events, and many are willing to travel long distances to find them.