EvanstonNow

Many people who attend the Evanston Folk Festival, which concluded Sunday evening, are fixated on seeing the big names, such as the Indigo Girls, performing on the Main Stage.

But there are some solid newer and lesser-known artists performing at the Dawes House Stage, along with folk-related panel discussions and family fun areas nearby, away from the Main Stage and the seemingly endless food outlets.

Thirteen years after first trying to gain a visa to the United States, Abdulhaq Sodais, a former interpreter for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, has settled in Evanston with his wife, Weeda.

It was a long journey to get here, fleeing Afghanistan in 2017 as he made his way west, through Turkey and Greece, where he was mugged and detained, and finally to Germany, where he finally got back into contact with Spencer Sullivan, a U.S. Army combat veteran who he worked with in Afghanistan starting in 2012. Sodais first joined the military as an interpreter in 2010.

Heat and humidity did not stop throngs of folk-lovers from heading to the lakefront for the opening day of the 2026 Evanston Folk Festival Saturday.

The festival runs through Sunday, and includes some offsite evening programs at Evanston Space and Cahn Auditorium at Northwestern.

The Northern Illinois Transportation Authority this week unveiled a proposed map implementing the state’s new People Over Parking Act.

And, as expected, it shows that the law will ban Evanston from setting minimum parking requirements for new developments almost anywhere in town, except for portions of northwest Evanston’s 6th Ward.

A pair of Evanston Township High School alumni have developed new artificial intelligence software to help independent musical artists get on par with those signed to major labels.

SRND (pronounced like “surround”) was launched earlier this summer by Gavi Shohet Zabin and George Pareti. The AI-powered operating system automates several marketing and management-related tasks for independent artists and music labels.

The Evanston health department reports two cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been reported in individuals linked to the Hilton Garden Inn North Shore/Evanston.

The Health and Human Services Department is advising anyone who visited the Hilton Garden Inn at 1818 Maple Ave. in Evanston within the last two weeks and is experiencing symptoms of pneumonia, such as cough, shortness of breath, fever, and fatigue, to consult with their medical provider for further guidance.  

Quick summary

• In the latest step of a yearslong process toward public defense reform in Illinois, the state supreme court this week opened applications for a statewide public defender.
• A 2025 law created the Office of the Statewide Public Defender after Illinois’ 2023 abolition of its cash bail system revealed profound resource shortages in public defender offices around the state.
• The initial statewide public defender, who is set to begin the job on Jan. 1, is charged with standardizing county public defender practices, workloads and salary scales for jobs long beset by recruitment and retention issues.

Nearly three years ago, Illinois became the first state in the nation to fully abolish its cash bail system,

That effort was pushed by criminal justice reform advocates who argued that the ability for a person to post bond after an arrest does not equate with the danger he or she poses to the community.

Plans for a proposed youth sports facility on Green Bay Road have been revised ahead of a final vote at Monday’s City Council meeting.

The privately-funded facility, proposed by the Ishbia Family Foundation, would be at 2722 Green Bay Road, where Office Depot was previously located.

Interim fire chief speaks of "spirit of unity that followed" attacks as leaders, residents gather.

Looking at 150 years of Northwestern football.

But construction start still awaits issuance of permits by city.

There could be some free coffee in it for you.

Madigan's Guitar Works will open at 1608 Maple Ave. after Guitar Works on Main Street closed.

Trial over alleged kickback scheme is scheduled to start next month.

New transit agency for Chicagoland holds first board meetiing.

Chicago Avenue site includes the Park Evanston apartments and Whole Foods.

Ticket sales brisk for this weekend's Evanston Folk Festival.

Over a dozen residents requested a continuance of the Land Use hearing.

Stadium to offer $5 food menu and Chicago staples, like Al's Italian Beef and Garrett's Popcorn, among others.

ETHS and Northwestern grad loses in race for New Hampshire U.S. House seat for the second time.