John Prine mural adorns Old Town School of Folk Music
Chicago Sun Times / by Genevieve Bookwalter / July 24, 2026 For John Prine fans, the massive new mural painted on the Old Town School of Folk Music in Lincoln Square can prompt pedestrians to stop and blink back tears. The Maywood native and folk music legend died in 2020 from COVID complications. This month, his friend and fellow musician Jon Langford, who designed the mural, teamed up with Chicago artist Darius Dennis, owner of Big Wall Sign & Mural, to paint a tribute to Prine on the school’s second
Weekend Break: Square Roots in Lincoln Square
WGN9 / Weekend Break / July12, 2026 As summer takes hold of Chicago and festivals coat the Windy City streets, there's one that takes place on Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Square that has been entertaining crowds for years. WGN's Shannon Halligan has more. View More Here.
rts & Entertainment Chicago-Area Live Music Recommendations for July 8-14
WTTW / by Josh Terry / July 8, 2026 Each Wednesday, WTTW News producer Josh Terry presents must-see live music shows from indie rock to jazz, country, hip-hop and more. Daily Chicagoan, the newsletter from WTTW News, sends these picks to your inbox each week along with more essential recommendations from our staff. Read More Here.
Mural honoring John Prine to grace outside wall of Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music
CBS News / by Adam Harrington / July 2, 2026 Renowned singer-songwriter and Chicago-area native John Prine will be honored with a mural at the Old Town School of Folk Music in the Lincoln Square community. Big Wall Sign & Mural announced Wednesday that visual artist and musician Jon Langford designed the mural, for which work began this week. The mural will be painted on the north-facing brick wall of the Old Town School's headquarters at 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. Read
Square Roots Returns With Headliners Margo Price, Dehd, Nick Lowe And Hurray For The Riff Raff
Block Club Chicago / by Alex V. Hernandez / June 9, 2026 LINCOLN SQUARE — Lincoln Square’s popular Square Roots Festival is back in July featuring a mix of live music from Chicago artists, local food and craft beer and expanded family programing. Organized by the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and the Old Town School of Folk Music, the popular three-day street fest kicks off 5 p.m. July 10 and runs through July 12. This year’s festival will again take over Lincoln Avenue between Montrose
Column: Return with us now to those thrilling songs of yesteryear in ‘Chicago 1971’
Chicago Tribune / by Rick Kogan / March 4, 2026 For those of us who keep a foot firmly in the past, how fortunate to find John Ballantyne and Gus Noble, a couple of guys from Scotland, who are in the buoyant business of traveling back more than 50 years to give us a time and place and three guys who changed the face of American music in profound, thrilling ways. Those guys were Kris Kristofferson, Steve Goodman and John Prine. The time and place form the title of their musical-theatrical show, “Chicago
Square Roots Returns With Headliners Calexico, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Alejandro Escovedo
Block Club Chicago / by Alex V. Hernandez / June 10, 2025 LINCOLN SQUARE — Lincoln Square’s popular street festival returns next month, showcasing a mix of live music from Chicago artists alongside a selection of craft beer and family programing. Organized by the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce and the Old Town School of Folk Music, the popular three-day street festival kicks off 5 p.m., July 11 and runs through July 13, with live music, local restaurants, market vendors and a craft beer
