In a shocking turnaround, Riot Fest organizers announced they're coming back to Chicago's Douglass Park for this year's music festival.

The big picture: In June, Riot Fest announced it was bolting for the suburbs, blaming the Chicago Park District for a slow permit process.

• Now, organizers say the festival is back in Douglass Park from Sept. 20-22.

What they're saying: "If there was no Chicago, there'd be no Riot Fest," festival founder Michael Petryshyn said in a statement.

• "Riot Fest was born and bred here; it's where we belong."

The intrigue: The festival parted ways with the city after years of complaints from neighborhood groups about the use of Douglass Park.

• After Riot Fest announced it was moving to SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, it was revealed that the festival was going to push out the Chicago Red Stars from their already scheduled match set for that same September weekend.
• Meanwhile, Chicago Ald. Monique Scott and other neighborhood leaders have lobbied to keep it in the West Side park.

Flashback: Riot Fest started in 2005 and played at various venues before landing in Humboldt Park, but it outgrew that space quickly.

• It moved to the larger Douglass Park in 2015.

State of play: Riot Fest organizers are honoring tickets already purchased for the SeatGeek Stadium shows and are also offering discounts for the trouble.

• "To the management of SeatGeek Stadium and the officials in Bridgeview, IL, we have nothing but love and thanks for their generous offer to take us in," Petryshyn said. "They opened their arms to us and we can't wait to work with them in the future."

What's next: The festival headliners were already announced, but new lineups will be revealed this morning.

• Beck, Public Enemy, NOFX, St. Vincent, and Sublime were set to play in Bridgeview.

Chicago parents will spend nearly $750 per child on average this back-to-school season, according to the latest Deloitte survey.

Why it matters: Although inflation's cooling, local families are budgeting to spend more than last year as prices for supplies, tech and clothing remain high.

Driving the news: Some suburban school students are heading back to class this week, and Chicago Public Schools start Aug. 26.

By the numbers: Chicago's average spending is $747, up $92 from last year. That's well above the national average of $586.

• The highest cost falls on tech products, with parents expecting to drop $560 per kid.

Plus: Beyond supplies, parents are also bracing for the hefty expense of enrolling their kids in extracurriculars. Chicagoans surveyed expect those activities to cost $633 on average.

Between the lines: Illinois is no longer freezing back-to-school sales taxes, but there are still plenty of ways to save:

• Experts from Northwestern Mutual suggest shoppers first take stock of what you have at home before you shop, use cash-back sites like Ibotta or Rakuten, and talk to other families about swapping supplies and equipment.
• Cradles to Crayons has 41 locations across Chicago and the suburbs to donate or pick up school supplies.

📚 Mayor Brandon Johnson is reportedly working to oust CPS chief Pedro Martinez, sources tell the Sun-Times and WBEZ. Martinez took over the job under Mayor Lori Lightfoot and is in negotiations with Chicago Teachers Union over a new contract.

🅿️ Previously unannounced parking restrictions went into effect near the United Center for next week's DNC, upsetting neighbors. (ABC7)

🍫 Mars, the parent company that makes M&Ms and Snickers, has agreed to buy Chicago-based snack maker Kellanova in a $36 billion deal. Kellanova makes Cheez-Its. (Axios)

🎭 The Steppenwolf play "Purpose" is moving to Broadway. (Tribune)

Chicago's alt-weekly is celebrating more than a half-century with a new coffee table book.

Why it matters: Throughout its more than 50 years, the Reader has covered underground arts scenes, the historic elections of Harold Washington and Barack Obama, political corruption and counterculture — and it's always been free.

State of play: The paper launched a fundraiser for the "Free Chicago: Fifty Years of the Reader" book last month, and more than $130,000 has been pledged as of yesterday.

• The campaign ends tonight at 9.

Zoom in: The book will draw from 2,500 issues of the paper, and include John Conroy's groundbreaking reporting on police abuse, Cliff Doerksen's James Beard Award-winning story on the history of mincemeat pie, and memories from past contributors and staff.

What they're saying: "We're taking advantage of the format to actually show the paper in all its various incarnations, complete with the show listings, classified, and quirky personal ads that make it such a unique reading experience," Christopher Hass, who's working on the project, tells Axios.

Between the lines: Like many newspapers, the Reader has fallen on difficult financial times in recent years and has been under revolving leadership.

• It transitioned to a nonprofit model in 2022.

What's next: The Reader's Chastity Cooper tells Axios they're on track to publish the book by year-end.

Sideshow Gelato in Lincoln Square has been serving up a thrilling mix of tricks and treats for more than a year now, and its latest offering mixes a bit of both.

The treat: Sanjula's Nacho Daddy gelato ($11) named after one of the Sideshow Gelato's performance emcees Sanjula Vamana.

• Resident gelato chef Jake Biznick combines cheddar cheesecake gelato with candied jalapeños, Tajin and waffle cone chips to create the look of nachos but the taste of ice cream.

The verdict: Creamy, sweet and cheesy. I was kind of bummed not to get a sprinkling of sour and salty Tajin during a recent anonymous visit.

• But I still loved scooping up this gelato spiked with delightfully spicy jalapeños in the wacky Sideshow environment.
• A little goes a long way, and this dessert offers plenty for two.

Bonus: Get a feel for the Sideshow room on my Instagram.