Regular week-to-week competitions are fine, and the four major tournaments are always exciting. But if you really want to get a non-fan interested in professional golf—or watch a die-hard fan absolutely lose it—nothing can really compare to the Ryder Cup, which every two years pits teams of pros from the United States and Europe against each other in a battle for pride, glory, and continental superiority (in other words, no money).

This year’s 39th annual incarnation begins this week with the event’s first-ever visit to Illinois at the storied Medinah Country Club (6N001 Medinah Rd.), just outside of Chicago. The event is sold out, so check with your concierge or a third-party resale site such as StubHub or Craigslist for tickets.   

The Ryder Cup runs Sep. 25–30, with practice rounds Tue.–Wed., opening ceremony on Thu., and competitive rounds Fri.–Sun. Very limited tickets are available for practice rounds by calling 630.925.7287 or 800.742.4653.

Lucy and Ricky Ricardo—that wacky and lovable couple—have captured America’s imaginations since 1951, when their show first premiered on national television. Now, they’re coming to Chicago, where I Love Lucy ® Live on Stage opens Broadway in Chicago’s 2012–13 season at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place (175 E. Chestnut), running through Nov. 11.

As an audience member, in a meta experience, you actually become the studio audience at the filming of two familiar I Love Lucy episodes. With the Ricardos’ 623 East 68th St. living room and the Tropicana nightclub bandstand as a backdrop, a host tells you about the filming process and about this crazy new thing called “television.” In between scenes, a group of singers perform jingles from the show’s newest advertisers—Alka Seltzer and Brylcream, for example. Performances are Wed., 2 and 7:30pm; Thu.–Fri., 7:30pm; Sat., 2 and 8pm; Sun., 2 and 6pm. Tickets run $23–$65.

No one throws a better party than Jon Cotay. The cofounder of Chicago clothing and accessories boutique Akira, with locations all around the city, Cotay showcases this fall’s biggest trends in men’s and women’s fashion in show whose set resembles a (highly fashionable) subway station.

Akira’s 10th annual fall fashion show, dubbed Métropolitain and held Sep. 23 at the Grossinger City Autoplex (1500 N. Dayton) features trends including "harvest colors such as rust, olive, and oxblood; winter whites; lace, velvet, and crosses; peplum waists; contrast-collar shirts; leather; Gothic-revival outfits; studs and spikes; Rococo-inspired prints; and embroidery details,” says Cotay.

Before the show, enjoy food and drinks from local restaurants, including Wow Bao, Union Sushi, and the hot new restaurant and raw bar Argent.

Doors open at 4pm, and the runway show begins at 7pm. The fashion show is 16 and up, with tickets running from $25 (general admission) to $125 (VIP, including a meet-and-greet with Miss USA). All proceeds benefit five local charities, including Imerman Angels and Akira’s Fashion Scholarship Fund.--Mina Fakouhi

The character of Chicago has long been defined by some of the great writers who have colorfully documented the evolution of this American metropolis. But perhaps no single literary voice captures Chicago quite like that of the late, great Studs Terkel. The inaugural Chicago Writers Conference (held Sep. 14–16) was an ideal occasion to experience Chicago as Studs knew it.--Mark Loehrke

Newberry Library

The famed Bughouse Square debates across the street in Washington Park were a favorite destination for the ever-curious observer of Chicago life. 60 W. Walton, 312.943.9090.

Chicago History Museum

The museum where Studs served as a distinguished scholar now houses more than 7,000 of his extraordinary interviews with ordinary Chicagoans—from musicians to steelworkers to busboys. 1601 N. Clark, 312.642.4600.

Green Mill Cocktail Lounge

Like any Chicago jazz fan, Studs knew that the one-time Prohibition-era speakeasy in Uptown was the place to be. 4802 N. Broadway, 773.878.5552.

Artist’s Cafe

Nestled in the lobby of the legendary Fine Arts Building, this old-school diner remains a very Studs kind of place, filled with artists, poets, working men, and politicians alike. 412 S. Michigan, 312.939.7855. 

Chicago’s gallery scene is a year-round attraction for both local and out-of-town art lovers. But just as the temperatures cool down each autumn, the city’s art festival season starts to heat up, giving aficionados even more opportunities to soak up the creativity of the world’s leading artists.

The frenzy starts in earnest later this week, as the inaugural Expo Chicago opens Thu., Sep. 20, on Navy Pier (600 E. Grand). This four-day international event (September 20–23) promises modern and contemporary works from hundreds of the world’s foremost artists and designers, including galleries from New York, London, Toronto, and Paris. The exhibition space will be designed by Chicago architecture firm Studio Gang, led by architect Jeanne Gang, and will feature several large-scale installations and site-specific works. The itinerary also includes panel discussions with top names in modern design—on Sep. 20, for instance, New York magazine senior critic Jerry Saltz gives a talk at 10:30am. Expo runs Thu.–Sat., 11am–7pm, and Sun., 12–6pm. One-day tickets are $20.--Mark Loehrke

There must be something in the water at the Lincoln Park Zoo. This Aug., several newborn animals entered the zoo’s family: 18 ornate box turtles; three tiny Bali mynah chicks; a Bolivian gray titi monkey; and a newborn Grevy’s zebra.

Many of these animals represent the growth of severely threatened animal populations. The Bali mynah, for example, is considered functionally extinct in the wild (in the early 1990s, there were just 15 birds on their native island of Bali). And the ornate box turtles--when born, they were just the size of a quarter--will spend just a year at the zoo before being released into their natural home, Illinois sand prairie, as part of a conservation effort between the Lincoln Park Zoo and the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The newborn zebra was born as part of the Grevy’s zebra Species Survival Plan, which manages the zoo population of the endangered African animal. After a yearlong gestation period, the foal, named Kito, was finally born on Aug. 23.--Ruthie Kott