FRIDAY, December 4th
Beyond the Cup Opening Reception, Figure One, 116 N. Walnut, Champaign, 5-8 p.m., free
Figure One’s latest exhibition features a beverage that’s especially important at this busy, end-of-the-semester season: coffee. Beyond the Cup explores our society’s fascination with, and often dependence on, coffee in a bright, visceral experience designed to engage all of your senses. Plus, the opening reception features — you guessed it — free coffee. (RP)
Holiday Pop Up Shop, colab, 5 p.m., free
Each year, Norden hosts a Holiday Pop Up Shop at colab with dinnerware, cards, jewelry and other gifts. This year, for the 3rd annual Holiday Pop Up Shop, Norden will be teaming up with Hopscotch Cake & Confections and will be adding Hopscotch’s sweet treats to the list of gifts at the pop up shop. The opening reception will be Friday evening at 5 p.m. at the colab space. Bubbly and Hopscotch treats will be provided, as per the Facebook event page. (BC)
Shop local, somewhere local, all weekend, price varies
If you didn’t get a chance to get out there over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, it’s all good. The news is, there’s plenty of time to get gifts for your friends, family, and loved ones in Champaign-Urbana. Check out Rebecah’s guide to shopping local linked above, and get out there and drop some dollars. (PS)
SATURDAY, December 5th
Train your photon, 10:15 a.m., 141 Loomis Laboratory of Physics, 1110 W. Green St., free
Popular Lecture by Professor Virginia Lorenz. The format of this presentation is a 20minute talk, followed by a tour to see the training grounds and other applications of the powerful photon in physics labs at Illinois. Check it out and get scienced this Sunday. (SL)
Illini basketball vs. Western Carolina, State Farm Center, 2 PM, $10-$42 (through the U of I ticket office)
Sure, you settled for watching the Notre Dame game on TV because it was cold and on a weekday and started pretty late, and that’s fine. We all did. But even moreso, you’re probably still curious as to how the newly-renovated State Farm Center looks in-person. This game, which will be played on a weekend afternoon, is against a nobody team, so we should win (fingers-crossed). (BH)
Lunch or Dinner, Golden Harbor, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and/or 4:30-9 p.m., about $15 per person
As if you need any justification for eating at Golden Harbor. It’s delicious. Just look at the restaurant’s Facebook page! Grab a couple of friends, order a few dishes (try something new!), and enjoy the deliciousness. Some suggestions: Taro buns (b4); beef with scallions (480); chicken stir fry noodle (102; add egg, add spicy); desert crispy pork (1063). Don’t forget your doggy bag. Photo by Jessica Hammie. (JH)
Ornament Making, Makerspace, 1-3 p.m., free
Makerspace (located in the Independent Media Center at 202 S. Broadway in Urbana) is hosting an afternoon of ornament making, for gifts or for decorations. They’re teaching folks how to create paper ornaments (printed left) and will provide some materials as well as hot glue guns. Feel free to bring your own paper (60 3×3 squares). (RP)
Messiah and Mozart, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m., $40 (some discounts may apply)
Our local chamber orchestra will be presenting “The Christmas Portion” of Handel’s Messiah (all of Part one,and “The Hallelujah Chorus” from part two) as reorchestrated by Mozart. Two more Mozart works will be presented to round out the two-hour affair, but for me, listening to Mozart tends to open up a portal where time has little to no meaning. You should try it. (RK)
The Dirt Poor, Barking Cat, The Inn Keepers, Mike N Molly’s, 115 N. Market St, Champaign, $7, 9 PM
While The Dirt Poor and Barking Cat both are exceptional examples of band names, the reason I’m so excited about this show is The Inn Keepers. They’ve been steadily performing more impressive and exciting shows lately, and now, that bring that excitement to the confines of upstairs at Mike N Molly’s. (BH)
Urbanite XVIII.2, Canopy Club, 10 p.m., $13 advance/$17 door
The next installment in Urbanite, presented and curated by Power + Soul Pro, will be happening this weekend featuring music, dancing, and more. You can check out the whole lineup and ticketing info at the link above, which will lead you to the Facebook event page. (PS)
SUNDAY, December 6th
4th Annual Pancake Breakfast with Ms. Claus, Sylvia’s Irish Inn (312 W. Green Street, Urbana), 9 a.m., $15/adults, $10/children ages 1-12, call for reservations 217-384-4800,
Sylvia’s is an Irish bed and breakfast in Urbana and apparently Ms. Claus is going to come and eat breakfast there this sunday and your and your family can join. Call ahead to make reservations. (SL)
The Nutcracker Ballet, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 6 p.m., $42 ($20 for youth).
There’s always a reason to go see The Nutcracker during the holidays, and this year the production is entirely new for the first time in over a decade. Denna Doty’s Champaign Urbana ballet troupe is paired with Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra for a production that will appeal to fans of either discipline, and is sure to create new fans of both. The Sunday matinee is perfect for families or people who have different priorities for weekend nights. (RK)
Order a special doughnut, Pandamonium Doughnuts, whenever, prices varydepending on what you need
December is here, and that means that you must make up for all of the socializing you missed in the previous eleven months. Or at least that’s how it feels (to me). Inevitably there will be boozing, schmoozing, and plenty of calories. Gifts for the hosts, gifts for the kids, and money sprouting wings and flying out the window. For those with birthdays this time of year — so sorry. But you can avoid the singular birthday/holiday celebratory cake by special ordering a big ass doughnut for your loved one. Or impress the crowd with an atypical sweet treat. I recently ordered one for the hubby’s birthday, and it was delicious. Send an email to [email protected] for more details. Photo by Jessica Hammie. (JH)
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All event information is accurate to the best of our abilities, but sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes event information, times, prices, etc., change after we look them up. Whenever possible, we’ve provided a link to the original event page; you should always double-check the source before you make any firm plans. Thanks for your understanding.