Heyyy Youuuu Guuuuuyss!

Richard Donner's beloved 80s kid adventure The Goonies will start a limited run this Friday, May 24 at the Art Theater Co-op. The first round of showings will be at midnight on Friday and Saturday, with additional showings at 11:30 AM on Sunday the 26th and at 10:00 PM on Thursday, May 30.

This incredibly quotable tale of misfit kids, bumbling criminals, and pirate booty features a recognizable (if pre-stardom) cast, including Josh Brolin, Sean Astin, Martha Plimpton, and Corey Feldman. And for a filmmaking pedigree, you can't do much better than director Richard Donner (Superman), screenwriter Chris Columbus (Gremlins, Home Alone), and producer Steven Spielberg (E.T., Jurassic Park). 

There is sure to be plenty of audience interaction with this very 80s but somehow timeless tale, so be sure to arrive early, get some caffeine in you, and enjoy yourself.

Check out the Art Theater Co-op website for more details, and relive the retro awesomeness of the Cyndi Lauper theme song here. See this film before someone turns it into a sandtrap...and never get their balls out.

From the press release:

KRANNERT CENTER, FOX/ATKINS DEVELOPMENT, LLC & THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS PRESENT

OUTSIDE AT THE RESEARCH PARK 2013 | June 14 and July 12 at 6:30pm | FREE

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts once again joins forces with Fox/Atkins Development, LLC and the University of Illinois for a two-show series of summer concerts at the University of Illinois Research Park. Both concerts are free and open to the public. OUTSIDE at the Research Park plays upon a simple concept: great music, fresh food, a green state of mind, and an open, relaxed environment. The performance space and seating area are located just south of the building at the corner of First Street and St. Mary’s Road in Champaign. The tree-lined, grassy space has hosted thousands of audience members each summer since the inception of OUTSIDE in 2007.

Headliners for the 2013 series will be ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival alum Vieux Farka Touré with his signature Malian blues on June 14 and the alternative American roots band Spuyten Duyvil on July 12.

Come Together

Krannert Center’s senior associate director Rebecca McBride notes, “It has been a pure pleasure to see OUTSIDE at the Research Park become a beloved summer tradition in our community. Through the generosity of our donors, we’ve been able to help create a joyous celebration that recognizes our region’s diversity, talent, and dedication to solving problems such as sustainability and that offers an opportunity to witness the power of the arts to transform lives and connect people.” The 2013 OUTSIDE series will continue to demonstrate Krannert Center’s commitment to reduce waste, decrease energy consumption, and provide environmentally friendly services to patrons.

The performance on Friday, July 12, is the perfect launching point for the forthcoming 2013-14 season at Krannert Center, which begins with ELLNORA | The Guitar Festival on September 5-7; tickets for these events go on sale at10am on Saturday, August 10. The July 12 event will also feature a green fair that will invite sustainability-minded local businesses and organizations to take advantage of free exhibit space to share information about their green efforts. Interested parties can contact Lisa Lillig at 217.244.6298 or lillig@illinois.edu for more information.

Performances

Friday, June 14, 2013, at 6:30pm, FREE

Vieux Farka Touré with opening act Mhondoro Rhythm Success

CU’s own Mhondoro Rhythm Success simmers with enchanting Zimbabwean pop songs that blend traditional regional music with electric guitar. Sharp percussion and appealing melodies from that southern African nation create the ultimate dancing atmosphere. The evening then journeys into the desert as the Hendrix of the Sahara and ELLNORA 2011 alum Vieux Farka Touré boosts the temperature with scorching rock solos and thrilling vocals. In penetrating bluesy licks and joyful tunes “straight from the heart of Mali,” he charges ancestral grooves with modern energy (NPR.org).

http://mhondororhythmsuccess.com/

http://www.vieuxfarkatoure.com/

Friday, July 12, 2013, at 6:30pm, FREE

Green Fair starts at 6pm

Spuyten Duyvil with opening act The Diva & The Dude/Kathy Harden & Andy Baylor

A refreshing night kicks off with The Diva & The Dude/Kathy Harden & Andy Baylor, who cover songs by saucy women ranging from Patsy Cline to Koko Taylor. Then prepare yourself for the rowdy roots music of Spuyten Duyvil (that’s Spite-en Dive-el). “All the playing is hot” on ripping bluegrass-meets-country-meets-blues from this eight-piece force of nature (Huffington Post).

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-DIVA-The-DUDEKathy-Harden-Andy-Baylor/160776970611179

http://www.spuytenduyvilmusic.com/ 

Location, Parking, and Services

These concerts will be held just southwest of Assembly Hall on First Street in the Research Park. Free parking is available in the lot south of the Caterpillar/SAIC Building at 1901 South First Street.

All performances are free and open to the general public.

Beverages, wine, and food are available from Houlihan’s Restaurant in the concession area located at the northwest corner of the Caterpillar/SAIC Building.

Restrooms are available inside the Caterpillar/SAIC Building at 1901 South First Street. 

Sponsors

Presented by Krannert Center, Fox/Atkins Development, LLC & the University of Illinois

Corporate Sponsors: Prosource, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon, ChambanaMoms.com, and Champaign Cycle Co.

With thanks to the Illinois Natural History Survey/Prairie Research Institute

Community Partner: Prairie Rivers Network 

Visit KrannertCenter.com or call 217.333.6280 or 800.KCPATIX (527.2849). Patrons who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired may also contact Krannert Center via TTY at 217.333.9714.

burrata, spring vegetable salad, grilled ramps, tomato marmalade

foie gras torchon, honey, black summer truffles, brioche

lobster mac & cheese

grilled prime strip steak, napini, ham scalloped potatoes

cheese course - hand-picked from Artmart by Brian & Davis McKay

strawberry shortcake, chocolate whipped cream

75 USD/ 100 USD with wine pairing

All proceeds donated to the Davis McKay Foundation

Reservations encouraged!

"Interested in what makes for a sexy media justice campaign?"

Go to the Art Theater Co-op tonight for the screening of Pablo Larrain's 2013 Oscar nominated film NO. The film stars Gael Garcia Bernal as a young ad executive who comes up with a campaign to defeat Augusto Pinochet in Chile's 1988 referendum.

Monday night's screening is a special event that will include a Q&A with Karla Palma after the sceening. Palma is a doctoral student of Media and Communications at the University of Illinois. She is also a journalist from the Universidad de La Frontera, with a specialization in human rights and public policies, and is a Senior Fellow of the Melton Foundation, and a Fulbright scholar. She is currently studying zones of conflicts in Chilean mining projects and focuses on interactions between local communities, the state, and global organizations. Palma has worked with different non-governmental agencies in Chile, and has experience in the development of communication strategies for resistance of communities affected by the violation of their rights, the development of community media, and methodologies of participatory research.

Check out this week's specials at Common Ground Food Co-op!

The Homer Soda Festival, an annual gathering celebrating glass bottled sodas, just published its 2013 festival guide that details all vendors and a map of the upcoming festival. The event, on June 1 from 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., will include soda tastings, a barbeque cook off, other food vendors, and live music.

Come get involved in a community arts project focused on spreading the power of intentional kindness in our community. Be Kind Illinois is a chapter of the Ben’s Bells Project, which works to create beautiful ceramic wind chimes called Ben's Bells. Hundreds of Ben’s Bells are distributed throughout our community for people to find, take home, and be inspired to pass on the kindness. 

On Sunday, May 26, 2013, from 2–4 p.m. at the Champaign Public Library meeting room A, we will be creating pieces that will become part of the Ben’s Bells. You can drop in at anytime during the event to help.

Special guest, Young Kim will be performing live music during the event. 

See our website for more information about the project and like our Facebook page.

Area residents will now have three locations where they can safely drop off unwanted medicines for proper disposal. Beginning May 24, three police departments will have permanent collection boxes.

From the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant news release: 

Area residents will have 24/7 access to safely dispose of unwanted or expired medications starting May 24. The C-U Area Medicine Take-back Program will collect and properly dispose of pharmaceuticals to help reduce accidental poisonings of children and pets, prevent drug diversion and abuse, and limit environmental impacts. 

Three locked collection boxes will be available in the lobbies of local police departments at:

• Urbana Police Department, 400 South Vine St., Urbana
• Champaign Police Department, 82 E. University Ave., Champaign
• University of Illinois Police Department, 1110 W. Springfield Ave., Urbana

Residents can find out more about the programs by contacting the above departments or by visiting their website.

Memorial Day Weekend is playing host to two exciting opening celebrations for the Champaign Park District!

Sholem Aquatic Center

The Sholem Aquatic Center will open for the season on Saturday, May 25. To make sure you get your fill of pool time, we will be open from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on opening day, Sunday, and Monday! Not only will we be staying open late all weekend (aren't night swims the best?), but there will be great free activities planned for you and your little swimmers. See the timeline below for additional information. We'll also be honoring our United States military personnel by offering them free admission all weekend long (must show valid military ID at time of entry).

Special activities happening each day 5/25–5/27
Concessions Specials: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Free pictures with Mr. Turtle (the Sholem mascot): Noon–2:00 p.m.
Free games & activities: Noon–3:00 p.m.
Free children's face painting: Noon–3:00 p.m.
Freshly spun cotton candy (watch us make it!): Noon–3:00 p.m.
Kids Q&A with our lifeguard staff: 2:00 p.m.

See our website for programs, classes, and special events happening at the Sholem Aquatic Center this summer!

Prairie Farm

Prairie Farm is also opening for the season on May 25, and we hope you’ll help us celebrate by visiting! Prairie Farm features traditional farm animals such as sheep, pigs, goats, horses, cows, chickens, and geese. No admission is charged, but donations to help feed the animals are appreciated. Want to pet the animals? They anxiously await your arrival! The Petting Area is also free and hours are 3–5 p.m.

See our website for programs, classes, and special events happening at Prairie Farm this summer!

Concerts at Hessel Park

What could be better than lounging in the park on a warm spring evening, listening to music?

Join the Champaign Park District at Hessel Park on Sunday, May 26, to hear two high-ranking Battle of the Bands participants, The Pedestrians and Cassius.

Concert starts at 6 p.m. and will keep rockin' until 8:00! This is a free event so bring your friends and family and a lawn chair to get comfortable!

On tonight's SP Radio, we're joined by a couple of representatives from The Art Theater's Late Night Committee, talking about — what else? — late night cinematic fun. They'll fill us in on the types of shows that are bringing the fans in, and the upcoming schedule, plus anything else that comes to mind when we're talking late-night entertainment. And host Jason may ask them about the possibility of a one-man dramatic re-imagining of all five "American Ninja" movies for no reason at all. 

Smile Politely Radio airs each Friday evening at 5:30 on WEFT 90.1 FM in Champaign, and is available as a podcast the following week.