Manzella’s Italian Patio just marked 64 years in business, and the restaurant has all the signs of a well-loved family-operated business. I had been once before, pre-COVID, and decided to check them out again with …
Posts by Serenity Stanton Orengo:
Lucky Moon Pies has delicious treats and small town charm
I don’t venture to Mahomet very often, so I couldn’t believe that the absolute gem that is Lucky Moon Pies and More existed only ten minutes from my house and I had never been before. …
Great music, food, blackjack, and oh-so-many feathers at this year’s Carnaval!
Carnaval! was a party, and it felt like everyone was there. The celebration held annually on Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts included music, food, drinks, performers, and casino games. …
A Magical Cirque Christmas has local connection
The traveling holiday show A Magical Cirque Christmas is coming to the Virginia Theatre this December. Although the show will be performed in more than thirty cities across the country this season, there is a …
Have you seen the new peace post yet?
The Urbana Park District recently announced a new temporary art installation at King Park in Urbana. The Peace Post is the work of artists Lisa Kesler and Ja Nelle Davenport Pleasure. Kesler is the artist …
A new art exhibition is coming to Bloc Gallery
University of Illinois student artists will have their works displayed in a new exhibition at the Bloc Gallery entitled Conception to Completion. The exhibition is the work of students in the ARTE 475 class, under …
Age of Forgiveness weaves a powerful and beautiful tale of loss
My list of favorite books changes frequently depending on my mood and season of life. One that nearly always tops the list is a novel by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ called Stay with Me. Whenever I recommend …
Synecdoche, New York is showing at the Virginia this December
The Virginia Theatre is showing the 2008 film Synecdoche, New York in December as part of their Arthouse Experience Film Series. Philip Seymour Hoffman stars in the psychological drama as theater director Caden Cotard who …
The Elevating Voices art exhibit has three new pieces
The School of Social Work at the University of Illinois houses an on-going art exhibition entitled Elevating Voices: Visualizing Social Justice Through Art. The exhibit is “a series of art that recognizes the need for …
UK poet Jay Hulme is coming to C-U
Community United Church of Christ is hosting transgender poet Jay Hulme for an event this December. Hulme is an award-winning poet, speaker, and theologian, known for his acclaimed poem Jesus at the Gay Bar. Hulme …