One hundred fifty-four years ago, Frederick Douglass visited Big Grove Tavern. It wasn’t Big Grove Tavern in 1869, though. When Douglass famously orated at the corner of Neil St. and Main St., the City of …
Need some ideas for this weekend? Our editors have some great suggestions.
For this election cycle, there are three at-large seats up for grabs on the Champaign City Council. At-large council members are elected by the whole of registered voters in Champaign, rather than only those from …
For this election cycle, there are three at-large seats up for grabs on the Champaign City Council. At-large council members are elected by the whole of registered voters in Champaign, rather than only those from …
For this election cycle, there are three at-large seats up for grabs on the Champaign City Council. At-large council members are elected by the whole of registered voters in Champaign, rather than only those from …
Thank you to all who voted in the first and second rounds of our Parks Tournament, where we are asking you, dear readers, to determine which Champaign-Urbana park will reign supreme. We’ve compiled the results from …
Those who live in Champaign are electing four school board members in the April 4th consolidated election. Whether you have children in the school district or not, it’s critically important to our community to have …
Need some inspiration for your weekend plans? Look no further.
If you haven’t noticed, there’s a BRAND NEW building on campus. Okay, it’s actually a year old, but I’m just now taking the time to review it. Strap in as I give the full B/F/L …
Thank you to all who voted in the first round of our Parks Tournament, where we are asking you, dear readers, to determine which Champaign-Urbana park will reign supreme. We’ve compiled the results from our …
Back in October, Champaign County Restore and Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County moved from University Avenue in Champaign, to the former ValuCheck at 1914 Glenn Park Drive. Recently, Matt took a look around the …
Our mostly annual tournament of all things Champaign-Urbana is back, just in time for you to take a (short) break from the NCAA basketball tournament. In years past we have figured out which C-U food …
Plenty of this to do this weekend, including voting in our annual March Madness tournament.
I sent questions to all three mayoral candidates: Azark Cobbs, Deb Feinen, and Don Gerard. Their answers will be published as they’re received. For more on each candidate, you can check out the Champaign County Voters …
I sent questions to all three mayoral candidates: Azark Cobbs, Deb Feinen, and Don Gerard. Their answers will be published as they’re received. For more on each candidate, you can check out the Champaign County …
How will you spend your time this second weekend of March? We have a few suggestions.
Time is running out on anything that resembles Real Winter in Champaign-Urbana. A late-month rally helped December 2022 close out a little colder than average overall, but January and February have 2023 off to a …
The Illini Cat Club show this weekend was a cat lover’s dream.
The first weekend of March is brimming with things to go see and do.
Warning: This article contains references to violence, suicide, mental and physical health crises, and domestic harassment. Please take care while reading. “I wish I had a camera so you could see what’s going on,” John …
This month is an homage to the cultural offerings of the University of Illinois. As an official townie (I’ve been here for more that 20 years post graduation so yeah, that’s me), I have a …
Tuesday evening, there was a grand opening open house at the Orpheum Theatre, allowing community members to take a peek at the renovations. It was restored by preservationist Christopher Enck and transitioned from a children’s …
Tourists and travelers; ramblers and regulars; students, shoppers, and seekers of all sorts. Pedestrians browsing Urbana’s picturesque Main Street are bound to pass beneath a certain banana-yellow sign, emblazoned with sixteen letters in a thorny …
It’s been three weeks since Azaan Lee ended up dead after an encounter with Rantoul police. In a rare move, Rantoul police quickly released video of the incident. Often it can take weeks or months …
We have some solid suggestions for your weekend.
The quote pictured above comes from a piece of correspondence between former U of I president Arthur Willard and the University of Minnesota president. The latter reached out with a question of how to handle …
Well, I messed up and didn’t have a Valentine’s column this year, alas. Instead I’ve got this extra long column for February! I don’t mean this B/F/L itself is long, but it is about long …
The U of I Ice Arena is managed by Campus Recreation, and hosts a wide range of programming for students and the public. It’s open for the duration of the U of I academic year. …
Need some ideas for your weekend? Our editors have you covered.
Last week, friends and family of Azaan Lee launched balloons in his memory and called for justice. His father Bishop Lee gave a heartfelt speech remembering his 21-year-old son. “He loved music,” the father said. …
You’ll find On Point Body Piercings tucked into Moonlight Studios Tattoo, which is tucked into a row of businesses at the corner of Springfield and Duncan in Champaign. It’s an instantly inviting environment, with midnight …
Beckman researcher Karen Rudolph got her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is now a professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Illinois. Her research is focused on developmental psychology. …
Maybe you’d like to celebrate Valentine’s Day and/or the Super Bowl. Maybe you don’t care about either. Regardless, we have some suggestions for your weekend.
Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is upon us. You may have no interest in participating in this Hallmark holiday in any sort of way, and that’s a totally understandable position to take. However, …
This weekend you can close out Restaurant Week, catch some folk music, and learn about syphilis at the planetarium…among other things.
This Saturday, February 4th, is the inaugural event for The Healing Project, a new community organization with a mission to “cultivate R.A.R.E. (radical, authentic, rigorous, and environmentally safe) spaces for collective healing through the art …
With a university the size of University of Illinois, it’s overwhelming to ponder the scope of research and innovation that is happening right here in our community at this very moment, much less over the …
Friday, January 27th Eat up, Restaurant Week restaurants, all weekend, prices vary Cheers to Restaurant Week! The nine day celebration kicks off today, and the 40+ participating restaurants want to give diners a taste of …
It’s a new year and that’s got me thinking about THE FUTURE. Come along for the ride as I ponder things to come. A BUILDING Raising Cane’s on Green St. If you’ve been following the …
When 90-year-old Edith was asked whether she wanted to retire as 17-year-old Alice’s mentor, she laughed. “No,” she said. “She needs to graduate high school, and I’m the only person in her life who will …
One of my favorite things about living in the Midwest is the diverse weather that we experience. Not just on a day to day or week to week scale, either. No weather year is ever …
Friday, January 20th Attend the Flatlands Dance Film Festival, Spurlock Museum, 7 p.m. + Saturday, 7 p.m., $10 The Flatlands Dance Film Festival is Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and will feature a curated …
Friday, January 13th Drink a hot buttered rum, Bentley’s Pub, 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., $7 If you’ll be out and about in Downtown Champaign on this chilly Friday night, sip this warm seasonal adult …
Here we go, 2023. New year, new you, right? I do start each new year with a bit of a reset in intentions. Not resolutions, intentions. The word resolution has some concreteness to it, whereas …
Welcome to the newest version of Smile Politely. It is our fifth redesign that we’ve made over the course of 15 years of publishing, and I would venture to say, the most comprehensive and impactful …
We’re closing in on the end of 2022, a year of ups and downs and progress and setbacks. Maybe you are reflecting on your personal experiences this year, or maybe you are ready to shove 2022 …
Hello dear readers, and welcome back to another installment of B/F/L! Yes, one theme of this month’s column is the color gray, but don’t worry, there’s very little doom or gloom involved, you’ll see! A …
Splitting things up between articles and SPlogs, we present the most visited of the year.
BLOC Thursdays are a new event series that provides a fun and inclusive space for people of color.
