Make the most of your time this summer
For the last few years, we have published an end-of-year article that lists several ways in which people can give back to the community to make the most of holiday season generosity. But now summer …
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Checking in on five issues
We have a lot of opinions on the Editorial Board, and we have a long history of asking questions and/or making, ahem, the occasional suggestion about how things might be improved in Champaign-Urbana. This week, …
Wednesday dinners at Prairie Fruits are a farm-to-table dream
Away from our downtowns and Campustown on 20 acres of Champaign farmland, Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery’s farm dinners offer a taste of Midwest produce and protein in chef-driven dishes over multiple courses. These dinners …
Weekender: May 23-26
It’s the official unofficial start of summer, and our editors have plenty of suggestions for you for this long weekend.
The lowdown on live music events in Downtown Champaign
NOTE 12:45 p.m., Wednesday, May 22nd: Following the publication of this article, representatives from the City of Champaign contacted the Editorial Board to clarify several points, none of which were available in any public-facing information …
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ 24-25 season celebrates the joy of live performance
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts just released the 2024-2025 season and it’s fire. From Renée Fleming to a feminist reworking of Dracula to some phenomenal dance and unique magic-meets-performance art pieces, your calendar will …
Time’s Up with Kimberly Mack
While many of us at Smile Politely could be considered scholars and fans of Champaign-Urbana, there are more traditional scholars at the University of Illinois who are doing academic work around their interests and fandoms. …
Weekender: May 16-19
Spring is here! The peonies are in bloom, outdoor live music returns, and there’s plenty of parking in and around Green Street eateries.
Calling fowl on backyard barns
We don’t want to ruffle any feathers here, but it seems at least one local household is making headlines with allegations from neighbors that their backyard barn is a nuisance. Put alongside the now multiple …
Try some libations and take in the atmosphere at Gallery Art Bar
Gallery Art Bar located in Downtown Urbana has a great Urbana vibe! I recently went there to try some libations and check out the atmosphere. Before I continue, I must disclaim that I went with …
A date night of Neapolitan-style pizza at Pizzeria Antica
Pizza has been on my mind. First, it was this year’s SP‘s March Madness Tournament, and that got me hungry for Old Orchard’s pizza. Then Chase wrote about Garcia’s Pizza in a Pan, Tayler shared …
Weekender: May 9-12
A special weekend for moms and graduating University of Illinois students. If you are not interested in those activities, our editors have plenty more suggestions.
We need to talk trash
Over the years, we’ve received several emails from readers concerning the garbage situation in Champaign-Urbana. This is a perennial issue. We’ve found public questions and concerns dating back decades. Here at Smile Politely, we try …
Sakanaya remains a stellar spot for sushi
A decade ago, Sakanaya opened in Campustown. Since 2013, restaurants beside, across, and all down Green Street have come and gone, but Sakanaya has remained. In 2019, we named Sakanaya one of the BEST new …
Five things in arts: May 2024
As soon as the semester ends and students flock back to Chicagoland, it’s time to celebrate Friday Night Live events, Urbana and Champaign markets, PostMark, quiet evening walks on the quad and in the parks, …
Weekender: May 2-5
Welcome to May! This weekend has plenty on offer, including shopping, live music, arts, and cicada-free outdoor activities.
The eighth loneliest city in the US
Recently we stumbled upon an NBC Chicago article with the clickbait headline “This Illinois city is the 2nd loneliest in the US, recent analysis reveals.” That Illinois city was Danville, with Champaign-Urbana coming in not …
Student art shines at Parkland’s Giertz Gallery
The Giertz Gallery at Parkland College is currently showcasing student artwork through May 4th. The modest gallery space is packed with exquisite art from paintings to pottery, making it a worthy visit for anyone in …
Stango Bites is tasty Zambian cuisine on wheels
May through October, I have Stango Cuisine almost every Saturday. Mainly that’s because I work at the Urbana Market at the Square as part of my day job, but on the other hand, it’s because …
Weekender: April 25-28
It’s marathon weekend, everyone! Lace up your sneakers, or slip on your flip flops to cheer on those who have spent a lot of time preparing their bodies for hours of running. Plus there are other things happening this weekend, too.
It’s time to rethink Moms and Dads Weekends
The University of Illinois recently celebrated Moms Weekend, a Spring semester weekend full of brunches, flowers, and various “mom”-themed things. With the U of I aiming for a more inclusive campus, why are we still …
A quantum leap in the arts: CASCaDe Launches at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
STEAM is all the rage. Combining the magical forces of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics has been a rallying cry in both K-12 and higher education for many moons. All too often, the …
Columbia Street Roastery is a coffee haven of Champaign
Champaign’s Columbia Street Roastery has roasted coffee beans on Columbia Street since 1998. The local family-owned roastery receives coffee beans from around the world and roasts the beans in-house, packaging bags of single-origin beans, blends, …
Weekender: April 18-21
So many things to do this weekend, including Ebertfest’s 25th anniversary, vegan “burgers,” live music, and celebrating 4/20, if that’s your thing.
Time for Urbana School District to stop, collaborate, and listen
Some of you reading last week’s editorial entreating Unit 4 schools to get it together might have wondered why Urbana schools were spared a critique. Make no mistake, Urbana schools also need to get it …
The Mountain Goats’ melodic mastery enthralls on a warm spring night
On an unusually warm day for early April, the crowd outside of the City Center were able to take in the beautiful weather while waiting to enter the venue. Although doors opened at 7 p.m., …
Yummy gummies made with Illinois cannabis
The high holiday of 4/20 falls on a Saturday in 2024 — the first time since 2019, but perhaps celebrations should go all week. Spread the zen out, as it were, with a different edible each …
Weekender: April 11-14
What a gorgeous weekend for exploring Boneyard Arts Festival, live music, and Illini sports.
Let’s get it together, Unit 4
We have written many, many, many, many times about the issues and dramas in both Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana District 116 schools. We’re writing again this week about Unit 4, not to break down …
A conversation with Food Power Politics author Dr. Bobby J. Smith II
In his brand new book Food Power Politics, Dr. Bobby J. Smith II builds on the stories and legacies of Mississippi activists and researchers to tell more of the food injustice story. With a background …
Andrea Hunt makes her own rules
Andrea Hunt considers herself a dreamer and artist at heart. After a painful divorce, she funneled her creative passions and independent spirit into floral design. The CU Flower House is a bit like a phoenix, …
Weekender: April 4-7
Enjoy plenty of food, arts, music, and edutainment this weekend.
Old Orchard thin-crust pizza wins the 2024 Food & Drink Tournament
A big congratulations to Old Orchard’s thin-crust pizza for being crowned the champion and last food standing in Smile Politely’s 2024 Food & Drink Tournament. Determined by reader vote, last night’s intense matchup of Old …
Horsch Radish is a taste of Germany in Central Illinois
Recently, some friends and I had the opportunity to try Horsch Radish, the farm-to-table, German-type restaurant in Gibson City. German-type because the restaurant won’t actually transport you to Germany; there was no wormhole or portal …
Five things in arts: April 2024
Robert Browning famously opened his poem “Home thoughts, from Abroad” with the line “O to be in England/Now that April’s there.” England’s got nothing on April in Champaign-Urbana. From Boneyard, to Ebertfest, to the proliferation …
Smile Politely’s Food + Drink Tournament 2024: Championship
We’ve reached the Championship matchup of our Food + Drink Tournament, and if you’re just now joining us, here’s how you can catch up: Revisit the Round of 32, Sweet 16, Elite Eight, and Final …
Smile Politely’s Food + Drink Tournament 2024: Final Four
You showed up and voted in the Elite Eight, for which voting closed yesterday evening. We’re moving on to the Final Four. The participation for this year’s tourney has been great to see, and there’s …
Weekender: March 28-31
If you are needing some help making plans for this last weekend in March, we have some ideas!
Even more spaces we need in C-U
A couple weeks ago, we did a poll about what cuisines we were missing in Champaign-Urbana. There was a lot of great feedback, so we decided to poll you again to ask what else C-U …
Tempered Mettle is building a community around historical fencing
A few weeks ago, I stood in the gym of CU Jiu Jitsu, holding a big foam sword. Across from me was Matthew Currey, co-owner of Tempered Mettle Historical Fencing. Currey, also holding a foam …
Mid Summer Lounge has dreamy dumplings and fire lunch in Campustown
Those sneaky, sunny warm days earlier this month were a tease of nice weather that’s to come, but before chilly days are gone, I want to eat dumplings. And last week, when a craving for …
Smile Politely’s Food + Drink Tournament 2024: Elite Eight
If you’re anything like us, you tuned into the game on Saturday to root on the Illini, and obviously, it was good because we’re headed to our first Sweet 16 in nearly two decades. It …
Smile Politely’s Food + Drink Tournament 2024: Sweet 16
That was a lot to take in for the first round of our Food + Drink Tournament, which kicked off on Monday with our Round of 32 matchups. Our Food + Drink Editor Alyssa Buckley …
Weekender: March 21-24
We have a jam-packed Weekender for you. Enjoy!
For women in C-U, it could be worse
March is International Women’s Month and an excellent opportunity to do a temperature check of how women are faring in C-U. Spoiler alert: We have a long way to go in dismantling the patriarchy and …
The Maple Syrup festival was a pretty good time
The Vermillion County Conservation District hosted their Maple Syrup Festival in Forest Glen Preserve on March 17th. In preparation for the festival, 500 sugar maple trees were tapped to collect the sap that was cooked …
Smile Politely’s Food + Drink Tournament 2024 announced: Round of 32
March has arrived, which means it is bracket time. If you’ve followed along for the last few years here on Smile Politely, you’re familiar with our tournament of Champaign-Urbana related things. We’ve done food and …
Weekender: March 14-17
Whether you’re taking in some Big Ten basketball, donning your green for St. Paddy’s Day, or enjoying the waning days of Spring Break, there are plenty of options for weekend fun.
More than five cuisines we need in C-U
Here are Smile Politely, we know you have strong opinions about food and drink — we do, too. As we noted in our 2020 editorial listicle on five cuisines missing in Champaign-Urbana, C-U is home …