SPlog

Manifest West, an indie rock band hailing from Champaign, is thrilled to announce the release of their upcoming seven-track EP called Wright St. Fans can look forward to enjoying the new EP on various streaming …

The heat indices this week are truly silly and unnecessary, and I’m over it. I’m always over summer by the time August rolls around, and the extreme temps are just piling on. Let’s take our …

For the next month, you can stop by Giertz Gallery at Parkland College and admire the talents of the college’s Art and Design faculty. The exhibition will feature work from Nyx Eckmayer, Shawn Fairchild, Paula …

This weekend is the Champaign Urbana Theatre Company’s sixth annual Penguin Project production. The Penguin Project is a national program originally founded in Peoria, IL. Each year, an adapted version of a Broadway musical is …

On October 29th, the Illini men’s basketball team will take on the Kansas Jayhawks. This game will mark head coach Bill Self’s first visit to the State Farm Center since leaving the Illini in 2003 …

The drive-through beverage restaurant Ginger Ale’s is now open for business in Savoy. In addition to beverages, the fast food business offers indulgent foods like nachos, chili cheese dogs, and a doughnut sandwich. Today, I …

Did you know that Illinois State University has a whole circus troupe that’s been performing since 1929? Gamma Phi Circus is the oldest collegiate circus troupe in the U.S. Growing up in Normal, not far …

Downtown Champaign’s Punch! Bar & Lounge will reopen tomorrow on Wednesday, August 23rd after a multi-week closure. The bar’s liquor license is active, and once again crazy good mixed drinks and amazing mocktails will be …

The Vault Art Gallery in downtown Tuscola is celebrating its tenth anniversary this weekend. Originally founded as the Vault Arts Collective in 2013, the gallery is one of the largest privately owned art galleries in Downstate Illinois. …

Thinking about going solar? Solar Urbana Champaign — a group buy program where home and business owners can pool their resources to make switching to solar a bit more affordable — is starting up their …

One of the first things I learned about in my orientation process at the University of Illinois, was the Morrow Plots. Now, my knowledge is sort of limited to what was imparted to me by …

Maize Mexican Grill’s new location at the Illini Union is now open for weekday breakfast and lunch just in time for fall semester. Diners order food at the counter (or on a kiosk); online pre-ordering …

Black Breastfeeding Week is August 25-31, and BIPOC for Better Birth is celebrating this Saturday at Hessel Park. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the pavilion, there will be a free event for nursing …

Ultimate CU is hosting a clinic to teach the fundamentals of ultimate frisbee. If you’ve never seen it played, Ultimate is a non-contact game that is a combination of soccer and football skills — non-stop …

It’s just so great, and it’s available hot or iced, in a few different sizes ($3.79+). It has just a little bit of sweetness from the honey-cinnamon combo, and the cinnamon is warm but not …

The next installment in our Instagram Story Takeover series takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, August 22nd. Prairie Rivers Network will be taking the wheel to show us a day in the life of a network of people in …

Uniting Pride recently announced their full Pride Fest schedule, for September 23rd through October 1st, and Chambana Proud has some gear for you to don as you celebrate. If you missed out last year, you …

The Main Scoop, the ice cream company with parlors on Main Street in Mahomet and Monticello, announced a new, third location coming this fall: Urbana’s Main Street. The new ice cream shop will open at …

At Strawberry Fields in Urbana, there is a new menu of North African Cuisine that begins next week. Led by Hanane Harbi, the one-woman kitchen cooks a menu of Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian dishes ranging …

A couple of years ago, we switched to using fiber internet in our house after years of using cable and satellite. I’m sure we probably even had dial-up or DSL at some point. Remember those? …

Although Yelp claims Black Dog Urbana will reopeon on Friday, September 22nd, that’s not true. Check out what’s on Yelp.com. I’d love to see Black Dog Urbana open in time for PYGMALION weekend, but Yelp …

Legendary Champaign rock band Hum is re-issuing their celebrated four-album catalog on vinyl, hitting the shelves on December 8, 2023. Collaborating closely with original designer Andy Mueller/OhioGirl, the band has overseen the remastering and manufacturing …

Northern Cuisine Chinese restaurant is now open on Green Street in Campustown. The menu offers appetizers, chef’s specials, Northern classics, stir fry, dim sum, soup, and desserts. Order online here or stop by the restaurant …

The Mabery Gelvin Botanical Garden at Lake of the Woods in Mahomet is really lovely. It’s a relatively small area, perfect for an easy stroll or walk with your child or dog. There’s a nice …

The Channing-Murray Foundation is sponsoring the Channing-Murray’s Off-Quad Carnival, with games and music to raise funds for its foundation, which is a non-profit art and social justice center rooted in Unitarian Universalist values. Music includes …

In 2021, Humanities Research Institute announced their very first Interseminars Project, funded by a $2 million Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant. The Interseminars Initiative “makes it possible for faculty and graduate students to undertake significant …

This past April, Spurlock welcomed Armenian-Syrian artist Kevork Mourad for a visit. In collaboration with University of Illinois students across campus, Kevork created Paintings of Hope. It’s a companion piece for Mourad’s Untitled 2023, which, …

The UP Center of Champaign County just released the full schedule for CU Pride Fest and it is packed with an incredible range of events. There’s a Queer block party, a drag makeup interview panel, …

The Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation and The Program in Jewish Culture & Society at the University of Illinois are hosting a private pre-screening of the film Golda on August 23rd at 6:30 p.m. at the Savoy …

On September 30th, the Champaign County Community Coalition is hosting the first Black Mental Health and Wellness Conference at Parkland College. From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., participants can attend workshops that will “provide attendees …

Staerkel Planetarium has added shows for the fall, so it’s time to take a look and see what sort of astronomical things you can be learning about over the next few months. Some of their …

Downtown Champaign’s Neil St. Blues has really good fried chicken. On Monday, the Southern restaurant hosted a Beer Dinner with five Triptych beer pairings, and the highlight (for me) was the fried chicken course, served …

The Wandell Sculpture Garden at Meadowbrook Park is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In honor of the occasion, the parks department has hosted a number of events this past year, and new sculptures were also added …

I don’t live close to Manolo’s Pizza & Empanandas. At all. Therefore, my opportunities to enjoy the Smile Politely Pizza Tournament champion, are fewer than I’d like. Because sometimes on a Friday (which is official …

Golden Weather Goods is having an anniversary sip and shop event to celebrate two years of being open! The after hours open house will have snacks, drinks by Katie Carrillo, and a 20% off discount …

I didn’t really know anything about the Advanced Visualization Lab at National Center for Supercomputing Applications until I interviewed now retired director Donna Cox a couple of years ago. She developed the concept of “Renaissance Teams” …

What began as a small group of motorcyclists doing a “poker run” for fun, has now become an annual event that brings about 250 riders together to raise money for local families. The 29th annual …

MTD’s new service year began August 13th, and their updated Maps & Schedules books are adorned with some fun artwork from EKAH. You’ve certainly seen her work in the public sphere, on a utility box …

It’s peanut butter jelly time at Pekara this month, and it was imperative that I take advantage of this. I love peanut butter. In the picky days of my youth, PBJ sandwiches literally kept me …

Downtown Champaign’s book bar The Literary will launch their very own café this Wednesday. Starting on August 16th, The Literary Café will pour Colectivo Coffee (Blue Heeler drip, Toro espresso, and decaf Columbian espresso) and collaborate …

We have football season tickets for the first time this year, and this news makes me really happy, especially since the new stand will be on the same side as my seats. A Watson’s slush …

Downtown Champaign’s cocktail lounge Punch! Bar is closed for the foreseeable future. The liquor license is expired, and there’s no word yet on when the bar will reopen. Currently, the bartenders cannot serve delicious Punch! …

Last year, Royse+Brinkmeyer purchased The Inman in Downtown Champaign, and began leasing apartments to folks of all ages. Now, they’ve added a few short term options into the mix. There are seven units available for …

The sushi restaurant ISHI and Japanese bakery Kaori’s Oven will both re-open this week on Wednesday, August 16th. After a summer hiatus, the two businesses will team up for lunch service six days a week …

Sola Gratia Farm, Riggs Beer Company, and Rick’s Bakery have joined together to help bring Salsa! Salsa! Night from 6 to 8 p.m. on August 16th. Janelle Davenport-Pleasure will be on site to lead salsa …

The Prairie Crossroads Blues Society is back with its 5th annual Bluesfest this weekend at Bunny’s Tavern in Urbana. Both nights are free, but donations are strongly encouraged, as well as bringing your own chairs. …