Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts has announced their 2023-2024 season, and it has a wide variety of performances on the schedule for the next several months. They already had Amos Lee on the calendar …
Experience Champaign-Urbana has partnered with Community Choices and the College of Education to create a new section on their website titled Accessible CU. The section “helps users find local businesses that meet their accessibility needs, …
Champaign Park District’s annual August family event C-U Days is coming up this Friday and Saturday, August 11th and 12th, at Douglass Park. This event has everything: I could go on, but it could get …
Each year, United Way of Champaign County distributes free Getting Ready for Kindergarten calendars through their Read. Talk. Play. Everyday! initiative. They are meant for families with kids ages three to five, and it’s filled …
The Town of Normal Parks and Recreation department has a permanent outdoor ampitheatre, just down the road from Uptown Normal. It’s nestled in a lovely park, with a large grassy area for folks to bring …
In 2017 the Kip Pope Family donated a collection of photographs of neon signs in Champaign-Urbana from about 1939. The Champaign County History Museum recently shared this Flickr account with the images; they look incredible. …
Whenever I’m near the Main Quad, I check out the BIG concrete cylinder on the north side just to see what sorts of stuff the students are posting fliers about nowadays. After all, some of …
I’m a mom of five, which means that every once in a while I leave my kids with a responsible adult, grab my keys, drive to a secluded parking lot, and cry in the car. …
Thursday, August 10th, will be the last movie on the Quad, as students will begin to move next week. If you missed your opportunity to see the live action The Little Mermaid, here is your …
There is certainly no shortage of beautiful subject matter in our area forest preserves, and the Champaign County Forest Preserve District is looking for some photos that will “reflect the beauty and diversity of Champaign …
Experience Champaign-Urbana and the Champaign County Film Office are hosting a screening of You’re OUT!, a film shot in both Champaign County and the Chicagoland area. The movie, “tells the story of Rod Browning, a …
Espresso Royale‘s iced bourbon-barrel Americano with sweet creme ($5.50) uses espresso from coffee beans aged in bourbon barrels, and it’s delicious. I could actually taste hints of bourbon and caramel in the coffee, and I …
Pole fitness and aerial arts studio Defy Gravity is hosting their summer instructor showcase this Saturday. The showcase theme this year is “Ruin Your Childhood.” From the preview photos that I saw, roller-skates, the Tooth …
Community Foundation of East Central Illinois opens up these grants each year, which are funded by “endowments from generous donors leaving a legacy for future generations.” This year, there is $150,000 to distribute to area …
On August 25th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., mixologist, brewer, Katie Carillo will be leading a class on the history and brewing process of German beer, something she hinted about in her recent interview with …
One of the most esteemed and wonderful alums from the U of I is returning to campus at the end of August: Nick Offerman. As he’s done before, as one of the champions of Japan …
Patrick Earl Hammie, visual artist and Associate Professor & Chair of Studio Arts at the University of Illinois, has art that will be taken to the moon as part of the Lunar Codex program. Lunar …
We really do have just one more week before school starts for Unit 4 and District 116, and before U of I students begin the move-in process. Parkland isn’t far behind. How does it happen so quickly …
If you attended the Unapologetic and Disrespectful fundraiser for the Transgender Law Center at Rose Bowl last night, along with being dazzled by the performances and stunned by the generosity of our local community, you …
DIGS is a collaboration of creative vintage and antiques dealers. The space is huge and full of furniture, art, glassware, clothing, and anything else you can imagine. Each dealer has their own space in the …
Amos Lee is one of those artists that pops into my Spotify mixes on the regular, alongside artists like Brandi Carlile, Nathaniel Rateliff, Avett Brothers, Norah Jones, etc. The folk-blues-soul singer will be performing at …
With roots spanning from Michigan to Chicago, and currently residing in Nashville, Philip-Michael Scales is set to take the stage at Yellow and Company in Mahomet this Saturday, August 5th. This performance will showcase Scales’ …
It’s almost time for Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County’s annual fundraiser, Raise the Woof!, and they are looking for some teams to participate in this building challenge. Teams are tasked with creating and building …
Earlier this week I stopped by Suzu’s for an afternoon snack. I had seen some new strawberry treats — a mini tart and an ice cream parfait — and wanted to try them. So I …
Back in June, Serenity gave us a peek into the upcoming season at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Now, it’s time to revisit and start planning which performances you’d like to see during September …
Anyone want to buy an acclaimed goat farm? Champaign’s Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery is up for sale. Here’s a link to the listing for the farm, barns, goats, creamery, retail store, and farmhouse if …
This is what 1 East Main Street of Champaign looked like in 1865: men in top hats, a corner drugstore, and horse-and-buggies. That building on the corner was one of the first brick structures in …
Champaign County Forest Preserve and Prairie Cycle Club are planning a big cycling event on August 19th, for all levels of biking enthusiasts. From the press release: Pedal the Preserves is more than a bike …
As of June, Boomerang’s Bar & Grill has a new owner — coming from One T’s Corner Pocket in Champaign (which is now Goldy’s 2.0). I’ve enjoyed the food at Boomerang’s in the past, and I’ve …
CU Schools Foundation and United Way of Champaign County are partnering with Unit 4 and District 116 schools to add a layer of support for students that may have trouble affording things like school supplies, …
Springfield-based Activator Magazine is seeking submissions from Central Illinois artists and poets for its annual Black Artists Matter issue. This issue will be co-curated by Shatriya Smith and the Garvey Tubman Cultural Arts & Research …
There have been a lot of changes in temporary housing for homeless community members over the past couple of years. It’s about to change once more, hopefully in a way that will be beneficial to …
Time to gather up all the secret documents that you’ve been harboring…uh, or rather, the old documents with personal info that are piling up in your house. We definitely have a pile here at our …
McKinley Foundation will be staging an art exhibition from September 11th to December 6th with the theme of “Resist Erasure: Art by and for 2SLGBTQIA+ Thriving.” Interested artists must be enrolled at the University of …
Jarling’s Custard Cup has some new outdoor seating: View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jarling’s Custard Cup (@jarlingscustardcup) The new tables and umbrellas are quite the improvement from the solid-but-sticky picnic tables …
In 2019, four years before the release of this summer’s blockbuster Oppenheimer, Kevin Hamilton, Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, published a book titled Lookout America!: The Secret Hollywood Studio at the …
The Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program at Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is hosting a donation drive for breastfeeding supplies, in honor of National Breastfeeding Month. They are looking for these items, sealed in original packaging: You …
I have a kid about to pursue an anthropology major, so I’ve been hyper focused on all things anthropology lately. The field encompasses such a vast range of study and research and discovery, and this …
Mark your calendars for Sunday, August 6th as national touring act The Brother Brothers, accompanied by local singer-songwriter Clayton Burke, are set to perform at Rose Bowl Tavern. This intimate concert, presented by RightHereMusic, aims …
A year ago, Fiala Brothers opened in Uptown Normal. Owned by Steve and Ryan Fiala, who own the Champaign and Normal D.P. Doughs, respectively, it serves various forms of grilled cheese sandwiches (and they have …
Feast your eyes on these golden balls of rice. Made with creamy saffron risotto, ground veal, diced carrots, softened celery, and peas, these arancini are from Baldarotta’s Porketta & Sicilian Sausage, the sandwich shop in …
A Japanese matcha dessert shop called Matcha En is coming to Champaign. Matcha En will open inside a Campustown apartment building on Sixth Street, and the menu includes matcha drinks, soft serve, cakes, fruit tea, …
Secretary Buttigieg is hitting some spots in IL-13 today, along with Senator Dick Durbin, Representative Nikki Budzinski, and Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. They will join local leaders here in a couple of different locations. …
A little while ago, we posted about mac and cheese (or rather, that I Heart Mac & Cheese in Urbana had closed). It kicked off a lively discussion about whether or not Farren’s has macaroni …
Beginning this weekend, Martinelli’s Market Bakery & Deli is extending their hours to include Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they are celebrating with some brunch specials. Pop in this Sunday and try …
Neil St. Blues, Downtown Champaign’s from-scratch Southern cuisine restaurant, is hosting a five-course dinner with beer pairings from Triptych Brewing. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on August 14th, and the menu includes the …
YWCA of Champaign County is planning for summer and fall sessions of their Strive program, which provides digital skills training in internet safety, Google Workspace, and job search readiness. The program is free, and offered …
If you don’t have an air conditioned place to be, or know of anyone who is in that situation, here are community cooling centers that are open to the public, that are also listed on …
I spotted this in the Champaign Urbana History group on Facebook. This is 1975, the year that Esquire opened. In a search for more iterations of the Downtown Champaign bar, I found this one from …
