On February 19th, The Land Connection and I-Regen will be hosting Building Community Food Webs, a discussion on how to build more equitable local food systems. Ken Meter, a food systems analyst who wrote a …
The Parkland Dental Hygiene Clinic and Champaign-Urbana Public Health District are teaming up on Saturday, February 10th to provide basic dental services for kids ages one through 17. The free clinic will take place from …
As Restaurant Week continues, so shall our coverage of delicious foods we’ve eaten. On Saturday, I made it out to The Crossing in Champaign for the specials at 83 Vietnamese. For Restaurant Week, the mom-and-son …
In recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was observed this past Saturday, HRI Director Antoinette Burton published on op-ed in the Chicago Tribune with a reminder that “the links between white supremacy and antisemitism have …
Lunar New Year 2024 begins on February 10th, but there will be a variety of ways to celebrate throughout the month. The City of Urbana, Urbana Park District, Urbana Free Library, Urbana Arts and Culture, …
Avicenna Community Health Center offers free medical services for people in the area who are uninsured or underinsured. Just last year, they added women’s health services to the scope of what they provide, including cervical …
Last week the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences posted these pictures of the Plant Sciences Laboratory. So many of the comments were people who had never heard about it. This little …
In case you haven’t noticed, food is crucial part of our work here at Smile Politely. We like to talk about food, you like to read about food. It makes sense, really. We all have to eat, …
The Canopy Club is set to host an electrifying evening with “Bless The Stage,” a unique event where emerging talents vie for the coveted opportunity to open for the renowned Memphis artist Duke Deuce, also …
Restaurant Week begins tomorrow, and we’re pretty excited about it here at Smile Politely. Alyssa highlighted the dishes she’s most looking forward to in her preview today. Tomorrow, we’re handing over the Instagram Story reins …
From the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) website: Champaign-Urbana AgTech Week celebrates Champaign-Urbana’s robust AgTech ecosystem, including the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Parkland College, corporate innovation partners, startups, state-of-the-art facilities, student organizations, local …
This week, I’m thirsty for Turkish coffee at Strawberry Fields inside World Harvest grocery. At the Urbana cafe, my order of Turkish coffee ($3.49) came on a tray with a tiny gold-rimmed glass and a …
The women’s track and field team were just ranked as the number one team in the nation for the first time in Illini history. The season has just started, and already the women are breaking …
If you’re looking for new sportsy events to attend in the next year, here is an opportunity. There will now be an ECHL called the Bloomington Bison, who will have their home ice at Grossinger …
While there is absolutely nothing wrong with eating whatever kind of Valentine’s treats you want — you do you — this is an opportunity to add a bit of nutritional value to your Valentine’s baking. …
Spice Box, the UIUC student-run restaurant on campus, will open for the semester starting Friday, February 2nd. Each dinner service, Spice Box transforms into a different restaurant with a unique menu, theme, and decor designed …
Shannon Hayden, a musician with roots in Central Illinois, is set to perform at the Illini Courtyard Cafe on January 25th. This event, presented by the University of Illinois School of Music, offers an opportunity …
University of Illinois Press has released their latest catalog, with several interesting titles. Here are a couple that have local ties: And here are a few that sound intriguing to me: You can check out …
If you’re looking for a way to burn some energy while learning something new, how about West African dance? After a hiatus, classes are happening at the Independent Media Center. Master dancer Djibril Camara leads …
Gallery Art Bar in Urbana is set to launch a captivating new music series, the “Blue Velvet Couch Series,” promising an intimate and soulful experience for the performers and audience alike. The series kicks off …
All around Champaign County winter is wintering. The weather is cold and icy and school closures have been wrecking havoc on parents. However, there are some creative ways to enjoy the winter months, and right …
We’re looking for writers to contribute to our Food & Drink section. What’s required? It’s helpful to have some writing ability, but it’s okay if this is a new thing for you. We’ll help with …
Maybe you’ve seen the show Squid Game (or MrBeast’s version or Netflix’s Squid Game: Challenge). If you have, then you know about the dalgona candy challenge, made popular by the show. Made with melted sugar …
No, I am not suggesting that these scientists are performing magic, though it does sort of seem like magic to me! Professor of materials science and engineering Qing Cao, and his research group at The …
You can start planning ahead for stage productions you might like to take in next academic year, beginning with Parkland Theatre shows. The Wedding Singer and White Christmas are a couple of my favorite movies, …
Downtown Champaign’s Tenkyu Izakaya is anticipated to open this weekend in the former Miga location. Tenkyu is a new upscale Japanese restaurant offering a menu of small bites, yakitori, ramen, rice bowls, and specialty entrees. …
In a unique promotion, Manifest West is preparing to unveil their new 7-track EP, I Just Feel Nothing at All, set for release while they’ll be onstage at The Canopy Club on Thursday, January 25th. …
I uttered my first “ugh I hate winter” this week. I’m surprised it took me this long. After a mild December, January has been basically awful. Not the worst we’ve seen, but certainly not enjoyable. Winter lasts …
Every year, the Urbana Park District and Champaign County Camera Club team up to host a Best in Show contest for amateur photographers in the area. There are nine different categories: Animals, Architecture, Black and …
Mardi Gras is going to come up awfully quickly this year — the day before Valentine’s Day! That’s a lot of holidays to have to think about all at once, so maybe it’s best to …
Farren’s Pub & Eatery just launched a new lunch menu, and it has some tasty items. I think I’m most excited about the sliders, because I love a good mix and match opportunity (and they …
This week, I sipped a flight of kombucha at Cloud Mountain in Urbana. What’s kombucha? It’s non-alcoholic fermented tea that’s a little bubbly, and kombucha is Cloud Mountain’s whole thing. They brew kombucha in-house, making …
Black Violin is a Grammy-nominated hip hop and classical music duo — not a sentence you say often. I imagine this will be a pretty unique musical experience. Check out this music video to get …
The Illinois men’s and women’s track and field teams competed at the Commodore Challenge on Friday, January 12th. On the first day of meet, freshman Sophia Beckmon (above) won the long jump in her debut …
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is collaborating with Advocates for Aging Care to find out “what’s needed to help support the health and wellbeing of our aging family, friends and neighbors.” They are asking Champaign County …
*Editor’s note: This will now be a virtual event, due to weather causing travel issues. Zoom registration is available here. The second cohort of the Interseminars Initiative at Humanities Research Institute is focused on the …
Where are all the puzzle people out there? I am not a total devotee, but I do dabble, especially on breaks and vacations. Well, the University Library has an opportunity for you to join forces …
There are 45 restaurants participating in this year’s Experience Champaign-Urbana’s Restaurant Week, and many menus are now available online. From favorites like Nando’s arancini and Smith Burger Co’s smashburger on a Ye Olde doughnut to …
Beginning this Thursday, January 18th, your kiddos 12 and under will have their own menu to order from at Watson’s Shack & Rail. Watson’s has always had some kid-friendly options, with the chicken and the …
Sam’s Cafe is open for breakfast and lunch everyday, but starting in a few days, the Downtown Champaign diner will serve dinner two nights a week. On Thursdays and Fridays, Sam’s Cafe will be open …
Our Smile Politely team is slowly powering up this week and getting back into publishing mode after a nice holiday break. We’re excited to get back at it and dig into all that 2024 is going to …
The Champaign-Urbana Folk and Roots Festival, which takes place every October here in C-U, is known for being a grassroots event organized entirely by volunteers. It brings together a diverse mix of artists and folk …
At the end of last year, Four Osprey debuted their new Veggie Van. The Four Osprey organization works to promote the acceptance of an ecocentric value system and was instrumental in creating the Mobile Market, …
It’s about to get bitter cold here in Central Illinois. The Cunningham Township Supervisor’s office shared a helpful post about warming centers in Champaign-Urbana, and what they are able to offer. This is also a …
So far, we have not had nearly as much snow action as people in the western portion of our state, but that might change in the next couple of weeks. If you are someone who …
New year, and it’s a new weekly column for thirsty readers. Every Thursday starting with this one, I’ll highlight something to sip in Champaign-Urbana. It might be a cool cocktail, an interesting beer, delicious wine, …
The 2020 census revealed that Urbana’s population decreased by about seven percent, which means they now need to come up with a new map of city council wards to ensure that they are balanced in …
*The application period for this position has closed. Thank you for your interest! Champaign-Urbana has a vibrant arts community, one that includes the University of Illinois as well as Parkland. We are looking for an …
Gallery Art Bar in Urbana is gearing up for a unique musical treat with the launch of its new concert series, “Urbana Sandwich”. Conceived by Emily Otnes, a musician originating from Urbana and co-founder of …
