Thursday, August 29th
Watch Marty McFly’s timeless adventure, Back to the Future, Virginia Theatre, 7 p.m., $7
Sure, it gets a bit creepy and awkward when Marty’s mom has the hots for him, but hey, every family has its issues. This classic film starring the incomparable Michael J. Fox and the inimitable Christopher Lloyd as two time-traveling buddies warmed our hearts in the summer of 1985. Enjoy it again, or maybe for the first time, on the Virginia Theatre’s big screen. (AP)
Attend a football game, Memorial Stadium, 8 p.m., $15+
The Illini kick off (pun intended) their 100th season against Eastern Illinois University on what is likely to be a warm night. I am not much for following football, but I imagine that this is a match up that favors Illinois and it’s always more fun when your team is winning — as long as you’re not a total jerk to the opposing team or its fans. (JH)
Friday, August 30th
Enjoy a candlelit lake while listening to the CU Symphony, Crystal Lake Boathouse, 8:30 to 10 p.m., $10/person for a patio seat (boats are sold out)
The CU Symphony is performing at Crystal Lake, organized by Urbana Park District and Urbana Arts and Culture program. It should be a really lovely late-summer event, and even though the boats are all reserved, you can still grab a seat on the patio. (JH)
Stay inside but think about eating outside on Saturday, a restaurant patio or your house, all day, prices vary
Friday will be another miserably hot day, but Saturday will be a not-90-degree day. Saturday is also National Eat Outside Day, so get outside and eat. Sit on your patio or go out to a restaurant for a meal al fresco. Here are a few of my favorite C-U patios: Maize, Rose Bowl Tavern, Seven Saints, Bentley’s, Gallery Art Bar, San Maru, and La Bahía. (AB)
Saturday, August 31st
Watch a historic mural painting go up, Tuscola Family Fun Day, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., free to watch
This is going to be so cool. I don’t know the exact time but regional award-winning and way cool tattoo artist Ainslie Heilich will be working on the new mural outside of Tuscola’s storied Candy Kitchen. Heilich is a local artist of immense talent and he’ll be creating this huge work of art during Tuscola’s Family Fun day. There will be plenty of food and fun for kids of all ages but I’ll be downtown watching him do his thing. Flesor’s Candy Kitchen had to undergo a massive renovation of its century-old building and the old Coca-Cola mural is getting its makeover on Saturday. (AP)
Drink bottomless mimosas and eat a buffet of Southern brunch food, Neil St. Blues, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., $35 for buffet + (optional) $25 for bottomless mimosas
Drink all you want and eat all you want at Neil St. Blues. Their Saturday brunch has a bottomless mimosa add on for the restaurant’s bottomless brunch buffet. The food here is so delicious. There’s regular breakfast stuff like waffles, biscuits, bacons, and such, but I go for the savory Southern cuisine. The buffet is a good way to try a little of lot. Do not miss the fried fish; it’s seriously delicious! Other things I love on NSB’s buffet line: cooked greens, fried chicken, meaty lasagna (if it’s there!), mashed potatoes, okay, fine I love it all. Reservations recommended. Call 217- 531-1150 to reserve your table. (AB)
Look at some art, drink some wine, Krannert Art Museum, 5 to 7 p.m., free
KAM’s semester opens with Mille Wilson: The Museum of Lesbian Dreams, the first museum retrospective of the artist’s work. The opening reception will feature snacks, as well as brief remarks from guest curator David Evans Frantz and KAM’s Amy Powell, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. (JH)
Listen to live music and support Pass Down Magazine, The Canopy Club, 8 p.m., $5
Free Joel, Manifest West, and Footballhead will play Canopy Club to mark the release of Pass Down Magazine. Pass Down is a new music magazine founded by two U of I students. Doors for this show open at 7:30 p.m., so get there early, skim a copy of the magazine, and enjoy the indie rock and punk. (JH)
Sunday, September 1st
Enjoy cheese, craft vendors, face painting and more, Arthur Cheese Festival, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., free, but you’ll want food and goodies
Oh, it’s on. The season for the major area festivals is upon us and one of the most charming is Arthur’s annual Cheese Festival on Labor Day weekend. Crafts, plenty of live entertainment, and lots for kids of all ages, it’s worth your trip to Amish country to enjoy this special festival. And, come on, you know you love cheese. (AP)
Get lost in a corn maze, Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch, 1 to 8 p.m., $9/person before 5 p.m. + $10/person after 5 p.m.
Corn maze, reindeer, snacks, a short road trip? All of this sounds like the perfect way to spend the Sunday afternoon of a long weekend. So load up the fam and head to Rantoul. Don’t worry, no one will really let you get lost in that corn maze. (JH)
All event information is accurate to the best of our abilities, but sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes event information, times, prices, etc., change after we look them up. Whenever possible, we’ve provided a link to the original event page; you should always double-check the source before you make any firm plans. Thanks for your understanding.