Smile Politely

Weekender: March 11-13

Anthony Erlinger

Friday, March 11th

Get a fried fish meal, Wood N’ Hog, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., $9.99

If you’re celebrating Fish Fridays, go enjoy a meal at Wood N’ Hog. The fish meal comes with two pieces of fried catfish, a pile of fries, two slices of bread, and your choice of dipping sauce. If you want more fish options, check out Anthony’s Fish Friday article. (AB)

Photo of artist Madeline Witruck in front of her grant sponsored mural in front of the Common Ground Food Coop.

Catch a sneak peek of the 2022 Urbana Arts & Culture grant awardees, Facebook Live, 5 p.m.

Meet the 30 artists who were awarded a combined total of $90,000. Consider this event a preview of all of the amazing arts projects and events you’ll be enjoying in the coming year. (DD)

Action shot of the band Lung playing on stage. A man plays drums on the left side of the stage, a woman plays cello and sings on the right side.

Image from Lung’s website.

Head to Bloomington for a truly unique show, Nightshop, 7 p.m., $7 

The band Lung is stopping by Bloomington for a show at Nightshop. I first heard Lung a few months ago and was mesmerized by their music. Cello and percussion come together with wonderful vocals as the icing on the cake. It’s heavy, experimental, and awesome. Joined by BloNo’s Grey Slush and Heck, as well as Peoria’s First Date Kiss. (SW)

Saturday, March 12th

Plan a stay-cation adventure, your house, all weekend, free-ish

For local schools and colleges, next week is spring break. If you’re not on an academic calendar (like me), you might not realize this and/or have plans to travel to warmer locales. That’s just fine. With a quieter C-U, you can more easily grab food from Green Street restaurants. Maybe you drive a little ways from here to dine in Bloomington-Normal, or, if the weather is suitable, take a trip for a hike. Yes, vegetation will still be dead and brown everywhere, but the weather forecast looks to be mild and dry. (JH)

Work on your fitness, One Main Plaza (former Ko Fusion space), 12 to 2 p.m., free

Champaign Center Partnership and 1 Main Management are teaming up with mLab Fitness and Living Yoga Center to offer free fitness sessions on Saturdays in March. During the first hour, Matt Rossbach of mLAB fitness will lead participants through some beginner exercises. In the second hour, Steve and Sharon Willette will introduce you to Hatha yoga. Classes are open to all; bring your own mat. (JM)

actors on stage rehearsing a scene from Shakespeare's The Tempest.

Photo from the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company Facebook page.

Catch a matinee of The Tempest, Parkland’s Second Stage, 2 p.m., $10-$15

There’s something special about a matinee performance that says my love for local theatre is great than my weekend to-do list. Spend a lovely afternoon with the Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company’s fresh take on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, directed by Latrelle Bright and Misty Martin. Get your tickets here. (DD)

Portrait of band Shiner. The four members sit on a stage surrounded by instruments and amps, they look into the camera with a serious look.

Image from Loose Cobra’s Facebook page. 

Catch a hardcore/alternative show, Loose Cobra, Tolono, 9 p.m., donations encouraged

Shiner is a hardcore/alternative rock band, formed in the 90s, and pretty highly influencial. They released their newest album Schadenfreude in 2020, but their tour was canceled due to COVID-19. They’re making up for it by making a stop in Tolono this Saturday, joined by Spotlights and Dibiase. (SW)

Sunday, March 13th

Pick up hot coffee before your spring break trip, Cafe Kopi, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.,  $2.50

Brewed coffee at Kopi is $2.60 for a small, $3 for a medium, and $3.40 for the large. The dark roast is great, and the service is friendly. You can order online in advance and you should, so you can grab your coffee and be on your way. Looking for other great local options of foods and drinks to grab before a spring break road trip? Check out this list of snacks to bring on your road trip. (AB)

A variety of board games are displayed on a table at Titan Games in Champaign. Photo from the Titan Games Facebook page.

Photo from the Titan Games Facebook page.

Buy and/or learn to play a new board game, Titan Games, noon to 6 p.m., prices vary

Stop by Titan Games to pick up a new board game. It’s been a while since I’ve been in the store, but the staff have always been helpful, so ask questions and tell them what sorts of things you like to play. Or, make plans to attend one of their Tuesday game nights at Pour Bros. (JH)

A blue ceramic bowl is filled with a lentil stew in a thick light brown sauce. Photo from Common Ground Food Coop.

Photo from Common Ground Food Coop website.

Learn how to make Ethiopian food, online with Common Ground Food Coop, 4 to 6 p.m., $30 for food kit 

C-U is home to many cuisines, but alas, we lack an Ethiopian restaurant. Now you can learn to make Ethiopian dishes at home. Preorder your meal kit ahead of the pick up times on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. It will include everything you need to make Qay Meser Wat. Goman/Ethiopian greens. and organic brown rice for two to three people. (JM)

Top photo by Anthony Erlinger.

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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.

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