FRIDAY, November 3rd
Speculative Futures, U of I (location varies), 1:30 p.m. through Saturday, free
This Friday and Saturday, Speculative Futures is happening on U of I’s campus in various locations, check out the SPlog post for the programming schedule. This is a series discussing where techology and creativity meet. (PS)
Fighting Illini Hockey, U of I Ice Arena, 7 p.m., cost varies
If you haven’t been to a hockey game, you don’t really know whether you like hockey. It’s a completely different experience than seeing it on television, and your hometown heroes, the Fighting Illini hockey team, are taking on Iowa State at 7 p.m. You don’t know what you don’t know until you know, you know? So go! Photo from Daily Illini. (DT)
Small Mouth Sounds, Station Theatre, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday at 8 p.m., $15-20
Station Theatre’s production of Small Mouth Sounds opens on Thursday, but they have shows running this weekend (plus more beyond that). Check out Mathew’s interview with the director prior to the opening. (PS)
C-U Folk & Roots Festival, Urbana, prices and times vary all weekend
The 9th annual C-U Folk & Roots Festival is here, and runs from Thursday through Sunday in Urbana. You can check out all of the artists performing, plus the full schedule and ticketing options at their website. Dozens of performers, including Chicago Farmer, Henhouse Prowlers, Steve Poltz, Doktu Rhute Muuzic, and so many more. (PS)
SATURDAY, November 4th
Go to the library, the Champaign Library, all day, free
The library is a great place to spend the morning or afternoon. Books to read, movies to watch, a play area for kids, coffee shop, relative quiet … oh, and there’s a puppet show at 3 p.m. on Saturday, so that’s awesome. The library is snuggled up next to downtown Champaign, too, so there are plenty of great eats and drinks close by when you call it a day. (DT)
McKinley Foundation Flapjack Fundraiser, Applebee’s in Savoy, 8-10 a.m., $5-10
Here’s how you can help out McKinley Foundation this weekend: go eat some pancakes at their fundraiser on Saturday monring. You can pick up tickets in advance at McKinley Foundation, or day of on Saturday. (PS)
Archives Bazaar, Urbana Free Library, 10 a.m-4 p.m., free
C-U history buffs can find a wealth of information about the area at this free event. There will be professional archivists and curators from the Champaign County History Museum, the Champaign County Genealogical Sociey, and more there to help you research local history or even start looking into your own family history. There will also be door prizes and books for sale. (JM)
Playtest Convention, Lincoln Square Mall, 1-5:30 p.m., free
Love games? Here’s a chance to test out game creations by CUDO Plays teams. There are games for all ages and ability levels, and your participation and feedback will help local game designers develop their ideas for the annual CUDO Plays game design competition. Food and beverages will be provided for testers. (JM)
Morgan Orion and the Afterburners, the IMC, 6 p.m., $10 (part of CU Folk and Roots Festival)
C-U has always had its fair share of artists who started here and moved on to do other things. Morgan Orion is no exception, originally from Urbana he currently lives in a shack he hand-built in New Orleans. He also just got back from a tour through Canada and Europe. Make sure to give him a nice welcome home show! (DS)
SUNDAY, November 5th
Check out Amaravati Indian Royal Cuisine’s lunch buffet, 2501 Village Green Place, Champaign, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., $12.99/person
Amaravati is a new Indian restaurant in Champaign’s Village at the Crossing. I believe it’s the only Indian restaurant off campus to offer a lunch buffet, even on the weekends. The photos look good; buffet is an excellent way to get a good sample of different dishes, to see what you like and what the restaurant does well. It’s also a refreshing take on Sunday brunch. More information about the restaurant is available on Facebook. Photo from Facebook. (JH)
Learn how to pair cheese with stuff, Prairie Fruits Farm, 1 to 3 p.m., $35
Prairie Fruits Farm is hosting a cheese pairing class, in which you’ll learn the basics of cheese styles, taste some cheese, and learn to pair different cheese with different food and drink options. I attended a similar class last year, and it was great — and well worth the price tag. The information you learn is perfect for the holiday season; you can impress your friends and family with your new knowledge. Get your tickets here. Photo by Jessica Hammie (JH)
Wine Down Sunday with the Jazz Collective, Alto Vineyards Champaign, 2 p.m., free
If you’re still wanting to listen to music after C-U Folk and Roots Festival -check out the Jazz Collective at the Alto Vineyards this Sunday and unwind with some wine. They will be performing a wide variety of jazz through a wide series of standards.
Cash Bash for UHS Band, Urbana High School Commons, 2-4 p.m., $25
Cash Bash is this coming Sunday afternoon at Urbana High, which will go to benefit the Urbana High School Band Program. Tickets are $25 at the door, which enters you in a 50/50 raffle — raffles are every 15 minutes, and the 50/50 is at the end. There are tons of things going up in the silent auction, so you can play a part (get it?) in helping the band program out this year. Check out the Facebook event linked above for more details. (PS)
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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.