FRIDAY, October 28th
UIUC MFA Open Studios, South Studios (Gerty and Griffith, Champaign), 5 to 8 p.m., free
Interested to know more about the U of I’s current graduate students in art? Of course you are! Swing by the graduate studios this Friday evening for an opportunity to see some art, chat with the artists, and have a snack or two. It’s an opportunity to learn more about one part of the arts community in C-U, and take a look at some thought- and conversation-provoking work, as well as a behind the scenes look at art production. Image from Facebook. (JH)
PopEd Talk: Faith in Black Power, Independent Media Center (202 S. Broadway, Urbana), 7-9 p.m., free
The IMC is hosting a free series of popular education talks, this one by Kerry Pimblott. Kerry Pimblott will join the faculty at the University of Manchester this spring as a lecturer in international history. She earned a B.A. with First Class Honours in American Studies from King’s College London and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her book, Faith in Black Power: Religion, Race, and Resistance in Cairo, Illinois, is slated for release in January 2017 (University Press of Kentucky). Pimblott is currently working on a new project about the generation of African and Afro-Caribbean activists that sojourned in the United States and Europe during the interwar years. (RP)
Trick-or-Treat like a grownup, Alto Vineyards (4210 N Duncan Rd, Champaign), 7 to 10 p.m., $10 inadvance, $15 at the door
Alto Vineyards is having a grownup Halloween party, with snacks and wine, and a haunted vineyard. There will be prizes awarded throughout the night. Costumes are recommended, but not required (no masks, though). For more info, check out the event’s Facebook page. Image from Facebook. (JH)
SATURDAY, October 29th
Aida Cuevas and Mariachi Reyna: Mexico y su mujer, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m., $29 or less
Grammy-winning Ms. Cuevas doesn’t really need backup, but when her band is actually America’s first all-female mariachi band, it is less like support and more like a supergroup. There’s no end of cultural experiences available in town, but when something like this happens, it is definitely noteworthy. The evening will feature not only greatest hits, but new arrangements made explicity for this cooperation. (RK)
We The Animals Record Release Show, Cowboy Monkey, 9 p.m., $7
For this Halloween weekend at Cowboy Monkey, both evenings have scary good shows. Dark rock band We The Animals are releasing their new album Hells & Chronicles, and Saturday night is their release show and party. Joining in the fun will be emo favorites Euriah and garage/punk act Radiation Babies. Costumes are welcome, so don your gothy garb and come rock out. (JM)
Lupe Fiasco, The Canopy Club, $40, 18+, 9:00 p.m.
Food & Liquor is an arguably legendary hip-hop album, and though Lupe’s career of late has left some to be desired, it’s still sure to be a special night in Urbana. (BH)
All-nite Shocktober movie marathon, Art Theatre Co-Op, 10 p.m., $15 all night pass.
Only the curators of the Co-Op could be this diabolical: King and Romero double feature, plus two other “creeptastic” films are going to be shown starting late Saturday night and going way, way, into the early morning. That $15 goes even further when you read that there will be free food at 2 a.m. donated by a sponsor who knows every marathoner needs energy to make it past the halfway point. That is, of course, if you can stomach anything after watching Creepshow and Dawn of the Dead… (RK)
Homecoming football game, Memorial Stadium, 11 a.m., price varies.
Yeah, we’re playing Minnesota and we’ll probably lose, but maybe we won’t, plus it’s homecoming, which originated at the U of I, so we might as well have a beer or ten, even if our football team iss hard to watch. (BH)
SUNDAY, October 30th
Ice skate in your costume, University of Illinois Ice Arena 406 E Armory Ave, Champaign, free if in costume
Head out to the UI Ice Arena for Spooky Skate! Costumes are encouraged, as those wearing a costume will receive FREE skate rental on this day. The rink and lobby will be decorated so be sure to wear your spooooookiest costume! There will be a variety of different costume contests with prizes for all the winners! (SL)
Halloween at Riggs Beer Company, 1901 S. High Cross Road, Urbana, 12-10 p.m., free
Drink beer and eat candy in costume at Riggs Beer Company. Dave’s Dogs hot dog truck will be in attendance from 4 – 7 p.m., and there’s plenty of space for kids to play outside. (RP)
Neon Indian, City Center, 8 p.m., tickets start at $21
Alan Palomo of electronica act Neon Indian doesn’t just play music. He’s a thoughtful innovator who takes great care in the construction of his art every step of the way. In fact, Palomo even did a TED talk on the philosophies utilized in his craft. Catch the show on Sunday to see him in action. (JM)
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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.