Friday, July 22nd
Eat a doughnut, Rick’s Bakery, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., $1.50
Rick’s Bakery sells two flavors of yeast doughnuts in the case: sugar and cinnamon sugar. There are also a variety of croissants, brioche, fruit snails, danishes, cinnamon rolls, and more pastries at the Downtown Urbana bakery. Rick’s doughnuts have an awesome buttery taste with a delicious sugary exterior. I wrote about these doughnuts and the raspberry fruit snail in my article this week about six places to buy doughnuts in Champaign-Urbana. (AB)
Talk art and design at the CUDO Happy Hour, Barrelhouse 34, 6 p.m., free (plus cost of drinks)
A happy hour with a group of creatives is fun and inspiring. Build connections (and potential collaborations) over a well-deserved cold one. With CUDO’s ABCU show greenlighted to return, here’s your opportunity to get the scoop. (DD)
View Della Perrone’s Front Steps Portraits, Museum of the Grand Prairie, 5:30-7 p.m., free
As with so many other art forms, portrait photographers found creative ways to adapt their process during COVID times. Photographer Della Perrone’s series, Front Step Portraits: Portraits of Champaign County Residents during COVID Lockdown, opens at the Miuseum of the Grand Prairie on Friday as part of the MGP’s History of Healing project.
Reunite with an old favorite, Rose Bowl Tavern, 8 p.m., donations encouraged
Temple of Low Men have reunited and are playing their first show in years at Rose Bowl on Friday. Opening the show is hip-hop group Trouble Chasin’, made up of Truth aka Trouble & Chase Baby. (SW)
Saturday, July 23rd
Photo by Jessica Hammie.
Make a cobbler or pie with market peaches, Urbana’s Market at the Square, 7 a.m. to noon, prices vary
Now is the time to make a pie or a crumble or a cobbler (my personal favorite) with market peaches. You have to get there early to get the peaches — they sell out quickly! Top it off with some Prairie Fruits Farm gelato, or Red Bicycle ice cream (available at Common Ground). (JH)
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Sip a piña colada margarita, La Bahía Grill, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. $9
The weather will be in the 90s, so spend your Saturday sipping on a cold piña colada margarita at the Mexican seafood restaurant La Bahía Grill. Opened in December of last year, the Downtown Champaign restaurant serves large 20 ounce margaritas for $9 in a variety of flavors and a choice of frozen or on the rocks. I loved my piña colada marg on the rocks, and I like the mango margarita here, too. (AB)
Go to the pool, Sholem Aquatic Center and/or Crystal Lake Park Aquatic Center, all weekend, hours vary, $8-$9/person
It’s hot! The end of July is the time to panic about the encroaching school year (if you’re on an academic calendar) and all the summertime things you haven’t done yet. For me, it’s going to the pool. So, if you’re like me, and you haven’t been to the pool yet this summer, there may be no better circumstances than this weekend’s 90 degree weather. (JH)
Watch the Demolition Derby, Champaign County Fairgrounds, 6:30 p.m., $5 fair admission and $10 general admission
There’s something about watching a bunch of cars smash into each other. It’s highly entertaining. Get there a little early so you can have a fair food dinner. I love a Pronto Pup and lemon shake up, and were you even at the fair if you don’t get a funnel cake or elephant ear? (JM)
Sunday, July 24th
Photo by Julie McClure.
Explore Mother Murphy’s, 112 E University in Champaign, 12 to 5 p.m., free to browse but you’ll probably want to buy something
Did you see our feature on Mother Murphy’s this week? After more than 50 years in Normal, they’ve expanded to C-U. Swing by Midtown on Sunday and see what the store is all about. It’s definitely an experience. (JM)
Photo from Rose Bowl Tavern’s Facebook page.
Spend time at Pricklefest, Rose Bowl Tavern, 1 p.m., $10
Pricklefest returns on Sunday, with a big ole lineup of bands playing indoors and outdoors at Rose Bowl, including Sweetmelk, Poisoned Rationality, Nonagon, The Joy Machine, and many more. The music will be rotating between inside and out, so that you can cool off, get hot, cool off, get hot, repeat. (SW)
Top photo by Alyssa Buckley.
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