SPlog

The ninth annual Untitled fundraiser for 40 North will be February 24, 2023 at the Orpheum Theater in Champaign.  From the save-the-date promo image, it looks like the theme might be Beatles-adjacent; the Instagram announcement …

Urbana has a new bakery called Panaderia San Miguel Mexican Bakery, and it opens tomorrow, Wednesday, December 14th. The bakery will have over 100 different kinds of Mexican pastries for opening day, all handmade by …

If you’d like a bit of a refresh as we approach the longest night of the year, the Urbana Park District is hosting a Winter Solstice celebration this Saturday at Anita Purves Nature Center. Activities …

Community Foundation of East Central Illinois is looking for people with a new non-profit, or an emerging idea for a non-profit to join their next Community Solutions Incubator cohort. The Incubator is a way for …

Here’s another option for shopping from local artists and makers. Stop by The Rec Club on Friday, December 16th, from 4 to 8 p.m., or on Saturday, December 17th, from 2 to 6 p.m. Cultclassics Vintage, …

Cloud 9 is a cannabis dispensary that will open on Town Center Blvd, near the big box stores in Champaign. The store will be 4,500 square feet and have about 50 employees. No opening date …

Did you know that Aikman Wildlife Adventure in Arcola does a lighted pathway this time of year? The walk-thru side of the park, which feature smaller animals and a petting zoo, is covered in holiday …

Japan House hosted their annual Mottainai bazaar this past weekend. If you missed it (like I did), good news! They still have a good selection of items left, so they are having a last chance …

Spurlock Museum will be opening a new temporary exhibit in February titled Nikkeijin Illinois. It will focus on the Japanese American experience through the perspectives of University of Illinois students, faculty, and staff. Nikkeijin refers to …

Summer Camp — Chillicothe’s annual music festival — has just announced their 2023 lineup with none other than Willie Nelson and Family as the headlining act.  The festival runs May 26-28 next year and alongside Nelson, …

Tickets go on sale this Wednesday, December 14th, for Our Planet Live in Concert, an event presented by Illinois Public Media. The concert is based on the acclaimed Our Planet documentary series, and will feature sequences …

Co-owned by Congolese immigrants Memoire Budimbu Mabiza and Lisette Mbaki, the brand new restaurant Mama’s African Kitchen by Best of Africa Food Store is open for dine in. The restaurant shares an entrance with the African …

Eastern Illinois University’s Lions in Winter Literary Festival will be in-person on January 28, 2023. This year’s featured authors are Washington Post columnist and memoirist Brian Broome, poet, essayist, and 2021 Adrienne Rich Poetry Prize …

State Senator Scott Bennett passed away today, Friday, December 9th. He was first appointed to the District 52 seat in 2015, after it was vacated by Michael Frerichs. Bennett was officially elected in 2016 and …

If you are a real Christmas tree person who lives in Champaign, put January 9th on your calendar. The City of Champaign will be collecting trees for free that day. This won’t be by zone …

Urbana’s Independent Media Center — with the help of the Twin City Theatre Company and the U of I Department of Theatre — has built a new stage and is hosting a celebration this Saturday.  Starting at 4:30 …

A team of researchers from Beckman Institute have been studying how reading for pleasure affects memory, and have found that it can help preserve memory skills as people get older. They studied both episodic and …

The Urbana Bike Project is giving away bikes for kids on Saturday, December 17th. You’ll need to bring your kid along so they can pick out their bike; bikes are free. It’s first come, first …

The City of Urbana’s Arts & Culture Program recently announced the opening of its 2023 arts grant cycle. Grants will be accepted from January 2nd through 11:59 p.m. on January 31st. Learn more on the Arts …

Head over to Main Library 321 on Thursday from 4 to 6 p.m. to create and listen to poetry. The session will be led by Sociology Professor Dr. Reuban A. Buford May, aka Stuckey, and …

Ebertfest 2023 is happening April 19-23, and beginning next week you can purchase festival passes. The passes go on sale at 10 a.m. on December 12th, and can be purchased online, at the box office, …

Everyday Kitchen Restaurant, Bar, Cafe, and even the pop-up Miracle Bar have closed permanently, as of yesterday. The restaurant was a handsome place for dinner, and Julie just visited the seasonal Miracle Bar for festive …

If you haven’t seen Black on Black on Black on Black at Krannert Art Museum yet, an exhibition featuring the work of Patrick Earl Hammie, Stacey Robinson, Blair Ebony Smith, and Nekita Thomas, you need to …

This year Chanukah begins on December 18th, but Illini Chabad and Champaign Center Partnership are doing a menorah lighting ceremony in Downtown Champaign at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 8th. Visit the menorah in the …

We The Animals have just shared a new-ish song titled “Shooting Stars.” I say new-ish as the song is actually an older, previously unreleased track from the band. From their Facebook page: We recorded this …

*Editor’s Note: We learned that as of December 6th, Everyday Kitchen restaurant, cafe, and the Miracle Bar pop-up are permanently closed. If you stop by the café at Everyday Kitchen Wednesday through Sunday evenings this …

A new breakfast restaurant named Just Yolkin’ will move into the space formerly occupied by Legacy Pizzeria right beside Jupiter’s at The Crossing. Just Yolkin’ does not yet have a website. Check out this teaser photo that …

University of Illinois Press has released their lineup of books that will be published in the spring and summer of 2023. As my fellow SP editor once described it, the catalog is like “the academic …

UPDATE: Watson’s had rescheduled their whiskey sale for this Wednesday, December 14th, from 6 to 10 p.m. See full details below. If you can’t make the sale, but want a shot at a nice bottle of …

This summer, the City of Urbana launched a Downtown Public Realm Study to begin reimagining how public spaces might be used. Our Editorial Board had some ideas. Right now they are in the “Urban Realm …

A group of students at Carle Illinois College of Medicine participated in a holographic simulation for clinical training. The students examined an asthmatic “patient” — actually a hologram — using augmented, or extended reality technology from GigXR …

This October, El Paraiso opened their new location in Downtown Urbana and expanded their menu of delicious Latin American dishes. Formerly, El Paraiso was located inside Broadway Food Hall. Photo by Alyssa Buckley. Now El Paraiso …

The long wait is over! Espresso Royale on Daniel (602 E. Daniel) is now open for business. You’ll find it in The Hub, the building that now sits at Sixth and Daniel in the spot …

The National Congress of American Indians is an organization founded in 1944 whose mission is to “protect and enhance treaty and sovereign rights; secure our traditional laws, cultures, and ways of life for our descendants; …

A new local business called Chikondi Craft Chocolate offers bean-to-bar high end chocolates. The company hand-sorts each batch of cacao beans, roasts them, and only uses two ingredients (cacao nibs and pure raw cane sguar) …

Just in time for holiday shopping, Common Ground Food Co-op’s Owner Appreciation Days are coming up December 7-13. Owners can choose one day to recieve 10 percent off their overall purchase, and there will be …

The Idea Store is going to host their first online holiday market to showcase some of the artists and makers in our community, many of whom utilize the store for their materials. Those interested in …

The Odyssey Project, a Humanities Research Initiative that offers free humanities courses to low-income adults in the area, is now accepting applications for their spring session. Students will take evening classes in literature, philosophy, U.S. …

The students behind 8 to Create, the annual spring live art making show, will be hosting an exhibition of undergraduate student art on December 4th from 3 to 8 p.m. at the Illini Union Ballroom. …

If you’ve been to Art Mart recently, you’ve probably noticed the spiffy new bar across from the registers. I love this addition to the space, and look forward to trying it out with a cup …

Check out this video of a new installation in Krannert Art Museum’s decorative arts gallery featuring work by Roberto Lugo, Jim McDowell, and Flora Mace/Joey Kirkpatrick, which also includes work in glass, ceramics, silver, and …

Opened this Tuesday, Martinelli’s Market Bakery & Deli offers sandwiches, meat and cheese by the pound, baked goods, and pantry staples. Photo by Alyssa Buckley. Take a look at the menu. The deli offers sandwiches like …

Illinois Public Media’s series on community gun violence, News, Brews, and Beatz, returns to Pour Bros. on December 12th for a discussion on housing and economics. The event is hosted by news director Reginald Hardwick …

The 22nd Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Countywide Celebration, sponsored by City of Champaign, City of Urbana, Champaign County, Parkland College, the University of Illinois, and the Village of Rantoul, is coming up on January …

December 11th will be the last day for NOLA’s Rock Bar. Until then, you can take advantage of 50% off food and drink December 7th through 11th. That won’t be it for the space, though. …

Deke Weaver, artist and professor at the University of Illinois, and Brett Ashley Kaplan, author and professor at the U of I, will be in conversation at The Literary at 5 p.m. on Saturday, December …

The News-Gazette is reporting that former Champaign Mayor Don Gerard will run for mayor again. Gerard and fellow challenger Azark Cobbs (who ran for mayor in 2019) have thrown their hats in the ring to challenge …

Last year, SP writer Tom Ackerman began selling his board game, BlindFold, through Chronicle Books. Now, you can support a local game creator and a local business by purchasing BlindFold at The Literary.  The party game, meant …