SPlog

Listen to poet Naveen Rimah read from their collection Scattered Mind on Thursday, June 16, at The Lit in Downtown Champaign.  Scattered Mind has been described as follows: “a book of poetry and pose—naveen rimah’s …

I wish that I was a gardener. Yes, I plant things, but my skill and will to tend to them daily is just not there. I have the highest respect for those for whom this …

Kittens Incorporated have just released their new EP titled The Romantic Yachts. With eight tracks of breezy pop, jazz, and bossa nova, the EP is perfect to listen to with a cool drink in hand, kicked back, …

Summer is a great time to swing by Japan House for a tea ceremony. There are three more dates on the calendar for you to experience “Chado”, the Way of Tea. You’ll learn the history …

Dreamy electro-pop group Mermaid Heaven have just released a studio version of their song “You.” They recorded a stunning live performance of the song back in March for NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, which you can …

Dissonant, heavy, acoustic metal, The Latex Figure has released their debut album. The seven tracks are atmospheric, moody, and unsettling, yet the songs weave their way into your brain and stick there — and you won’t be …

Ekta Garg, author of The Truth About Elves, is coming to the Champaign Public Library’s writer’s workshop series on June15th and she’s ready to help you solve your story problems. Garg is a “freelance editor …

Beginning this Sunday, June 12th at the Mabery Gelvin Botanical Garden in Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve, you can enjoy an evening out in nature with music from local performers a couple of times …

Nectar — fresh off the release of their new album No Shadow — is hitting the road on Saturday. The band will be playing quite a few shows in the Midwest and East Coast. The band will …

The back of the building that houses Visit Champaign County in Downtown Champaign is getting a new mural from Lisa Kesler. VCC shared some progress pics earlier in the week: Last year Debra talked to …

The giant crab in front of Mr. Crab is gone, and the restaurant at the corner of Springfield and First in Champaign appears to have closed. We reviewed lunch at the Cajun seafood house in …

Please, do yourself a favor and swing by the La Paloma truck at Urbana’s Market at the Square this Saturday. Last week I tried their breakfast tacos and decided that they need to be a …

40 North and the Urbana Park District have announced the date for the 2022 Crystal Lake Park Art Fair.  On August 6th, the park will be “transformed by over 40 local and regional art vendors …

The store in Downtown Champaign mostly known for its dance attire has been open for 91 years under three different generations of owners. Owner Autumn Bates confirmed the closure, but not a set closing date, …

C-U Public Health, in partnership with the Community Health Partnership of Illinois and Champaign Lions Club, will be hosting a Community Back to School Health Fair and Family Fun Day on June 25th from 9 a.m. …

These adorable cookies would surely brighten up this cold, rainy day, and $1 of each purchase will go to Uniting Pride.          View this post on Instagram               …

David Rosenboom — post-genre composer-performer-interdisciplinary artist — is currently the George A. Miller Visiting Professor at the University of Illinois. Rosenboom is headlining an almost two-week long program this October. The first event, which is …

A Safe C-U is a new website created as a collaboration between First Followers and U of I students in HIST 386: Public History: Policing in the United States, taught by Dr. Tariq Khan. The class …

Editor’s Note: The June 15th workshop at The Urbana Free Library has been canceled.   The Urbana Free Library is trying to cover Urbana in poems, and needs your 2-4 line submissions by July 5th.  Submitted poems …

On June 26th from 4 to 7 p.m., The Idea Store and Art Coop will be hosting a clothing swap in the parking lot on the south side of Lincoln Square Mall.  Throughout this month, …

The Land Connection and Common Ground are teaming up for one more edible perennial class on June 18th from 2 to 3:30 p.m. You’ll join Community Agroforester and perennial crop farmer Kaitie Adams on Zoom to …

The Littlefield Group of Keller-Williams Realty announced on their Facebook page that Sidney Dairy Barn will soon be on the market for $500,000: According to chambanamoms, who reached out to the owner, they are looking …

The City of Champaign is creating a new pop-up park in the Garden Hills neighborhood, and it will have a piece of Memorial Stadium. Recently, the turf at Memorial Stadium was pulled up and replaced, …

According to the News-Gazette, the owners of the Ice House, the bar at 703 N Prospect Avenue, have plans to reopen this summer.  Marty Petry and Dianne Bennett have owned the bar since 2009; it’s …

Humanities Without Walls, a consortium of humanities centers based in the Humanities Research Institute at the University of Illinois, has four PhD students participating in the HWW Summer Bridge Program. The students spend eight weeks …

Unit 4 will be participating in the Summer Food Service Program again this summer. Meals are available to all children and will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Meals have to be …

Neil St. Blues is hosting a Juneteenth Sunday brunch buffet from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 19th. The restaurant will offer an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring Southern-style cuisine for $25 a person. Favorite dishes …

Crane Alley announced on their Facebook page that they will be closing their doors after 19 years in Downtown Urbana. Their last day will be June 18th. From owner Scott Glassman: It has been an …

After going virtual the past couple of years, the Juneteenth celebration in Douglass Park is back this year. Champaign Park DIstrict and the Champaign Public Library are hosting the family friendly event on June 18th …

The answer is obvious: you have to eat some doughnuts today, National Doughnut Day. We have plenty of doughnut options in town so head to the closest or your favorite shop and order some yummy …

University of Illinois professor of piano (and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the College of Fine and Applied Arts) Rochelle Sennet’s Bach to Black project takes the music of Johann Sebastian Bach …

On Tuesday, June 7th, the Celebration Company at the Station Theatre will be holding auditions for Joshua Harmon’s Bad Jews.  The Station Theatre’s announcement describes the play as “a fierce, biting comedy about family, faith, …

Jane Lynch, the wonderful actress from Glee, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and of course my favorites Best in Show and A Mighty Wind, has also taken on the role of promoting Illinois in an ad campaign for Enjoy Illinois. Lynch …

Filippo’s Pizza & Italian Food in Mahomet has reopened for indoor dining after two and a half years. The Italian restaurant has been recently renovated, and the dining room has new tables and chairs. Filippo’s …

Indie rock outfit Our Landmark has just released their newest album Hide the Signal. The 9-track album is dreamy and jangly, with reverb heavy vocals and catchy guitar riffs. Our Landmark is Justin Gee on vocals and …

Strive is a 10 week program, provided free of charge by the YWCA, that provides Chromebooks and digital skills training for women in the community. This summer the YWCA will be hosting two sessions, one …

Busey Bank will be giving out $25,000 in scholarship money through their Busey Bank Bridge Scholarship program. They will be selecting 10 students to receive $2500. Students must be from one of these states and …

UI Press just released its fall catalogue, and there are a lot of really interesting and compelling titles. Some books are authored (and edited) by University of Illinois folks, including New Media Futures: The Rise …

Vivian McConnell currently performs under the name V.V. Lightbody, but you may remember her from local bands Grandkids and Santah.  Last Sunday, May 29th, McConnell performed with arguably the most talked about pop star right now, …

Qi You, a Ph.D student bioengineering, under the direction of Pengfei Song, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and bioengineering, led the research to develop a new algorithm to more efficiently image micro vessels …

Now that it’s summer, Jarling’s Custard Cup is open everyday from noon until late night. Jarling’s will be open Sunday through Thursday until 10 p.m. and on Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m. in Champaign. …

A lot can happen in 48 hours. You can even make a short film, thanks to this opportunity from the Champaign Movie Makers. In a recent announcements, the organizers shared the following: “A 48-hour film …

In 2019, comedian DJ Pryor went viral with his YouTube video featuring a “conversation” with his then infant son Kingston.  The video is a textbook example of a concept called “serve and return“, when an …

Digital illustrator (and former SP editor) Cameron Raab designed a new mural for Smile Student Living. The mural is now on display in their brand new resident lounge at 615 S. Wright Street.      …

Eastern Illinois Foodbank’s Foodmobile Program distributes food across East Central Illinois. The truck will be across the region this summer; the soonest it will be in Champaign is June 25th. If you haven’t already registered …

The Champaign County Clerk and Recorder’s office held a contest to design “I Voted” stickers for the upcoming primary and general elections. A panel of judges including Tori Exum, Deputy Director of Human Resources (University of …

Urbana School District #116 will offer free breakfast and lunch to any child under the age of 18 June 6th through July 15th (no meals on Mondays June 20th and July 4th). Anyone over the …

This weekend, you can enjoy a special menu of bourbon, beer, and a couple of BBQ options for your Memorial Day weekend at Everyday Kitchen. They are featuring a pulled pork sandwich for lunch, and …