SPlog

If you’re anything like me, your drink of the day goes on a pretty consistent rotation from coffee to water to (sometimes) beer in the evening. Today, the good folks at Triptych Brewing are making …

The Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon is a great event that pulls people from all around the country to the C-U area to participate in a fantastic run across our little city. Check out this highligh …

You might’ve heard about CobraFest happening this weekend in Tolono at the Loose Cobra — featuring HUM and eight other bands. They’ve released the schedule for the show on Saturday afternoon and evening. Check it …

A couple of us Editors got a chance to check out the summer cocktail menu at Big Grove in Downtown Champaign yesterday afternoon. Especially now that we are fully into summer-mode, take a look at …

Hip-hop artist and producer Frank Leone, originally from Monticello and now based in Urbana, has just released a new single. The song, entitled “Loser,” features creative instrumentation and vocalizing that make the song unfold like a …

A student from Mahomet-Seymour Jr. High School in Mahomet, Mrinali Kesavadas, has been announced as one of ten finalists in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. The competition, which is for students in grades 5 through …

A pair of University of Illinois alumni have recently appeared on NBC’s America’s Got Talent this past week, performing a rendition of Aretha Franklin’s “You’re All I Need to Get By” to rousing applause. The couple, …

Champaign Unit 4 Schools has released some information about the potential site builds for Central, Centennial, Edison, and some others. Per the press release: Champaign Unit 4 School District has made updated school site plans …

With farmers’ market season in full swing, and with a few great options in C-U — Urbana’s Market at the Square and Champaign’s Farmers’ Market by Land Connection — things are pretty solid. I noticed …

PK returns to KCPA for Volume 21 on July 30th!  Pecha Kucha will be hosted at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts again this summer. Facebook promises a photo booth and DJ Mertz, and Stage …

I was driving away from Downtown Urbana today after running around to SeeYou CD & Vinyl, as well as a stop at the City of Urbana building. Various things on an afternoon — a beauty …

Rigg’s Beer Company, a new brewery located at 1901 S High Cross Road, Urbana, will open this Thursday, June 30th.  The brewery’s tap room is scheduled to be open Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to …

The Midwest Beer Fest is happening on Saturday, July 16th from 3 p.m. to midnight. Sponsored by Cowboy Monkey and Barrelhouse 34, the event will take place in the Cowboy Monkey/PNC Bank parking lot. Featured …

Audiofeed has announced the schedule for their three-day festival. Held on the Champaign County Fairgrounds, the fest includes dozens of bands and a wide range of other events, including art workshops, book readings, social discussions, …

You know the GOP are in some serious doo-doo when a piece of shit like George Will is headed out of the bathroom stall.  Ok Ok. He isn’t a total piece of shit. He’s got …

If you’re into music and you’re from Champaign-Urbana, you probably already know The Upper Bout, one of Champaign-Urbana’s finest guitar boutiques. If not, you should be, because they were just named the Best Emerging (musical …

More bad news surrounding (former) Illini basketball players, today, as it was just announced by the News-Gazette that Joseph Bertrand, a former University of Illinois student and basketball player, was arrested last night by Champaign …

Local photographer Justine Bursoni has been embarking on a photography project of late, capturing the life of ALS victim and Urbana resident Ray Spooner (and his wife, Rae). Today, an extremely moving story about the couple …

The Brass Rail, the best bar in Downtown Champaign — yes, I’ll say it — just installed some new signage. Go drink a squint there sometime soon. If you remember, it used to look like …

We’re well into iced coffee season, and I’ve been researching what C-U coffee shops have to offer. Aroma and Kopi both hold their own, but my vote goes to Flying Machine‘s enormous, stately, majestic large iced …

The Urbana Park District has announced some planned changes to Crystal Lake, which they will be unveiling in a public meeting next Thursday, June 30th. The meeting will run between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., and …

If you’re looking for fiber-optic internet in Champaign-Urbana, soon, it will be available more places than ever before. Just today, Volo Broadband has announced a partnership with some of C-U’s largest landlords to offer fiber …

With how sparingly HUM performs live nowadays, any sort of annoucement is worthy of some sort of pub. After the spacerock heroes annoucned they would perform at Loose Cobra on July 2nd (ahem, next weekend) …

The Champaign County Racial Justice Task Force will host two community dialogues about criminal justice in Champaign County: Thursday, June 23 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (Church of the Living God, 1106 N. 4th Street, Champaign) …

This evening at 6:00 p.m., Figure One Gallery will host a panel discussion about the current exhibition, White Feelings, a show that bares it all to express this topic from every angle. Panelists will include …

The Rogers Research Group at the U of I is making news for one of its latest innovations: stretchable electronics.  The group has changed the wearable technology game by developing a tiny device that can be worn …

Here are the food trucks participating in next Tuesday, June 28th’s Food Truck Rally at the Urbana Civic Center:  Images from Urbana Food Truck Rally Facebook page. 

UPDATE: Due to weather, this morning’s open house has been postponed until tomorrow, from 10 a.m. until Noon, at the same location as listed below: Habitat for Humanity is one of my most favorite organizations …

I like burgers, you like burgers, and it’s a pretty widely-known fact that Farren’s has some of the best in Champaign-Urbana. With that being said, they also throw together some pretty awesome dishes outside of …

Join us on Saturday, June 25, 2016 for the second annual BeeBlitz! Mark your calendar for the second annual BeeBlitz during National Pollinator Week. Nature lovers and concerned citizens in Illinois, Missouri, and Ohio are …

Allerton park has announced the headliner for the Allerton Festival, coming in September. Rusted Root is a roots/alternative band originally from Pittsburgh and has toured nationally with well-known acts. Tickets to the fest will be …

The University of Illinois’s contentious decision to terminate Prof. Steven Salaita’s job before he arrived on campus was settled months ago, but the University continues to face the consequences of its decision. This past Saturday, …

Ice Cream. Dairy-free frozen desserts. Gelato. Family activities. Music.  There are so many delicious things happening at Common Ground this Saturday, June 25th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Need a reminder about how fun …

Psychic Twin, Erin Fein’s electro pop project (formerly of Headlights, Absinthe Blind), has announced her debut LP out on September 9th on Polvyinyl Records — Strange Diary. Listen to the brand new single “Lose Myself” here. Preorder …

Former Managing Director of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, Bill Volk, is set to earn one of the most prestigious honors for someone in the public transportation industry this September, when he will be inducted …

DIY venue Thee Death Tower will be closing its doors permanently on June 30th. The venue will be hosting its last show on Sunday, June 26th, with featured performers still to be announced. In fact, …

Even though they’re in the hiatus between the Grand Exhibition and Fall Submission, CUDO’s gamers are still playing on.  Tonight, and the 3rd Monday of every month, you can join them for free in the …

If last week’s events were any indication, the need for blood donors — whether it be in Champaign-Urbana or across the country — is extremely evident. As such, I feel it important to chat about …

If you’re like me, your bike was stolen this weekend. It was violating and frightening, but also a staggeringly common occurrence here in Champaign-Urbana. Luckily, the good folks at Neutral Cycle are trying to combat …

The Champaign County Master Gardener’s hosted their annual Garden Walk this past weekend. The event was well attended and the weather was gorgeous. I met with coordinator Ava Heap and garden expert, and University of …

4th of July is coming up and there are going to be come fireworks exploding across the C-U sky. Check out this guide put together by ChambanaMoms.com that details happenings between June 25th and July 9th …

The Champaign Park District has announced this year’s headliners for the Taste of Champaign-Urbana, which you can check out below. From the press release:  The Taste of Champaign-Urbana is bound to have something for everyone …

Chelsea Norton and Katherine Hicks of the Champaign Park District tell us about some of the events, summer camps, and park updates that are headed our way this summer. And Carey Smith, who read recently …

This is really awesome — local punk rock outfit Kowabunga! Kid has announced a slew of tour dates, most of them on the west coast. They were recently featured on The A.V. Club as well. 6/22/2016 …

If you’re a freshly-graduated former high school student in C-U (or know of one), this may be of some use: The University of Illinois Community Credit Union’s Orange & Blue Scholarship Program is accepting applications …

The good people over at First Federal bank have announced that their Sprouts at the Market will be in full swing this Saturday from 9:30-11:30 a.m for kids aged 3-8 at Urbana’s Market at the …

I was walking around Downtown Champaign yesterday afternoon, quite literally melting my face off, when I happened past Fleurish, a florist sandwiched in between the Blind Pig on Walnut and Barrelhouse 34. I went inside, …

If you’re planning to improve your life through higher education soon, Parkland College has something this summer that will help you make that move. Parkland is holding FREE, two-hour workshops this summer for residents who …