SPlog

Krannert Art Museum is now taking reservations for timed entry to the museum this spring, and at the end of the month there will be two new exhibitions to explore. To Know the Fire: Pueblo …

If you have a young person in your life that is artisically inclined, encourage them to submit their work for Parkland’s Celebrate the Arts! Youth Art Competition. Youth ages 7 to 18 who live in District …

The internet says it’s National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day. Okay, sure. Let’s play along.  Despite the complete lack of Jewish delis here in C-U, we have quite a few opportunities for pastrami sandwiches (hot and …

Boneyard Arts Festival, which will be held April 1st through 3rd, has opened a call for its 2022 signature image. All entries must be submitted by Monday, February 7, 2022. Get all the details here.   Top …

University of Illinois alum and professor Damian Duffy and alum/former professor John Jennings have won a 2021 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story or Comic for their graphic novel Parable of the Sower, adapted from …

As a part of the City of Urbana’s capital improvement plan, Urbana is looking to improve safety in under served neighborhoods through a series of small scale infrastructure projects called the Equity and Quality of …

Espresso Royale has launched a new app that makes ordering your favorite beverage or snack a much easier process. It streamlines all of the locations into one place. Before, you had to go to the …

Dance at Illinois invites you to the 2022 Flatlands Dance Film Festival Short Film Competition at Spurlock Museum, featuring 13 short dance films from across the globe. In a recent announcement, FDFF shared that the …

Because what isn’t more boring and yet immensely important than traffic patterns and highway construction?  As you may have already noticed, the $216.8 million I-57/74 project started last summer, and will continue until…it’s done, presumably. …

According to 2001: A Space Odyssey, HAL 9000, the helpful yet menacing supercomputer, was brought to life in Urbana on this date 30 years ago. Thanks to Twitter user Grady Booch for pointing this out to the …

If you are looking to learn a new skill, build upon existing percussion experience, or find a fun weekend activity, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts could be the place for you this Saturday. …

Poet Frank Modica will be reading from his new book, What We Harvest, at the Literary on Saturday, January 15th at 6 p.m. Get the details about this and other upcoming events on Facebook or …

I’m always here for a booze and food pairing event, mostly because I love to be able to try lots of different items when I go out for dinner. It’s so hard to choose just …

If you are a small business owner, or are thinking about becoming a small business owner, the Illinois Small Business Development Center at the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation is offering several free webinars over …

It’s technically a short ad for the restaurant, promoting an updated menu and new hours (Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.). I love Wood N’ Hog, but I think I fell in love …

If you are an artist, arts organization, or festival presenter with a creative proposal in need of funding, now is the time to apply for a grant from the Urbana Arts and Culture Program. The …

Champaign County Area Restaurant Week 2022 is happening January 28th through February 5th, and Visit Champaign County has offered up a peek at some of the menus you can try for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and …

If you have winter coats in your house that you no longer need, or if you feel inclined to purchase one (maybe hit up some local thrift stores?), the Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office is in …

If you would like to waste some time on a Monday, fall down this Twitter rabbit hole and appreciate the absolute dedication to this niche topic. A : I will now rank the county seals …

The Champaign Urbana Theatre Company will be holding auditions for its March 2022 production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest on January 22nd and 23rd. Get all of the call details on their website. Top image from …

In an email announcement today, the University of Illinois System announced that all students, faculty, and staff will be required to receive a COVID-19 booster shot if/when they are eligible.  Those who received exemptions for …

The public is invited to this year’s annual MLK celebration on January 16th at 5 p.m. at Krannert Center. Doors open at 4 p.m., and proof of vaccination is required for attendance. The keynote speaker …

Theatre at Illinois will be announcing their 2022-2023 season offerings at the end of this month. Stay tuned for updates by visiting their website and Instagram, or by signing up for their e-newsletter at theatre@illinois.edu. …

Baldarotta’s, the sandwich shop and gelateria at Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana, has some updates for the new year.  You can read them all in the post below, but here’s the TL;DR version: Different sandwich …

It’s 2022, and that means we are facing a midterm election, and will be a doozy. Redistricting means all state and county offices that represent a district will be on the ballot. We will be …

Some very important food news happened over the holidays. Maize on Green Street is now offering breakfast every day from 8 to 11 a.m.  They do not currently have their breakfast menu in PDF form …

With our current COVID situation, outdoor activities are crucial to safely getting out of the house, and the forest preserves have been an amazing option for this. Through January 10th, you can take a self-guided …

I do not, because I did not live in Champaign-Urbana before 2007 when it closed, but from what I hear, it was a gem of a spot. Thad Morrow, the original owner and chef at …

On January 29th, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., Common Ground Food Co-op and The Land Connection are sponsoring an Elderberry Syrup and Fire Cider Class with Joan Jach from Old Town Flowers CU. The class itself …

Redistricting in Illinois placed current IL-13 rep Rodney Davis in a new district, IL-15. He announced his intention to run in IL-15 about a month ago. Current IL-15 rep Mary “Hitler was right on one …

C-U at Home, with funding assistance from the City of Champaign, the City of Urbana, Cunningham Township, the Champaign County Board, and the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, will be operating two low-barrier emergency shelters …

With cases surging as many are coming off of holiday celebrations and family gatherings, a lot of us are looking for COVID tests. Low-threshold community testing locations are listed below (if you are U of …

After 10 years of operation, the Blue Waters supercomputer at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications is shutting down for good.  Some stats: The system was awarded to NCSA in 2007 by the National Science …

Indie punk band Nectar have dropped the music video for their latest single “Routine.” The video sees singer Kamila Glowacki playing guitar and singing in various small businesses throughout C-U, skating, and hanging out with …

La Bahía Grill, a new restaurant serving Mexican seafood, is open in Downtown Champaign inside the old Sushi Kame space. The restaurant has a large menu with appetizers, entrees, and desserts. The inside of La Bahía …

I took a cookie decorating class with Mary Enright, the owner and founder of Hunny Bunny Bakes, in the gorgeous space at CU flower house on Neil Street by Old Time Meat & Deli. The space …

State Senator Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, is running for governor, and it looks like he might be considering “Hope and Change” as his new campaign slogan. Funny, because that symbol is pretty visible in this meme …

Two years ago, I was influenced to try Pandamonium’s sugar cookie holiday doughnut and was very pleasantly surprised. I had one again last year. It’s now time for them this year. They’re seasonal, and will …

Champaign-based author Ekta R. Garg will be reading from her inspiring new book, The Truth About Elves, on December 15th via Zoom. Sponsored by the Champaign Public Library, who included Garg in their recent series of …

The colorful sculpture has been installed in the roundabout near Black Dog and the old train station (now home to Exile on Main and Maize).         View this post on Instagram   …

If you have a real Christmas tree this year, be sure to mark your calendar for tree collection times. Collection will happen on one day in Champaign, and over the course of a week in …

There’s some sad news in the restaurant world: The Red Herring is closing due to financial losses. The vegetarian restaurant posted on Facebook about the closing. Image from The Red Herring’s Facebook page. Operating in …

Urbana Poet Laureate and mental health care nurse Ashanti Files wants you to make sure to enjoy some me time this holiday season. If the holidays have got you stressed, join Files and local teens …

BakeLab, a newish bakery at Lincoln and University (sister café to BrewLab), posted this adorable video of Christmas croissants being made. Pre-orders will be open soon (check BakeLab’s socials), and in the meantime, you can …

Dallas and Co. closed in 2020, and now they are liquidating a bunch of their merchandise through an online auction.  Check out the items listed with Aumann Auctions. There are smaller lots like masks, costumes, …

It’s looking like getting a booster shot will offer your best protection against the Omicron variant.  The News-Gazette reported that about one-third of fully vaccinated adults in Champaign County has received a booster shot. Some …

Community Foundation of East Central Illinois distributed $116,000 to 26 nonprofits through their Community Commitment Grants. It’s the most they’ve ever given in their 50 years of existence. The grants are funded primarily through donor …

The C-U Community Fab Lab is hosting their annual Holiday Market, which helps provide scholarships for their popular summer camps. The market is filled with items created in the lab by staff members: Ornaments, garland, …