United Way of Champaign County has been creating and distributing kindergarten readiness calendars (formerly titled the Getting Ready for Kindergarten Calendar) for nearly 20 years, giving families and caregivers a multitude of suggestions for ways to …
Chambana Proud, the collaborative endeavor started by Visit Champaign County, You’re Welcome CU, and the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation, is trying to answer the all important and age-old question: Is it Champaign-Urbana or Urbana-Champaign? …
Miller Park Zoo in Bloomington is hosting their annual Spooktacular event this weekend, October 22nd from 5 to 8 p.m. and October 23rd from 12 to 3 p.m. The event is family friendly, though if …
Every year, the Cunningham Township Supervisor’s Office collects gently used warm winter items during the Enoch Miller Sr. Coat and Winter Donation Drive. Your items will help community members without an address stay warm as …
Look, I know that we get a bit bombarded with all of the pumpkin things during this time of year. We certainly don’t shy away from talking about delicious pumpkin items here at Smile Politely: cookies, pancakes and …
Locals mourning the death of a rare piebald squirrel named Pinto Bean have begun the process to taxidermize the creature. Many sightings of the well-loved distinctive squirrel with unpigmented patches were posted on r/UIUC Reddit …
While University Laboratory High School opened in 1921, with it’s first graduating class in 1922* 2022, Covid has delayed the celebration to this year. This weekend, Uni High alums are gathering in C-U for a weekend …
If you’d like to deep dive into fall vibes this weekend, you can head out to Museum of the Grand Prairie for Harvest Fest on October 15th between 2 and 5 p.m. All of the …
CLAW (Champaign Ladies Amateur Wrestling) is back after a long hiatus. You can check out the amazing and hilarious wrestlers at the Champaign Park District’s Flannel Fest at noon this Saturday, October 15th. The official …
A few weeks ago, the superintendents of Champaign Unit 4, Danville School District 118, and Urbana School District 116 gathered at Illinois Public Media studios to record a discussion on challenges their schools are facing. …
Trouble Chasin’ have just released their third studio album Aquarigo. The album comes ahead of the duo’s performance at the State Farm Center on the 15th, opening up for Ludacris. It’s hard to pick a favorite …
The members of Champaign-Urbana’s Comrades in Art, aka, CIA, have installed a new exhibition entitled Viewpoints 2022 at Art Coop’s gallery in Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana. A reception will be held on Friday, October 14th …
“Honoring Their Stories: Remembering the Potawatomi Trail of Death” is cosponsored by the Native American House at the University of Illinois and presented from 3 to 4 p.m. at the Urbana Free Library on Saturday, …
Led by Mark Hasegawa-Johnson, U of I professor of electrical and computer engineering, the new Speech Accessibility Project brings in collaborators from faculty in linguistics, speech and hearing science, and information technology professionals from Beckman Institute, …
You won’t find a reuben at Broadway Food Hall anymore. La Royale, King Kuma, and Muchacho have vacated the food hall in Urbana, and two new restaurants have opened in their place: Poke Shack and Mi Casita …
Castle Finn, the psych-rock/roots/soul band, have just released a new track titled “Deep Blue Wilderness.” With the track title and cover art suggesting an underwater theme, the song’s production does capture that feeling, but it …
According to the Facilities and Services website, the new Campus Landscape Master Plan “aims to provide detailed objectives to create a campus landscape that fosters an appreciation for the Illinois natural and cultural heritage and …
The next SPEAK Café (Song, Poetry, Expression, Art, and Knowledge) will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 13th at Krannert Art Museum. Organized by Shaya Robinson, this gathering will feature a …
Have you been to BakeLab? It’s fantastic. I stopped by last week and picked up a few things: a strawberry mascarpone croissant, an orange macadamia danish, and a hot dog croissant ($5.95 each). Eclectic, I …
This summer, artist Rafael Blanco covered the side of 804 Illinois Street with his work. Now, another Smile Student Living property has become a canvas for a giant mural. This one at 608 E White Street, …
October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and BIPOC for a Better Birth is hosting a free painting class to help BIPOC families who have experienced these losses. Their Painting, Loss, and Remembrance Workshop …
Van Brocklyn, the project from Matt Wenzel (owner of Shangri-Nah Studio) has just released a new EP titled Goldman Sax. The EP is five tracks, blending folk, electronic, chamber pop, and even Midwest emo at times. It’s melancholic …
University of Illinois alum Peter McDowell is bringing his documentary Jimmy in Saigon to Spurlock Museum as part of their AsiaLENS Film Series. The film details the “tragic death, radical life, and personal life of a …
The Delta supercomputing system, built with help from a National Science Foundation Award, now has the go ahead to be officially deployed into action by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. An NSF panel worked …
My spouse and I did a little splurging last night and attended a wine dinner featuring Duckhorn Vineyards at Hamilton Walker’s. It was $140 a person, so certainly not something we can do every week …
At their six locations, including the two here in C-U, nuEra raising money for three organizations that support people affected by breast cancer: Gilda’s Club in Chicago, Pink Heals Peoria, and Pink Heals Central Illinois. …
Krannert Art Museum isn’t just the spot for cutting edge exhibitions. It also offers a range of free and informative artist talks. Coming up at 6 p.m. on October 13th is Art, Whiteness, and Empire: …
Sticky Rice subtly noted on social media today that the Y Eatery is under new ownership: View this post on Instagram …
With colder days fast approaching, it’s a good idea to make sure that your guitars are well protected and prepared for the shifting temperatures. The Upper Bout is hosting a clinic on October 20th to …
The return of Oktstonerfest is here. Loose Cobra‘s festival of heavy music is happening this Saturday, October 8th. The fest will feature live music inside and outside of Loose Cobra as well as a food …
“Reporting on Politics and Elections in 2022,” presented by the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media at the University of Illinois, will feature David Chalian, CNN Political Director, Domenico Montanaro, …
A couple of times a year, the Champaign County Circuit Clerk’s office hosts Amnesty Week, where people can pay off their balance on a criminal, traffic, DUI, ordinance violation or conservation violation without paying any …
While the national America Recycles Day is November 15th, Champaign will be recognizing the day on October 29th from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can sign up now, as an individual or with a …
On December 3-4, The Brass Rail and Weird Meat Boyz are hosting another installment of Rail Fest, with a great lineup of musicians and bands scheduled to play over the course of the two days. The …
Over on Prairie Fruits Farm’s Instagram account you’ll find a current set of stories talking about breeding. It’s goat breeding season right now. (Those adorable baby goats are not just dropped from the sky by …
UC Books to Prisoners is hosting their biannual book sale this Saturday, October 8th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Independent Media Center. You can browse through more that 7000 books for both …
You can watch IL-13 candidates Nikki Budzinski (D) and Regan Deering (R) square off in a debate at 7 p.m. on October 6th. The debate will take place at the Illinois Public Media studios in …
40 North’s Those Who Teach, Can returns to the 40 Point One art gallery on Friday, October 7th. Sidelined by the pandemic for the past several years, Those Who Teach upends the adage “those who …
It appears that the stretch of Sixth Street between Green and Daniel is continuing to change, with the demolition of the little building that held The Cookie Jar from 1980 to 2018. Thanks to SP writer …
The students in ARTJ199 Ikebana, taught by Professor Emeritus and former Japan House Director Kimiko Gunji, will be displaying their arrangements at Japan House this Saturday, October 8th, for the community to view. From 10 a.m. …
Now in its third cycle, Urbana’s Poet Laureate program offers an opportunity to not only be recognized (and win a little cash), but to also share creativity and potentially inspire. You don’t need to be …
If you have not been to Krannert Art Museum yet to experience Black on Black on Black on Black, the new exhibit featuring work from Patrick Earl Hammie, Stacey Robinson, Blair Ebony Smith, and Nekita Thomas, …
The Weird Meat Boyz, the duo known for wild smashburgers and craft hot sauce, will open their own restaurant in the location that has remained empty since Merry Ann’s left in 2018. It was announced yesterday …
The Party for Socialism and Liberation will be hosting a rally in support of reproductive rights on Tuesday, October 4th, at 6:30 p.m. outside the I Hotel and Conference Center. The rally is happening in …
Halloween is Monday, October 31st this year, and trick-or-treat hours are 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Champaign, Urbana, and Champaign County Announce 2022 Trick-or-Treating Hours Halloween trick-or-treating hours in the City of Champaign, City of …
Have you noticed murals popping up all over Campustown? They are courtesy of the Boneyard Area Mural !nitiative (BAM!). Artists Ryan “Yanoe” Sarfati and Eric Skotnes created the giant Alma mural back in June for the project. You’ll …
That’s right: There will be a Boba Fest this month at Lincoln Square Mall. From 2 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 22nd, you can try different boba — that’s bubble tea, you know, yummy …
The midterm election is coming up November 8th, but as of today you can vote early in person at the Brookens Administrative Center gym from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. After October …
People and Plants, a new exhibition by painter Pat Monigold, is up at the Springer Cultural Center through October 29th. As our gardening season comes to an end, I’m looking forward to feasting my eyes …
