SPlog

Good news for fans of zines, comix, and all things small press. The organizers of C-U’s Small Press Fest, which debuted in April 2019, have announced that a virtual event will be happening October 22nd …

Back in June, when Illinois moved into Phase 4 of re-opening, Farren’s decided to stick with outdoor dining and curbside pickup. Now, with a redesign and colder weather approaching, they are opening their doors for …

One of men’s college basketball’s most trusted experts, Andy Katz, announced his first predicted field of 68 for the 2021 NCAA Tournament bracket yesterday. With the return of both stars Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn (who …

About Illinois House District 104: District 104 encompasses portions of Champaign and Vermillion counties, including Danville, Rantoul, part of Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy, and many rural communities. Republican Mike Marron was appointed as the representative …

The next Altgeld Chimes Concert, “Amplify Their Voices: Songs for the Mid-Autumn Festival,” is Thursday, October 1st at 11:50 a.m., 12:50 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. This concert will feature East Asian songs about autumn and …

Congressman Rodney Davis was recently asked: “How is it possible that I pay more in federal income taxes than the President? How is that fair?” We asked US Rep @RodneyDavis how it’s fair that @realDonaldTrump …

One of the biggest losses during this time of staying apart has been live theatre, but Illinois Theatre is finding ways to make it work.  This past weekend they quietly hosted invite-only performance of Why …

According to the News-Gazette, El Toro II, on S Neil Street in Champaign, will move just down the street into a smaller, newer space currently under construction. The new location is next to Papa Del’s …

If you’ve been missing live classical music, here is an opportunity to experience it. Maestro Ian Hobson and Sinfonia da Camera are bringing several of their musicians together for four performances this weekend, and they are …

Looking for a new pet to bring home, but not necessarily a cat or a dog? The Champaign County Humane Society has baby rats available for adoption right now. I’m not much of a rodent …

Merry Ann’s Diner in Urbana on the U of I campus is closed permanently due to the pandemic related indoor dining restrictions. The original Neil Street location of Merry Ann’s remains open for indoor dining, takeout, …

Night two of The Land Connection‘s Artisan Cup & Fork event featured dinner and dessert from Red Herring. Photo by Alyssa Buckley. Dinner was a vegan meal of fresh, local mixed greens with toasted almonds, …

The dashboard will track COVID cases from Parkland students and faculty, both those working on campus and off. From their website: The Parkland College COVID-19 Dashboard displays cases that have been self-reported within Parkland’s faculty, …

The bakehouse responsible for the delicious baked goods you enjoy at Espresso Royale is now called Sunflour Bakehouse. All of those scones, muffins, biscotti and more that you’ve probably nibbled on with your coffee from …

Bevier Café, located on the 2nd floor of Bevier Hall and run by food science and human nutrition students, has switched to a “pay what you can” model for the remainder of the fall semester to …

About Illinois 13th Congressional District: Illinois is divided into 18 congressional districts, each represented by a member of the United States House of Representatives. You can see all of those representatives here. Champaign County actually exists …

Members of the CU community theatre scene will be holding an online town hall meeting about improving diversity and inclusion on and behind local stages. Moderated by poet and Urbana Arts and Culture Program coordinator …

Twenty years ago today, the Independent Media Center began their journey of community organizing. From their website: On September 24, 2020, it will be 20 years since Urbana-Champaign IMC was launched from a living room …

The Urbana Park District’s strategic plan focuses on four pillars: You Belong Here, Placemaking, Health & Wellness, and Trails & Connectivity. That plan recently won the American Planning Association, Illinois Chapter’s Strategic Plan Award, which “recognizes a plan targeted for a specific …

When the University of Illinois Senate met on Monday, they passed a resolution making Tuesday, November 3rd a University holiday. No classes will be held that day.  Thanksgiving break and Labor Day are the only …

About the County Board: The County Board is the central legislative body of our Champaign County government. There are 11 districts, and two board members elected to each district. The County Board makes decisions about …

CU Woodshop Supply sadly closed in May, wrapping up business with a liquidation sale in July. Now, it looks like it will be revived, just in a different format. From the News-Gazette: “Local artist and …

Back in early August, C-U Folk & Roots Festival, like many other events, announced they would go all-virtual in 2020. Their virtual event is taking place October 23-24, and now they have revealed who will …

Museum of the Grand Prairie will begin its fall speaker series Thursday, September 24th. All events will be virtual, and free, and will stream live on their Facebook and YouTube pages.  Thursday, September 24 at …

On Friday and Saturday from 4 to 6 p.m., teens age 13-18 are invited to examine Queer History and create some art of their own.  Friday, September 25th: Connecting to Queer History through Zines features …

Since they are not able to hold in person events, Girls Rock C-U has created a virtual library where they will share videos from musicians and creators in the community. The videos will feature “instructional …

If, like me, you’ve been pondering the short and long-term impacts of the pandemic on the visual and performing arts, you’ll definitely want to check out this five-week series of dialogues featuring Illinois faculty and …

About the County Board: The County Board is the central legislative body of our Champaign County government. There are 11 districts, and two board members elected to each district. The County Board makes decisions about …

The Cracked Truck is moving away from C-U. Never fear: the Green Street location will still be open serving up breakfast sammies and tots. You can catch the Cracked Truck one last time this weekend …

On October 5th at 7 p.m. you can tune into WILL-TV, WILL-AM 580, and WILL-FM 90.9 or streaming at wcia.com, will.illinois.edu and illinoisnewsroom.org to hear a debate between Rodney Davis and Betsy Dirksen Londrigan. The public can interact …

National Farm Safety and Health Week calls attention to the dangers of farming and raises awareness about important safety protocals for farmers. Spiros Law in Champaign represents farmers who have been injured on the job, …

Out of Isolation is a monthly speaker series that “examines the intersection of COVID-19 with research on race and ethnicity, class and gender, labor and poverty, access and public education, climate change and other ‘preconditions.’” …

The University of Illinois Senate voted last night (Monday, September 21st) in support of naming the kingfisher the new mascot. In a vote of 105 to 2, the faculty agreed with the students that the …

I know that top of mind for you of late has been anxiety about where you will get your mall meat. Nevermind a global pandemic and a crumbling democracy; you have mouths to feed. No …

The events of Pride Fest 2020: Staying Apart, Rising Together are happening this weekend, but you can start your Pride celebration now by checking out Uniting Pride’s Pride Guide. There are loads of C-U businesses …

The kingfisher is the best suggestion for a replacement mascot at the University of Illinois.  Last week, Audubon Magazine agreed. Sure, Audubon loves birds, obviously, but in this article writer Nicholas Lund makes the case …

Last Thursday, I picked up two dinners from Neil St. Blues and desserts from Hopscotch Bakery + Market as part of the Artisan Cup & Fork event. Photo by Alyssa Buckley. Each dinner and dessert …

The honor was bestowed by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Illinois District Office and the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County EDC as part of the celebration of National Small Business Week. From the press …

Each weekday, you can tune into the Illini Union’s Facebook livestream and catch performances from talented University of Illinois musicians. They sing, they play a variety of instruments, and they can offer a little entertainment …

It’s Family Meals Month at Common Ground, and each week they are featuring a meal developed by Education and Outreach Coordinator Sarah Buckman. All the ingredients and a recipe card are stocked on a front …

The expansion is part of a joint development project with Core Spaces. Here’s the press release.  Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) today announced its plans to improve and expand Illinois Terminal. By expanding the facility on …

We will be offering up plenty of election coverage here at Smile Politely, but Illinois Newsroom is another great resource for all things election 2020.  You can learn about specific candidates, find information about voting …

The Great ARTdoors,  a new collaboration between 40 North, the Spurlock Museum, the Urbana Park District, the Champaign Park District, and the Urbana Arts and Culture Program, has announced the ten artists and locations selected …

Each year, Champaign County Circuit Clerk Katie Blakeman hosts this event, which offers free legal advice and full-service assistance with filing for adult and juvenile record sealing and expungement. Due to COVID, this year’s event, …

This Korean restaurant in Urbana is one of our favorites; it even made our BEST of the decade list. (Read our reviews here and here.) While the weather is nice, you can enjoy a meal …

The City of Urbana has announced an open call for nominations for its 2021 Poet Laureate position.  The Poet Laureate “acts as an advocate for poetry, language, and the arts. They create a unique artistic …

Plantation Point was the name of a street in the Stone Creek subdivision in Urbana. The Urbana City Council voted in favor of the change earlier this summer, after a group of homeowners petitioned for …

The Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors voted unanimously to reinstate the fall football season, after it was postponed back in August. It will begin the weekend of October 23rd and 24th, though a schedule has …