Jill Ellis, first head coach of the U of I women’s soccer team, will be offering her remarks at commencement on May 16th at Memorial Stadium. She was head coach of the U.S. Women’s Soccer …
Okay so how long has it been since the sun has been out? All the gray/damp/cold is starting to wear on me. Here’s my attempt to throw a little brightness your way. Look at these …
Nope? Misery loves compay? Or Ay! contigo amor? Cast your vote for the winner of Weiskamp’s Valentine’s Day design competition on Facebook. Just choose your pic and post it in the comments. Top image: Photo …
The next installment of That’s What She Said, an evening of local women sharing their personal stories, is coming up February 22nd at 7:30 p.m. at the Virginia Theatre. Here are the speakers: Sally K. …
Heads up, local ceramics enthusiasts. This is the last week to check out “Masters of Material,” a ceramics invitational curated by artist and educator Heidi Preuss Grew of Salem, Oregon at Parkland College’s Giertz Gallery. …
The Parkland Board of Trustees is looking for applicants to fill a vacancy left by former board president Greg Knott. Knott recently became secretary to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees, leaving an open …
More news about the new KAM’s coming your way: The newly built location is opening tonight at 9 p.m.: View this post on Instagram …
Have you visited Basil Thai recently? It’s over between Oregon and Nevada in Urbana, practically on the U of I campus, but technically not. My husband and I were over that way yesterday for lunch, …
Next time you’re in Terminal 3 at O’Hare, check out the 7 feet x 6 feet LED-illuminated Block I sculpture that was installed this morning. O’Hare looks good in orange & blue ���� This LED-illuminated …
Save the date for Urbana High School Theatre Program’s production of Radium Girls, with performances on February 12th through 15th at 7 p.m. and at 2:30 p.m. on February 16th. Written by D.W. Gregory and …
This November, there will be a question on your ballot about graduated income tax in Illinois. I know that I often focus so much on candidates that I don’t think about these types of things, …
Bayern Stube, the Gibson City German Restauarant, is celebrating its 29th annual Hunter’s Feast February 28th through March 14th. Hunter’s Feast is a exactly what it sounds like: A meal of many meats. This year’s …
Illinois Theatre has announced its 2020-21 season and it’s gonna be amazing. Find out more here. Image: Black and white photo from the production of August Wilson’s Gem of the Ocean, featuring five African-American actors …
I know it’s hard to think about summer when we are still mired in the winter gloom, but perhaps this can give you something to look forward to. Hendrick House Farm launched their CSA last …
Indie rock outfit LLYN are debuting the new song “Documents” right here at Smile Politely, and you can listen to the song below via their Bandcamp page. The band has been hard at work on …
The Maize food truck is parked on the University of Illinois campus at Nevada and Matthews in Urbana beginning at 8 a.m., Monday through Friday. The truck serves breakfast, too! Top image: A view of …
After the City of Urbana entered into a Letter of intent with new developers to transition Urbana’s Landmark Hotel into a Hilton Tapestry Collection, news was issued today by the City that the hotel has …
I’ve always felt like Blair Park lacks a bit of an identity. It’s pretty big, and I’ve spent a lot of time there watching T-ball and tennis lessons, but beyond those things it’s not much …
Folk group The Chickadee Sermon is releasing a new album, Town to Town. Recorded with Ryan Groff at Perennial Sound Studios, the album will feature 10 tracks by the quartet. The band is having an album release …
With all this impeachment hullabaloo in the news, the ghosts of news cycles past are in the air. I mean, Ken Starr was on our TV screens yesterday and everything. Back in 1998, on this …
Although NIMBYism isn’t an issue in Champaign-Urbana and at least luxury high rises keep popping up here with remarkable frequency, we haven’t quite overcome the bane of homelessness. Maybe one day we will but we …
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will be hosting another of these collections in Champaign on April 4th at Marketplace Mall. The event is open to all Illinois residents, but you must register for ahead of …
Last week, Miga debuted a new dessert menu, with three new items: matcha tiramisu, lemon cheesecake (pictured above), and red wine chocolate cake. The presentation is stunning, and I’m sure they taste as amazing as …
The fourth annual C-U Folk and Roots Festival’s Winter Weekend event is coming up this coming weekend, January 30th-February 1st. The festival will alternate between the Rose Bowl Tavern (Thursday and Sunday) and The Iron …
If you hear the outdoor warning sirens at any point this week, don’t be alarmed. The Champaign County Emergency Management Agency is installing new digital communication equipment in sirens throughout Champaign, Urbana, and Savoy, and …
I’ve been on a trying-out-new-coffee-drinks kick the past couple of weeks, and really enjoyed these options from Avionics and Caffe Paradisio. At Avionics I tried the Harvest Moon (shown above). It’s a latte with saffron, …
Lunar New Year is tomorrow, Saturday, January 25th. Many East and Southeast Asian cultures will celebrate the beginning of a new year, and it might be fun for you to learn about those celebrations if …
The Parkland College Library posted this delightfully nostalgic photo on their Instagram this week, courtesy of the Parkland College Archives. I’m pretty sure I was still using a combination of the card catalog and the …
Allerton Park and Retreat Center is hosting their annual weekend of learning about and tasting beers on February 29th and March 1st. There will be educational seminars, tasting opportunities, a beer pairing dinner, and if …
First, we got a potential look at what the outside of the new KAM’s was going to look like. Then came a more official announcement about the new First & Green location. Shortly thereafter, the …
Congratulations to local artist Gregory Stallmeyer, whose work, Nexus, (resin and automotive paint on plexiglass) has been chosen as the signature image for the 2020 Boneyard Arts Festival. Find out more about the artist and …
Illinois Public Media worked with students in the College of Media, specifically students in MACS 496: Advanced Media Practicum, to create short opinionated documentary films about C-U. Three films were produced: Independent Cinema in Champaign Produced …
In 1974, artist Oscar Martinez and several students created elaborate wall murals in what was then the Latino Cultural Center at 510 E. Chalmers. They were created in protest of the possible closing of the …
This year’s CSA Fair will be Saturday, February 29th, from 8 a.m. to noon at Lincoln Square Mall. The fair takes place at the same time as Market IN the Square, you can do some …
What is your experience with the bulk aisle at Common Ground? Are you a regular user? An every once in a while user? A never user? I will admit, sometimes I feel intimidated by the …
Indie rock outfit Nectar have a new track “Blister” which they debuted over at BreakThruRadio, which you can hear over there or stream below. The band has a handful of dates coming up, including February …
Art Mart is celebrating 62 years of business. According to the store’s Facebook post, it’s the second oldest woman-owned business in Illinois, which is pretty awesome. Happy birthday, friends! Top image: A bird’s eye …
I am guilty of staying in the burger lane whenever I dine at Farren’s. We’ve posted about other options before, and upon each visit I would think about venturing over to a different part of …
In December we shared that Sweet Indulgence was closing its Windsor Road bakery and moving to an undetermined new location. Today, Sweet Indulgence has announced that its new home will be 2149 S Neil Street …
If you’ve never been to Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, this might be something worth making the short drive for. They are partnering with the Coalescence Theatre Project for the production #ShePersisted, which will consist …
No? Well we have! The newest boozy slushie is the Toucan Slam ($9), a name that does not lend itself to non-disgusting puns (hence the title of this SPlog). The Toucan Slam is a Froot …
“Divine Madness,” a fascinating new exhibit opening at the University of Illinois Rare Book and Manuscript Library on Friday, January 24th, explores both modern and ancient texts which consider the limits of human inspiration, philosophy, …
The City of Champaign Diversity Advancement Program “encourages City departments, contractors, and other vendors doing business with the City to increase the amount of goods and services provided by local businesses owned by minorities, women, …
McKinley Foundation is asking community members who like to take photos to consider what inspires them to combat climate change. The “How Dare You” photo contest, named after Greta Thunberg’s comments to the United Nations, …
Mariah Madison of Buy Black Chambana announced yesterday that she will be launching a quarterly subscription box featuring products from black-owned businesses. From the announcement: Each box is hand-designed with you in mind featuring 7-8 …
A byline that you’ve probably seen here at Smile Politely has been circulating a bit wider the last few days. Writer and social justice activist Brian Dolinar wrote this piece, “The Trump Administration Just Opened …
Crudo Wine Bar, located at 116 N. Walnut Street in Downtown Champaign, has closed. Although this happened somewhat quietly, this news is confirmed on their Facebook page‘s About section (and elsewhere if you make a …
Local instrument and music supply shop, The Upper Bout, is celebrating their sixth anniversary this coming week. The shop will be holding a party on January 21st from 6-8 p.m. Part of their celebration includes …
On the last Sunday of every month, the historic Rose Bowl Tavern hosts their Country Music Jam. They provide drums, a bass rig, microphones, and house amps, so all you have to do is bring …
