As part of the University YMCA’s Welcoming Week, Museum of the Grand Prairie is hosting Welcome to the Prairie on September 10th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can see blacksmithing and outdoor cooking …
A new restaurant caught my eye while I was driving down Green Street today. Forage Kitchen is a counter service establishment featuring salads and grain bowls that originated in Madison, Wisconsin. The Champaign location is …
To help area nonprofit organizations build their capacity to live out their missions, Community Foundation of East Central Illinois is awarding $50,000 in grants. Individual prganizations will be able to receive up to $5000 to …
With the increased presence of teachers and students online, the Cybersecurity Division of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications is hosting a webinar for K-12 teachers today, August 23rd, from 4 to 5 p.m. Attendees …
Have you considered running for office in the City of Champaign? Now’s the time to get your act together. Petitions to run for Mayor and At-Large City Council seats will be available starting Tuesday, August …
BIPOC for a Better Birth, a C-U organization that “addresses the unique needs of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) who continue to face disproportionately poor pregnancy and birth outcomes while creating pathways to better …
If you are headed to Bloomington-Normal, there’s a new brewpub that just opened in Uptown Normal. Fiala Brothers Brewery & Beer Hall is a new endeavor by Ryan and Steve Fiala. Steve owns the Champaign …
Sometimes it’s the little things. Friday night I was walking along Taylor Street on my way to catch the Friday Night Live performers in front of Pour Bros., and noticed these sweet chrysanthemum blooms resting …
Les Gourmets Cuisine is a new Congolese restaurant inside Urbana’s Broadway Food Hall, and it is now open serving chef specialties in addition to lunch plates with a choice of side. Les Gourmets’ lunch plate …
Almost exactly a year ago, Volition announced a reboot of their Saints Row series, originally slated to launch in February. Now, it will be available on all platforms at midnight on August 23rd. #SaintsRow will launch on …
Whether you settle in with your laptop (and free wifi) or grab a coffee to go, fans of Urbana’s Cafe & Co know it’s got what you need for a productive work session or meeting. …
The University of Illinois has just launched the Illinois Small Farm Apprenticeship Program, a year-long program to help potential farmers learn to be better at running the business. This professional development course: strives to give …
If you’re looking for a walk in the woods, naturalist conversation, and a cold beer to end the work week, consider this month’s Happy Hour Hike. The one hour event is hosted by East Central …
Habitat’s Raise the Woof competition returns on September 17th, and this year there is a new just-for-fun building opportunity at the event. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., there is a Birdhouse Build, where for …
The Virginia Theatre will kick off the 2022-2023 performing arts season with a documentary screening and street fair on September 17th. There will be a free outdoor concert event with from 5 to 7 p.m. …
Uniting Pride released the full schedule for Pride Fest. There will be a week’s worth of events, beginning September 24th, with the big parade and vendor fair on Saturday, October 1st. If your business or …
Most area K-12 schools are starting up this week, Parkland and U of I classes start next week, and the big box stores have been packed with school supply shoppers. Don’t forget that The Idea …
Lil’ Beaver, the Bloomington brewery and restaurant, offers a really nice menu of beer and a solid food menu. I was recently there on a Saturday afternoon and had a flight ($10) and some lunch. …
The 2022 Parkland Art and Design Faculty Exhibition will open at the Giertz Gallery on Monday, August 22nd and run through September 24th. A reception will be held on Thursday, August 25th from 5:30 to …
Poster Children have announced that their 1989 debut record Flower Plower is getting a vinyl reissue in February, 2023. The album is being pressed as a double record on Lotuspool Records, with the original eight songs on …
Four teams will compete in a ping pong tournament on Taylor Street in Downtown Champaign to raise money for United Way’s Early Grade Level Success Initiative. United Way CEO Sue Grey, U of I Women’s …
Larry Gates II — aka Curb Service — just released a new track titled “Victory Girl” along with an accompanying video. The driving, hard hitting track is inspired by Gates’ grandfather: This was inspired by my grandfather …
The 2022-2023 service year for MTD started August 14th, and there are some modifications to routes that were made to help alleviate the impact of an ongoing driver shortage. They are focusing their resources on …
Immersion Festival returns this year on August 18-20. Three days of immersive light and sound will fill downtown Urbana, as you can experience surround sound music, live projections, interactive music, and much more. Locations this …
The week students return to campus is notoriously troublesome for Champaign-Urbana locals trying to navigate the community. Consider this a PSA that those days are just around the corner, and use this as a mini …
Have you attended Shinrin Onyoku or “forest bathing” at Japan House yet? They’ve been hosting this event on the third Sunday of the month throughout the spring and summer, and there’s another opportunity on August 21st. …
Shawarma Joint, the Campustown restaurant known for excellent shawarma, will open a second location in Urbana on University Avenue this month. The halal restaurant confirmed on the phone that the Urbana location’s opening date is …
The University of Illinois’ Oak Street High Density Storage Facility holds over four million items — four million! That’s a lot of archival material (including maps, film, books, and more). It’s all kept at a …
It was a crushing blow to a lot of folks, myself included, to see the Espresso Royale at the corner of Sixth and Daniel have to close in 2019. It was demolished along with the …
Urbana Park District has a week’s worth of activities planned for their inaugural Climate Action Week, happening August 22-28 at locations throughout the area. You can visit their website for a full rundown of events …
Dance at Illinois has announced that the 2022 Flatlands Dance Film Festival will take place on Saturday, August 27th, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures. Get more information on the …
The silkscreens, photographs, and memorabilia of longtime environmental activist, artist, educator, radio host and prairie champion David Monk will be on view at the Independent Media Center Gallery, 202 S. Broadway, Urbana, from August 12-28. …
There’s a new food truck in town called Marrakesh Grill serving gyros, grilled chicken pitas, veggie pitas, wings, fries, and gyro cheese fries. I found the truck parked beside Flour & Fire Pizza food truck …
Common Ground has been doing monthly virtual cooking classes for a while now, and August’s offering is extra exciting. They are partnering with Sola Gratia Farm on August 21st from 3 to 5 p.m to …
I recently tried Lanxang, the new Thai-Lao restaurant on S Neil Street in Champaign, and was not disappointed. I ordered #19, pad khee mao with tofu, medium spicy ($12.95) and it was full of veggies …
Parkland Theatre has an exciting new season starting this fall and you can be a part of it. Auditions for its upcoming productions of The Story and A Christmas Story, will take place on August …
The Ikenobo World Cup is a competition for ikebana, Japanese floral design. Champaign has a dedicated group, the Illinois Prairie Chapter of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of America. Jeanne Holy is this chapter’s president, and …
The owners of Abbott’s Florist in Champaign recently opened a plant store. Orchid & Vine opened July 5th in the Windsor Galleria, the same shopping center as the florist. In addition to their selection of …
The City of Urbana defines the “public realm” as “publicly-owned street rights-of-way and other publicly accessible open spaces such as parks, squares, plazas, courtyards, and alleys.” They are looking to involve community members in improving …
After some internet speculation, it was confirmed on WCIA today that Scott Cochrane is moving his Red Lion bar to a new location. His initial intent was to renovate the bar at Third and Green. …
The 9th Annual C-U Oktoberfest is coming up September 24th, and tickets are now on sale. Oktoberfest is Developmental Services Center’s big fundraiser — proceeds will help further their mission of “supporting people in living a …
Krannert Art Museum is holding a fundraiser benefiting the Sandra Batzli Endowment Fund, which provides unrestricted support for the museum. Sandra Batzli was a longtime C-U resident, artist, supporter of the arts, and president and …
Here’s a taste of this timely exhibit coming to Krannert Art Museum on September 1. Video from Krannert Art Museum’s YouTube channel. Top photo from the Krannert Art Museum Facebook page.
CU Days is happening at Douglass Park this weekend, and Illinois Public Media will be there on Saturday, August 13th from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. celebrating Be My Neighbor Day. If you stop by …
One of C-U’s newer bands Snack’d Out has just released two new tracks on their bandcamp — “Mixed Doubles” and “Ten Kicks.” The midwest emo/pop punk/alternative band manages to pack a lot of personality and technical …
This Thursday, August 11th, home and business owners of the greater Champaign County community are invited to a Solar Power Hour at Papa Del’s Pizza Factory. The free educational presentation is hosted by grassroots program …
Long Luu and Giang Pham opened Plantify at 16 E Washington in June 2020, as the pandemic was creating more and more plant enthusiasts. According to a recent Instagram post, they are now moving to …
Over the next few weeks, the CUPHD Child and Teen Dental Clinic will be visiting Unit 4 and District 116 schools to provide free dental exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, and dental sealants to students who …
The Land Connection’s annual foodie event, Artisan Cup & Fork, is set for October 1st at the Orpheum Theater. You’ll get to try dishes prepared by six area chefs, who team up with local farms …
