Horsch Radish, the new farm-to-table German restaurant in Gibson City, is now open. The restaurant had a soft opening last weekend and is taking reservations for this weekend. Here’s a photo of the menu (which …
The Academy of American Poets has announced its list of 22 2022 fellows and Ashanti Files is among them. This fellowship will allow Files, the second Urbana Poet Laureate, to continue the Writers of Oya program, and to …
Did you know that the Independent Media Center offers Capoeira Angola classes on Thursday evenings? It’s an “Afro- Brazilian art form that encompasses folkloric traditions, oral history, dance, and song into a martial art.” Anyone …
Kaori’s Oven and ISHI are back open after a summer break. The two businesses operate in the same location off of Kirby Avenue in Champaign. Kaori’s Oven sells freshly made animal sweets, cheesecakes, and more …
Meteorologist and regular Smile Politely contributor Andrew Pritchard captured some beautiful cloud footage this morning. Thunderstorms to the west coupled with the sunrise resulted in dramatically lit mammatus clouds (clouds that look like they have …
Presented in partnership with the Museum of the Grand Prairie, Champaign County African American Heritage Trail, and the Champaign Park District, Exploring African American Oral Histories will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 13, …
MTD and the Urbana Arts and Culture Program invite artists in Champaign County to submit their artwork for Art in Transit. This is the first year for the intiative, that will bring local artwork to …
Mark your calendar for the 4th installment of the C-U Black and African Arts Festival, happening September 9-10 in Urbana. On Friday, September 9th, head to Krannert Center for the kickoff celebration at 8 p.m. …
Cybergrind/metal/grindcore group Thotcrime have just released their new single, “Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria.” The track is immaculately produced — a lot going on, but not harsh to the ears. The song comes in at a minute and …
Per reporting in the News-Gazette (and a post on Facebook), Danville’s beloved Royal Donut will reopen under new ownership on Tuesday, August 9th. The donut shop closed in 2021; earlier this year it was announced …
Looking for a location for your next art exhibition? The Springer Cultural Center is seeking work in a variety of mediums for its fall season. Find out more here. Top image from the Springer Cultural Center …
Urbana’s mural game has been strong over the last several months, and the newest one by Rafael Blanco is stunning. Blanco recently completed a mural on the Urbana Adult Education Center, before moving on to …
Christian Guerrero-Juarez, a first year medical student at Carle Illinois College of Medicine, is part of a research team at University of California at Irvine that identified “the Scube3 molecule as the signal that can …
Champaign County History Museum is planning a new exhibit about the first Farm Aid in 1985, and they are looking for people who attended to share their stories. Is that you or someone you know? …
Common Ground Food Co-op is accepting nominations for the Round Up For Good grant program. The program allows shoppers to round up the cost (say, from $12.45 to $13), and all of that extra money …
Heather Paul, Ritual Artist, Grief Guide, Senior Jewish Educator and Student Rabbi at Illini Hillel, with support from Melanie Sheckels of Threshold Doula, and Debra Joy Hart, will leading a grief share event at 25 …
Community Foundation of East Central Illinois has a new way for donors to support nonprofit organizations in our community. The Community Wishlist Grant Catalog lists specific needs in amounts up to $5000. Donors who have …
The Interfaith Alliance of Champaign Urbana and Ministerial Alliance of Champaign Urbana and Vicinity have partnered with a host of local organizations to present three days of events dedicated to peacemaking and nonviolence. At the …
This Sunday, July 31st, Stango Cuisine will close their Urbana restaurant inside the Lincoln Square Mall to relocate to Downtown Champaign. The Zambian restaurant is teaming up with barbecue restaurant Wood N’ Hog to use …
Psychedelic indie-rockers The Joy Machine have released their new self-titled album The Joy Machine. The album is ten tracks of crunchy, dirty rock that harkens back to 70’s era bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Black …
Dandelion, a vintage and retro shop in Downtown Champaign which shares a space with Exile on Main Street at 100 N. Chestnut, announced they will be closing at the end of August. The store has …
El Paraiso will open their own location in Downtown Urbana in Dancing Dog’s former space. Previously in Broadway Food Hall, the Latin American restaurant closed its BFH location earlier this month while the restaurant’s owners searched for a …
Each year, graduate students, post doctoral researchers, and staff members submit images from their research for the Beckman Institute Research Institute Contest. The walls of the Beckman Director’s Conference Room are adorned with past winners. …
The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre recently announced its 50th season lineup and it’s full of productions you won’t want to miss. Whether you’re looking to mark your calendar for theatre dates or prepare …
Crystal Lake Park Art Fair is happening on Saturday, August 6 and you’ll want to be there. One of my favorite outdoor art events, the fair boasts a wide range of artists in a tree-shaded …
Champaign’s Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery won two categories in the 2022 American Cheese Society’s annual competition. In the category of Cheeses Aged Less Than 60 Days, the fleur de la prairie won first place, …
The Great Cover Up returns on September 15-17, this year hosted at Rose Bowl Tavern. For those unfamiliar with the event, local bands pick a well known musician/artist and play a cover set of said …
40 North has shared the list of artists and locations for The Great ARTdoors 2022. The following information comes directly from that news release. Vivian Krishnan | Masi in Nature – Chief Shemauger Park, Urbana …
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts has announced their full season, which you can read all about below from their press release sent out just a few hours ago. You’ll find a ton of options …
The Illinois School of Social Work has announced a call for art for its 2022 Elevating Voices: Visualizing Social Justice Through Art series. Work in this series “recognizes the need for and facilitates discussions around the …
Humbleweed Farm, a quarter acre farm in Champaign run by Miky Eum, shares fascinating insights to the no-till farm growing Korean veggies and specialty produce in the farm’s Instagram stories. Earlier this month, Eum shared …
If you’ve been following the creation of the Summer Rhythm mural, shown in process above, the wait to see the finished product is almost over. Join the unveiling celebration on Thursday, July 21st, at 4 p.m. …
Champaign County, the cities of Champaign and Urbana, C-U Public Health District, Champaign County Environmental Stewards, and Forest Preserve Friends Foundation are hosting a Resident Tire Collection August 4-6. Residents of Champaign County can drop …
Middle Fork River Forest Preserve was designated a “Dark Sky Park” by the International Dark Sky Association in 2018. Now, thanks to a $294,000 Illinois Department of Natural Resources Open Space Land Acquisition and Development Grant …
If you’ve been missing those apple cider doughnuts, the wait is almost over. Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch reopens for the season July 20th. Check out their website to see what activities are available at …
The inaugural Girls Rock C-U festival is happening at Rose Bowl Tavern on July 30th. Starting at 12 p.m., the festival is an end-of-camp showcase that will feature live music all day, as well as …
With COVID cases rising again in our area, it’s a good time to make sure everyone in your household is as up to date as possible on COVID vaccines. The Church of the Living God …
United Way of Champaign County, in partnership with the University of Illinois, Busey, Carle Health, Christie Clinic, and OSF Healthcare recently donated $300,000 to the Victory Over Violence campaign, and now some of those funds …
Stix Arcade Bar in Champaign will close next month. The arcade bar announced the news on social media. The arcade’s grand opening was in February 2020. The owners plan to close the arcade sometime this …
The 4th annual Raise the Woof competition is scheduled for September 17th, and Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County is looking for sponsors, as well as build teams for the event. This year’s theme is …
The 20th annual Dump and Run sale, hosted by the University YMCA, is happening August 20-21, and beginning August 1st they will be ready to accept your donations for the sale. It’s the perfect time …
The City of Champaign is hosting a community gun violence reduction blueprint response meeting on July 19th from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The blueprint is an effort by the city to address the root causes …
On Saturday, August 13th, the ArtFarm in Decatur will be hosting Punk on Park, a streetfest that will see art vendors, live music, food, and more lining Park Street. The event is free and runs …
Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts is a pretty cool venue to check out if you’re looking for something to do in Bloomington-Normal. They’ve just announced their 2022-2023 season, which will begin September 14th with …
Urbana Park District, in partnership with Art Coop and Uniting Pride, is looking to display art work from LGBTQIA+ artists in middle school or high school. Artists can submit their drawing, painting, or photography and …
Champaign Center Partnership wants to take you to Legend’s, Murphy’s, and Illini Inn next Thursday, July 21st. For $25, you get three pub stops, any drink under $8 at each pub, a food order one of …
40 North Executive Director Kelly White recently announced a number of upcoming opportunities for artists. The following is taken directly from White’s release. West Side Arts: Don’t miss the inaugural West Side Arts event, taking …
The internet has informed me that Sunday, July 17th is National Ice Cream Day. I love ice cream almost more than any other food on this planet, and I will be celebrating. Though I regret …
Next week marks the 200th birthday of Gregor Mendel, an important scientist in modern genetics. Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology is celebrating with Mendelfest on July 20th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. …
