Weekender: April 22-24

Friday, April 22nd

Watch the unveiling of Langston Allston’s new mural, Cunningham Township, 11:30 a.m., free

Muralist Langston Allston’s new mural, Reading is Magic was co-created with local volunteers and is funded by a grant from the City of Urbana’s Art & Culture Program. If you can’t make the ribbon-cutting, do stop by for a look this weekend and celebrate a true community art project. (DD)

On a brown patio table outside of Cowboy Monkey, there is a pom splash in a martini glass at night. There is a light glare on the left side of the glass with blurred Downtown Champaign buildings lit in the background. Photo by Alyssa Buckley. — *Photo by Alyssa Buckley.*

Sip a pom splash before Ebertfest, Cowboy Monkey, 4 p.m. to midnight, $9

If you’ll be in Downtown Champaign for Ebertfest, stop by Cowboy Monkey for a drink before or after your show. The vibe is fun and relaxed inside, and the tables on the patio are so pretty at night. Try the pomegranate splash, made with citrus vodka, triple sec, pomegranate liqueur, and fresh lemon juice. It is sour and lemony sweet, and it’s my favorite drink at Cowboy. (AB)

Attend a murder mystery dinner, Holiday Inn Champaign, 6 p.m., $40

Do you want to try to solve a mystery while eating dinner? The Champaign-Urbana Theater Company will perform a “Murder Mystery Seven Corpse Dinner” Friday night. Tickets include your dinner buffet, show, taxes, and gratuity. Cash bar opens at 6:30 p.m. Call Jessica (217) 531-9126 or Vicki (217) 531-9332 to reserve your spot. (JH)

Saturday, April 23rd

Pick up food to go and picnic, anywhere lovely, anytime, price varies

Saturday, April 23rd is National Picnic Day, and it just so happens that the weather will be gorgeous. Pick up some food and find a spot to picnic. Pick up a chicken burrito, tamales, and cake from Rick’s Bakery. Drink a boba drink sitting on a sunny patch of grass. Buy gluten-free treats from RegCakes, cool treats from Jarling’s Custard Cup, or pizza from Pizzeria Antica and eat on a picnic blanket. (AB)

Outside photo of Record Swap in Lincoln Square Mall. There are signs in the window, records hanging all over the store. — *Image from Record Swap’s Facebook page.*

Celebrate independent record stores, Champaign-Urbana, 7 a.m., prices vary

Saturday is Record Store Day, the day of the year where you can head to your local record store — See You CD & Vinyl, Exile On Main St, or Record Swap — and go shopping for some exclusive and rare releases only available on Record Store Day. You can find the official RSD releases on their site here, but as vinyl allocation has been rough these last few years, you’ll have to check with your favorite shop to see if they’ll have what you’re looking for. Check out their Facebook pages to see when the shops open on Saturday. (SW)

A close up of a light purple flower with thin wispy petals. A black and yellow bumblebee and a yellow moth are perched on the flower. Photo by Sam Logan. — *Photo by Sam Logan.*

Celebrate Earth Day, Meadowbrook Park, 1 to 4 p.m., free

Urbana Park District is inviting the community to celebrate Earth Day with a host of activities: free bike checkups, kite flying, insect finding, milkweed planting and more. There will also be live music from the Emily Anne Band and Backyard BBQ Band. (JM)

Attend the opening of Old News: “The Archives” at the Urbana Museum of Photography, 5-9 p.m., free

Enjoy a collection of silver gelatin prints made in their darkroom made from preserved negatives made by The Courier staff photographers who created those negatives in that very same darkroom. Presented by the Urbana Museum of Photography in collaboration with the Urbana Free Library, this exhibit celebrates Urbana history. (DD)

A group of dancers, mid dance, as seen from a side stage. Dancers are wearing purple and black and are mid-movement. Screen shot from the URBANITE Instagram page. — *Screenshot from the URBANITE Instagram page.*

Attend the URBANITE Dance Showcase, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Amphitheater, 9 p.m., $10+

The showcase will feature “15+ dance groups performing primarily hip hop choreography with additional styles featured from Latin to contemporary dance, all brought together with DJ sets and special guests.” The weather will be nice, so sitting outside at the amphitheater will be an awesome experience (and a great views, all around!). Get your tickets online. (JH)

Sunday, April 24th

Poster for Tenor Titans. It is red, blue, and yellow, with information about the event. — *Image from Spurlock Museum’s Facebook page.*

Have an afternoon of jazz, Spurlock Museum, 2 p.m., free

Three musicians will discuss their favorite jazz heroes and each play an individual set at the Spurlock Museum. Finally, all three musicians will combine forces for a great set of jazz tunes. They’ll also follow the afternoon show with a set at Rose Bowl later in the evening at 5 p.m., hosted by Chip McNeill. (SW)

Watch a K-Pop dance contest, Lincoln Hall, 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., $10-12

Truth and Beauty (TNB) dance team is hosting a K-Pop dance competition, which will showcase teams from across the country. Dance2XS UIUC Executive Director Julian Martinez and Urbana Dance Company Owner and Artistic Director Kate Insolia will be guest judges, and winning teams will take home cash prizes. You can pre-order tickets for $10, or pay $12 at the door. (JM)

Top photo from Urbana Arts and Culture Facebook page.

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All event information is accurate to the best of our abilities, but sometimes we make mistakes and sometimes event information, times, prices, etc., change after we look them up. Whenever possible, we’ve provided a link to the original event page; you should always double-check the source before you make any firm plans. Thanks for your understanding.

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