FRIDAY, APRIL 25
Outdoor Learning Space Planting, King School, Arbor Day
King Elementary School is having an Arbor Day celebration. Students are planting hundreds of Native Illinois plants in the King School Courtyard. According to a press release from District 116, “This is all made possible through the Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Urbana School District Instructional Coach Bryan Lake and King teacher Charity Bundren submitted the request for the $905 grant to expand the area for Native Illinois plants in this outdoor learning space. The grant also provided students the opportunity to plant their own plants in biodegradable cups using seeds donated to King from Sarah Tavis, an art teacher at King Elementary.”
The community and King staff have really come through to make this project possible. Donations from Ingram’s Nursery and Landscaping Inc. provide six Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry Shrubs for the courtyard learning space. Mulch and compost for planting were generously provided by The Landscape Recycling Center of Urbana. McCabe Bros. Tool Rental donated a rototiller to prepare the ground for planting. The Champaign County Ag in the Classroom is donating their time on Friday, April 25th to help students with this amazing hands-on planting experience. (KP)
Lord & Lacy BBQ at Ebertfest, downtown Champaign (vicinity of Virginia Theatre), Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
Remember our review of last summer’s Blues, Brews & BBQ? Refresh your memory, and then take your happy ass to get some BBQ this weekend in between Ebertfest and Illinois Marathon activities. (JH)
Lecture (“The Palestinian People: Culture in Midst of Oppression”) by historian/professor Dr. Issam Nassar, University YMCA, 7 p.m., free
If you’ve been on campus this week you may have noticed the “End Israeli Apartheid” wall that’s been up since Monday. The wall and two events happening at the University YMCA this weekend are part of Israeli Apartheid Week. During this lecture on Friday, historian and Illinois State University professor Dr. Issam Nassar will look at the origins of this cultural change and it’s conclusions relating to the present situation in Palestine. (RP)
Improv Comedy for the Cure, SoDo Theatre (111 S. Walnut, downtown Champaign), 7-10 p.m., donation to American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Champaign County
Doors open at 6:45pm and the content is generally family friendly. See below for contact information and questions.
7 p.m.: Interactive Family Improv: Zoo Improv provides entertainment your family can participate with an interactive storytelling experience
8 p.m.: Improv Relay: Zoo Improv hosts four separate performances for you to laugh at (Beginning improv class showcase; Random Acts of Service from Bloomington; DeBono musical improv from the U of I; Zoo Improv).
SoDo Theatre, 111 S. Walnut Street, Champaign. (South of University, same building as Art Party Studio & Institute for Creativity.) Contact Jill Rannebarger at 217-979-1504 or jill@champaignrelay.org for more questions. (KP)
Other Desert Cities, Station Theatre, 8 p.m.
In this finalist for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Brooke Wyeth (played by Kate Riley) returns home to Palm Springs after a six-year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents (Steven M. Keen and Caroline Kodes-Atkinson), her brother (Joel Higgins), and her aunt (Joi Hoffsommer). Brooke announces that she is about to publish a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family’s history — a wound they don’t want reopened. Directed by Kay Bohannon Holley. (MG)
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
Breakfast on the Farm, Prairie Fruits Farm, 4410 N Lincoln Ave, Champaign, 9 a.m. to noon, prices vary
This is the last open house breakfast of the season, and the menu includes:
Sandwich – Fried Egg, Chorizo, Black Beans, Salsa, Pickled Grilled Red Onion, on Pekara’s Baguette Buns
Oatmeal – Vanilla Yogurt, Apricot Preserves, Honey, and Toasted Almonds
Blueberry Pancakes
Kid’s Short Stack of Pancakes
Snickerdoodle Muffins
Local Cheese Gougeres
Goat’s Milk Hot Chocolate, Coffee and Hot Tea from Columbia Street Roastery, Fruit Smoothies from Old Heritage Creamery, Kid’s Goat Milk
The food is totally worth trekking out among the marathon madness; use the beltway map for assistance. Plus, you get to visit with baby goats. How cute! (JH)
Punk Show, Figure One, 6-8 p.m., free
University of Illinois students and artists Sean Tierney and Will Blake have set up a punk show in order to explore various forms of art. The show will feature local musicians Bookmobile, Chain’s Gang, Mouthsex, and Marathon to at Figure One gallery. Show is free, come on out! (JK)
Monty Python’s Spamalot, Parkland College Theatre, 7:30 p.m.
Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot retells the legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table and features a bevy of beautiful show girls—not to mention cows, killer rabbits, and French people. Winner of the Tony Award for best musical, some of Spamalot’s show-stopping musical numbers include “He Is Not Dead Yet,” “Find Your Grail,” and “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life!” Please note that this show contains some mild language and a general Pythonesque naughtiness. Parents should email theatre@parkland.edu to ask about appropriateness. Also, check the Parkland website to make sure performances (like the one on Friday, April 25) are not sold out. (MG)
The 92s, Finer Feelings, Single Player, Marsika, Error Records, 7:30 p.m., $5
There is a lot going on here for this bill at Error Records on Saturday evening. If you’re not one to dig on country (which is probably why you would pass on the Lydia Loveless show I discuss below), you can check out a bunch of cool indie rock outfits instead. The 92s put out a really great new album Television Fuzz earlier this year, Finer Feelings have a new album in the works, Single Player is always putting out interesting lo-fi tunes for you to hear. Do some digging and you’ll find it if you know how to use our site, or even Google. (PS)
Lydia Loveless, The Rose Bowl Tavern, $10 advance/$12 door, 8 p.m.
Not that you need a reason to visit Downtown Urbana OR the Rose Bowl outside of the normal ones, but this is pretty cool show that’s happening there this Saturday. Lydia Loveless has garnered quite a bit of attention following the release of her recent Somewhere Else LP, and she’s performing in Urbana. You should check it out if you’re into folk, country, Americana, or anything in between, Definitely worth your time and money if you want to see good live music this weekend in a really awesome spot. (PS)
The Dustbowl Revival, Cowboy Monkey, 10 p.m., cover
Kick back on Saturday with the Dustbowl Revival, a Venice, California-based roots collective that merges old school bluegrass, gospel, jug-band, swamp blues and the hot swing of the 1930’s to form a spicy roots cocktail. Known for their inspired live sets, the Dustbowl Revival boldly brings together many styles of traditional American music. Cody & The Gateway Drugs will open the show. (RP)
SUNDAY, APRIL 27
Pandamonium Doughnuts pop-up, Cream & Flutter, 114 N Walnut St, Champaign, 10 a.m. to sold out, $1.50 and up
This is the last day for the pop-up doughnut shop at Cream & Flutter. The lines have been long, so if you’re needing some doughnuts, get there early. Don’t forget to grab a vegan doughnut for your vegan friends. (JH)
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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.