FRIDAY, April 3rd
Wieners and Wine, Sleepy Creek Vineyards, 8254 E 1425 North Rd, Fairmont, 5-8 p.m., prices depend on how much you drink
The season’s debut of Wieners and Wine is here and the jokesters at Sleepy Creek have made some awesome t-shirts to go with (photo from Facebook). You bring your body and your wallet, they provide free wieners and toppings. Just buy a drink or two and you’re good to roast your weenie on the bonfire. (JH)
Mothers and Sons, The Station Theatre, 8 p.m., $15
From the Station’s synopsis: “At turns funny and powerful, Mothers and Sons portrays a woman who pays an unexpected visit to the New York apartment of her late son’s partner, who is now married to another man and has a young son. Challenged to face how society has changed around her, generations collide as she revisits the past and begins to see the life her son might have led.” (MG)
It Follows, The Art Theater Co-op, 5 & 7:30 p.m.
Everything I’ve read about this movie makes it sound like the second coming of 28 Days Later (or whatever you consider the previous second coming of modern horror). Now is your chance to have a look for yourself. Here’s the Art’s take: “For 19-year-old Jay (Maika Monroe), the fall should be about school, boys, and weekends at the lake. Yet, after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she suddenly finds herself plagued by nightmarish visions; she can’t shake the sensation that someone, or something, is following her. As the threat closes in, Jay and her friends must somehow escape the horrors that are only a few steps behind. With a riveting central performance from Monroe and a strikingly ominous electronic score by Disasterpeace, It Follows took the 2014 Cannes Film Festival by storm.” (MG)
Roberta Sparrow w/ Dirty Rotten Revenge, Soy City Stranglers, and Los Assparados, Mike N Molly’s, 8 p.m., $5
This bill is straight up stacked with punk talent. Roberta Sparrow is always a good time, and I feel like they need to play MnMs more. This is going to be an absolutely raucous way to start your weekend. (TP)
SATURDAY, April 4th
Ride along with a local car club to see Fast and the Furious in Chicago, Planet Fitness, Champaign, 6:30 a.m.,
The car club says “We encourage anybody and everybody who’d like to join us” and “Legion does not discriminate whatsoever. The more diversity of cars in our group the better.” So roll your busted-ass Corolla up to Planet Fitness and take a ride up to Chicago for the day. Plus meet the guys at Legion. They’re nice, I promise! Read more here. (SL)
Run a 5K for a good cause, U of I Arboretum, 2001 S. Lincoln Ave., 8-9 a.m. registration, $14
You can register on site for this 5k. The group that is putting it on is a free primary care clinic for Champaign County residents. You should go run this 5K because: it is for a great cause, it is cheap, and you’ll get to enjoy nature while doing something good for your body. Read more about the run here. (SL)
Middle Market, Lincoln Square Mall, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This is the second to last Middle Market of the season (which means Market at the Square is coming very, very soon). And because this weekend marks both Passover and Easter, it might be the perfect opportunity to pick up some lovely local gifts or tasty treats for host/hostess/guests/yourself. (JH)
Neoga Blacksmith, Penny Horses, Memphis on Main, 8 p.m., $5
A trio of solid locals will come together to celebrate the release of Neoga Blacksmith’s new album Piasa, which is available to stream over at their Bandcamp page. If you haven’t seen a show at Memphis on Main in a while, this would be a good one to hop over to and check out this weekend.
Penny Horses have been performing around town for some time now, and have a new record in the works themselves. Heck, they’ll be playing in the upcoming Smile Politely Show Series soon enough as well. Check them out here with NB and Waterfowl as a preview. (PS)
Women Rock: Rachel Wilson, Kenna Mae Reiss, Holly Monet, Emily Otnes, Institute 4 Creativity, doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m., $5
If you don’t think you hear enough of local women artists rockin’ on stage, you’re not alone. This event is a chance to catch four female songslingers doing their thing at the I4C. What, you don’t think women ROCK? Swing by and let them prove you wrong! (MR)
SUNDAY, April 5th
Prepare to vote this coming Tuesday, anywhere, free
There are a bunch of upcoming categories that will go to a vote on Tuesday, April 7th around Champaign-Urbana. If you haven’t really been keeping up, not to worry — there’s still time to educate yourself on the candidates and what’s happening on Tuesday’s election ballot. Champaign Mayoral election, Unit 4 Referendum, Champaign School Board, and more will be voted upon by the people of this community. Perhaps our recap of the Mayoral debate can help? Perhaps some recent articles in our Opinion section? It’s your community, people. Own it. (PS)
It’s Easter, have some brunch, any dining establishment that is open
Although Easter doesn’t coincide with the heathen holiday 4/20 like it did last year, there’s no reason not to enjoy some deviled eggs! Or if you’re a vegan, you could check out Dancing Dog for breakfast/brunch and get your hands on one of these delicious fresh-squeezed mimosas. Look at my friend Ben. Look at his mimosa. Look how happy he is. (MR)
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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.