Friday, August 10th
Irish Fest, Allerton Park and Retreat Center, 5:30 p.m., $5-$10
This year’s Irish Fest at Allerton Park returns tonight, this year they are featuring The Shanties and the Tannahill Weavers for this evening of family-friendly music. This year the show takes place in the Meadow at Allerton, just FYI in case that is news to you from your past visits to Irish Fest. (PS)
Watch Jaws while you’re in the water, Crystal Lake Park Family Aquatic Center, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., $4-9
Saturday, August 11th
C-U Days, Douglass Park, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., free
This is a fun family day with lots of kid’s activities, live music, food, merchandise vendors, and informational tables. The latter will be handing out free school supplies to kids who need them. Check out our SPlog from this week for the full schedule of events. (JM) Photo from Facebook
Dine outdoors, Downtown Champaign or Urbana, all day, prices vary
This weather won’t last — enjoy it while you can! Crane Alley has the best patio, and there is a liveliness in Downtown Champaign that Urbana just can’t match right now. Pick a restaurant and go enjoy the food and drinks, company of your friends, and dining al fresco. (JH)
Pens to Lens, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., $8-12 (18 and under are free)
This an annual showcase of budding film talent here in C-U. The competition is open to kids in grades K-12, and winning films will be screened this Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. for K-8 students and 6 p.m. for high school students. There will be a red carpet event at 1 p.m. You can find more information about tickets and films here, and look for our review next week (JM). Photo by Scott Wells
Hogchute Happy Hour, Bentley’s Pub, 6:30 p.m., free but you should donate
Check out these five solo acts at Bentley’s on Saturday for Hogchute’s Happy Hour series — that, plus $3 wells on special, should make this worth your while. These gents are in a bunch of acts around C-U: McGee is part of Primitive Lights, Our Landmark, and others previously, Bryce Brown is in Col. James Presents, Brad Olson is the mastermind behind Hogchute Opry + Harvest and performs in Neoga Blacksmith. (PS)
Sunday, August 12th
Get tickets to local food events, on the internet, all weekend, prices vary
Tickets for The Land Connection’s 2018 Artisan Cup & Fork are now on sale. The event, now in its third year, features eight teams of chefs and family-run farms that compete against each other for fame and fortune and glory (or just a pat on the back). Each team creates a “signature dish”; there are also local breweries on hand with tastes and locally made sweets for dessert. Tickets are $65 per person before August 31st; $75 thereafter, and only $50 for those under 21. You can reserve tables if you want to go with a group. Read up on the inaugural and second events for more info.
Some tickets are also available for Prairie Fruits Farm’s Farm to Table Dinners. Each dinner is a different theme and menu; ticket prices range from $70 to $125. PFF is one of my favorite places in all of C-U, and the food is bound to be delicious. If you can swing it, these dinners are a real treat. (JH) Photos by Jessica Hammie
Top photo by Rebecca Wells
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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.