Friday, December 2nd
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Eat some wings, Garro’s Taste of the City, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., $7.99
I love the wings from Garro’s Taste of the City, a red food truck that opened in Urbana this summer. The crispy skin with the lemon-Parmesan salt was so delicious. If you’re around Urbana this weekend, check out the truck. (AB)
All images from the Poetry Foundation’s website (l-r): Carl Phillips, courtesy of the poet; Linda Gregerson by Nina Subin and Blue Flower Arts; David Baker by Katherine Bake.
Listen to some renowned poets, Spurlock Museum, 4 to 5:30 p.m., free
Preeminent American poets David Baker, Linda Gregerson, and Carl Phillips will be on a panel at the Knight Auditorium at the Spurlock Museum. From what I understand, this is a big deal! Read more about these three authors here. (JH)
Celebrate the launch of two new titles from Immaterial Books, Analog, 6 p.m., free
Join C-U’s very own independent publisher of contemporary visual art and literature to toast the release two new titles, See it When I Believe it by Nathan Pearce and Machine Intelligence by Phillip Kalantzis-Cope. Get yourself a glass of something good, talk to the artists, and pick up your own copies while you’re at it. (DD)
Jazz it up, Rose Bowl Tavern, 8 p.m., $20
The NYChillharmonic makes their return to Urbana this Friday, and is sure to blow us away once more. The 18-piece band is joined on tour by indie rock group Aberdeen, who are equally as exciting. You can read our interview with the two groups here to get acquainted with them before the show. (SW)
Saturday, December 3rd
Watch some soccer, various locations, 9 a.m., food and drink prices vary
There are some spots around town that will be open early for soccer fans to watch Team USA take on the Netherlands in the World Cup. Esquire will have Irish coffee and doughnuts, Bunny’s Tavern opens for breakfast at 7 a.m., and the Courtyard Cafe in the Illini Union will be showing games on the big screen. (JM)
Photo from Pour Bros’s Facebook page.
Sip beer and donate coats, Pour Bros, noon to 6 p.m.
This Saturday, donate coats to a good cause at Pour Bros Taproom with Triptych Brewing and Stone Brewing. Talk beer, get cool swag, and donate coats. The coat donations will benefit Stratton Academy of the Arts. Fernando’s food truck will be there from noon to 4 p.m. (AB)
Hear poet Elizabeth Majerus read from her new collection, Urbana Free Library, 4 to 5 p.m., free
In her newly released book of poetry, Songs Are Like Tattoos, poet, musician, and educator Elizabeth Majerus takes inspiration from Joni Mitchell’s classic album Blue. Majerus, who you may know as one-third of the band Motes, creates the kind of visceral images that become a part of you, like well-loved song lyrics, and delivers them in an engaging and accessible style you won’t want to miss. (DD)
Listen to Deke Weaver and Brett Ashley Kaplan speak, The Literary, 5 pm., free
University of Illinois professors Deke Weaver and Brett Ashley Kaplan will be in conversation at The Literary. Both have new projects that intersect around whales. Grab a drink and check it out. (JH)
Go to a music festival, Brass Rail, 5 p.m., $10
Ten dollars gets you a hell of a lot on Saturday night at Brass Rail. A great lineup of musicians are slated to perform for the bar’s Rail Fest — and this is just day one. Day two starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday and runs until late that night. Bands include The Raging Nathans, Matt Talbott, Bottom Bracket, Snack’d Out, and many more. (SW)
Watch some creepy Christmas short films at the Krampusnacht Film Festival, Savoy 16, 7 p.m., $10
The 4th annual Krampusnacht Film Festival is happening at Savoy 16. Tickets are $10, and you’ll be able to watch 18 short films, under 20 minutes, that are creepy, darkly funny, or macabre. They’re not all about Christmas or Krampus. Get your tickets online. (JH)
Sunday, December 4th
Go see A Christmas Story, Parkland College, 3 p.m., $12-20
It’s not Christmas without A Christmas Story. I don’t let a year go by without watching the movie. This year, you can catch the story on stage at the Harold and Jean Miner Theatre. The show runs this weekend and next, and is a great way to get into the holiday spirit. There will be a collection spot for Toys for Tots there if you’d like to donate. (JM)
Image from Facebook event page.
Try to Escape the Museum, Museum of the Grand Prairie, 4 to 6:45 p.m., free
Students and faculty from Fine and Applied Arts and iSchool collaborated to create an escape room experience throughout the Museum of the Grand Prairie, where you’ll use local history from the exhibits to solve a mystery. It’s free to do it, you’ll just need to reserve a time. Can’t make it Sunday? There are opportunities on Monday and Tuesday as well! (JM)
Top photo from NYChillharmonic 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.