Friday, February 21st
Attend Mardi Gras night, Harvest Market, 5 to 7 p.m., $10-$12 for food; $2 drafts
Harvest Market will offer Cajun food (shrimp po boy; gumbo and dirty rice; veggie red beans and rice and vegan sausage). There will be drink specials, including $2 drafts. After you fill up on Cajun food, you can do some Friday night grocery shopping, which is perfect because you won’t be starving and looking to buy all the things at eye level (and then some). (JH)
Start off your weekend with a bit o’ jazz, The Iron Post, 5-7 p.m., cover
The Jeff Helgesen Quintet will be playing an early set at The Iron Post. This gig will be a great way to get in a show and a few drinks before heading off to dinner. Or, maybe something to hit up after work to destress and decompress from the work week. (BH)
Image from Facebook event page.
Experience dinner theatre and enjoy the musical Bright Star, Danville, 6:30 p.m., $7-44
Road trip, dinner, musical theatre. Count your Friday night one and done. DLO Musical Theatre’s weekend-long production of Bright Star features music, book, and lyrics co-created by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin. This tale of love and redemption is guaranteed to bring all the feels. Tickets can be purchased for performances only, or with dinner/lunch, depending on performance date and time. Find out more here. (DD)
Queering Faith 3.0, Community United Church of Christ, 7:30 p.m., free
This is the 3rd annual Queering Faith, put on with the help of UCC Campus Ministry, Community United Church of Christ, Uniting Pride, and the University YMCA. Author of Does God Really Love Me? A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America Jeff Chu will be the featured speaker, and all are welcome to attend. (JM)
Saturday, February 22nd
Image from the Facebook event.
Learn the beats to your favorite Cuban Son, Community Center for the Arts, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., $25
Community Center for the Arts is hosting a Cuban percussion workshop Saturday afternoon. For $25 you get a two-hour workshop on Cuban percussion (bring your own drum, but they may have some to spare if you’re fresh out) and a BBQ lunch from Black Dog. Percussionist Alejandro Aguilar and bassist Olivia Rodríguez Caballero will be leading the event. You can pre-register for the event here. (BH)
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Fuel up for the weekend with an Avocado Stack, Flying Machine Avionics, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., $9
Saturday is a good day to let Avionics make you breakfast. Find a table by the window after you order an avocado stack: a delicious poached egg over grits, avocado, and pickled grapes. (AB)
Learn about the Carlisle Indian School with Dovie Thomason, Spurlock Museum, 2 to 3:30 p.m., free
Dovie Thomason is an indigenous storyteller and activist, and during this event she’ll tell the story of the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania and the legacy of Native American children being forcibly educated. Additional information is on the Facebook event page. (JH)
Photo from Luso-Brazilian Student Assocation Facebook page.
Attend Brazilian Carnaval, University YMCA, 4 to 7 p.m., free
The Luso Brazilian Association at UIUC is hosting a carnaval celebration with live music, costumes, and food. Everything is free and open to the public, so grab your family and head out to learn about the rich and vibrant festival. (JH)
Face your insect fears, Foellinger Auditorium, 6 to 10:30 p.m., free
The theme for the 37th annual Insect Fear Film Festival is “Crustacean Fear Films.” And no, crustaceans are not technically insects, but they are close relatives. Come explore the insect/crustacean petting zoo, local crayfish exhibition, exotic arthropod displays, and more. The films will begin at 7:15. You can find the lineup here. The event is mostly kid-friendly, but the later feature film is rated R. (JM)
Sunday, February 23rd
Get your brunch drink on, The Bread Company, 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., $6.50
The Bread Company in Urbana is a perfect place for a cozy bite, and now that I’ve had the red sangria, I’d say it is the perfect place for a sangria. The drink, recommended by my server, is strong, fruity, and quite the pour. In a tall glass, it’s served cold with floating lemons and chopped apples. It’s the perfect drink for a Sunday brunch. (AB)
Photo from Facebook event page.
Swap some plants, Urbana Free Library, 2 to 4 p.m., free
If you’re looking to freshen up your space with some new plant life, this is a good event for you. Just bring established or starts/cutting of your fave houseplant for someone else, and you can take home something new. If you don’t have a plant, you can bring clean planters, soil, or any sort of plant accessories. (JM)
Image from the Facebook event page.
Catch an early-afternoon show and browse the records, Exile on Main, 3-4:30 p.m., $5-$10 suggested donation
Exile on Main is hosting an early show this Sunday featuring DPCD, Anika Emily, and Karena Tse. This seems like it will be a pretty chill, acoustic show with great acts. Take the opportunity to hear some live music and maybe browse the offerings of the store. (BH)
Top photo by Kwamé Thomas.
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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.