Weekender: July 17-19

While we encourage you to check out what’s happening around C-U this weekend, please use precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. If you are out and about, please wear a mask, social distance, wash your hands, and most importantly, respect the people around you, especially the employees that work at these establishments.

Friday, July 17th

Learn to care for your COVID cacti, online, noon to 1:30 p.m., free

Have you stress purchased a bunch of succulents and cacti over the last few months? Are you now realizing that they are actually not that easy to care for? Illinois Extension is offering a free online webinar that will show you how to take care of these plants. Register here. (JH)

A small purple gummy covered in white granulated sugar sits on a white porcelain plate. Photo by Alyssa Buckley. — *Photo by Alyssa Buckley.*

Stay home and enjoy a cannabis-infused gummy, your house, nighttime, $1

Find your own calm this Friday evening with an edible. Purchase a bag of 20 of Mindy’s freshly picked berries gummies for $20. At a dollar a piece, this is an affordable way to have a fun Friday night in. If you’re not down for the berry flavor, check out this list of six edibles that could enhance your calm. (AB)

View of a vineyard at Sleepy Creek Vineyards in Fairmont, Illinois. Green lawn is in the foreground and green grape vines are in the middle of the image. It is sunny outside. Photo by Rachael McMillan. — *Photo by Rachael McMillan.*

Wieners & Wine, Sleepy Creek Vineyards, 5 to 8 p.m., free, plus cost of wine

Sleepy Creek’s summertime Wieners & Wine happens every Friday. You buy a glass of wine, they provide hot dogs and toppings. You get to cook them over a fire outside. There will be live music 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Of course, please be mindful of keeping your physical distance from others and the ways in which you are sharing food. (JH)

Saturday, July 18th

Grab some breakfast beignets, Stango Cuisine at Urbana’s Market in the Square, 7 a.m. to noon, $4.50

Who doesn’t love warm beignets in the morning? Get out of the house and let Stango Cuisine make you a sweet breakfast. These beignets are famous in town for being so good. While you’re out, don’t forget to shop around the Urbana farmers’ market. (AB)

A basket filled with tissue paper covered in multi-colored polka dots. Inside are various Japanese and Asian treats and products that are made from matcha. Photo from Japan House Facebook page. — *Photo from Japan House Facebook page.*

Send a Japan House care package to someone (or to yourself), anytime, $75

Japan House is launching monthly Japan House Cares packages that center around “a thematic collection of Japanese and Asian goods.” This month’s theme is matcha, so it’s a basket filled with items from soap to tea to Pocky that has matcha as the main ingredient. You can support Japan House as well as local businesses such as Green Onion and Wright Soapery. (JM)

Take a virtual visit to the 2020 Sugar Creek Arts Festival, anytime, free to enter

If you’ve wondered how summertime arts festival are adapting to the pandemic, this virtual festival shows how it done. Visitors can not only shop for a variety of art and craft items, but there’s also tons of links to bios, videos, and artist social media. So while you’re not meeting the artists, you are definitely getting to know what they’re about. SCAF “officially” opened last weekend, so now you’ll find the videos recordings of the musical performances to enjoy as well. Log on and support these talented artists. (DD)

IMAGE: Photo of a parking lot with a sun flare from the left hand side. There's a white top tent in the middle with tables and chairs around it. — *Photo from Rose Bowl’s Facebook page.*

Candy Foster and Shades of Blue, Rose Bowl Tavern, $10, 7 to 9 p.m.

You can reserve your seat for this show at the Rose Bowl in Downtown Urbana on Saturday, which will take place in the parking lot adjacent to the venue. They have a ton of space out there, so if you are looking for a show to check out, here’s one for you on Saturday. (PS)

Sunday, July 19th

DJ Belly, Blackbird, free, 1 to 6 p.m.

DJ Belly spins every Sunday on the back patio at Blackbird in Downtown Urbana, so if you are looking for an afternoon cocktail and some tunes, here’s an option for you. The bar is well-equipped for social distancing, and has a good amount of shade back there so you can stay cool since we’re in the midst of these warm July temps. (PS)

*Image from Urbana Free Library Facebook*

Sign up your kids for a virtual poetry workshop with Will Reger, 3 p.m., free

Young wordsmiths get a chance to study with Urbana Poet Laureate Will Reger in this free, hour-long Zoom workshop geared towards ages 5 to 11. Reger will cover basic poetry forms and give your long poet some words of wisdom about the poet’s craft. Get more information and register here. (DD)

*Photo from Ngoma Expressions Facebook page.*

Learn African Dance in the park, Ambucs Park, 5 to 6:15 p.m., $10

Join Ngoma Expressions and dance it out safely in the park with some West African drumming to guide you. Classes are open to beginning and intermediate dancers ages 10 and up. (JM)

Top photo by Jessica Hammie.

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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.

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