FRIDAY, JULY 18
Idea: Wig Bar Crawl, anytime
I found this lively bunch out last weekend at Cowboy Monkey. They were on a wig bar crawl. The rules are simple: wear a wig and if you don’t you buy everyone wearing a wig a round of drinks. The group seemed to be having a lot of fun and you could too with your friends and family. Suggested wig-outlets are Dallas and Company, your grandmother’s closet, and the Dollar Tree. Send in your group pictures to samlogan@smilepolitely.com. (SL)
St Arnoldus Day Beer Tasting, Sun Singer Wine & Spirits, 1115 W. Windsor Road, Champaign, 4-7 p.m.
Sun Singer is hosting a tasting event based on one of the patron saints of beer, St. Arnoldus, to kick off Belgian Beer and Belgian Independence Week. They will be celebrating with Artisanal Imports, which distributes St. Feuillien, Kwak, Tripel Karmeliet, and Omer. Nice Omer glasses and other cool swag will be given away to celebrants! (RP)
OUTSIDE at the Research Park, U of I Research Park, 6:30 p.m., free
Another installment of Krannert Center’s OUTSIDE at the Research Park is here, happening tonight featuring Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience alongside opener Candy Foster and Shades of Blue. This is a family friendly event, so take the kids and hang out on what should be an awesome Friday evening weather-wise. (PS)
Orphans, The Station Theatre, 8 p.m.
It’s the final weekend for Orphans! Lyle Kessler’s taut, edgy three-man show about two hard-luck brothers and the gangster who acts as a father figure to them will continue this weekend at the Station. Director Timothy O’Neal (a first-timer at the Station) has a great cast with Lincoln Machula, Maxwell Tomaszewski, and Coy Benning Wentworth. The play runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and all shows begin at 8 p.m. Reservations can be made by calling 217-384-4000, or by reserving online. Saturday night is the final peformance, so don’t wait. (MG)
SATURDAY, JULY 19
Check out Living Yoga Center’s new location, Living Yoga Center, 212 South First Street in Midtown Champaign, several class options throughout the day
Living Yoga Center is settling in to Midtown (having recently moved there from Urbana). Check out their brand-spanking new facility and one of their awesome yoga classes. Passes for first-time students are only $18 for a week of unlimited yoga. (RP)
Lord & Lacy BBQ, parking lot of Danville Gardens Too, 1400 Block of North Prospect Ave, Champaign, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Even though I was less than impressed with the pulled chicken sandwich at Blues, Brews & BBQ, I’m willing to give Lord & Lacy another go. They will now be serving ribs full and half slabs of ribs, and I bet those are pretty tasty. (JH)
Zoo Improv Comedy Troupe, Champaign Public Library, 3-3:45 p.m., free
Knock off early from the workplace, pick up the girlfriend, boyfriend, or family and
head over to the library for 45 minutes of laughter. The Troupe is a non-for-profit group founded in 2005 and if you’re interested, they even conduct improv classes open to the community. Check them out at the library and online. (SL)
Bonesstock, Mike ‘N Molly’s, 4 p.m., $10
Bonesstock is happening at Mike ‘N Molly’s on Saturday afternoon and into the evening. What is it, you ask? Really awesome music happening in the beergarden, food available via the Cracked Truck on the street outside of the venue, and everything else that comes with the good vibes at MNMs. Bands include Bones Jugs N Harmony, Grandkids, Sunshine Daydream The Fights, Bailalai, and Ricky Wells. Sounds like a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon in C-U to me. (PS)
Prairie Ensemble’s last show ever, Faith United Methodist Church, 7:30 p.m.
For its last performance, Kevin Kelly’s Prairie Ensemble will be playing some great music, including Benjamin Britten’s Soirées Musicales, a set of five short movements based on piano pieces by Rossini; The Banks of Green Willow by fellow Englishman George Butterworth, which is based on two folk song melodies; Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s virtuosic Flute Concerto, featuring principal flutist Mary Leathers Chapman; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, known as the “Pastoral Symphony.”
This farewell concert will take place at Faith United Methodist Church, 1719 S. Prospect Ave., Champaign. It starts at 7:30, with a Concert Conversation at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $8 for students and children. Tickets can be purchased online, by calling 217-355-9077, or at the door the night of the concert. (MG)
SUNDAY, JULY 20
Have a picnic, anywhere, anytime, any price
This week’s polar vortex will have moved on by this weekend, and with the abundance of rain, nature is looking lovely right now. Why not have a Sunday brunch/lunch/dinner in one of the delightful parks we have in C–U? I recommend food from Thara Thai, Maize, Sitara, Black Dog, or Pizza M, a blanket, maybe some bug spray, and a companion (maybe even a furry one). (JH)
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