Friday, July 1st
Photo from Triptych’s Facebook page.
Buy and drink some blueberry beer, Triptych (and your patio), all weekend, $17 for a 4-pack
Triptych’s newest release is a blueberry beer called BUT…WHAT ABOUT THE BLUEBERRIES? and it sounds delicious. I love a fruit beer, especially in the summer. This one will be great and refreshing. Make an evening out of it by picking up your four pack of blueberry beer, and checking out the 61874th of July Celebration on Woodfield Drive in front of Triptych. Flour and Fire will be there, and there will be music and family activities. (JH)
Audiofeed Music Festival returns, Champaign County Fairgrounds, all weekend, pricing varies
After a two year hiatus due to COVID-19, the highly anticipated return of Audiofeed has finally arrived. The festival runs all weekend, Friday to Sunday, with camping available and a huge giant lineup of acts performing. If you’re curious what it’s like to put together a festival “post-pandemic,” check out our interview with festival creator Jim Eisenmenger. Tickets are available at the gate. (SW)
Listen to the blues, Allerton Park, 6 to 9 p.m., $5-10 suggested donation
Grab a blanket or some lawn chairs and head over to Monticello for Allerton’s annual Reds, Whites, and the Blues concert. You’ll hear music from Billy Galt & The Blues Deacons and Mississippi Heat while you enjoy the beautiful natural setting of the park. Mama D’s Smokehouse, Piato to Go, and Jimmy John’s will be available for purchase, and the Greenhouse Cafe will be open as well. (JM)
Saturday, July 2nd
Photo by Patrick Singer.
See the unveiling of Kinsey Fitzgerald’s new mural, Rose Bowl Tavern, 11:30 a.m. to noon, free
You may have seen work in progress pics of Fitzgerald’s gorgeous Native Prairie Roses mural at the Rose Bowl, but here’s your chance to see it officially unveiled and to congratulate the artist in person. (DD)
Celebrate musical freedom at Spindependence, Pour Bros Craft Taproom, 2 p.m., free
Spindependence returns this Saturday and Sunday at Pour Bros Craft Taproom in Downtown Champaign. The event is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a huge lineup of DJs, two stages, art, food trucks, and more. Running Saturday until midnight on Sunday. (SW)
Eat an All-American burger, Smith Burger Co at Riggs, noon to 3 p.m., $8.75
The green food truck Smith Burger Co makes awesome burgers, and the All-American is a double beef burger with bacon and American cheese. I love the fries, but my husband loves the tots with the ‘mallow sauce. Check out Remington’s review to learn more about the food. Catch the truck at Riggs this Saturday for lunch. (AB)
Photo by Michael O’Boyle.
Do some skywatching, Champaign Urbana Astronomical Society Observatory, 9 to 11 p.m., free
Join the experts and see the sky in a whole new way with their numerous telescopes, including the 16″ primary diameter mirror Cassegrain in the dome. This event is open to all ages, and you will definitely learn something new. If it’s too cloudy or the weather is bad, then it will be canceled. Contact 217-351-2567 if you aren’t sure. (JM)
Sunday, July 3rd
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Celebrate independence, Best of Africa Food Store, noon to 11 p.m., $15
Come together to celebrate Festival Independence with Congolese singer and rapper Celeo Scram at Best of Africa. There will be lots of live music performers, African food, drinks, and fun for the whole family. (AB)
Have an ice cream tasting party, your house or car or wherever you find ice cream, all weekend, prices vary
No, we don’t have an amazing made-in-house ice cream shop(pe) in C-U, but we do have options for satisfying that need. Suzu’s has soft serve; you can buy Red Bicycle ice cream at Common Ground and Harvest Market. Culver’s custard is actually pretty damn good, and some people love cold fudge on their Jarling’s. Live your best life by collecting and sampling all the ice cream in the area (don’t forget Sidney Dairy Barn, Dewey’s Drive In, and El Oasis). (JH)
Photo from Urbana Parks website.
Do your own art crawl at Meadowbrook Park’s Sculpture Garden, anytime
A walk through the Meadowbrook Park Sculpture Garden on a long holiday weekend checks off all the boxes. Fresh air, exercise, mindfulness, and interaction with 3D art in a soothing natural setting. Bring a friend, or your dog and add in time well spent with someone you love. (DD).
Monday, July 4th
Celebrate America…or don’t, locations and times vary
Look, things feel pretty dark right now. A brutal Supreme Court session ended this week, with a conservative majority put in place by presidents who lost the popular vote wiping out reproductive rights and EPA protections, while also loosening gun restrictions and flinging the door open for school prayer (at least the Christian kind). Maybe you’re feeling a little angry and helpless like I am, and honestly not really interested in participating in a celebration of nationalism. In my house we are planning to make a nice dinner and watch a movie, and hope that our dog doesn’t lose his mind.
If you do want to see some fireworks, here is a comprehensive list of where to do that. No matter what you do, maybe July 4th can be a day you commit to doing one more thing to make the community and our country better. Donate to an abortion fund, volunteer to deliver food to community members in need, sign up for emails from the Champaign County Democrats — it’s all hands on deck to flip IL-13 blue, keep Pritzker in office, and get more progressive-minded people on the county board.
It’s ok to wallow for a bit, then it’s time to get moving. (JM)
Top photo from Audiofeed 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.