FRIDAY, JUNE 20
Q & A with the Mayoral Contenders for the City of Champaign, Mike ‘N Molly’s, 6 p.m., free
Come join us for an hour of discussion with the contenders for the Mayor of Champaign position tonight at the lovely beergarden of Mike ‘N Molly’s. The contenders include Deb Feinen, Karen Foster, and Joe Petry — and we’ll have a Q & A discussion with these fine folks in anticipation of the upcoming Mayoral election. Don’t worry — these folks have less of a chance to make fools of themselves than we do, hands down. So, come watch us and see if we can pull it off? You totally should. Plus, it’s June — you’re going to be around Downtown Champaign (most likely) at this point in the week anyway. Sure, it’s a shameless plug, but who cares, really? (PS)
Sounds at Sunset featuring Bruiser & the Virtues, Robeson Park, Champaign, 6-8 p.m., free
Enjoy some free live music out in nature as part of the Champaign Park District’s Sounds at Sunset series. Bruiser & the Virtues is a blues-oriented group that toys with swing, jump blues, and other dance genres. Bring your own refreshments and chairs to really settle in. (RP)
Putting It Together, Station Theatre, 8 p.m., $15
This is your last weekend to see the first show of the Station’s summer season—a Sondheim revue directed by Tom Mitchell. Set at a cocktail party in New York City, two couples — one middle-aged and married, the other young lovers just starting out — reflect, through the songs of Stephen Sondheim, on the complexities that make up modern relationships. Featuring Tom Cravens and Jodi Prosser, Jeremiah Lowry and Ann Marie Morrissette, Kent Conrad and Nicole Morgan, Kyle Thomas and Stephanie Swearingen, Lee Steiner and Cara Maurizi. (MG)
Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in Movie Theater, Friday-Saturday-Sunday, 8:30 p.m., adults $8, children $7, reserved front row add on $18
Playing every evening this weekend is How to Train a Dragon 2 and 22 Jump Street. Honestly I’ve never seen either of these movies but simply going to the drive-in theater is entertaining in itself. They have snacks, you can play frisby, and be sure to check out the HUGE reels they use to project the movies. See you in Gibson City! (SL)
Hot 10.55 Champaign Urbana Talent Search, submissions accepted until July 7th
Do you have what it takes to be on American Idol? Are you tired of sitting at home scarfing up popcorn soaked in butter screeming at Ryan Seacrest “THAT COULD BE ME!” Well this is your chance. Take time this weekend and put together a video of you singing, dancing, performing spoken word, jokes, or whatever your talent is. You may end up performing at the Champaign-Urbana Day at Douglas Park in August. See Hot 10.55’s site for more details. (SL)
SATURDAY, JUNE 21
Illinois Summer Youth Music 2014, Krannert Center, 10 a.m., FREE
A highly acclaimed program for educating young artists, Illinois Summer Youth Music provides intensive training and builds skills. Each year, more than one thousand students attend sessions that foster their talents and a deep appreciation of music.
Schedule: 10 a.m. Advanced Piano, Recital Hall, Smith Memorial Hall; 10 a.m. Flute, Music Building Auditorium; 10 a.m. Flute, 220 Smith Memorial Hall; 10 a.m. Senior Concert Band, Foellinger Great Hall; 11:30 a.m. Senior Orchestra, Foellinger Great Hall; 1 p.m. Senior Symphonic Band, Foellinger Great Hall; 2:30 a.m. Senior Chorus, Foellinger Great Hall. (MG)
Garden Walk Inspirations, University of Illinois Extension, 801 N. Country Fair Dr. Ste D, Champaign, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., $10 in advance, $12 day of event
If you have ever wanted to get up close and personal with your neighbor’s back yard, Join the Champaign County Master Gardeners for their annual Garden Walk. This year’s theme: Inspirations. Local gardens from the Champaign-Urbana are have already been selected. (RP)
Dallas & Company’s 1st Annual Carnival, Dallas and Co., Champaign, 12-4 p.m., free
Dallas and Co. will be hosting a family friendly carnival event this weekend with all kinds of events: dunk tank, face painting, prizes, carnival games, popcorn, balloons, and an early look at the Haunted room. There will also be entertainment throughout the afternoon by Carnivale Debauche. (RP)
Surprise! Vegan Pies! class, Common Ground Food Co-op, 1-4 p.m., $20 non-owner/$15 owner
In this class you’ll learn to make two vegan dessert pies (apple and chocolate raspberry), from crust to filling. If you have a vegan eater in your family or circle of friends, this might be a nice way to impress on a birthday or other celebration. I’ve had plenty of vegan desserts, and they can be incredibly delicious, but expensive, so why not learn to do it yourself? (JH)
SUNDAY, JUNE 22
6th Annual Crawfish Boil, Crane Alley, 1 p.m., $18 ahead of time, $23 at the door
Crane Alley is hosting its 6th annual all-you-can-eat crawfish boil, and you should be there. The event is a hit each summer, with delicious crustaceans ready for you to devour (and corn, too). There’s also plenty of beer on tap. I recenty read an article about how crustceans (crawfish, specifically) seem to experience fear and anxiety, but you should not (this is probably the only all-you-can-eat event you can feel safe about). Check out SP’s take on last year’s event here. Bring your bib. (JH)
Find your favorite bar and watch the USA World Cup Match vs. Portugal, before 5 p.m. when the game starts
OK — so what if my posts involve booze most of the time? It’s still fun, and these are recommendations after all. The World Cup only happens every so often, aka once every four years, so you’ll most likely have friends who are interested in soccer for the first time in a while that might be interested in this as well. Find a bar — any bar — that has television and is showing the game. Most likely, this will be many places around Champaign-Urbana. Go do that, and watch a soccer match that will likely be a very good one. (PS)
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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.