FRIDAY, June 3rd
Hogchute Opry, Kalyx Center for Sustainability, near Monticello, IL, $15, 3 p.m. – Sunday evening
This is the 4th year of the Hogchute Opry, a showcase of the C-U area’s best and brightest country/folk/rock ‘n rollers at one of the year’s most unique live music events! Spider-proof your tents, stock up on things to throw on the fire, and get ready for a hell of a weekend. The fun will commence on Friday June 3rd, tear straight through Saturday June 4th, and conclude sometime in the early morning hours of Sunday June 5th over one of Bill’s famous “towering inferno” bonfires. (SL)
Free doughnut, Pandamonium Doughnuts, Downtown Champaign (corner of University and Neil), 7:30 a.m., free
Friday is National Doughnut Day, and Pandamonium is giving away free doughnuts while they last. The special flavor is Black & White, inspired by the famous New York cookie. Only one per order, while supplies last, which means you better show up at 7 a.m. and get in line. Photo from Facebook. (JH)
Explore and taste the woods, Homer Lake Forest Preserve, 6 p.m.
Join a naturalist to explore, and taste, wild edibles of the season. Dress for the weather and a hike. Register online asap as it closes 6/2. Click here to email and register or call (217) 896-2455. (SL)
Irish Fest, 6-9 p.m., Allerton Park and Retreat Center, $5/person or $10/family
This festival, presented by the U of I Credit Union, features three musical groups (The Shanties, Amasong, and The Chicago Rovers) and a children’s playground (from 6 – 8 p.m.). Pack a picnic, grab a chair or blanket, and prepare to enjoy summer in C-U and its surrounding areas. (RP)
Backyard Jams, 9 p.m., The Accord, Free before 11 p.m., $2 after
Finally, we’re going to have a Friday night with good weather. What better way to enjoy it than to sit back on the Accord’s patio and sip on some drinks while getting down to the best from Kirkwood West and Reed Richards. Let’s get it. (BH)
The Karate Kid, 10 p.m., The Art Theater, $8, Also showing Saturday at 10 p.m. and Sunday at 11:30 a.m.
One of the coolest things about C-U is undoubtedly the Art Theater, and part of the reason why is because of their late-night movie series. This week, it’s The Karate Kid, and my childhood has never been more complete. Add in the fact that they serve alcohol at the Art, and it’s game over if you ask me. (BH)
SATURDAY, June 4th
Have a treat, Hopscotch Cakes & Confections at Art Mart, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., about $5
Hopscotch makes delicious treats, and if you need convincing, check out Instagram. Good grief, those treats are great. I recently had some brown sugar oat cake and an eclair, which were fantastic. There are a number of tasty things from which to choose; if you just need a bite go for a cake truffle. If you feel like sharing, get a cheesecake for two. You can’t choose incorrectly, I promise. Photo by Jessica Hammie. (JH)
Homer Soda Festival, Homer IL, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Free to Enter (price of tasting tickets vary)
While perhaps a little off the beaten path for most people in CU, the town of Homer is home to one of (if not the) biggest soft drink festivals on Earth. Part music festival, part car show, and all Americana, the Homer Soda Festival boasts a plethora of vendors, a BBQ cook-off competition, two different music stages, two separate car shows, a screenprinting demonstration, fun for kids, and (of course) booth upon booth offering tastings of various beverages from small American soda companies. Tasting tickets will be available for $4 for a sheet of 10, or you can grab an unlimited tasting wristband for $15. Will all this in mind, perhaps Homer isn’t so far out of the way after all.
Opening Reception: White Feelings, Figure One (116 N. Walnut, Champaign), 5-8 p.m., free
Saturday’s opening reception kicks off a new show at Figure One, featuring art by Emmy Bright, Joe Carpenter, Emiliano Cerna-Rios, Adam Farcus, Marc Fischer, Diana Gabriel, James Jankowiak, Chris Kerr, Laura Mackin, Paul Mullins, Sonia Rodriguez, E. Aaron Ross, Christopher Santiago, Christopher Smith, Edra Soto, Sunny Ture, Pedro Velez, and Michael Workman. From the art show’s description:
In the art world, expressions of emotion have become less and less acceptable over the last several decades—just as that art world has begun, however hesitantly, to open up to people of color. As a result, though, “heart-on-sleeve” expressions have come to occupy a zone of politically loaded and aesthetically questionable indeterminacy. This exhibition intends to show a number of ways that race has affected the communication and embodiment of emotional content, emphasizing the odd overlap of personal psychology and political power, as when an introspective guerrilla art piece on the University of Illinois quad last winter aroused the angst of a so-called “white student union.” Public expressions of racism at the University of Illinois continue to testify to white Americans’ cherished right to troll, and to have their discomfort valued more highly than black and brown deaths.
(RP)
SUNDAY, June 5th
UFL and UPD’s Read in the Park!, Carle Park, 1101 S. Garfield Ave., Urbana, 2-3 p.m., FREE
Reading parties are a thing and I’m game. Take a book and a blanket, comp a squat and read to yourself among others. After 45 minutes of SSR (Sustained Silent Reading), there will be lemonade, cookies and chatting. Maybe you will meet a book-twin, or strike up a conversation with someone who is reading something that interests you. Or maybe you will take your book and go home because it’s getting really good, but for a moment, you both were part of something bigger. (RK)
Cinema Judaica kickoff: Zero Motivation, Art Theatre Co-Op (126 W. Church St., Champaign), 7:30 p.m., $10
A new film series sponsored by the C-U Jewish Federation (among others) is starting out with a look at life in the Israeli army for three women in the HR Offices. Bored to death pushing paper, the two underlings kill time any way they can imagine, and end up thwarting their CO’s hopes of promotion. Winner of 6 Israeli Film Academy Awards, this comedy is not to be missed. (RK)
———
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.