FRIDAY, March 6th
Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day, University of Illinois Campus/Campustown, all day
Depending on your outlook on the whole thing, this is either a typical “do this with your Friday” Weekender post or more of a “stay the hell away” type of deal. Either way, campus bars will be filled with green-wearing, green-beer guzzling college kids which is sort of obnoxtious but also darkly poetic in a grotesque manor. (MR)
Participate in Urbana Restaurant Week, all weekend, $10-30
There’s still time to participate in Urbana Restaurant Week, which finishes up this weekend all around Urbana. You can check out all of the options that Jess laid out earlier this week in the Food & Drink section, and take your pick at one (or more) times this weekend. I mean, this photo of Courier’s breakfast is enough to sway me to try to get over there this weekend. (PS)
Half price appetizers, Wedge, 415 N. Neil St., 4-6 p.m., full price $3-$15/half price $1.50-$7
Although it’s not warm enough to sit outside on the patio, the interior of Wedge is quite cozy. Half price appetizers paired with a cocktail or two are the right way to start off the weekend. (JH)
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Art Theater Co-op
This much-anticipated sequel is special for a couple of reasons, the biggest of which is that it’s so unusual in today’s youth-driven superhero movie world to find a film made by and about grown-ass adults. Also, the pedigree of the actors involved is pretty unimpeachable. Per the Art’s website: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is the expansionist dream of Sonny (Dev Patel), and it’s making more claims on his time than he has available, considering his imminent marriage to the love of his life, Sunaina (Tina Desai). Sonny has his eye on a promising property now that his first venture, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful, has only a single remaining vacancy — posing a rooming predicament for fresh arrivals Guy (Richard Gere) and Lavinia (Tamsin Greig). Evelyn and Douglas (Judi Dench and Bill Nighy) have now joined the Jaipur workforce, and are wondering where their regular dates for Chilla pancakes will lead, while Norman and Carol (Ronald Pickup and Diana Hardcastle) are negotiating the tricky waters of an exclusive relationship, as Madge (Celia Imrie) juggles two eligible and very wealthy suitors. Perhaps the only one who may know the answers is newly installed co-manager of the hotel, Muriel (Maggie Smith), the keeper of everyone’s secrets. As the demands of a traditional Indian wedding threaten to engulf them all, an unexpected way forward presents itself. (MG)
Hatch Arts Festival’s Electric Waste Orchestra, 7:30 p.m., Indi Go Artist Co-Op, free
The Hatch Arts Festival continues this weekend, and one of the festival’s coolest looking events is the Electric Waste Orchestra, a lecture/demo by Colten Jackson. At this talk, you’ll learn how the computer junk piling up in IT departments everywhere can be transformed into novel input devices, allowing kids and adults alike to create physical instruments to control electronic music. (RP)
SATURDAY, March 7th
Drink a Hopslam and watch the Illini beat Purdue, these bars, prices vary
Bell’s Hopslam is a double IPA that’s 10% ABV. It’s only around for a short time each year and that time is now. So saddle up at one of the places listed on the link above and sip on one or two Hopslams while you watch the Illini dunk on Matt Painter’s boys en route to the Big Ten Tourney. (TP)
Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity, Staerkel Planetarium, 8 p.m., $5
A show inside the planetarium about outer space? Yes. More specifically a show about black holes. According to the Planetarium: “Audiences will be dazzled with striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a super-massive black hole lurking at the center of our own Galaxy.”
But the kicker is that the show is narrated by Liam Neeson. (TP)
Floyd Collins, The Station Theatre, 8 p.m., $15
Did you know that this musical, with songs by Adam Guettel and Tina Landau, was based on a true story? DId you further know that this musical, directed by Kyle A Thomas, featuring bluegrass and Americana-style music directed by Justin M. Brauer, is in its final week of performances, closing TONIGHT? And did you FURTHER know that this musical, featuring singing and acting by Thomas, Andy Hudson, Marah Sotelo, David Barkley, Jodi Prosser-Muller, and others is a musical? (Sorry if that last sentence had too many commas. I know how some people hate that.) Anyway, this is your last chance to see this wonderful musical, so hop to it. (MG)
Wicked Walls, Ashes & Iron, Darleen, Mike N Molly’s, 9:30 p.m., $7
A trio of bands worth checking out this weekend, though a conflict with the show over at Cowboy Monkey, you’ll be able to manage both if you work hard enough. Wicked Walls headline this one with shoegazers Ashes & Iron, and Darleen opens up and features members of locals That’s No Moon. (PS)
The Dirty Feathers, TheGr8Thinkaz, Mae & The Dark Days, Cowboy Monkey, 10 p.m., $5
Between The Dirty Feathers, TheGr8Thinkaz and Mae & The Dark Days there’s something for everybody at this all-local show. It’s also an opportunity to help the Feathers gear up for their SXSW Pygmalion Festival show next week. (MR)
SUNDAY, March 8th
Seed Starting for Beginners, Common Ground Food Co-op, 1-2 p.m., $5 owners/$8 non owners
If you’re new to gardening, or are interested in learning how to grow your own fruits and veggies from seeds, this hour-long lecture style workshop will give you all the details you need. (JH)
U of I Men’s Gymnastics Senior Match, Huff Hall, 1206 South Fourth Street, 2 p.m., Free
First, if you’ve never been to Huff Hall, you ought to go see a sporting event there. It is classic. Second, the men’s gymnastic team is getting some press these days so what better time than now to go check out they’ve got going on. Even better, it is senior night so support the guys and go see them compete. (SL)
Stay in an Irish Bed and Breakfast, 312 West Green St., $125 a night
If you’re in the mood for some Irish cheer you should check out Sylvia’s. It is a bed in breakfast style hotel located on Green St. about six blocks east of Lincoln Avenue. You could walk Downtown Urbana for a night and then back to your Irish style home for the night. It sounds like a local adventure. See the website for pictures. (SL)
I Am Enough, 5 p.m., Independent Media Center, free
The Uniting Pride Center of Champaign County is sponsoring a free staging of I Am Enough, a theatrical show that takes suicide head on, exploring and exposing the pain of those who struggle with suicide. The show has been endorsed by child psychologists, GSA Advisors and by LGBTQ youth. It is designed to open up the conversation about suicide with LGBTQ youth in an effort to help end suicide attempts for LGBTQ youth. (RP)
———
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.