Friday, March 8th
Visit one of the best restaurants to open last year, all weekend, prices vary
Did you read our ranking of the best restaurants to open in 2018? Have you visited all of them yet? There’s something on the list for just about everyone, with different price points and cuisines available. Start to check each one out and then rank them yourself — let us know how your list measures up against ours. (JH) Photo by Jessica Hammie
Celebrate International Women’s Day, Levis Faculty Center, 3:30 p.m., free
Hear UIUC faculty members highlight women in their fields who have made their mark on the world. It’s co-hosted by Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities and the Women and Gender in Global Perspectives Program. Hearing about some intelligent and accomplished badass women seems like a great kickoff to the weekend. (JM)
Open Scene Open Mic, Channing-Murray Foundation, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., free
Edgar Cuevas and Flor Poetry host this installment of Open Scene Open Mic, showcasing poetry, spoken word, performance, comedy, and music. In honor of International Women’s Day, participants are encouraged to share the work and words of women they admire. (DD)
Catch the opening night of I Never Saw Another Butterfly, Central High School, 7 p.m., $5 for students, $7 for adults
Kudos to Central High for staging this powerful story of how a young girl at held at the Terezin concentration camp struggles to create hope for herself and others through a fantasy world of butterflies. Additional shows on Saturday, March 9th at 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 10th at 2:30 p.m. (DD)
Jump on your last chance to see The Claudettes until summer at the Iron Post, 9 p.m.
The Claudettes are known for their mix of jazz, blues, and rockabilly styles, and will be bringing it to you in two sets this weekend at The Iron Post. This will be the Chicago-based band’s last CU stop until summer or fall. (NL) Photo from Facebook
Saturday, March 9th
Learn about science and engineering, Engineering Campus, Beckman Institute, NCSA, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., free
This weekend numerous entities and departments at UIUC will be opening their doors to the community to show off the amazing things that their students and faculty are working on at the Engineering Open House and Beckman Institute Open House. This is a really great event, and one that is definitely appealing to all ages. You will come away feeling pretty great about what goes on at our fine institution of higher learning. This event is happening Friday at Saturday, and Saturday is great because you avoid the school field trips, but if you want to check out the Tesla Coil demo in the above pic make a special trip to the Bardeen Quad on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (JM) Top photo by Sam Logan
Biggie’s Brunch (T-bone steak, cheese eggs, Welch’s grape), Broadway Food Hall, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., $15
Though they didn’t share this info in the Facebook post, Broadway Food Hall is remembering the life of Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., this weekend with this brunch. (Wallace was murdered on March 9th, 1997.) The T-bone steak and eggs are regularly on the menu, but the addition of Welch’s grape juice is a nod to lyrics in the 1994 hit “Big Poppa.” I hope that they have Biggie on repeat all day. (JH) Image from Facebook
Get in on Family Fun: Dance with the Mark Morris Dance Group, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 10 to 11 a.m., free
The Mark Morris Dance Group is here for their annual week-long residency, which includes this opportunity to explore dance and movement with the members of the MMDG. Dress comfortably. All ages are welcome. Find the orchestra rehearsal room on Level 2 of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. (DD)
Check out the Conscious House Concert show, Ananda Liina Yoga and Meditation Center, 8 p.m., $5 suggested donation
The show is happening at Ananda Liina Yoga and Meditation Center, and is co-hosted by The Renaissance Artists and Writers Association. The concert will feature three singer-songwriters based in the CU area: John Coppess (country western), Mark Laughlin (piano based tunes), and Dada Veda (folk and yoga tunes). As an added plus, you’ll get to see a little bit of the 30 acre Ananda Liina community, which is home to organic farming areas, the Tiny Greens organic sprout factory, and more. According to their website, the entire area is a certified wildlife habitat, and was founded to “serve as a model of sustainable development and service minded spirituality.” Proceeds will be donated to development and relief work in Haiti. (NL)
Check out some burlesque, Guido’s, 9 to 11 p.m., $15-20
Local burlesque troupe Carnivale Debauche will be appearing at Guido’s with Nerdlesque, a celebration of all things nerdy, dorky, geeky, and weird. You can snag a presale ticket here, or pay $20 at the door. Want to learn more about the troupe and what they’re all about? Stay tuned for our recap next week. (JM)
Sunday, March 10th
Feast your ears on the sounds of the lIlinois Black Chorus, Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 5 p.m. $10
The 2019 Black Sacred Music Symposium will conclude with Landmark, featuring the Illinois Black Chorus and conducted by the talented Dr. Ollie Watts Davis. This impressive gathering of talented singers and musicians promises to be a glorious way to wrap up your weekend. (DD)
36th Annual International Dinner & Performance night, University YMCA, 6 to 8 p.m., $12/$10 for students
This long running celebratory evening features food and dance and music from cultures all over the world, brought forth by our community members. It’s a family-friendly event and a really lovely way to learn more about people, cultures, and cuisines of the world while also meeting neighbors. Get your tickets here. (JH) Photo from Facebook
Watch The Cakemaker, The Art Theatre, 7 to 10 p.m., $10
The 2019 Champaign-Urbana Jewish Film Festival features this complex exploration of secret identities and the cost of protecting them. Rabbi Efrat Rotem will moderate a post-screening discussion. (DD)
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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.