FRIDAY, May 13th
People-watch, All over C-U, All weekend long, Free.
It truly is a remarkable phenmonenon when Champaign-Urbana’s population swells for graduation, and for a brief moment, town is packed. If you really want, you can set up a lawn chair at the Alma Mater and observe a massive increase in human activity, if only for three days. Last year my stoll was stolen here. Fun times. If you’re more reserved, just wait this one out in your house and come and hang out after the town has become devoid of students. (BH)
All-ages Hip Hop Show, Institute 4 Creativity, 8 p.m., $7
Institute 4 Creativity’s local and Illinois hip hop line up features KVMPVIGN, Jimmy Pham, TheGr8Thinkaz, Rich Jones, and Ausar Bradley. Don’t miss it. (RP)
Hand your thesis, Seven Saints, now through 11:59 p.m., blood, sweat, tears,your soul, and possibly your romantic relationship(s)
Writing a thesis is tough. See the cost above? If you bring in your thesis and hang it up, Seven Saints will give you a $10 gift card for the restaurant. That’s pretty sweet. It’s definitely the better part of your meal cost. While ten bucks won’t get your ex back, you can at least eat and drink your feelings. Oh, and remember, you’re a Doctor now. Congrats! Image from Facebook. (JH)
SATURDAY, May 14th
Bike race scavenger hunt, 8 a.m., 1501 N Mattis Ave, Champaign, $30 per person, $45 per team
The Amazing Bike Race is an adventure race that leads teams on an 8-10 mile course through Champaign with a focus on park destinations. Think of it as the Park District’s version of The Amazing Race…on bikes! During the race, teams of 2-4 people solve clues which lead them to checkpoints where they’ll face mental or physical challenges. As you work to solve clues, you may use smartphones or call smart friends, but it’s up to you to figure out the best way to get to the next checkpoint. Check out more information on the website (SL).
Kirby Derby foot race, 8 a.m., 1000 Medical Center Drive, Monticello, $35
The Kirby Derby is a family friendly 5K Run/Walk and a 10K Run, along with a FREE Kids’ Race. The race takes place in the Forest Preserve Park. Participating in the Kirby Derby is a great way to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle while having fun. All the proceeds go to the development of the Wellness Trail provided by the Kirby Foundation.More info on the website (SL).
Art at the Market, Urbana Farmer’s Market (Northwest corner), 10 a.m.-noon, free.
Each month during the Market at the Square, UPA arranges for a morning of free music and creativity. This weekend, bluegrass band Mackville will be providing the tunes, and an artist known as Maxx will be demonstrating how to sew your own mini-monster. Materials are provided, and non-sewing options will be available for younguns, but I will be there with my thimble (maybe I can make this guy). (RK)
Rain Barrel / Compost Bin Sale, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Parking Lot North of City Building, 208 S. Vine St., free to attend
The Cities of Urbana and Champaign as well as U of I Extension are hosting a community sale where you can pick up rain barrels and two kinds of composters. Let the summer yard work begin. (RP)
Greek Dinner, Sylvia’s Irish Inn, 312 W Green St, Urbana, reservations required,$40
It seems like Sylvia’s has been making a new effort to engage the community in different ways with different types of programming over the last few weeks. That’s cool. This Saturday the B & B is hosting a Greek dinner, and it sound delish. Make your reservation ASAP; tickets are $40 per person. Don’t eat no meat? That’s ok, they’ll make lamb. Image from the interwebz. (JH)
SUNDAY, May 15th
Champaign Park District’s Annie Kids, Virginia Theatre, 2 p.m., $10 adults/$8 kids.
Annie is about a bunch of orphan girls, so it’s a great choice for a youth show. Annie Kids, however, is scripted so all the roles are able to be played by children in the 2nd-4th grade. I’m desperately curious to witness a teeny Ms. Hannigan. (RK)
Titus Andronicus w/ La Sera + The Tomblands, The Accord, 7 p.m., $15 advance/$18 door
Is there a better way to celebrate the release of angst that comes at the end of the school year than to get your shred on at The Accord? I doubt it. It just fits so much, plus it’s a relatively early Sunday show, so I don’t see why you wouldn’t. (BH)
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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.