Friday, May 4th
Feel appreciated, Common Ground Food Co-op, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (through Sunday), free-ish
Owner Appreciation Days are back at the Co-op. If you’re an owner you get 10% off one day during owner days. There are also specials on the salad bar ($2 off), avocados, and all sorts of other samples and demos and even a real, live chicken! More info is available on Facebook. (JH)
First Friday Flair Up, Broadway Food Hall, 5 p.m., free
Flair Up is a pop-up that will take place during Urbana’s First Fridays, which will feature flair sales, a flair swap, and free crafts for all-ages. They say to bring your buttons, patches, and pins to trade amongst the participants. Vendors include Dreaming of Johnny, Gut That Devil, Mad Maxx, The Button Man, Rebecca Mars, Rumours Hatt Shoppe, and Mad Wit Co. (PS) Image from the Facebook event page
MayFest IMC, Urbana Champaign Independent Media Center, 6-10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 3-4 p.m. Sunday
I’m placing this under Friday because this event is taking place all weekend at the IMC in Urbana. There’s a ton of programming lined up — art showcases, live music, zine workshops, and more — check out the Facebook event linked above for all the details. All the proceeds from the event will help fund the new sign at the IMC. (PS)
Christy Hays, Cole Bridges, The Loose Cobra, 9 p.m., free (donations accepted)
Christy Hays is no stranger to C-U — though she’s based in Austin, she grew up in Champaign. Hays will perform at the Loose Cobra on the heels of her new album just being released last week called River Swimmer. Cole Bridges (you might know him as Cole Rabenort, singer of the Fights [RIP]) opens as support. (PS) Image from Christy Hays’ website
Saturday, May 5th
Visit the farmers’ market, Urbana’s Market at the Square, 7 a.m. to noon, free
Outdoor market season is here! Grab the kiddos (no dogs!) and your reusable shoppings bags. There will be produce, hand crafted items, and food trucks. Additional information about the market is available in our Market Watch column, which publishes monthly. (JH)
Buy a rain barrel or compost bin, 208 N. Vine, Urbana, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., cost varies
Here’s an opportunity to purchase these items at bulk prices, and if you are a Champaign or Urbana resident (bring proof of residency, such as a utility bill), you are eligible for a rebate on your rain barrel. Pre-ordering is no longer available, but walk-ups are welcome. You can see your options here. Barrels are $49 or $24 after rebate. Compost bins are $46 for a stationary bin and $105 for a tumbling bin. (JM)
Get a free comic book, G-Mart Champaign, 12 to 5 p.m., free
Who doesn’t want free stuff? This event is family friendly and a great excuse to check out this comic book store tucked into a quiet block in downtown Champaign. Follow their Facebook event to stay updated on all of the details of the day. (JM)
Learn some history, Champaign Public Library or Urbana Free Library, all weekend, free
Saturday is the 5th of May. Here in the US, many morons celebrate Cinco de Mayo, erroneously thinking that it’s Mexican Independence Day. It’s not. Mexican Independence Day is September 16th. The 5th of May marks the commemoration of the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over French forces in the city of Puebla. Before you start doing shots of tequila and donning sombreros, think about what you are celebrating and why. Think, too, of the ways in which our American society and our American politics are affecting people from Mexico, here and in the United States. Please do not participate in terrible cultural appropriation or cultural stereotyping. Visit the library for some books on Mexican history, the history of Mexicans in the US, and the ways in which this administration and its policies are literally threatening the lives of brown people. Ask the librarians for help sourcing some books — our libraries are fantastic and our librarians are happy to help. Please also consider doing this research on your own, because it is not the job of the historically marginalized to educate the historically privileged and powerful. (JH)
BFA Exhibition, Krannert Art Museum, 5 to 7 p.m., free
The graduating seniors in the School of Art + Design will be presenting their work in sculpture, painting, drawing, print design, web design, and product design and development. Take some time to browse the galleries and see the wide array of creative production that happens within the various fine arts programs at the U of I. (JM) Photo provided by KAM
Re-Fashioned Fashion Show, Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, 7 to 7:30 p.m., free
Check out this exhibition of wearable art creations from the students of Arts 299 Fashion Design. Take a minute to look at their Facebook page and see some of the unique offerings of last year’s event. The show is open to all, and kids are welcome. (JM)
Sunday, May 6th
Gallery Days, Japan House, 12 to 6 p.m., free
All weekend Japan House will be open for a showcase of their rarely seen collections of items from tea equipment to armor and more. In addition to gallery browsing, you can live art demonstrations. On Sunday, the featured artist will be Professor Emeritus Shozo Sato, who will do a live painting demonstration. There will also be three opportunities to take part in a tea ceremony: 3 p.m., 4 p.m., and 5 p.m. Purchase tickets in advance here. (JM)
Balinese Gamelan Concert, School of Music Auditorium, 2 to 3 p.m., free
While you’re on campus for Gallery Days, venture over to the School of Music building on Nevada and learn a bit about this type of music from Indonesia. Gamelin is an ensemble made up mostly of percussion instruments, and comes out of Java and Bali. There ensemble is under the direction of I Ketut Gede Asnawa, and will program will feature dance as well. (JM) Photo from Facebook
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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.