Friday, November 15th
Get some Chinese food, your favorite place, all weekend, prices vary
All this talk of Chinese food has me seriously craving it. Sometimes you just need to scratch the itch, so I’ll be ordering too much food and eating it on my couch while catching up on some TV. (JH) Photo by Jessica Hammie
Stop by the CU Poetry Group’s book release party, Common Ground Co-op, 5 to 7 p.m., free (unless you’d like to purchase a book)
The Champaign-Urbana Poetry Group will be celebrating the release of their recent anthology, Crows on a Line. Stop by, have some treats, meet the poets, and get a copy of the book. Poetry makes a great holiday gift. (DD) Photo from CU Poetry Group’s website
Help support refugees while enjoying great music, 404 W. Springfield, Urbana, 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., $5 to enter
The Amnesty Internation UIUC Chapter is putting on their 2019 Jamnesty benefit concert. Proceeds from this concert benefit The Refugee Center, a group which helps the refugee populations in the C-U area. The event promises good music for the price of a wristband, but they encourage you to bring extra money for drinks. (BH)
Saturday, November 16th
Take a hike, Homer Lake Forest Preserve, 10 to 11:30 a.m., free
Okay, so the weather this week has been awful. Snow, ice, wind, cold…and it’s only November. Beginning this weekend things are slowly going to improve, so take advantage and get some fresh air. A naturalist will take you on a guided hike, then you can enjoy a warm beverage afterward at the Interpretive Center. (JM) Photo from Facebook event page
Learn about Japanese woodworking, Japan House, 11 a.m. or 12 p.m., free
Japan House has invited Lowell Miller, Fabrication Coordinator for the School of Architecture, to do a live demo of Shou Sugi Ban, a traditional Japanese craft. He will be sharing it’s history, then giving a demonstration of the process, which involves burning, brushing, washing, then finishing pieces of cedar. Ticket are free but required, and you can get them here. (JM)
Celebrate Georgia O’Keefe’s birthday with a local art show, Marm Studio, 4 to 8:30 p.m.
Marm Studio will be holding its 2nd Annual Georgia O’Keefe Birthday Art Show and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the artist and our local art scene. Stop by, meet the artists, and consider gifting yourself or your loved ones local artwork. (DD)
Celebrate that good green leaf with good tunes at Okstonerfest, Loose Cobra, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., $20 suggested donation
A weed-themed, Oktoberfest-inspired event in November? Why not! I am sure they meant to get around to it sometime between August and October, but anyone familiar with Afroman can understand why it’s happening in November. Head on out to Tolono to check out bands like Telekintic Yeti, Dibiase, and Shazu. It’s going to be a killer event whether you light up or not. (BH) Photo from the Facebook event.
Sunday, November 17th
Learn to cook some easy dinners with Blue Dragonfly Catering, Champaign Public Library, 1 to 3 p.m., free
Leah Bodine of Blue Dragonfly Catering will be demonstrating how to cook some easy family meals. Even if your family is a just a couple of people, leftovers are key for lunches the following day(s). Registration for this event is required; you can do that here. (JH) Photo from Blue Dragonfly Catering’s Facebook page
Taste some tea, Walnut Street Tea Co., 2 to 4 p.m., free
Stop by Walnut Street Tea Company to taste some holiday themed/flavored teas. Here’s the lineup, thus far: White Christmas by Harney & Sons; Ginger Snappish by Bigelow; Dream by the Fire by Republic of Tea; Peppermint Cheer by Twining. Sounds like an informative and cozy way to spend a Sunday afternoon. (JH)
Have dessert and talk shop with the team behind UIUC’s production of Little Sharp-Ears, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, prices vary, 2 to 2:30 p.m.
Lyric Theatre at Illinois is hosting a pre-show event this Sunday before their production of Little Sharp-Ears. Members of the artistic team behind the opera will be available to answer all your behind-the-scenes questions. It’s a great opportunity to have a snack and a chat before seeing, what’s sure to be, a phenomenal show. (BH) Image from Facebook event
———
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.