FRIDAY, September 1st
Buy some meat, Meat Science Lab, 1503 S Maryland Dr, Urbana, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., prices vary
If you haven’t been to this C-U well-known, best-kept secret, you’re missing out. This butcher shop has all sorts of meats available, including jerky and eggs, and will make your Labor Day cookout the best on the block. Prices are very reasonable; you can subscribe to Meat Mail here for emails with the day’s offerings and prices. Photo by Jessica Hammie. (JH) 
Eat at Mid Summer Lounge, 11:15 a.m.-2 p.m., 5-8 p.m., $10-15
There’s this relatively new-ish restaurant on Green Street called Mid Summer Lounge — from the outside, it looks like something you’d walk right by and not even know it was there. The sign out front is a black awning with white text. They have pretty awesome Chinese — bowls and dumplings, mainly — that are delish. Check the SPlog above for more photos of the time we went. (PS)
First Friday, Downtown Urbana, 4 p.m.-2 a.m., free
This month’s First Friday (organized by Imbibe Urbana and the City of Urbana) will feature 3D printing, free ballroom dance lessons, astronomy, and some food trucks. It’s a street party open to kids and adults alike. It’s likely that this will be the last First Friday with warm weather, so take advantage. Photo from Facebook. (JH)
Happy Hour on the Farm, Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery, prices vary, 5-7 p.m.
It’s the last happy hour of the season and the farm has some great guests lined up. Triptcyh will be featuring their Prairie Peach Picnic beer, made from PFF&C peaches, The Robert Sweedler Trio will be entertaining with old time tunes and jazz, and Bane Family meats will be grilling up whole chickens. You can also purchase various items from The Real Stand farm store. They recommend bringing a blanket, grabbing some cutlery if you plan to purchase a baguette, and wearing good shoes if you plan to take a stroll around the farm. (JM)
Frozen Sing-a-Long, the Virginia Theatre, $5, 6:30 p.m.
Let it go and sing your heart out at a special, captioned sing-a-long showing of Frozen at the Virginia Theatre. Come in costume and take your picture with the Frozen standee; the winner gets to take the standee home! (DT)
SATURDAY, September 2nd
Medieval Mayhem, the Japan House at the University of Illinois, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., free
Unleash the warrior beast inside you all day Saturday at the UIUC Swordfighting Club’s annual Fall Opener event. The UIUC Swordfighting Club is hosting fast-paced, full-contact battle games. There’s no cost to play, and you don’t even have to bring your own sword. Just be 16 years old or older and wear clothes you’re comfortable moving in. There’s free food when the event winds down at 3 p.m., so don’t leave early. (DT)
The Krank Daddies, The Loose Cobra, 9 p.m., donation encouraged
Head south of C-U to Tolono to the awesome bar that is the Loose Cobra for a rock show on Saturday night. The Krank Daddies will be joined by a TBD guest, but if you haven’t been down to the Cobra in a while, now is the time to pay a visit. (PS)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Art Theater, $8, 9:30 p.m.
I used to be a huge horror movie fan as kid…like even as young as my tween kids are now (which as a parent is rather shocking for me to think about). Texas Chainsaw Massacre was one that seriously disturbed me. Even though it had all of the cheesy and laughable horror movie cliches, something about the camera work and the grisliness of it made it crazy scary. It’s always fun to see these classics resurrected on the big screen, and this one has been restored in honor of it’s 40th anniversary. (JM)
SUNDAY, September 3rd
Sunday Splash, Spurlock Museum, 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sunday Splash is geared towards participants 18 and over and will be held on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of the month (June 4–September 3) from 1:00–3:30pm. This event allows you to wade into world culture with mini-tours of special artifacts and exhibits, dip your toe into some new multicultural board games, and create a splash with a themed art project. Sample projects include Indonesian batik watercolors, Chinese brush painting, Roman mosaics, and global constellation art. (CR)
Hit It Run, Cowboy Monkey, 9 p.m.-2 a.m., no cover before 11 p.m.
This weekend’s Labor Day Hit It Run show is happening, and DJ Kosmo and DJ LegTwo will be providing the tunes at Cowboy Monkey. Most of you don’t have to work on Monday, so hit it hard on a Sunday. Why the hell not? (PS)
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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.