FRIDAY, September 2nd
Go get some meat, UofI Meat Sales Room, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. , varies
Think ahead to the long weekend — traditionally the last chance to do “summer” things, Labor Day is a prime grilling day. So go get some quality meat from animals raised right here on the AgSchool farms. The prices are reasonable but the taste is the true value: fresh sausage just tastes better. Swing by on your way to work, or on your lunch break because they close up shop early. (RK)
Wine, cheese, and honey tasting, Common Ground Food Co-op, 4:30 to 8 p.m., free
Wine, cheese, and honey are three delicious things that are only more delicious when joined together. Common Ground will be using local honey and local cheese, and show you how to match those bites with some vino. Stop by for the tasting, pick up a few things, and impress your friends at your Labor Day barbecue. (JH)
Watch 3 Pixar movies, Virginia Theater, 7 p.m., $10
Virginia has picked out their favorite Andrew Stanton Pixar movies to show consecutively this weekend: A Bugs Life, Finding Nemo and Wall-E. Wathing movies in the Virgina is fun and these movies are great and it’s a good price too. If you want to just see one movie, its only $5. Check it out. (SL)
Welcome to Vinyl (Urbana First Fridays), 4 – 8 p.m., See You CD and Vinyl, free
One of the dozens of events going on for the inaugural session of Urbana First Fridays is this very cool one. See You will be demonstrating how to properly set up and use your turntable for optimal use, and also offer tips from the pros. Free coffee will be available all evening. Stop by and grab a (first) record, and make sure to include this as only one of many stops along your mission at First Fridays. (JM)
Marrow + The Phantom Broadcast + Matthaus, The Accord, 8 p.m., $7, 19+
One of the best bands to come out of Chicago in quite some time, Kids These Days, parted ways a couple of years ago, and out of that came Vic Mensa, who just signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint, and Marrow, one of the best indie bands in Chicago right now. On Friday, they bring some Chicago rock to Champaign, aided by Matthaus and The Phantom Broadcast. (BH)
SATURDAY, September 3rd
Dinosaurs invade, Fluid Event Center, 3 p.m., $20-$30
Check out photos from last year’s Quest. Jurassic Quest Return of the Dinosaurs is an interactive experience that takes you through time from the Middle Triassic to the Late Cretaceous Era with the help of 50 museum quality and animatronic dinosaurs! Beyond the exhibit we have lots of fun, engaging activities for kids of all ages. Your young paleontologist can get lots of experience seeing, touching, riding, and digging up their favorite dinosaurs. Come with us on this thrilling adventure as you watch the dinosaurs come alive and out of extinction like never before. (SL)
Sword Fighting Demo, Champaign Public Library, 3 to 5 p.m., free
This event popped up in my Facebook feed as something I might be interested in. Interesting. It does sound pretty cool: “Stop by to see swordplay and find out about European long swords from the history buffs at the Champaign-Urbana Meyer Freifechter Guild.” Well, if you insist. I had no idea that C-U had an Historical European Martial Arts Guild branch, but it sound pretty bad ass. Image from Meyer Freifechter Guild website. (JH)
Summer Movie Night: E.T. and the Extra Terrestrial, 6:30 p.m., Busey parking lot in Urbana, free
The last Urbanalove Summer Movie Night of year features E.T. and the Extra Terrestrial. Urbanalove films show in the parking lot of Busey bank in downtown Urbana. The show starts at around 7:30 p.m., with an approximate run time of two hours. (RP)
Allerton Starwatch, 7:30 p.m., Allerton Park and Retreat Center, $5/person or $13/person with two craft beers
Members of the C-U Astronomical Society will be in attendance to help you view some of the sky’s offerings with their telescopes. The event starts with a discussion of what you’ll see and then a trip to the meadow to see nebulae, star clusters, double stars, and the Milky Way. Craft beer is also available. (RP)
Labor of Love Festival, 1-11 p.m., Independent Media Center, free/donations suggested
Labor of Love Fest is a fundraiser set to donate proceeds to Urbana’s IMC. There will be oodles of art and music to enjoy all afternoon, put forward by awesome people contributing to an excellent cause. The free event also serves as the kick-off for 90.1 WEFT-FM’s Fall Pledge Drive, and donations are encouraged. Check out the event page for the complete schedule and more info. (JM)
Watch Illini Football, Memorial Stadium, 2:30 p.m., Price varies
It’s back, and whether you’d like to admit it or not, it’s more exciting this year than probably ever before. We’ve got a sweet ex-NFL coach, and hope is at an all time high – at least until it’s not anymore. (BH)
SUNDAY, September 4th
Play a round of golf, a golf course, price and times vary
Grab a tee time with some pals and hit the links on Sunday. Even if you’re terrible, it is still an awesome way to get outdoors, drink some cold ones, and knock that white ball around for a while. Lake of the Woods (Mahomet), Orange/Blue Course (Savoy), Stone Creek (Urbana) are all solid choices. (PS)
MONDAY, September 5th
Throw things while drinking, Riggs Brewery, 3 p.m. – 10 p.m., average $4-$6 per full serving of beer.
Everyone who has been to Riggs knows that the outdoor area is well-done: picnic tables with angled umbrellas, a playground for the kids, giant Jenga that doesn’t echo inside. On my last trip, we discovered the game “Ladders” which continues the age-old tradition of having a beer in one hand and throwing something with the other. For points, I guess. If you like Bagz, or Kubb, Ladders is similar but with golf-ball bolos you try to wrap around a PVC pipe. Since Riggs is open and you have the day off, you might as well go give it a whirl. (RK)
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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.