Friday, September 7th
Walk and listen to jazz, Meadowbrook Park, 5:30-7:30 p.m., free
Enjoy local jazz artists, playing in one of the best local parks, while you get some exercise. Okay, probably not the last thing. I would recommend a leisurely stroll rather than a brisk power walk, and that probably doesn’t equal serious exercise. But I digress. There will be ten different acts sharing their talents — you can see the full line-up here — and the trails at Meadowbrook are a lovely place to stroll with your significant other, your friends, or with yourself. The event is free, but you can make a donation if you wish. (JM) Photo from Facebook
Krannert Center Opening Night, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 6 p.m., free
Krannert Center kicks off their two season celebration of their 50 year anniversary tonight with a bunch of amazing acts: Ranky Tanky, Baracutanga, AJ Ghent, New Orleans Jazz Machine, and Mucca Pazza — all for free. Do yourself a favor and check this family-friendly evening out, and take a look at what KCPA has to offer throughout their two season celebration. (PS) Photo from Krannert Center’s event page
Drag Queen Story Hour, Urbana Free Library, 6:30 to 7:15 p.m., free
This will be the second installment of this event, and I think it’s really awesome. Some of our local drag queens will read stories and do crafts with kids, and I think even if you don’t have “story hour” aged kids, or kids at all, that this would be heartwarming and entertaining. The story hour is a part of this month’s Urbana First Fridays, so head downtown a bit earlier or stay after to enjoy some of the other festivities. (JM)
Saturday, September 8th
Prairie Sky Music Festival, Allerton Park, $15-$37, all day
Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives, The Way Down Wanderers, Edward David Anderson, Kayla Brown, and Fox Crossing Stringband will all be performing on Saturday night at Allerton Park’s second annual Prairie Sky Music Festival, which actually kicks off on Friday night with a couple of acts as well. Check out all the programming they have lined up at the Facebook event linked above. (PS) Photo from Allerton Park
Let Rodney Davis know you’re his constituent, 2004 Fox Dr, Champaign, 1 to 2 p.m., free plus frustration, anxiety, and emotional distress
Editor’s note, September 8th: Due to inclement weather, this event has been rescheduled for September 15th.
Rodney Davis, our bland robot representative to Congress, refuses to hold town meetings and refuses to engage with any constituents he thinks disagree with him. This grown up with an aversion to conflict and responsibility hasn’t held “office hours” in C-U in an entire year. CU Indivisible is holding a gathering at his Champaign office. Bring your letters — there will be a big mailbox you can put them in. But of course, please leave your “vitriolic rhetoric” at home. (JH)
Gorge yourself on vegan ice cream, Red Bicycle Ice Cream, 3-9 p.m., prices vary
Red Bicycle is hosting a “Vegan Gelato Fest,” in which all vegan gelato will be 25% off. There will be eight flavors of dairy-free delights, though they have not yet been confirmed. For those who suffer from lactose intolerance, or prefer to consume plant-based products, here is an opportunity to indulge at a discount. You can read our review of the ice cream shop here. (JH) Photo by Jessica Hammie
See the Northern Lights, Staerkel Planetarium, 8 p.m., $5-6
The planetarium is debuting a new show, Experience the Aurora along with new digital equipment. While one of my goals in life is to travel far enough north to see the awesomeness of the Northern Lights in the sky, seeing it on the full dome can probably suffice for now. (JM)
Sunday, September 9th
Masturi Festival: Shonen Knife, the 5.6.7.8.’s, 2-9 p.m., free but food + drink will cost
While Matsuri generally is something you should be attending on Sunday, there are a couple of amazing bands that are performing that evening: the 5.6.7.8.’s at 5:30 p.m., and Shonen Knife at 7 p.m. You can read up on them here. There are tons of activities to do for all ages at Japan Houses’ 4th annual event, this is a must for the weekend in C-U. Learn more about what’s happening at Matsuri at the link above. (PS)
———
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.