Link

The fourth annual C-U Folk and Roots Festival’s Winter Weekend event is coming up this coming weekend, January 30th-February 1st. The festival will alternate between the Rose Bowl Tavern (Thursday and Sunday) and The Iron …

A byline that you’ve probably seen here at Smile Politely has been circulating a bit wider the last few days. Writer and social justice activist Brian Dolinar wrote this piece, “The Trump Administration Just Opened …

Illinois News Joint is a new website that recently launched to help all of us navigate the new waters of legal recreational marijuana in Illinois, with a specific focus on central and southern Illinois. From …

Calling all local artists! The deadline to submit work for consideration as the 2020 Boneyard Arts Festival signature image has been extended till Friday, January 17th. Get all the details here.  Top image: Photo of …

If you want to start the new year with some great reading, pick up a copy of Volume 16, No. 2 of Ninth Letter. Featuring work from: Geri Doran, A. R. Zarif, Samantha Edmonds, Amy Stuber, …

On January 10th, Parkland College announced that theatre ticket purchases can now be made online courtesy of a new secure site. With this tech upgrade comes a new ticket policy. Tickets can be purchased online or …

After rattling off wins against Rutgers, Wisconsin, and Purdue in the new year, Illinois Men’s Basketball has reached the Top 25 for the first time since 2014. The team is currently 12-5 (4-2 in Big …

Mike Ingram and Elizabeth Hess are announcing their upcoming event, Songs Don’t Kill People: A Night in Defiance of Gun Violence. On Saturday, January 18th, a host of local musicians will join Ingram and Hess in …

The Champaign-Urbana Theatre Company is bringing Steel Magnolias to the Parkland’s Second Stage Theatre in March, and this Saturday, you can audition for a role in it.  Get all the details here including a link to …