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FOOD & DRINK
WILL Call: What’s Happening in Champaign-Urbana Aug. 01 – Aug. 04
Listen to Kimberly Schofield and Adelyn Mui talk about weekend events on IPM News AM 580 and FM 90.9 – Wednesdays at 6:45 and 8:45 a.m., and Thursdays at 5:44 p.m. The Sound of Music at The Virginia Theatre in Champaign. Time: 7 p.m. Location: The Virginia Theatre, Champaign.
'Little Maize' to be torn down Tuesday
Jul. 29—CHAMPAIGN — Demolition will begin Tuesday morning on Maize Mexican Grill's original location — aka "Little Maize"— at 60 E. Green St., said owner Armando Sandoval. The property is owned by University Group, which has plans for a new development at the site. Maize has two other locations; one on Chestnut Street and one at the Illini Union. It also has a food truck. "(Green Street) was ...
Update: Conrad's to reopen Wednesday
Jul. 30—Mike Rane, one of the managers of the LLC that owns Conrad's Grill in Campustown, told The News-Gazette that the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District has cleared the restaurant to reopen, and they plan to do so on Wednesday. *** A Campustown restaurant recently had to close due to a lack of hot water but should reopen once it receives another health inspection. Michael Rane with ...
Ming Garden serves quality, quick Chinese food
Located just off Mattis in a more residential area of Champaign is a local favorite carry out or delivery place: Ming Garden restaurant. Specializing in Asian cuisine, they have been a longstanding staple in the area for quality, quick food at great prices. We just had to get some takeout recently. Is it delicious? Most definitely! Did we order too much? Also, most definitely! Hey, leftovers are good, right?
Crystal Lake Park Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday
URBANA - Over 40 artists are expected to display their artwork and wares at the 6th Annual Crystal Lake Park Art Fair this Saturday and Sunday. The two-day event held at Crystal Lake Park is a collaborative organizational effort between 40 North and the Urbana Park District. The art fair will be open from 10 am to 4 pm on both days. Vendor booths will be located along the park road adjacent to the Lake House and the large pavilion. Local and regional artists will be offering paintings, textiles, ceramics, photography, jewelry, glass, mixed media, and more for sale. Featured artists include...
The Blind Pig beer is now on tap at Hound’s Court
Downtown Champaign bar Hound’s Court, formerly The Blind Pig’s Neil Street bar, now has The Blind Pig beer on tap. At this time, there’s two beers from The Blind Pig brewery on tap: U of IPA and Blue Pils, but both Hound’s Court and Hound’s Pub will have more beers on tap from the Champaign brewery soon.
PET OF THE WEEK: Meet Cookie, a sweet treat who is looking for his “furever” fam
CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) – We’ve got a sweet addition to your family. He’s ready to hop in the cat carrier, go home with you, and settle into your daily routine. Cookie, a nearly 12 lb. male domestic short hair feline, is almost a year old and is currently available for adoption at the Champaign County Humane Society (CCHS). He is a confident young boy who has shown a lot of progress with time and calm, slow introductions.
Maize Mexican Grill thanking community for memories after original building was demolished
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A fan favorite around the Champaign-Urbana community, the original location of Maize Mexican Grill and has been torn down. Owner Armando Sandoval said the building had to be torn down due to the lease not being renewed by the land owners, the University Group. “I actually got the lease in June […]
Top ten spots in Champaign that need a mural
We here at Smile Politely love a good mural. I’ve written about many of them myself in this very column. However, there’s tons of big blank walls around town that still cry out to be mural’d. In particular, Urbana is far ahead of Champaign in the mural game, so this month, I’ll be breaking down my top ten places in Champaign that I think need a mural ASAP. To help you understand my vision, I’m including my own primitive renditions of what those murals could look like.
Kicking chicken wings from six restaurants
Today is National Chicken Wing Day, a holiday that commemorates the noble chicken wing. I, for one, love chicken wings. And when I say wings, I mean bone-in chicken wings, not glorified chicken nuggets gussied up in sauce. Though I want proper bone-in wings, I enjoy variety: crispy-salted or slathered in sauce, sweet or spicy, Buffalo or teriyaki. Many restaurants across Champaign-Urbana offer chicken wings, and we’ve published a lot of wing-focused content (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). It would be too long of a list to share all the good wings in town. Instead, this is a curated list of my favorite C-U fried chicken wings in honor of National Chicken Wing Day.
St. Thomas More High School gets new pollinator garden
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — One Central Illinois Eagle Scout brought his high school vision to life. St. Thomas More High School’s Henry Karduck created a 450-square-foot pollinator garden for the community. It’s a garden grown out of good will and hard work. Karduck created the pollinator garden, starting with a goal of beautifying the empty […]
Urbana Free Library allowing musicians to check out instruments
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The Urbana Free Library is allowing people to test instruments to help find their musical matches. Whether you’re a newcomer to the music scene or you’re an established artist, the library is offering access to their Music Equipment Collection. The collection includes string and percussion instruments, keyboards and synthesizers, amps, effect […]
American Football releasing LP1 covers album, remastered 2xLP for 25th anniversary
The wildly influential outfit American Football, its origins right here in Champaign-Urbana, are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their eponymous debut on Polyvinyl Records with a few different versions to offer. The band is releasing a covers album, featuring contributions from Iron & Wine, Manchester Orchestra, Ethel Cain, and more, in addition to a newly remastered double-LP of the record. Listen to Iron & Wine’s cover of “Never Meant” now:
Teaching kids the building blocks of engineering with Legos
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND)- Encouraging kids to learn new skills while expressing their creativity. Parkland College in Champaign hosts College for Kids every summer, teaching a wide range of topics for kids to explore their interests and continue learning while school is out for the summer. One of the many courses...
Smile Politely needs arts writers
Whether it’s visual or performance art, literature or film, Champaign-Urbana has always nurtured a vibrant arts community. We are looking for new contributors for our Arts section: You can see shows before they debut, talk to local artists and learn about their work, dive into literature, dance, and poetry, and check out festivals like Boneyard, Ebertfest, and PYGMALION.
The Overture: July 29-August 4
The Overture is a rundown of live music and performances happening in and around Champaign-Urbana each week. All of the information is as accurate as we can publish; however, all shows and performances are subject to change at any time. Thank you for understanding. Did we miss something this week?...
Art Works: Exploring inconvenient places with Latrelle Bright
Latrelle Bright is a theatre maker. In her mellifluous voice she noted, “I use theatre to learn about everything.” Bright’s curiosity has given Champaign-Urbana many stellar live performances. I’ve had a few chances to chat with Bright over the last couple of years about her artistic journey and the evolution of her theatrical virtuosity. Latrelle Bright has honed the craft of telling stories through live bodies and voices in space and on stage for more than three decades and her genius continues to ripen in her role as Teaching Professor in Theatre Studies at the University of Illinois. Her professional title cannot encompass the facets of her work as an artist, arts advocate, and environmentalist. Fresh off of her work as one-third of the trio of U of I professors bringing CASCaDe to life and directing Rajiv Joesph’s Describe the Night for Urbana’s Station Theatre, I sat with Bright in Studio II beneath the performance halls at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and explored some of the animating forces that spark her art.
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