Square waffles are out, and rounded waffles are in. After just one bite of Happy Lemon’s bubble waffle, I was hooked. The bubble tea store’s bubble waffles come in a few flavors (chocolate, cheese, matcha, …
Sometimes, when you watch YouTube a little too much, you think you can start to restore anything, any old piece of furniture you can find just to say you can do it. Well, those folks …
Dr. Larry Smarr, one of the founding directors of National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) is paying a visit to University of Illinois on Thursday. He’ll be giving a lecture, “From NCSA to the National …
The 2024 Illinois Arts Council awards were announced last week and the University of Illinois landed four of them. Congratulations to Ben Grosser (digital arts), Patrick Earl Hammie (visual arts), Laurie Hogin (visual arts), and …
Owner Appreciation Days wrap up Common Ground Food Co-op in Urbana tomorrow, Tuesday, May 7th, so if you haven’t been able to get over there to snag some deals, it isn’t too late. One sale …
Starting next week, you can add another thing to see in Uptown Normal to your list with live music. They’ll be kicking off their Normal Live series, which is a series of live music performances …
Coverage of the local music scene has been a core component of Smile Politely since its founding. Our music section covers a wide variety of genres — from rock to hip-hop to classical and more …
I can’t stop — and don’t want to stop — eating bagels by Good Judys’ Bagels. I bought some of the new C-U bakery’s bagels at the first Market at the Square of 2024 on Saturday, …
CU Broad Comedy is a group with a mission to “help diversify the CU comedy community and uplift women comedians.” They will be at the Harvest Market mezzanine with performers Michelle Lore, Kathy Brennan, and …
When the outdoor farmers markets open for the season, you know summer in Champaign-Urbana is on its way. We’re lucky to have two outdoor markets in C-U: the Tuesday afternoon market in Downtown Champaign and …
Next week, there’s an opportunity (amongst several outlined by our Culture Editor Louise Knight-Gibson, though not all take place next week!) to treat your mom for Mother’s Day. The CU Flower House, which celebrated two …
We had our quarterly writer’s party at Maize last night, but before I joined the festivities, I had to swing by to witness my favorite rite of Spring: the erecting of the tent for patio …
Warm weather makes me carve margaritas. And on this warm Thursday, I’m thirsty for one of my favorite margaritas: Maize’s mango habanero margarita. Made with 100% blue agave tequila and Naranja liqueur, this beaut of …
CU BIPOC Collective is a new community formed by the City of Urbana Arts and Culture Program and the University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts. It was created for local artists and …
Red Herring Vegetarian Restaurant is hosting an upcoming ticketed dinner under the moniker Feeding Tomorrow, which is one of two fundraising events to help expand their food justice program, Sharing Table. Red Herring and Channing …
Last month, WEFT 90.1 FM, the community radio station which played host to Smile Politely Radio for years until it went on hiatus a handful of years back, posted an interesting story about Bill Taylor. …
All 22 students in the Centennial High School AVID Cohort have a post-high school graduation plan and a 100% college acceptance rate. And for the first time in Unit 4 AVID history, a current senior, …
The Odyssey Project, an adult learning program through the Humanities Research Institute, is accepting applications for their summer 2024 program. The program is open to low-income adults who are looking to further their learning through college courses. …
University of Illinois’ Assistant Professor of African American Studies Dr. Bobby J. Smith II wrote a new book called Food Power Politics, and it’s getting national recognition. Food Power Politics has been nominated for the …
National Poetry Month may be wrapping up, but Urbana’s new poet laureate will be featured at the University of Illinois’ Spurlock Museum this Sunday. Dr. Ruby Mendenhall brings a wealth of knowledge and creativity to …
The Messthetics, featuring the dynamic rhythm section of Fugazi and renowned saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, are poised to captivate audiences at Gallery Art Bar in Urbana on May 8th. Riding high from their latest album …
The Winter Market just wrapped up this past weekend in Downtown Urbana, and starting Tuesday, May 14th, the Land Connection’s market will shift outdoors and over to Downtown Champaign. Champaign Farmers Market will take place …
This year’s graduating students at the School of Art & Design at the University of Illinois will have their work on display from May 4-11 at Krannert Art Museum. The U of I News Bureau …
This week amongst our Smile Politely editor group, we were just floored by the amount of trash that was collected by volunteers for the Boneyard Recycling Day back on April 20th. 23,000(!) pounds of trash! …
Allerton Park & Retreat Center is already an incredibly beautiful place to check out and visit, no matter what time of year. This weekend, they’re hosting their inaugural Bluebell Festival, which they describe as a …
Downtown Champaign’s Toast to Taylor Street block party series returns next month on Saturday, May 18th. Mark your calendars for the other three Saturdays of the series, too: June 22nd, August 24th, and September 14th. …
Our Opinion section is mostly populated with our weekly Editorial Board offerings, but every once in a while someone with an opinion to share will reach out with a pitch. We’ve published articles on the foul smells emanating from Kraft, the emu, school district issues, jail …
This week, Champaign’s ISHI will have ramen pop-ups featuring Chef Ken Ishibashi’s signature ramen. For four days, the Japanese restaurant’s usual lunch menu will be slimmed down to a few dishes because it’s all about …
April is quite the busy month in Champaign-Urbana. On April 6th, the University of Illinois School of Art & Design MFA students celebrated the completion of their degrees with an opening reception at Krannert Art …
In just a few weeks, YWCA of Champaign County is hosting their next event at the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. From 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 11th, the Empowering Black and Brown Women …
Today, the Illinois Department of Transportation placed signs along I-74 in honor of the late Senator Scott Bennett. State Senator Paul Faraci (D-Champaign) joined elected officials, community members, as well as Bennett’s friends and family …
Pretty soon, market season will transition over to the outdoor markets in Champaign and Urbana. For now, you should stop by Land Connection‘s final Winter Market indoors at Lincoln Square Mall this Saturday from 8 …
As we approach the end of April, we’re looking ahead to May. Thankfully, our community has a variety of resources that can help you or a loved one in a time of need. Talking about …
The United States Postal Service processing and distribution center on Mattis Ave is going to be modernized into a local processing center and people are not happy. Earlier this year, we wrote an editorial about …
This Thursday, I’m thirsty for the masala tea at Kohinoor Indian Restaurant. The extremely rude cold weather we’re having this close to May is making me crave something warm and cosy. Paired with the restaurant’s …
Having been on display for just nearly a month now, here is your last chance to check out this exhibition at Spurlock Museum of World Cultures. We’ve featured the work of artist, writer, and photographer …
The Prairie Rivers Network is hosting a “Save Our Trees” benefit concert at Rose Bowl Tavern featuring Chicago’s Nathan Graham, known for his soul-stirring fusion of South Side blues and Nashville Americana, alongside the local …
The annual stroll around Downtown Champaign returns on Saturday, May 4th, as Royse & Brinkmeyer and Champaign Center Partnership are once again teaming up to present it. From 2 to 6 p.m., you can make …
The 2020 Census revealed that Urbana’s population declined by seven percent, and with it, there’s a shortfall of $750,000 annually for the next ten years due to the undercount. The City of Urbana has put …
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts invites all teachers, school district administrators, and parents who homeschool their kids to visit and learn more about their programming for young people for the 2024-25 academic year. The …
Every so often, University of Illinois Press publishes an update in their blog about what’s going on in their world at the moment. During the first quarter of the year (wait, we’re already nearing May, …
I was reading Alyssa’s recent review of Columbia Street Roastery’s offerings and couldn’t help but highlight their collaboration with Fiala Brothers Brewing in Normal (who has great grilled cheese, by the way). Their brewery opened …
Back in January, Julie wrote about how the University Library was calling for help to construct a 60,000 piece puzzle of the world. Frankly, it is hard to wrap my mind around such a feat …
This weekend, my husband and I had a casual date at Triptych in Savoy, and the food truck that night was La Gueras Kitchen. That truck opened last summer, and I’ve been wanting to try …
There are few things that trigger nostalgia more than food. Whether it’s a spot you grew up going to on Saturday mornings, or a favorite late night hangout, a place that has good memories is …
Tuesday night this week, the AI Club at UIUC (AI@UIUC) is gearing up to transform The Canopy Club into a hotspot for innovation, inclusion, and incredible music with their State-Of-The-Arts event. This unique gathering isn’t …
We see you sharing your opinions on Champaign-Urbana’s food and drink scene on our social media pages. Why not formalize them a little and contribute to our Food & Drink section? What’s required? It’s helpful …
There’s a new Champaign-Urbana food truck called Los Goldos that serves Mexican cuisine. The blue truck’s menu features tacos de barbacoa in addition to street tacos, tamales, tortas, quesadillas, nachos, burritos, and even American-style tacos …
Are you out there enjoying Ebertfest? Their 25th anniversary celebration kicked off on Wednesday in Downtown Champaign, and if you haven’t figured out what you’re interested in checking out, be sure to look no further …
