FRIDAY, December 12th
Instagram some Christmas decorations and tag me, all weekend, free
I want you all to get creative and take some artistic, funny, beautiful pictures of local christmas decorations. Tag @smilepolitely and #CUatChristmas. Next week we will publish some of our favorite shots. Get snapping and tagging.(SL)
The Undercut Collective, 7 p.m., Error Records, $5
This installment of all-ages show series The Undercut Collective is pretty stacked with local radness. Pinko kicks off the night, followed by a poetry reading by Marshall Allston-Yeagle, Dan Durley (the 92s) playing a solo set, Feral States and last but not least Motes. (MR)
Wintertime, The Station Theatre, 8 p.m., $15
Quoth the Station website: “In thisloopy operatic farce, the surreal collides with sex and the profound smashes up against slapstick. During a late December snowfall, Jonathan and Ariel, a young couple in love, arrive at Jonathan’s family summer house for a romantic getaway. Ready to propose marriage, Jonathan is interrupted by his mother Maria and her lover Francois, who have also decided to use the house for the weekend. This unexpected turn of events is followed by the arrival of Jonathan’s father Frank and his father’s lover Edmund who have also shown up for a romantic weekend. As pleasantries snowball out of control, Bertha, an elderly woman, bursts in and explains that her lover Hilda has fallen through a hole in the ice and is drowning. As the group frantically runs around gathering rescue equipment, Hilda enters alive and soaking wet. It does not take long for suspicions and jealousies to resurface, and soon all of the lovers demonstrate their frustration in a performance that is both operatic and farcical.” (MG)
‘Tis the Season, Channing Murray Foundation, 8 p.m., $5-7
Directed by Stephanie Svarz and Aaron Russell, Penny Dreadful Players will present the holiday-themed sketch comedy show ‘Tis the Season this weekend. The show will open Friday, December 12th and continue Saturday, December 13th. Both shows will begin at 8 p.m., and tickets are available for $5 (for students/seniors) or $7 (for non-students). The show will be presented at the Channing Murray Foundation, located at 1209 W. Oregon Street in Urbana. So put on your favorite ugly sweater, get some Christmas spirit, and support student theatre! (MG)
SATURDAY, December 13th
Order your holiday cakes, check out this list and a few others listed below, all day (some deadlines are today!), prices vary
Hanukkah begins Wednesday. Christmas is the following Thursday, and New Year’s Eve is the Thursday after that. Time to buy your cakes! Check out my Thanksgiving guide for a list of places, but you should also consider bacaro for a peppermint candy cane cake (!) and a chocolate ganache cake. You can also take a look at Cream & Flutter’s holiday catalog. (JH)
Bones Jugs ‘N Harmony, Tyrannosaurus Chicken, The Canopy Club, doors at 8 p.m., show at 9:30 p.m., $8
Bones Jugs N Harmony are a known and loved around these parts, but you might not be familiar with Tyrannosaurus Chicken, who play “Delta Blues Trance Freestyle” according to themselves. In simpler terms, they’re a multi-instrumental duo that takes folk to the next level. (MR)
SUNDAY, December 14th
Visit Strawberry Fields for the last time, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Strawberry Fields will close its door for good at 6 p.m. today, so pay a final visit to check out the last remains of the inventory sale (everything is 30% off). You’ll probably spend more money than you ever have, which sucks, because we all should have been doing that before the store announced the close. Photo from Facebook. (JH)
Babes in Toyland, Rantoul Theatre Group, 2 p.m.
Here’s your chance to catch a matinee performance of Rantoul Theatre Group’s holiday presentation, Babes in Toyland, under the direction of Garth Gersten. From the RTG website: “The villainous Barnaby has fallen in love with sweet Mistress Mary Quite Contrary. If he can’t buy her love, then he’ll force her to marry him by threatening to foreclose on her mother, the poor Widow Piper. Mary already has her heart set on marrying Barnaby’s nephew Alan — but not if Barnaby can help it! He hires two bumbling ruffians to do away with Alan, but Alan returns to Mother Goose Land amidst much rejoicing. Mary journeys to the mysterious Toyland through the dangerous Spider Forest. But wait! Barnaby hasn’t given up, and he herds the whole gang of Mother Goose Land characters to Toyland in pursuit of Mary.” (MG)
Veronica Bleaus at Boltini Lounge, 5 p.m., Boltini, free
Veronica Bleaus, the worst drag queen in the Midwest, is back for a holiday special entitled “The Dance of the Butt Cracker.” Settle in for an afternoon of questionable drag and damn good drink specials at Boltini. (RP).
Visit candlestick Lane, Grant Pl., Urbana , 6-7 p.m., free
Candlestick Lane is a long time Urbana tradition. Essentially it is a block of houses that decorates to the T with Christmas lights. Today is the first day it will be lit of the season. Be sure to drive down it slow with your lights off Optima viewing of the lights. (SL)
Exposed December Edition, Soma Ultralounge, 6 p.m., free
This month’s Exposed, a preview of arts from across Champaign-Urbana, features hip-hop, poetry, stand-up comedy, and movies from the Pens to Lens project. Free food will be available; bad sweaters and holiday cheer are welcome. (RP)
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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.