Friday, June 6th
Audiofeed Music Festival, Champaign County Fairgrounds, prices vary, all day Friday and Saturday
The 6th annual Audiofeed Festival is happening right now — it kicked off with early entry on Wednesday, and shows happened yesterday as well. That said, there are two full days left for you to check out — read up on the festival from Therese’s interview with organizer Jim Eisenmenger, and check out their website for all the details about who is performing, costs, and all that good stuff. (PS) Photo from Audiofeed’s website
Midsummer Mayhem, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., free
Do not miss out on the amazing, thrilling, and exceptional experience of CLAW.
Champaign Ladies Amateur Wrestling (CLAW) will perform for free this Friday at 25 O’Clock Brewing Company. Take your mind off the heat, grab a beer, and cheer on your favorite opponent as these wrestlers compete for their chance at a title match. (AB)
Heavy Metal at The Gilbert Gallery, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., free
Catch both paintings and metal sculpture work on view this Friday at The Gilbert Gallery. Featured artists include Christopher Fleming, Adam Morse, Gregory Stallmeyer, Beverly Fagan, Luis Lopez, and Nicole Parisi. The gallery is hosting an opening reception and celebration of their one-year anniversary. This event is free and open to the public. (AB) Photo from Facebook
Winder, Two Inch Astronaut, Spandrels, Cowboy Monkey, $7, 8 p.m.
Winder celebrate an album release tonight at Cowboy Monkey — their new EP, GONE, FOR GOOD heads out into the world and hopefully into your brain. One way to check it out is heading to the show, where they will perform for you, songs old and new. Another way is to listen to the album when it drops, and read up on them from Austin’s interview which we published yesterday. (PS)
Saturday, July 7th
Get some produce from the market, Urbana’a Market at the Square, 7 a.m. to noon, prices vary
I haven’t done a proper shop from the Saturday market yet this season, but I’ve been to the Tuesday market in Downtown Champaign. Many of the vendors are at both markets—and the produce is awesome. I’ve been picking up cherry tomatoes and cucumbers to make Israeli salad by the buckets (a very refreshing dish in this heat). Go early to avoid the heat and the crowd, and be sure to stop by the community tent aisle, across from the food trucks, to say hello to us. (JH) Photo by Jessica Hammie
Save a furry life, Champaign County Humane Society, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $2-$75
Champaign County Humane Society is running an adoption promotion this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, same hours). Adoption fees are as follows: critters, $2; cats, $25; kittens, $50; dogs, $50; puppies, $75. If this is something you’ve been considering, now is a good time to visit CCHS. It should go without saying (but I will say anyway): pets are not toys, they are living creatures that need time, attention, and affection. They are not cheap — they need to go to the doctor, too. (JH) Top photo from Facebook/Instagram
Get your groove on in the park, locations vary, times vary, free
There are several opportunities to listen to music outside, and dance if that’s your thing, on Saturday. The Champaign Park District is hosting DJ in the Park at Douglass Park from 12 to 2 p.m. as well as a Hessel Park Concert featuring Kittens Inc. from 3 to 5 p.m. On the Urbana side you can hit up the monthly Dance Music Therapy at the Lake House at Crystal Lake Park from 2 to 10 p.m. If you’re feeling super ambitious you can do all three. (JM) Photo from Facebook
Sunday, July 8th
Stars of Tomorrow Presents: 13 the Musical, SoDo Theatre, 2 p.m., $12-15
Who doesn’t want to relive the awkwardness and social nightmares of being 13? This is a musical about a 13 year old “new kid” trying to find his place, and it’s presented by Twin City Theatre Company’s Stars of Tomorrow, their all-student production. All of the cast members are middle school aged kids, so I’m guessing they’ll be able to relate to their characters well. The show is happening this weekend and next, so plenty of opportunities to check it out. Watch for our review next week. (JM)
Get a dose of Mr. Rogers, The Art Theater, 5:00 p.m., $6.75-8.75
If you didn’t grow up with Mr. Rogers in your life, then I’m very sorry. The cardigans, the trolley, the Land of Make Believe, and his ability to know exactly how to address the difficult issues that children encounter, whether it be bad dreams or their parents’ divorce. Just watching the preview of Won’t You Be My Neighbor had me near tears. Take a couple of hours and be reminded of your childhood as well as get a dose of kindness and positivity to end your weekend. (JM) Photo from Facebook
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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.