Friday, November 2nd
Do some yoga and see some art, Krannert Art Museum, 11:30 a.m., free
I don’t know about y’all, but I could use a bit of re-centering in my life. Did you know KAM has free yoga at lunchtime (almost) every Friday? Bring your own mat and join with others in the Hood classroom on the lower level. If you’ve got some free time after, browse the current collections and exhibitions. The Art + Design Faculty Exhibition opened yesterday, and there are many other great collections to see. (JM) Photo from Facebook
Learn about dark matter, Staerkel Planetarium, 7 p.m., $2
University of Illinois astronomer Jeff Filippini will give a talk titled “The Dark Universe” as part of the James B. Kaler Science Lecture Series. Dig into the mysteries of dark matter and “dark energy” and how these things impact the universe. I guarantee you’ll be smarter when you leave. (JM)
Saturday, November 3rd
The Big Feed, Harvest Market, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free
This annual event celebrates the local producers whose products are available at Harvest Market. You’ll be able to sample a whole bunch of stuff and meet the people who make the stuff. If you’ve been to Harvest Market on the weekend, you know how seriously they take sampling. (No, I do not want to try salmon or gourmet burgers at 9:30 a.m., thank you.) This is sampling Saturdays on steroids. Check the Facebook event page for a list of producers who will be on site. (JH) Photo from Facebook
Books 2 Prisoners Book Sale, Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., prices vary
A couple times of year this Books 2 Prisoners, which does just what it says – sends books that folks in prison request – has a book sale to clear out some of the donations they receive throughout the year, and also make a little cash to cover the postage for the books they send. Paperbacks are 50 cents, hardcovers are $2. Get some new reads and help out a good cause (JM)
Diwali on the Quad, UIUC Quad, 6 to 10 p.m., food is $1-10
Celebrate the Hindu festival of lights with the Indian Graduate Students Association. It’s a family friendly event, and the one time of year you can see the Quad completely lit up with tea lights. The most important part, however, is all of the Indian food sampling that you can do. See their Facebook event for the full menu, and be sure to bring cash. (JM)
New Souls, Pour Bros Craft Taproom, 8:30 p.m., free
Here’s a good opportunity to see some live music in Downtown Champaign on Saturday evening. Pour Bros is dipping into booking some free shows to fill the space with some sounds, and New Souls will play right there in their taproom. Check out Pour Bros if you haven’t yet. Photo from the Facebook event (PS)
Sunday, November 4th
Walk a 5k, eat a cupcake, Sunday 9 to 11 a.m., $25
Name something better than scarfing down a cupcake and calling it charity. Oh wait, you can’t. On Sunday the CUSR Cupcake 5k will have a full spread of sweet treats at the finish line. Funds raised will go directly into a Champaign-Urbana Special Recreation’s scholarship fund, benefitting individuals who need financial support to access CUSR programs and services. Runners, walkers, and registrants who use a wheelchair are all welcome. Check out their website for more info. (LP)
Learn how to decolonize your diet, Common Ground Food Coop, 11 a.m to 1 p.m., $20
The students from the Native American and Indigenous Student Organization (NAISO) will share some recipes for Three Sisters salad, wild rice, chokecherry (aronia berry) wojape, turkey broth, and amaranth cookies, and some stories about their experiences. It’s bound to be an informative and enlightening experience, so bring an open mind and an empty belly. (JH)
Watch a Carnival of Animals, Krannert Center, 3 p.m., $10-30
The Circa Carnival is coming to town with whimsical tales of creatures of land and sea, who tumble, fly, leap and spin their way through the many wondrous worlds of the animal kingdom. Apparently, their dinosaurs’ bones shake, clatter, and roll to the music and their elephants have mad street-cred. Circa’s acrobats bring classical music to life for a whole new generation of circus, music, and animal lovers. Get tickets on Krannert’s website. (LP) Photo from Krannert Center
Matt Talbott, Loose Cobra, 5 p.m., donation suggested
Matt Talbott of HUM has been hitting the road his first-ever run of solo shows, and after the first portion, he’s headed back home. He’s going to be performing at Loose Cobra in Tolono on Sunday for an impromptu show of sorts. This is a very good opportunity to check out Talbott playing in an environment you probably won’t get a chance to see him in for some time. Top photo from HUM (PS)
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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.