Events
- Tue. 11/03
Parkland's Giertz Gallery opens still-life show 'Material Affections' Nov. 16
An eight-artist exhibition curated by Paula McCarty runs Nov. 16 through Feb. 6, 2027, at Parkland College's Giertz Gallery, with a free reception and gallery talk Nov. 19.
- Tue. 11/03
Two new outdoor sculptures go up in Champaign parks
John Adduci's 10-foot aluminum 'X Marks the Spot?' is at Porter Family Park and Luke Achterberg's 7-foot steel 'Scalar' is at Firefighters Park downtown, the Champaign Park District says.
- Mon. 11/02
Krannert Art Museum opens 'Ink Shower' exhibit of 12 Taiwanese artists Thursday, with artist talks this week
The exhibition of contemporary Taiwanese artists reworking ink-painting traditions opens Nov. 5 with a free reception and runs through Feb. 27, with an artist lecture Nov. 4 and a panel Nov. 6.
- Mon. 11/02
Springer Cultural Center shows 11 local artists in 'Order Within Chaos'; free reception Thursday
The Champaign Park District's group exhibit runs through Dec. 12 at Springer Cultural Center, with a free reception Thursday, Nov. 5, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
- Sun. 11/01
Three University of Illinois stage productions open at Krannert Center Nov. 5-14
Illinois Theatre's 'Fairview' and 'Sense and Sensibility' and Lyric Theatre @ Illinois' 'Singin' in the Rain' open at Krannert Center over the next two weeks; the Varsity Men's Glee Club gives its Dad's Day concert Nov. 7.
- Sat. 10/31
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon to speak on cyber policy at Illinois iSchool Nov. 6
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who chairs a House subcommittee on cyber and information technology, will discuss defense and homeland security roles in cyber, AI regulation and data centers at the University of Illinois iSchool 10-11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 6.
- Fri. 10/30
Krannert Center cancels Michael Yeung's Nov. 1 concert; competition winners play Sunday Salon instead
Percussionist Michael Yeung's 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, concert at Krannert Center is canceled. Cellist Maxwell Schultz and pianist Ana Huerta, winners in Krannert's 2026 Debut Artists Competition, play Schumann and Brahms in a Sunday Salon program that afternoon.
- Thu. 10/29
Urbana's Market at the Square holds its last outdoor market of the season Saturday
Saturday, Oct. 31, is the final outdoor Market at the Square of the season, 7 a.m. to noon at Illinois and Vine streets in downtown Urbana, the market says.
- Tue. 10/27
Parkland students to present plant-microbe research at Kaler Science Lecture Nov. 6
Tickets for the Staerkel Planetarium talk are $2.
- Sun. 10/25
Champaign Park District offers free youth flag football camps Wednesday at Dodds Park
Free one-day flag football camps for first through fourth graders (5:30-6:30 p.m.) and fifth through eighth graders (6:30-7:30 p.m.) are set for Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Dodds Park; registration is required.
- Sat. 10/24
Jump Into Science held at Urbana Free Library Saturday; percussionist Michael Yeung at Krannert Center Nov. 1
Urbana Free Library's Jump Into Science: Moire Magic ran 2-3 p.m. Sat. Oct. 24 in Lewis Auditorium; Michael Yeung, percussion, plays Krannert Center at 3 p.m. Sun. Nov. 1.
- Sat. 10/24
Staerkel Planetarium sets Scout astronomy badge workshops Nov. 2, 9 and 16; registration closes a week ahead
Parkland College's Staerkel Planetarium will hold Girl Scouts Space Science Badge workshops Nov. 2 and 9 ($10) and a Scouts BSA Astronomy Merit Badge workshop Nov. 16 ($6); registration is required a week ahead at parkland.edu/forthekids.
- Fri. 10/23
Parkland College Theatre stages 'Dear Evan Hansen' Nov. 5-22 at Miner Theatre
Parkland College Theatre presents the musical 'Dear Evan Hansen' Nov. 5-22 at the Harold and Jean Miner Theatre; tickets are $25 for adults, $18 for students, youth, seniors and veterans, and $12.50 on opening night.
- Thu. 10/22
Spurlock immigration panel Oct. 27, Library tarot evening Oct. 30, Día de Muertos and 'Hamilton' sing-alongs Nov. 1
Four campus events in the next 10 days: a Spurlock Museum panel on U.S. immigration, a Library Friends tarot and magic evening, La Casa Cultural Latina's Día de Muertos celebration and two free 'Hamilton' sing-along screenings that require registration.
- Wed. 10/21
Straight No Chaser plays the Virginia Theatre Oct. 30; Halloween 'Rocky Horror' with live shadow cast Oct. 31
The a cappella group Straight No Chaser performs Friday, Oct. 30, with reserved seats from $41.50, and the Virginia shows 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' with a live shadow cast at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, for $10.
- Wed. 10/21
Sinfonia da Camera plays Halloween-night 'Spellbound' concert Oct. 31 at Krannert Center
Ian Hobson conducts Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with guitarist Guido Sánchez Portuguez and Mussorgsky's Night on Bald Mountain at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, in Foellinger Great Hall.
- Wed. 10/21
Krannert Art Museum hosts visiting talks by Tyson E. Lewis Oct. 22 and Antawan Byrd Oct. 29
Both free talks in the School of Art & Design Visiting Artists series run 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursdays in the museum's lower-level auditorium: Lewis on alchemy and research-creation, and Byrd, of the Art Institute of Chicago, on photography and public listening.
- Wed. 10/21
Free Halloween dance workshops Oct. 24, glow-in-the-dark rock hunt Oct. 29 and campus legends walk Oct. 30
The Champaign Park District offers free Monster Mash and Thriller dance workshops Saturday, Oct. 24; the Urbana Park District holds a black-light rock hunt for ages 16 and up Oct. 29; and the history museum leads an evening Haunts and Legends of UIUC walk Oct. 30.
- Tue. 10/20
Spurlock Museum offers free light-switch-cover workshop, Halloween movie and 'Suspiria' screening Oct. 25-29
The Urbana museum lists a free all-ages design workshop Sunday, Oct. 25, a free family screening of 'A Monster in Paris' Monday, Oct. 26, and a free showing of the 1977 horror film 'Suspiria' Thursday, Oct. 29.
- Tue. 10/20
University of Illinois Symphony Orchestra plays Oct. 28; free Uncorked show with Modern Drugs Oct. 29
Kevin Noe leads the orchestra in Stravinsky's Rite of Spring at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, and Champaign-Urbana band Modern Drugs plays a free lobby set at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, both at Krannert Center.
- Tue. 10/20
Illinois Wind Symphony and Choirs perform Oct. 30 at Krannert Center
The School of Music concert, led by Kevin M. Geraldi, is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, in Foellinger Great Hall; tickets are $10, $7 for seniors and $4 for students, UI and youth.
- Tue. 10/20
Urbana Park District holds free Teen Hangout Zone for grades 6-12 on Oct. 23
Teens in grades 6 through 12 can drop in from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23, at Phillips Recreation Center for free games, snacks, crafts and Wi-Fi; no registration is needed.
- Mon. 10/19
How to help this week: Cunningham Children's Home signs up trunk-or-treat hosts for Oct. 29
Cunningham Children's Home in Urbana is taking sign-ups for people to bring car trunks of treats to a Halloween event for the youth it serves, 2:30 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29.
- Sun. 10/18
La Casa Cultural Latina and SHPE's Carrera de los Muertos 5K was set for Sunday morning in Urbana
La Casa Cultural Latina and SHPE scheduled the annual 5K for 9 a.m. to noon Sunday, Oct. 18, at La Casa, with proceeds going to Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana and a costume contest after the race.
- Sun. 10/18
Champaign Park District hosts free Family STEM Night Oct. 27 at Martens Center
The Illinois Science Explorers lead hands-on experiments for kids and adults, with free pizza, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27; registration is required.
- Sat. 10/17
Virginia Theatre screens 'Night of the Living Dead' Oct. 27 with author Daniel Kraus
The 1968 horror film screens Tuesday, Oct. 27, followed by an on-stage conversation with author Daniel Kraus about his new book on the film and a signing; general admission is $10.
- Sat. 10/17
Urbana's Market at the Square has two Saturdays left, with season ending Oct. 31, market posts say
The Oct. 17 market has ended; the market's Instagram posts say the season runs until Oct. 31, leaving Saturday markets Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, 7 a.m. to noon at Illinois and Vine streets.
- Sat. 10/17
Krannert Art Museum director Stephanie Smith holds drop-in Café Conversation Oct. 27 at BakeLab in Champaign
Krannert Art Museum's director will meet visitors on a first-come, first-served basis from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, at BakeLab on South Neil Street.
- Sat. 10/17
Oct. 17 was the last listed date for the history museum's Downtown Urbana walking tour
The Champaign County History Museum's Downtown Urbana walk was scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 17, the last date the museum lists for it; the museum's tours page and 217-356-1010 have details on future tours.
- Sat. 10/17
Forest Preserve District offers tree ID workshop Oct. 20 at Homer Lake and free Harvest Fest Oct. 25 at Lake of the Woods
The Champaign County Forest Preserve District lists an outdoor tree identification workshop Tuesday, Oct. 20, and a free Harvest Fest & Touch-A-Truck afternoon Sunday, Oct. 25.
- Fri. 10/16
How to help this week: Habitat Raise the Woof! People's Choice voting closes Oct. 20
Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County is taking public votes through Oct. 20 on pet houses built at its Raise the Woof! event.
- Fri. 10/16
Krannert Art Museum marks last week of Stitching Ecologies exhibit Oct. 20-24
The crochet coral reef exhibit stays on view through Oct. 24, with listed weekday and Saturday hours and free weekend parking nearby, according to Krannert Art Museum.
- Thu. 10/15
Virginia Theatre premieres Bill Odenkirk's 'We Interrupt This Program' Oct. 16-17
A new stage play about an Illinois radio station's 'War of the Worlds' rebroadcast, followed by a panel on alien life, runs Friday and Saturday at the Virginia Theatre.
- Thu. 10/15
Urbana Park District holds free Pride family party Oct. 16 and nature hike Oct. 17
A free family party at Phillips Recreation Center on Friday afternoon and a Pride nature hike at Busey Woods on Saturday morning precede the weekend's Pride events.
- Thu. 10/15
Station Theatre opens 'Harry & the Thief' Oct. 22
Sigrid Gilmer's comedy, directed by Lisa Gaye Dixon, runs Oct. 22 through Nov. 1 at the Station Theatre.
- Thu. 10/15
Spurlock Museum hosts poetry workshop and open mic Oct. 21
Dr. Misha Frazier leads poetry writing inspired by the 'Unfinished Revolutions' exhibit from 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, with an open mic at 7.
- Thu. 10/15
Forest Preserve District's Whiskey Hike returns to Buffalo Trace Oct. 18
The third annual fundraiser pairs an autumn hike with whiskey tastings Sunday afternoon at Lake of the Woods; tickets are $55 online or $65 at the door.
- Thu. 10/15
SoundBites lunchtime concert features Ashley Stevenson Oct. 22
The weekly lunchtime music series on the Downtown Plaza Stage continues from noon to 1:15 p.m.
- Thu. 10/15
Champaign Park District offers fall science class Oct. 17 and free Halloween escape room Oct. 20
A Mini Scientist class for ages 3 to 5 meets Saturday morning at the Springer Cultural Center, and a free Halloween escape room with pizza runs Tuesday evening at the Martens Center.
- Thu. 10/15
Spurlock Museum screens 'If Hafez Wrote a Haiku for Cowboys' free Oct. 17, with producer Anida Yoeu Ali
The 2024 feature by Masahiro Sugano screens free at 1 p.m. Saturday in Spurlock Museum's Knight Auditorium, followed by a discussion and a reception at the Salaam MENA Cultural Center.