The buzz calendar is a compilation of events happening in the Champaign-Urbana area. Follow our top picks every Monday and Thursday for ideas on what to do on any night of the week, from where to eat to what to watch.
Want to submit an event? Email [email protected].
April 16
Earth Week: Meat Free Monday Lunch & Talk
12-1 p.m.
University YMCA, 1001 S Wright St, Champaign
Free, all ages
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Learn about the benefits of going “meat-free,” even for one day a week. The YMCA will be serving free vegan/vegetarian options from local restaurants. Community members and students will be giving short talks about why they chose to be #meatfree.
Free Escape Room on the Quad
1-6 p.m.
University of Illinois Main Quad
Free, all ages
Champaign-Urbana Adventures in Time and Space presents an exciting, free pop-up escape room experience on the main quad. Meet in front of Davenport Hall and test your wits and problem-solving abilities with your friends in teams of 2 – 6 players. The fastest teams of the day win escape room discounts and a $100 gift certificate to CU Adventures!
Illini Hillel’s Spring Blood Drive
2:30-6 p.m.
Multi-purpose Room, 503 E John, Champaign
Free, all ages
Illini Hillel is hosting a blood drive to distribute donations across local hospitals. Donors will receive a free t-shirt and snacks.
Dish Passionate Cuisine Pop-up Dinner
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Memphis on Main, 55 E Main St, Champaign
$6-$10, all ages
Come on over to Memphis on Main for our pop up dinner, bingo and drinks! Enjoy a southern cuisine delight, cold beer and a chance to win some awesome prizes at Bingo.
Monday Trivia
7 p.m.-2 a.m.
Blackbird Urbana, 119 W. Main St, Urbana
Free, all ages
Come on out for Monday Night Trivia at Blackbird! Compete in teams of up to 5 for gift cards. Standard trivia rules will apply. Hosted by Joe Fun and Nicole Gruber.
Science on Screen: Isle of Dogs
7:30 p.m.
The Art Theater, 126 W Church St, Champaign
$8.50-$10, all ages
In the Art Theater’s seventh and final installment of Science on Screen, Dr. Jennifer Reinhart, Assistant Professor of Veterinary Clinical Medicine at the University of Illinois, will host a post-show discussion titled “Disease and the Life Cycle of Dogs.”
Open Mic Night
8 p.m.-2 a.m.
The Canopy Club, 708 S. Goodwin Ave, Urbana
21+ free, Under 21 $3, 18+
If you’re looking for a creative outlet, head over to Canopy Club with your instruments and your laptops. All genres and styles are welcome at Open Mic Night, but no full bands or DJ sets are allowed.
April 17
The Wood Floaters: Film Screening
4-7 p.m.
Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St, Urbana
Free, all ages
A screening of the documentary film “The Wood Floaters” (“Platagony”) followed by a discussion with the director Kirill Makarenkov. Platagony (also translated as ‘rafters’) are men employed in the transport of lumber from the outermost forests of Russia to the processing plants nearer to populated areas. Kirill Makarenkov’s documentary is an intimate portrait of these workers.
Answering the Why? with Larry Gies
6-8 p.m.
Business Instructional Facility, Deloitte Auditorium, 515 E Gregory Dr, Champaign
Free, all ages
Don’t miss Business alumnus Larry Gies, CEO of Madison Industries, as he shares his investment philosophy and important life lessons.
Open Mic Night
6:30-9:30 p.m.
Clark Bar, 207 W Clark St, Champaign
Free, 19+
Own the stage and show off your talent at Open Mic Night hosted by the Clark Bar and Corduroy. Bring your instrument and your favorite songs, we will take care of the rest! Sign-ups will be available on the day of the show on a first-come, first-served basis.
Tabletop Tuesdays
7 p.m.
The Canopy Club, 708 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana
Free, 18+
Every Tuesday, join The Canopy Club for Tabletop Tuesdays where you can play Dungeons and Dragons, Warhammer, Pathfinder, Magic the Gathering, Vanguard, Yu-Gi-Oh, Shadow Run, Call of Cthulu, and many other wild adventure games! $5 Long Island’s will be on special and Manolo’s Pizza & Empanadas will be serving the freshest slices and empanada’s in town for battle fuel!
Cake It, Take It!
7-9 p.m.
Illini Union Rm B, 1401 W. Green St, Urbana
Free, all ages
Join the Illini Union Board for a fun DIY Event that includes decorating your own pastry! (You get to keep it and eat it!) After learning cool decorating tips from a professional Pastry Chef you get to design your own dessert! Come for the fun, food, designs, and an overall good time.
Brothers Trivia Night
8-10:30 p.m.
Brothers Bar & Grill Champaign, 613 E Green St, Champaign
Cover for under 21, 19+
Brothers Bar & Grill and Whaddayaknow? Free Pub Trivia presents the best trivia night in Champaign! Get in on Tuesday drink specials like $1 Wells and $2 Calls.
April 18
YPCU Morning Brew: Hammerhead Coffee
7:30 a.m.-9 a.m.
Hammerhead Coffee, 608 E. University Ave, Champaign
Free, all ages
Kick off your morning with YPCU! Please join us for morning coffee at Hammerhead Coffee in Champaign. There is no cost to attend.
Spring Book Sale!
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Gregory Hall, 810 S. Wright St, Urbana
$1-$2, all ages
Looking for some summer reading? The History honor society Phi Alpha Theta is here with their spring book sale to help out! Stop by the first and third floors of Gregory Hall to pick up some delicious puppy chow and some great books! They will have all types of books, including textbooks!
Action Comics #1000 Release Event
12-7 p.m.
G-Mart Champaign, 205 N Market St, Champaign
Free, all ages
Celebrate 1000 issues of Action Comics with an all-star lineup of top talent as they pay tribute to the comic that started it all! From today’s explosive action to a previously unpublished tale illustrated by the legendary Curt Swan to the Man of Tomorrow’s future-this very special, oversized issue presents the best of the best in Superman stories!
Art Exhibit: Untold
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Illini Union Art Gallery, 1401 W. Green St, Urbana
Free, all ages
Come out to the opening reception of artist Lori Fuller’s exhibit, Untold.
500 Women Scientists C/U – Science Salon for Puerto Rico
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Channing Murray (Above Red Herring), 1209 W. Oregon St, Urbana
Suggested donation $10, all ages
The 500 Women Scientists Champaign/Urbana Pod is inviting you to join their Science Salons for Puerto Rico Campaign. For the last year, their amazing women scientists have put their communication skills to use within our community. Now, they’re channeling that energy into a concerted campaign to raise money to support our amazing partners at CienciaPR as they work to transform science education in Puerto Rico and around the world. For more information check out: https://500womenscientistscu.weebly.com/
Roger Ebert’s 20th Film Festival
7 p.m.
The Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park, Champaign
Free, all ages
Join the College of Media for the 20th annual Ebertfest. “The Fugitive” will kick off the first day of the festival with many fantastic films to follow.
Ganja White Night
9 p.m.
The Canopy Club, 708 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana
$22-25, 18+
Belgian bass duo Ganja White Night is quickly setting the tone for the bass community around the globe. Members Benjamin “Bamby” Bayeul & Charlie “Erwan” Dodson continue to make waves in the electronic community with their iconic Wobble sound. They will be joined by The Widdler, a dub music pro from Austin, Texas.
