Champaign-Urbana isn’t a huge city with tons of exciting options for entertainment every night of the week, but it’s also not a small town. 

While we are a campus town far away from Chicago, we still have our own unique features that anyone can enjoy. State Farm Center, formerly known as Assembly Hall, attracts many events such as concerts, Broadway series, and even a WWE Smackdown. 

Artists that have performed at State Farm Center include J. Cole, Miranda Lambert, Jay Z, Kid Cudi, Kelly Clarkson and Bob Dylan. Campus also has smaller venues such as Canopy Club, Mike ’N Molly’s and The Highdive. Canopy Club has hosted artists such as Chiddy Bang, Hoodie Allen, Owl City and Motion City Soundtrack. Every year, with the help of the Krannert Center for the  Performing Arts, C-U holds the Pygmalion Music Festival, featuring local bands and big names. 

The Krannert Art Museum houses frequent new exhibitions. During a visit to the museum, I was able to see a work by Roy Lichtenstein. Connected to the museum is the School of Art and Design’s Link Gallery which showcases the work of its undergraduate and graduate students. Works are displayed from countless disciplines: graphic design, photography, painting and ceramics. The School of Art and Design also offers Figure One, an off-campus gallery in which students can exhibit their work in a more public setting. Figure One resides in downtown Champaign, which also has the Indigo Artist Co-Op, a gallery that displays the works of students in the area as well as artists in the neighboring communities.

As a micro-urban community, Champaign-Urbana gets the perks of city life while still retaining its town-like population. There is always something to see and do while spending your four years here.

Folake is a junior in Fine and Applied Arts. She can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @fosibodu.