Listen to Kimberly Schofield talk about weekend events on IPM News AM 580 and FM 90.9 – Wednesdays at 6:45 and 8:45 a.m., and Thursdays at 5:44 p.m.
Thursday, August 22
LeRoy Fall Festival
Location: Downtown LeRoy
Details: Enjoy the annual festival with food, games, carnival rides, local vendors, and nightly ice cream socials on the gazebo. Free entertainment each evening, with Deja Voodoo performing on Thursday night. Visit leroyfallfestival.org for presale tickets and more information.
Jazz in the Park at Powell Park in Champaign
Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Powell Park, Champaign
Details: Part of the Champaign Park District’s Jazz in the Park series, this event offers a relaxing evening of jazz music under the open sky.
Friday, August 23
Paul Dresher’s Sound Maze at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Time: 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Krannert Center, Urbana
Details: A free interactive installation where you can listen, play, and discover over a dozen newly invented musical instruments created by composer and instrument inventor Paul Dresher. Open to all ages and any level of music experience.
Mahomet Music Festival
Time: Friday, August 23 from 5 p.m. – 12 a.m.; Saturday, August 24 from 9 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Location: Downtown Mahomet
Details: Two days of free musical entertainment featuring local, regional, and national artists on the Darwyn Boston State Farm Main Stage. The festival also includes carnival rides, food, street and craft vendors, and a parade on Saturday.
Rock of Ages at Champaign Central High School
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Champaign Central High School, Champaign
Details: This youth edition of “Rock of Ages” is produced by The Penguin Project and The Champaign Urbana Theatre Company, helping to make community theatre accessible to young artists with special needs. Performances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Rocky Horror Picture Show Weekend at Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in Theatre
Time: 6:30 p.m. on Friday, August 23 and Saturday, August 24
Location: Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in Theatre, Gibson City
Details: Enjoy a night of audience participation with the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Prop packs are available for purchase, and there will be a best-dressed contest.
Saturday, August 24
Big Hug Urbana at Urbana’s Market at the Square in downtown Urbana
Time: 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Location: Urbana’s Market at the Square, Downtown Urbana
Details: Participants will paint a small tile, which will be placed together to create a 6×6 ft mural made of 100 tiles. The mural will be displayed in Lincoln Square Mall.
Community Theatre Auditions
Location: Parkland College, Champaign and Station Theatre, Urbana
Details: Auditions for “12 Angry Jurors” and “White Christmas” at Parkland College run from 9 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. Auditions for “70 Secrets of Marmalade Kittens” at Station Theatre run from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
CU BIPOC Artist Collective: Sound Bath & Solar Printing at Delight Flower Farm in Champaign
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Delight Flower Farm, Champaign
Details: Artists and creatives identifying as Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color will participate in a sound bath journey and art-making activity.
Music at the Vines with Voodoo Exiles at Alto Vineyard
Time: 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. Location: Alto Vineyard, Champaign
Details: Enjoy a night of live music with Voodoo Exiles, a local band known for their dynamic performances.
Sunday, August 25
Spurlock Sundays: Back to School at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures
Time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: Spurlock Museum, Urbana
Details: Kick off the new school year with fun back-to-school crafts at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures. Perfect for families and children preparing for the upcoming school year.