Smile Politely
@smilepolitely.com
Champaign-Urbana’s Culture Magazine
Common Ground is hosting a pop-up art market and opening gallery reception for Artists of Marm, a group of seven local artists, on November 19th.
The next Common Ground gallery reception welcomes Artists of Marm - SPlog
Common Ground Food Co-operative is hosting a pop-up art market and opening gallery reception for Artists of Marm, a group of seven local artists, on November 19th. Attendees can find artistic goods by...
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November 14, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Common Ground is hosting a pop-up art market and opening gallery reception for Artists of Marm, a group of seven local artists, on November 19th.
On an empty stage with just a grand piano and a stack of sound equipment, Folds captivated the engaged, nostalgic crowd.
A night at The Virginia with Ben Folds and a Piano - Music
Ben Folds has quite literally provided a soundtrack for my life. One of the first songs I remember hearing on the radio was “Brick” by Ben Folds Five. On my first real date, I heard ...
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November 14, 2025 at 3:53 PM
On an empty stage with just a grand piano and a stack of sound equipment, Folds captivated the engaged, nostalgic crowd.
Access, affordability, and education are just three things needed for people to buy local food.
The local organizations helping to expand food access - Opinion
This is my third time writing about food scarcity in Champaign County. I’ve covered summer food programs and the need for students to have access to food when they are unable to obtain it at ...
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November 13, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Access, affordability, and education are just three things needed for people to buy local food.
On Monday, the award-winning classicist and NY Times-bestselling author Dr. Emily Hauser steps into Spurlock Museum of World Cultures to explore how we reclaim the women of the ancient world.
Dr. Emily Hauser talks women, or the lack of them, at Spurlock next week - SPlog
As someone who regularly teaches a humanities course called Women in the Arts & Culture at Parkland College and edits for Smile Politely, I spend more time than is strictly healthy trolling the intern...
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November 13, 2025 at 7:04 PM
On Monday, the award-winning classicist and NY Times-bestselling author Dr. Emily Hauser steps into Spurlock Museum of World Cultures to explore how we reclaim the women of the ancient world.
What was set for a regular revisit article of a campus staple in that moment became a final farewell to the fine dining fixture of campus.
One last dinner at Timpone's - Food & Drink
For decades, Timpone’s Risortante has anchored the campus restaurant scene with an upscale dining room and menu of Italian cuisine. Named one of Champaign-Urbana’s BEST bites in 2017, Timpone’s thin-c...
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November 13, 2025 at 7:03 PM
What was set for a regular revisit article of a campus staple in that moment became a final farewell to the fine dining fixture of campus.
Viewers will get their first look at Quiet Tonight when it screens next week, a chance to see what happens when two local artists once again turn small spaces and big questions into something cinematic.
Two local filmmakers reunite for a new dark, compelling collaboration - SPlog
When writer-actor Mathew Green and writer-director Thomas Nicol team up, something distinctive happens. Their 2024 short Venus Gambit (written and directed by Nicol, starring Green and Mindy Smith) us...
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November 13, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Viewers will get their first look at Quiet Tonight when it screens next week, a chance to see what happens when two local artists once again turn small spaces and big questions into something cinematic.
Parkland’s production of Moon Over Buffalo takes audiences on a fun-filled, madcap journey through the absurdities, inanities, and ridiculosities of regional theatre, with laughs galore along the way.
Parkland’s Moon Over Buffalo captures the manic magic of live theatre - Arts
At its best, live theatre is perhaps the closest thing we have to magic. It has the ability to transport audience members anywhere in the universe—and even beyond that—without forcing them to leave th...
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November 13, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Parkland’s production of Moon Over Buffalo takes audiences on a fun-filled, madcap journey through the absurdities, inanities, and ridiculosities of regional theatre, with laughs galore along the way.
The orchestra, under the baton of Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti, played to an appreciative full house with a long waiting list — no surprise to Champaign-Urbana residents who regularly sell out the anticipated CSO concerts weeks in advance.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra played Strauss, Hindemith, and Dvorak - Music
On Tuesday November 4th, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra paid its customary autumn visit to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ Foellinger Great Hall during its 135th season. The orchestra, under ...
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November 13, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The orchestra, under the baton of Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti, played to an appreciative full house with a long waiting list — no surprise to Champaign-Urbana residents who regularly sell out the anticipated CSO concerts weeks in advance.
Grovestone's espresso bar menu also includes lattes, cappuccino, mochas, flat white, macchiato, cortado, and espresso, plus organic drip coffee and teas.
Thirsty Thursday: Americano at Grovestone - SPlog
We’re in the thick of November now, and my mind is on Thanksgiving. What I need right now is a plan — and a few more ingredients. Since I am a die-hard fan of Grovestone’s ...
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November 13, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Grovestone's espresso bar menu also includes lattes, cappuccino, mochas, flat white, macchiato, cortado, and espresso, plus organic drip coffee and teas.
Get your Timpone’s fix before or after you check out a lot of live music and theater. Plus, spend a warm Saturday ridding Lake of the Woods of invasive species.
The Weekender: November 14-16 - Culture
Get your Timpone's fix before or after you check out a lot of live music and theater. Plus, spend a warm Saturday ridding Lake of the Woods of invasive species.
www.smilepolitely.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Get your Timpone’s fix before or after you check out a lot of live music and theater. Plus, spend a warm Saturday ridding Lake of the Woods of invasive species.
Whether it’s dedicating time to helping art teachers clean up the classroom, visiting classrooms for special talks, mentorships, or donations, anything helps.
Channel those skills for CU Schools’ Adopt-A-School - SPlog
And no, this isn’t like adopting a highway. CU Schools Foundation’s Adopt-A-School program is about directly connecting community members to the needs of our schools, teachers, and students. It can be...
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November 13, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Whether it’s dedicating time to helping art teachers clean up the classroom, visiting classrooms for special talks, mentorships, or donations, anything helps.
How does one convey the experience of being a soldier or a civilian in wartime? If All the Sky Were Paper by Andrew Carroll attempts to bring the realities of war to those who have never lived through it.
Twin City Theatre turns handwritten history into living memory - Arts
How does one convey the experience of being a soldier or a civilian in wartime? If All the Sky Were Paper by Andrew Carroll attempts to bring the realities of war to those who have ...
www.smilepolitely.com
November 13, 2025 at 2:08 AM
How does one convey the experience of being a soldier or a civilian in wartime? If All the Sky Were Paper by Andrew Carroll attempts to bring the realities of war to those who have never lived through it.
Read on for Thanksgiving 2025 menus for area restaurants, delis, and shops offering catered Turkey Day dinners (sides and pies, too), Thanksgiving Day dine in, and gourmet ingredients.
What's on the menu for Thanksgiving 2025 - SPlog
Thanksgiving is coming up on November 27th. The Thursday holiday calls for special eats. All the Martha Stewarts can click away now, but anyone looking for places serving Thanksgiving dinner might wan...
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November 13, 2025 at 2:05 AM
Read on for Thanksgiving 2025 menus for area restaurants, delis, and shops offering catered Turkey Day dinners (sides and pies, too), Thanksgiving Day dine in, and gourmet ingredients.
This is hardly an exhaustive list — we didn’t even mention cooking and baking, music, or dance — and there are so many outlets for exploration and connection here in C-U.
Find community in creative practice - Opinion
As we noted last week, we’ve seen a lot of collective action and support in response to the Republican administration’s lawlessness and cruelty. These efforts are essential to surviving this moment. B...
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November 12, 2025 at 3:46 PM
This is hardly an exhaustive list — we didn’t even mention cooking and baking, music, or dance — and there are so many outlets for exploration and connection here in C-U.
Throughout November, The Dispensary in Champaign is hosting a food drive. And it’s not only beneficial by donating foods, especially in this critical time, but you can also earn rewards like shopping special discounts that vary daily and entering raffles.
Contribute to The Dispensary’s annual food drive - SPlog
Throughout November, The Dispensary in Champaign is hosting a food drive. And it’s not only beneficial by donating foods, especially in this critical time, but you can also earn rewards like shopping ...
www.smilepolitely.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Throughout November, The Dispensary in Champaign is hosting a food drive. And it’s not only beneficial by donating foods, especially in this critical time, but you can also earn rewards like shopping special discounts that vary daily and entering raffles.
This Sunday, 217flea will be hosting a vintage market specifically for items under $15 as a sustainable alternative to Black Friday.
Shop affordable vintage clothing this weekend - SPlog
I love vintage clothing, but sometimes it can get pretty expensive. However, this Sunday, 217flea will be hosting a vintage market specifically for items under $15 as a sustainable alternative to Blac...
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November 12, 2025 at 3:42 PM
This Sunday, 217flea will be hosting a vintage market specifically for items under $15 as a sustainable alternative to Black Friday.
Champaign-Urbana has welcomed countless immigrants and refugees over generations, and our stages, classrooms, and kitchens are fuller for it. A View from the Bridge reminds us that “belonging” should not be conditional. If you see someone being targeted, speak up.
KCPA's black-box turned battleground in Arthur Miller’s America - Arts
Walking into Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ Studio Theatre for the first time in years, I felt a small jolt of nostalgia, then surprise. The room I remembered from college looked both famili...
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November 12, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Champaign-Urbana has welcomed countless immigrants and refugees over generations, and our stages, classrooms, and kitchens are fuller for it. A View from the Bridge reminds us that “belonging” should not be conditional. If you see someone being targeted, speak up.
Last week, we published a detailed list of ways to help feed our neighbors. Here are a few additional events coming up this weekend where you can have a good time and help your community.
Here's how to help your community this weekend - SPlog
Last week, Smile Politely published a detailed list of ways to help feed our neighbors. Here are a few additional events coming up this weekend where you can have a good time and help your ...
www.smilepolitely.com
November 12, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Last week, we published a detailed list of ways to help feed our neighbors. Here are a few additional events coming up this weekend where you can have a good time and help your community.
Across our twin cities, across disciplines, across institutions, and community spaces, the people doing the labor of art and humanities are part of a shared system. And that system is only as strong as the relationships that sustain it.
Illinois artists and humanists just mapped the future together right here in C-U - Arts
Last week’s One State in the Arts & Humanities event kicked off at Carmon’s in downtown Champaign; the vibe felt intentionally urban with soft brick, warm light, and the energetic charge of people who...
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November 11, 2025 at 7:24 PM
Across our twin cities, across disciplines, across institutions, and community spaces, the people doing the labor of art and humanities are part of a shared system. And that system is only as strong as the relationships that sustain it.
Ariel Cipolla’s So You Think You Can Stay? arrives at Normal Theater for a new production with Coalescence Theatre Project — still evolving, still urgent, and still refusing to look away.
Normal to host a play that refuses to look away - SPlog
Champaign-Urbana theatre-goers may remember catching an earlier version of Ariel Cipolla’s So You Think You Can Stay? at the Armory Free Theatre back in 2023, when its blend of satire and unease lande...
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November 11, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Ariel Cipolla’s So You Think You Can Stay? arrives at Normal Theater for a new production with Coalescence Theatre Project — still evolving, still urgent, and still refusing to look away.
Omkar ventures to Normal for Detroit-style pizza and more from Pizza Payaa.
Pizza Payaa has stunning Detroit-style pizza - Food & Drink
A few months back, I learned about a pizza restaurant in Normal, Illinois that served up Detroit-style pizzas called Pizza Payaa. I spent the next few months yearning for an excuse to drive out to ...
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November 11, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Omkar ventures to Normal for Detroit-style pizza and more from Pizza Payaa.
Triptych Brewing is releasing a limited edition beer to support Developmental Services Center for their annual Tree of Hope Campaign.
Raise a Little Hope — and a glass of beer - SPlog
Triptych Brewing is releasing a limited edition beer to support the Developmental Services Center for their annual Tree of Hope Campaign. The release is November 13th, but if you can’t make it you can...
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November 11, 2025 at 2:11 AM
Triptych Brewing is releasing a limited edition beer to support Developmental Services Center for their annual Tree of Hope Campaign.
Spring and fall are great for walks and hikes, summer is great for swimming, and winter has a lot of solid options as well.
Make your winter fitness plan - SPlog
Fitness, in this weather? Pft. Listen, it doesn’t sound fun to me to bundle up and go to the gym when it’s just so easy to stay home and cozy. But winter isn’t a good ...
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November 10, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Spring and fall are great for walks and hikes, summer is great for swimming, and winter has a lot of solid options as well.
The trendy store in Lincoln Square Mall has a selection of pieces that KT's describes as a mixture of y2k, vintage sportswear, and gas station fashion.
DEVOTION, Urbana’s newest curated vintage clothing store - Culture
When DEVOTION announced it was opening at Lincoln Square Mall, I knew it would quickly become an important part of my shopping rotation. The trendy store has a selection of pieces that I’d describe as...
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November 10, 2025 at 8:24 PM
The trendy store in Lincoln Square Mall has a selection of pieces that KT's describes as a mixture of y2k, vintage sportswear, and gas station fashion.
You might be affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder with the changing of the season, and Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is sharing some tips on how to conquer The Blahs.
The CUPHD can help you feel a little less SAD - SPlog
That’s Seasonal Affective Disorder if you’re nasty mentally affected by the changing season. If you don’t suffer from this seasonal condition where the gray skies, cold temps, and general meh-ness of ...
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November 10, 2025 at 8:21 PM
You might be affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder with the changing of the season, and Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is sharing some tips on how to conquer The Blahs.