Summer is gone but the list of things to do for grownups in Champaign-Urbana isn’t. We’ve compiled some of those things that can make your day just a little more fun in October.
Thanks to Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for presenting this list. Visit the Krannert website to explore the list of entertainment choices for a fun October outing!
Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Virginia Theatre: A classic film hits the Virginia on Oct. 5. Arrive early for a chance to win a goodie bag and enter a free raffle for concert tickets as well as tickets to all remaining movies at the Virginia in 2023.
Immersion Festival 2023: Immersion is a two-day (Oct. 6-7) multidisciplinary experimental arts festival that features a variety of music and video art performances, workshops and art displays. Takes place at Gallery Art Bar in Urbana.
Mac Beth at Parkland College Theatre: Parkland College Theatre Productions continues its performances through Oct. 8 of a 90-minute show described thusly: “Seven students from an all-girls prep school gather in an abandoned lot to stage their own DIY Macbeth. As they do, fantasy seems into reality, and things take a very surprising turn. Erica Schmidt has re-contextualized the classic text into a slick, brash, youthful and streamlined telling that shines a light on the ferocity of adolescence, as well as the seemingly ubiquitous violence in America’s school culture.”
An evening with Brendan Slocumb: Best-selling author Brendan Slocumb, whom The New York Times dubbed “a maestro of musical mystery,” headlines the 7 p.m. event Oct. 12 at Champaign Public Library. However, there are other Slocumb-related events to keep in mind. Check out the details here.
Grammy winners at Krannert Center: Grammy Award winners Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin visit Krannert Center on the evening of Oct. 14. The folk/rock/pop performers have racked up their fair share of hits, and you can be assured Foellinger Great Hall will be full to welcome them. [10/13 Concert postponed according to post on Krannert’s Facebook page]
Pups N Pints Barktoberfest: Pour Bros. in Champaign will benefit Hospice Hearts with its host monthly dog-friendly social. Hang out on the patio with your pooch and some beer and enjoy a fine C-U Sunday afternoon on Oct. 15.
Foreigner: The Greatest Hits Tour: The classic British-American rock band will highlight its numerous hits during a visit to State Farm Center on Oct. 22. With 16 Top 30 hits, rest assured there will be no shortage of ground to cover this evening.
Krannert Center at the Virginia: Rent: The Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning Rent will be staged at the Virginia Oct. 26-28. Shows are each night at 7:30 p.m. Rent follows a year in the lives of young artists trying to navigate political instability, mourning losses and facing the tolls of an emerging deadly virus.
Bill Self returns to Champaign: Oct. 29 will be a big day for Illini sports fans. Former Illini basketball coach Bill Self will bring his Kansas basketball team to State Farm Center for an exhibition game against Illinois with proceeds going to Maui wildfire victims. If you don’t know why this is a big deal, you’re probably either A) not an Illini basketball fan; or B) under 21.
Get scared: All month you can find a venue that will scare the bejeezus out of you, if that’s what you’re looking for. We have a list of places that offer a good scare for adults.