Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/22/2026
3:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location
Hessel Park
Categories
The ILLIAC’s free programming will feature live music, food trucks, and more in Hessel Park alongside Neil Street Plaza, Watson’s Shack & Rail, The Space, and Cowboy Monkey in Downtown Champaign
Champaign Park District and The Nicodemus Agency are proud to announce THE ILLIAC, taking place in Hessel Park and Downtown Champaign, Illinois on Saturday, August 22nd. The third annual installment expands in 2026, kicking off in historic Hessel Park with a free full day of festivities in addition to incorporating Downtown Champaign stages throughout the evening for performances at Neil Street Plaza, Watson’s Shack & Rail, The Space, and Cowboy Monkey.
Once again, The ILLIAC’s centerpiece is Sinfonia da Camera, the in-residence professional chamber orchestra at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, alongside an expansive lineup featuring Tray Wellington’s Heart on the Table, Garrett Boys, David Nance & Mowed Sound, Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective, Big Daddy Pride and The East Side Five, Meadowhawk, Mariachi Libertad, Brain Sex, Granny Square, Centennial Chamber Orchestra, and Red Heart Revolution.
This year’s performance by Sinfonia da Camera will highlight John William’s Star Wars Suite, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the release of Star Wars. Sinfonia da Camera’s full program includes:
Franz Liszt, Les Preludes
Edvard Grieg, “Anitra’s Dance” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, op. 46
John Williams, Star Wars Suite
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1812 Overture
More information can be found at theilliac.com.
Please remember that events may be canceled or rescheduled last minute due to unpredictable weather or other factors. We encourage you to reach out to event organizers before heading out to an event to verify it is still happening.
