Calendar

Join us for a month-long celebration of new vegan dishes all over Champaign! Businesses across the area will showcase exciting special vegan menu items, giving everyone the opportunity to explore creative plant-based dishes crafted by talented local chefs.

How It Works:
- Visit participating restaurants throughout Champaign
- Try their exclusive vegan offerings.
- Share your experience—vote, comment, post photos of your favorite meals, and tag us at @veganchefchallengeMW
This event is open to everyone—not just vegans! It’s about bringing our community together to celebrate incredible food and support Champaign chefs.

Get Involved:
Looking for ways to connect? Volunteer with us! We’re seeking passionate individuals to help with outreach, event promotion, and community building throughout the month. It's a great way to meet like-minded people and make a difference! Volunteer using this link: TinyURL.com/VOLVCC
Join us in making Champaign an even more inclusive, vibrant, and compassionate community.
For details on participating businesses, menus, sponsorship opportunities, and more, visit our website at veganchefchallenge.org/Champaign

Come see UIS Students and faculty, along with members of the Springfield community perform contemporary and experimental music including a World Premiere of a piece composed collaboratively by all the members of the Ensemble! This concert is FREE!

Food Not Bombs Springfield, IL will have boxes of free produce for anyone who wants to take some home or take to others. Bring your grocery bags or use one of ours, and be part of a movement that reduces food waste by rescuing food and directing it back to the community. Haymarket Day Festival, the host event, is free and open to all.

3 barns - 3 acres - 100+ curated vendors. Unique vintage and antiques, handmade goods, flea market treasures, boutiques, food trucks, live music and lots of fun!

🌸 Spring into Creativity 🌸
Join us for a SPRING CRAFT CROP!
May 2, 2026 - 9am-6pm
$30 per person includes Lunch!
It’s time to clear off your craft table, pack up your projects, and spend a full day creating with friends!
Prairie Stampers is hosting a Spring CRAFT CROP and you’re invited to work on your scrapbooking, cardmaking, paper crafting, or any creative project your heart desires.

📍 Location: Douglas Avenue United Methodist Church,
501 S Douglas Ave, Springfield, IL 62704.

Contact: PrairieStampers@gmail.com for registration information

Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Karen Anderson tells the stories of women of color in 1760 French America who legally freed themselves from slavery only to be bound by government laws. She will discuss women like Sarah Baartman, who had to choose between being a circus oddity or a slave, and Sarah Breedlove and Ann Malone, who changed the way women of African descent saw themselves - how these women redefined beauty. She will reflect on a recent development: our society sees women of color as beautiful. Funded by Illinois Humanities

You'll be inside the music when twenty-one performers ring the UIS Colonnade, surrounding the audience, as we present Terry Riley's experimental masterwork "In C". While fully notated, "In C" is never trhe same twice. You'll be encouraged to shape your own unforgettable experience by moving throughout the space.

Join us for a fascinating evening focussed on the Eastern Caribbean, a vibrant and diverse region grappling with a unique set of challenges. Ambassador Linda Taglialatela will discuss her experience as she served as the U. S. Ambassador to seven Caribbean nations (Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominca, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) from 2016 to 2023. She will discuss Russian and Chinese influence in the region, the impact of climate change, economic uncertainties after the pandemic and counter-narcotics efforts. The Ambassador will share her insights on efforts to address security challenges and to improve disaster preparedness. Chef will prepare a delicious buffet of Caribbean cuisine.

A public reading by Springfield essayist James Thompson featuring original essays on addiction, recovery, memory, and meaning. The event will include a live reading followed by questions and open conversation. The tone is reflective rather than clinical-- intended for anyone interested in recovery, storytelling, or how people make sense of their lives. Donations are accepted but not required.

Join us on Thursday, May 14 from 9-11 am at the INB Chatham Branch for a free shred event in support of Titan Fuel!
Bring your documents to safely dispose of, and help make a difference - donations will be accepted to benefit Titan Fuel and their mission. You can bring up to 5 bags or boxes of shred.
To learn more about what to expect at a shred event, visit inb.com/shredevent.
We hope to see you there!