Fall Festivities in Champaign-Urbana

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Lauren Camarillo

After a long, hot summer in Champaign-Urbana, we are very excited to get in the spirit of the Fall season with these local events. With a range of spooky to sweet activities, you’ll see that there’s something for everyone!! Learn more below!

Champaign Urbana Folk and Roots Festival logo banner

C-U Folk & Roots Festival

Downtown Urbana, IL

October 18-20

Don’t miss the tenth year anniversary of the Champaign-Urbana Folk and Roots Festival! This event is completely volunteer-run and brings together national, regional, and local artists and folk organizations to perform throughout downtown Urbana. The festival includes performances, dances, instructional sessions, jams, song-circles, family activities, storytelling, instrument-making, and more. For more information, visit the Folk and Roots Festival website!

Live Music at Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch

3902 S Duncan Rd, Champaign, IL

Ending October 28

Join in some toe-tapping live music most Saturdays and Sundays in October at the Oz Pavilion, located in the Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch. While you’re there, enjoy a homegrown array of pure-Fall-fun activities, including pumpkin and apple picking, or exploring the corn mazes. Don’t forget to pick up some of their famous, fresh apple cider donuts! Take a look at the band list, and find out more about events at the orchard. If you’d like more information, please visit the Curtis Orchard website!

Pumpkins with a Purpose!

701 E Florida Ave, Urbana IL

October 14-31

The Pumpkin Patch at Trinity Lutheran Church, Urbana, IL will be open October 14th-October 31st from noon until 6:00 p.m. daily, with a variety of pumpkins and decorative gourds available. Family Fun Day will be Saturday, October 20 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Come choose a pumpkin and have fun with face painting, inflatables, and pumpkin decorating! Each purchase supports the following charitable causes: Haiti Feeding Program, the Orphan Grain Train, Eastern Illinois Food Bank, and Operation Christmas Child. For more information, refer to the Pumpkins with a Purpose calendar event!

Dallas and Co Haunted Room Advertisement

Dallas & Co Haunted Room

Dallas & Company’s Haunted Room

101 E University Ave, Champaign, IL

Every weekend in October

Strange things happen in the Dallas and Company Haunted Room. Those who dare to enter are greeted with a talking ghost, witches, zombies, skeletons and what APPEARS to be lifeless bodies. The Haunted Room is only open for a few weekends in October, and participants can only go through once because we believe it’s all your heart can stand. Follow them on social media for exact opening times. If you’d like more information, visit the Dallas & Co. website!

Happy October!

Written by Morgan

Edited by Lauren, Zander and Kirsten

October Events 2017

Posted on October 5, 2017 by AR

Attention fall lovers: your time to shine is HERE! Find all kinds of Halloween happenings and autumn activities around campus and Champaign-Urbana during the month of October. Whether you want to be chased by killer clowns, dance to the Time Warp, or drink some apple cider in the crisp fall air, read on to find the perfect October event for you!

One Book One Campus G. Willow Wilson Author Lecture

Friday, October 6^th7pm at Illini Union. Free admission.

U of I is yet again participating in One Book One Campus, and this year we are reading Ms. Marvel #1: No Normal. Go to the Illini Union for a chance to see the author, G. Willow Wilson speak. Immediately after the lecture, there will be a book signing and refreshments. You do not want to miss out!

Flannel Fest

Saturday, October 7^th, 11am-4pm at Hessel Park. Free admission.

Don your favorite plaid shirt and head over to Flannel Fest for a day filled with fall activities! There will be music, art, games, food trucks, and even a mustache contest. With the Timberwork’s Lumberjack show doing demos throughout the day, this is an event you don’t want to miss! Check out the Facebook event page to get a full schedule.

Hocus Pocus Screening

Saturday, October 7^th, 2 pm at The Virginia Theater. $5 admission.

Let the Sanderson Sisters put a spell on you during this screening of the classic Halloween movie! The perfect way to spend an October afternoon. Find tickets and more information at their Facebook event page.

Midway of Madness

Every Friday and Saturday in October (plus Halloween), 6pm-11pm. $15 admission.

Scare yourself silly at the Champaign County Fairgrounds. Midway of Madness is the perfect haunted house attraction for all you thrill seekers looking for a fun Halloween event.

Check out their website for more information… if you dare!

Fall Festival

Sunday, October 8^th, 3pm-6pm at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery. Free Admission.

This cute celebration of fall will include cider-pressing demonstrations, apple cider floats for purchase, $5 hayrides through the farm, and more! Enjoy the beautiful fall weather by strolling around this local farm and checking out all they have to offer.

Illini Wellness Week

October 9^th-12^th, Locations Vary

Don’t forget to take care of your health this month! Student Affairs will be set up at different locations around campus October 9-12 and offering varying services such as yoga, counseling services, a health expo, and the ever pawpular therapy dogs! One therapy dog will be at the UGL from 1-3 pm on Monday, October 9^th. For a full list of events and locations, visit their Facebook event page.

The Toast of Champaign

Saturday, October 14^th, 1-10 pm at The Blind Pig Brewery

For those over 21, The Blind Pig is hosting a “hyper-local” beer fest! Swing by their beer garden to check out some local favorite breweries include Triptych Brewing, Riggs Beer Company, and many more! More information is available at their Facebook event page.

Curtis Orchard and Pumpkin Patch

Through October. Free Admission, prices for activities varied.

One of the most popular fall destinations in the C-U area is Curtis Orchards! Just a fifteen minute drive from campus, Curtis Orchard & Pumpkin Patch features U-Pick apples, a petting zoo, corn maze, pumpkin patch, hayrides, and live music. Check out their Facebook page for more information!

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Friday, October 20; Saturday, October 21; Wednesday, October 25; Thursday, October 26, 10pm at The Art Theater. $10 admission.
Event is anticipated to fully sell out. Buy tickets early!

What’s the Halloween season without a late night screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show? Grab some friends and head over to The Art Theater where the Illini Student Musicals will be accompanying the movie with their live performance. Don’t forget to practice your Time Warp moves!

Can’t make the Art Theater dates? Try to catch the screening of the film at the Virginia Theater on Saturday, October 28^th at 7pm. Tickets are $5.

Links to purchase tickets can be found on the Facebook event pages:

The Art Theater

The Virginia Theater

Hopefully we’ve covered most of the major events happening around Champaign-Urbana for the month of October, but if we missed anything, reach out to us on our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages, and stay tuned for an events post every month!

October Events

Posted on September 28, 2015 by JMS

October is the spookiest month, to misquote a famous author, and there’s a huge variety of seasonal events going on around Champaign-Urbana. Though we typically aim to provide you all with something to do each week, this month we’re going to share events that are date specific, as well as some that are happening throughout the month. If you like to be scared, we’ve got some haunted houses. If you like to have things a bit less blood-curdling, we’ve got corn mazes and other fall themed events. There’s a little something for everyone!

Photo taken from Curtis Orchard

Curtis Orchards – All Month
Curtis Orchards is the perfect place to really get in the fall mood. Whether you have a hankering for some apples or pumpkins, want to play some mini-golf, or listen to some great roots music, Curtis Orchards is a local favorite for autumnal fun. There’s also the Country Store to satisfy your need for fudge, along with some award-winning apple cider. Our mouths are watering just thinking about it.
http://curtisorchard.com/

Photo taken from the Art Theater Co-op

Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Art Theater Co-op- October 16-17
It’s astounding! If you’ve never seen the Rocky Horror Picture, it’s an absolute must for the month of October and for the rest of the year. If you’ve never been to a live-cast performance, then you are doubly responsible for going to see what all the fun is about. The stars and highlights of this film are too innumerable to list here, so make your way over to the Art for an experience you won’t soon forget.
http://www.arttheater.coop/rocky-horror-picture-show/

Photo taken from the Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch

Corn Maze at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in Rantoul- All Month
Corn mazes are an essential autumn experience and a great way to spend a Saturday. This particular maze at Hardy’s Reindeer Ranch in nearby Rantoul is shaped like a giant eagle carrying an American flag. If that isn’t a recipe for an amazing day, we don’t know what is. For those of you with a taste for horror, there is also the option to do the maze at night with a flashlight. If those aren’t reason enough to go and do this, there’s a giant pumpkin cannon. Sold.
http://www.reindeerranch.com/maze.html

The National Circus and Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China at Krannert – October 21 at 7pm
Though it may not fall in with the whole theme of spookiness and fall fun we have going so far, this event is too awesome to pass up. As the event description says, these acrobats are “among the world’s most acclaimed athletes.” We don’t have much else to say because this seems so cool in and of itself, but if you need more convincing, just look them up on YouTube. It’s amazing.
http://krannertcenter.com/performance.aspx?id=20157211038494912817410782

Photo taken from the Bone Saw Mill

Haunted Houses at Bone Saw Mill- All Month
And you were here thinking we’d end this blog without mentioning a haunted house in the month of October. This one actually features two different haunts this year including “The Freak Show: Field of Fears” and “The Haunt at Bonesaw Mill”, so those of you seeking a scare are in for quite the treat.
http://freakshowillinois.com/

Did we miss anything? Let us know on Facebook (Undergraduate Library @ UIUC) or Twitter (askundergrad)!

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