Category Archives: Holidays

We are just three days away from Christmas, a day when many gather with loved ones to celebrate. 2020 will look very different for many, and we thank all of you who have made the difficult sacrifices to limit gatherings of all kinds to keep our community safe. As we saw during Thanksgiving, our residentsContinue reading “12 Ways to Holiday Safely”

Our year-end holidays are well under way. Protecting your family, friends, and community should be at the top of your list this season. As we await a vaccine, the Illinois Department of Public Health has various recommendations to keep you safe. Planning holiday travel? Among their recommendations, “Carry a small personal sanitizing kit that containsContinue reading “Holiday Season Safety Tips”

While Tier Three mitigations remain in place under the Restore Illinois plan, we continue to play bartender at home. Hunter with Punch! Bar & Lounge in downtown Champaign shows us an easy make-at-home drink that is sure to keep us warm on these cold winter nights. If you’re not up to being the mixologist atContinue reading “A Make-At-Home Recipe with Punch!”

Continuing to plan your reduced-size holiday meal? Cooking everything at home may not be necessary. We asked individuals working behind the scenes on Champaign County Safe what dish they would bring from a local restaurant to a holiday meal. Here’s what they had to say. FIRST COURSE To kick off this community potluck, we haveContinue reading “A Virtual Community Potluck”

As Christmas looms on the horizon, we continue to look for ideas and inspiration to adapt our holiday traditions. While you look for ways to connect while keeping you and your loved ones safe, we asked Don Elmore, Director for the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Champaign County Economic Development Corporation and owner ofContinue reading “A Virtual Holiday with Don Elmore”

Those classic pictures of children sitting with Santa may be canceled this year, but there’s still opportunities to spot him around town! The Champaign Center Partnership is hosting Santa in downtown, campustown, and midtown this month for socially distanced photos. Catch him at these dates and times: Campustown, Saturday, December 5, 2:00–3:00 p.m. Midtown, Saturday,Continue reading “Spotting Santa”

Our holiday dinners will look different this year, as we keep safe distances from friends and family. However, that doesn’t stop you from having the perfect pairing of beer or wine with your meal. We asked some local experts what they would pair together. Check out what Todd at Art Mart, and Katie at RiggsContinue reading “Beer & Wine Pairings for Your Stay at Home Holiday”

Steph Petrov is a junior in Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign  and current president of the local chapter of Amnesty International, a student program of the University YMCA.  Like many other undergraduate students on campus, Steph is home for the holidays until the end of January. With both of her parents likelyContinue reading “A Virtual Holiday with Steph Petrov”

This Giving Tuesday, we recognize the many challenges our community is faced with during the pandemic. There are many options to donate to the organizations that support our residents, students, workers and our overall community vitality. The spirit of giving goes beyond one day this holiday season. As you continue to build new traditions inContinue reading “The Spirit of Giving”

I did not grow up with Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is an American holiday with its attendant traditions.  Being an immigrant from Singapore, I had to learn what Thanksgiving is all about.  When my husband, Lawson, and I first arrived in Illinois as international students, church friends invited us into their homes to share in their ThanksgivingContinue reading “A Virtual Holiday with Dr. Pam Lau”