Weekend Preview: Food Truck Fridays & An Oyster Roast

Whew! Last weekend was crazy, but the fun doesn't stop. We're barreling head-first in St. Patrick's Day Weekend next week! Before things get to crazy with pinching and kissing and imbibing, let's start this weekend of partying.

Thursday
Walk The Walk - Want to learn more about Sustain Charlotte’s transportation campaign? The organization will highlight innovation throughout the country and potentially in Charlotte. 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m.  Sugar Creek Brewing Company, 215 Southside Dr. Get on the wait list.

Friday
Gay, Black & The Church - A new BET.com documentary “Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay In the Church" explores homophobia in the black church. This is a touchy subject that often rocks the core of the Black community. I'm moderating the post-screening panel discussion. 6 p.m. New Science Building, Johnson C. Smith University, 100 Beatties Ford Rd. See the panelists.

Amazing Dance - A Butoh style performance isn’t a typical modern dance. It kind of reminds me of real slo-mo pop-lockin' to a didgeridoo instead of hip-hop beats. Judge for yourself at New Frequencies at McColl Center presents Du Yufang. Plus don’t want to miss Charlotte-based ensemble Triptych Collective opening each evening with a new dance performance. 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. McColl Center, 721 N. Tryon St. $10, $12. Tickets.




Food Truck Fridays Are Back!


Friday Night Festival replaced Food Truck Friday in Southend. It’s a collaboration between The Unknown Brewing Company, Craft Tasting Room and Growler Shop along with The Gold District and Historic South End. There will be  multiple food trucks and pop ups and live music. Participants can buy beer from nearby Southend Breweries. Judging how lines typically are, I suggest splitting up and sending one friend to stand in line to get beer and the other two get food. But that's just how I roll. 5 p.m. Unknown Brewing Co. - Parking Lot, 1327 S Mint St.

Matthews Food Truck Fridays features Acoustic South Duo on stage and Sugar. Handmade Gourmet Donuts will also be there along with 10 food trucks. #MatthewsFoodTruckFridays

Saturday
Oyster Roast - This is going to be soo good! Plaza-Midwood’s Annual Shuck & Awe Oyster Roast is an all-you-can eat roast featuring oysters, shrimp and chicken, side dishes and vegetarian options. Catch On is providing the oysters, Birdsong and Legion breweries are pouring the brews. There will also be wine and cocktails. There will be live music from the Shana Blake Band and a DJ.  6 p.m. – 11 p.m. (dinner from 7pm to 9pm), The Historic VanLandingham Estate, 2010 The Plaza. $35 for dinner, dancing, raffle tickets for great door prizes and access to the silent auction. Cash bar. Order tickets.

Bar Crawl -  The 3rd Annual Craft Cocktail will feature speciality drinks from Rooftop 210, Blackfinn, Vida, Strike City, Bubble, Suite, Whisky River,Tinroof, Howl at the Moon and Mortimors. Crawlers will receive a commemorative t-shirt, cup, two free drink tickets, great cocktail special prices, no line and no cover. 8 p.m., 210 EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. $15-$50. Details.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

It's Friday!!! Gospel festival, Breakin' Convention and Cider Festival

The party resumes tonight. The weekend is here with a little outdoor fun and other events that you don't want to miss. 

Congratulations to this week's CiderFest ticket winners: Courtney Gaston, Antanea Mitchell, Sara Silavent, scott warren, Alan Glenn, Carol Towne, Nicole Macenka, Ray McCormick, Inge Stepp
Daniel Yeboah. Next contest for VIP tickets to GraveDiggers Ball will launch next week. Check back!

I have to say a fond farewell to Charlotte Observer Features editor Mike Weinstein. He was my boss in my Paid 2 Party days. He had my back when I angered the big bosses on more than a few occasions - something about strip clubs and OJ Simpson. He also spanked for my occasional misdeeds. Readers will miss his keen editing eye. Good luck Weinstein!

Celebrating #hiphop Thursday night with friends including @tonyajameson, whose Instagram name escapes me. @blumenthalarts getting ready for @breakinconventionclt

A photo posted by Mark Hames (@northlaurelstudio) on Oct 8, 2015 at 7:48pm PDT

See you in the streets. Let's get this party started....



Pet Fundraiser - Help our furry friends at Art Unleashed featuring artists, food and fun. Beneficiaries include: Spay Neuter Charlotte, Chapman's Daschund Rescue and FurBabies Animal Rescue. 5:30 p.m. 528 North Brevard St.

Gospel Fest - The Festival of Praise Tour features multiple Grammy, Stellar, BET Award Winning artists Fred Hammond, Donnie McClurkin and Kim Burrell. 8 p.m. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. $55-$65. Details.

Don't Forget

Break Dancing - The Breakin’ Convention is in an international festival of hip-hp dance theatre Friday and Saturday. Don’t miss the Street Jam, a free family festival at Spirit Square from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  The Obey Your Verse Stage returns at 5 p.m. Saturday. Details.

Cider Festival - This isn’t your grandma’s apple cider. The 2nd Annual Charlotte Cider Festival features the good stuff - hard ciders. Along with sampling hard cider cocktails, participants will also learn how to make cider drinks. 6 p.m. Rooftop 210, 210 East Trade St. $15. Tickets.

  


Night At The Museum - Spend the evening at the Mint. Start with Festive Nights on Broadway featuring professional ballroom and amateur dancers. 6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. $11. Then stay for Mint to Move Cultural Dance Event featuring Afro-Cuban and Latin-American dance music. Live musicians and a spoken-word artist will also perform. Dance Lessons by Rumbao Latin Dance Company. Guests can salsa, bachata, merengue, cha cha, and step to other dance forms relative to various global communities as well as enjoy visual art by local artists. 8 p.m. Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S Tryon St.

Jazz Concert - The New Frequencies jazz series returns with a performance by Erb/Baker/Rosaly Trio. 8 p.m. McColl Center, 721 N Tryon St.

Preview Night - See a preview screening of Steve Crump’s documentary "I'm Walkin' For My Freedom: The Selma March And Voting Rights." It honors the 50th anniversary of the Martin Luther King’s historic march on Selma. 6 p.m. Gantt Center, 551 South Tryon St. $10 for non-members, free for Gantt Center members.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Weekend Preview: Outdoor fun at Breakin' Convention, CiderFest and RenFest

The rain is finally over. It's time to go outside and enjoy the fall weather with outdoor events for the Breakin' Convention, CiderFest and the Renaissance Festival. See you in the streets....

Wednesday
Beats And Words - Local poets and musicians take center stage in this Spanish language event. An Evening of Poetry and Music is a biannual event. 7 p.m. Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Rd. Free. Details.

Thursday
Industry Night - Performances by Dexter Jordan, Yung and Anutha at Carolinas Artist Connection. 8 p.m. Apostrophe Lounge, 1440 South Tryon St.

Friday
Break Dancing - The Breakin’ Convention is in an international festival of hip-hp dance theatre Friday and Saturday. Don’t miss the Street Jam, a free family festival at Spirit Square from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  The Obey Your Verse Stage returns at 5 p.m. Saturday. Details.



Cider Festival - This isn’t your grandma’s apple cider. The 2nd Annual Charlotte Cider Festival features the good stuff - hard ciders. Along with sampling hard cider cocktails, participants will also learn how to make cider drinks. 6 p.m. Rooftop 210, 210 East Trade St. $15. Tickets.

 


Night At The Museum - Spend the evening at the Mint. Start with Festive Nights on Broadway featuring professional ballroom and amateur dancers. 6 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. $11. Then stay for Mint to Move Cultural Dance Event featuring Afro-Cuban and Latin-American dance music. Live musicians and a spoken-word artist will also perform. Dance Lessons by Rumbao Latin Dance Company. Guests can salsa, bachata, merengue, cha cha, and step to other dance forms relative to various global communities as well as enjoy visual art by local artists. 8 p.m. Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S Tryon St.



Jazz Concert - The New Frequencies jazz series returns with a performance by Erb/Baker/Rosaly Trio. 8 p.m. McColl Center, 721 N Tryon St.

Preview Night - See a preview screening of Steve Crump’s documentary "I'm Walkin' For My Freedom: The Selma March And Voting Rights." It honors the 50th anniversary of the Martin Luther King’s historic march on Selma. 6 p.m. Gantt Center, 551 South Tryon St. $10 for non-members, free for Gantt Center members.

Saturday

Medieval Fun! - The Carolina Renaissance Festival returns for weeks of jousting, belly dancing and more. The festival features more than 500 costumed characters, 12 stages of music, comedy and circus entertainment, and more. There are more than 100 vendors in the Village Artisan Marketplace. Various times and dates until Nov. 22.


Family Fun -  Bring your family and create art at Family Art Making Day. Participants will work with McColl Artists-in Residence – Juan Fuentes, Mary Matthews, Mei-ling Hom, Ivan Toth Depeña, and Stephen L. Hayes Jr. – in their studios. Plus, help paint a mural on the front lawn with Artists-in-Residence Mobile Mural Lab. Free. 12 p.m. McColl Center, 2730 Randolph Rd.

Sunday

OktoberFest - Bar games just got a touch of fall with a Stein holding contest to go with the usual bar games at OktoberFest. Beers include Spaten, Spaten Octoberfest and Fraiziskaner. 1 p.m. Rusty Rudder, 20210 Henderson Rd #101, Cornelius.

Celebrity Appearance - Super Fresh Sundays will be hosted by rapper Yo Gotti. Music by Ciroc Boy DJ SNS and DJ Ngenius and co-hosted by Mugsy and Neezy. 10 p.m. The All New White House Club (formerly Tempo), 4809 Wilkinson Blvd. Details.




Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Dirty Dancing party tonight

It's Friiiidddayyyyy! The party starts now. Here are my highlights for tonight, and check out my list of fave Pride events.

Something Different - This sounds so cool - a dance festival themed after the movie "Dirty Dancing." The Dirty Dancing Festival starts with a movie screening tonight and events including dance lessons and games on Saturday. 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Morse Park Meadows, 2948 Memorial Highway, Lake Lure. Free today. Details.

Don't Miss


Last Chance - Experience Prison Zoo, a multimedia exhibition by artist Alix Lambert, and say goodbye to Summer 2015 artists Charles Williams, Caroline Rust, Erik Waterkotte, Endia Beal, Matt Horick, and Taproot. There will be live music, appetizers and a cash bar. 6–9 p.m. Free and we’ll have music, light hors-d’oeuvres, and a cash bar. Details.

Dance Party - Love Mint to Move! Afro-Cuban and Latin-American music with DJ Carlos LeBron, Jerry Giraud, Angel Delgado, and Brandon Nater. This a fun, diverse dance event. Rumbao Latin Dance Company dance lessons starts at 8:45 p.m. 8 p.m. Mint Museum, 500 S Tryon St. Details.

House Music Party - House music fans come out tonight for House Wars, a FREE event featuring UK DJ Chris Sterio of Gravity. Other featured DJs are Sean McClellan and Chad McNeely. Stew Art will also be doing live painting throughout the course of the night! 9 p.m. Crown Station, 1425 Elizabeth Ave.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Several places to get your groove on tonight!

Music fans get ready for a day of booming beats ranging from soul to punk to Latin. Yep, the parties span all types of music genres. Pick your style and have fun. See you in the streets. Let's get this party started.


Music Festival - Get your punk fix at the Punk Rock Picnic 8 with local and regional bands: Swell Friends, The Commonwealth, No Anger Control, Chalkies, The Beeps, Random Conflict, Corporate Fandango, Turd Cutter, YARBS, Aloha Broha. 3 p.m. Tremont Music Hall, 400 W. Tremont Ave. $8. Details.

Soul Pop Groove - Enjoy the sounds of Miami Dice featuring Scott Weaver and Cement Stars’ Shaun Olsen and Josh Foggart. The grooves range from soul-pop to electro and more. Read Courtney Devores review of tonight’s show. 10 p.m., Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. $5. Details.

Draught 1-Year Anniversary - Rockhouse Events presents Saturday Night Lights Cornhole, a free corn hole tournament at night under the lights. The tourney is part of Draught’s one-year celebration. Drink specials, live music, and food. 7 p.m. Draught, 601 S. Cedar St.

Don't Forget

Shake Something - Put your salsa and tango lessons to work at the Latina American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte Summer Fiesta & Fundraiser. Ricardo Diquez & the Tropic Orchestra will perform salsa, merengue and tropical music. DJ Khriz will spin reggae ton, bachata, club and more. 9 p.m. LaCa Projects, 1429 Bryant St. $50 and must be purchased in advance. Tickets. 

Silky Soul - It’s not summer in Charlotte without a concert by Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. The soul singer headlines the Soulmatic Music Festival which also features SWV, Jagged Edge, Whodini and others. 4 p.m. Metrolina Expo, 7100 Statesville Road. $35 and up. Details.

Get Artistic - This isn’t a sip and wine event, but you can explore your inner artists at Open Studio Saturday at the McColl Center. This will be the last Open Studio Saturday for Summer Affiliate Artists Charles Williams, Caroline Rust, Erik Waterkotte, Endia Beal, Matt Horick, and Taproot. Free. 12-4 p.m. Details

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Swiss jazz trio jams at McColl Center (Video)

The Swiss trio Der WaWaWa was engaging and fun at the McColl Center on Wednesday. Saxophonist Benedict Reising joked about the bands appreciation of the Wild Wild West as well the challenges of translating their song titles into English. The group's performance was part of the McColl's New Frequencies program which spotlights experimental films and live jazz. It's funded by the Knight Foundation. Don't miss tonight's graffiti art show at Queens.