Fire-eating exotic dancer, brewery opening and college hoops!

It's a night of goodbyes with the end of this season's Jazz Arts Iniative, Charlotte Craft Beer Week and the final Late Night Run, but there's plenty of partying to do. March Madness is underway and the upsets are already happening. See you in the streets....

Celebrate Movement - The 10th Anniversary of Charlotte Dance Festival brings us a weekend of performances and classes. Starts this morning with a show by Caroline Calouche & Company’s. Tonight’s performance is Follow the Light/Bodiography. The big day is Saturday with multiple performances. 10 a.m. Various locations Uptown. Schedule. 

Adult Science - I love sci-fi! This month’s edition of Science on the Rocks: Final Frontier is going to be awesome. It features a chance to try the virtual reality Oculus Rift as well as compressed air rockets and more. Ooh, I hope they have blaster and a tricorder. Don’t miss the adults only fun. 5 p.m. Discovery Place, 301 N Tryon St. $8.

Lent Fit

Late Night Run - No, this isn’t a run Taco Bell after a night of imbibing. The 10th and Final Midnight Run is a foot on pavement run on the 2.9 mile Booty Loop after a night of partying. Or you could start your night of partying here. 11:45 p.m. tProvidence and Queens in the Myers Park Methodist Parking lot across from Ultra Running Company. It goes until 6 a.m.  Free, but donations accepted for Camp Luck. Details.

Road Race - Tour the Elizabeth neighborhood in Charlotte’s oldest road race, the 30th Annual Elizabeth Road Race. Post-race fun includes beer, live music from School of Rock, and Elvis, a.k.a., the Big E. Proceeds keep Elizabeth beautiful. 6:45 a.m. Saturday Register at Hawthorne Recreation Center, Independence Park 345 Hawthorne Lane. Details.
 

Don't Forget

Last One - The Jazz Arts Initiative concludes its sixth season with a tribute to North Carolina native Nina Simone. The Saturday show features trumpeter Mark Rapp playing the music of Miles Davis. 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., Stage Door Theater, corner of 5th and College in Uptown Charlotte. $12, $15. Details.

She’s Hot - I’ve seen plenty of adult entertainers, but Angel Beau brings the heat with her fire-breathing show. She also rolls on a bed of machete blades. Scores Gentlemens Club & Steakhouse, 123 Executive Center Place. Mooresville $10.

 

Brewery Opening - Concord is getting its first full-scale brewery and taproom. Cabarrus Brewing Company opens its 5,000 square foot taproom featuring large TVs and occasional live music. 2 p.m. today, opens noon Saturday and Sunday, Cabarrus Brewing, 329 McGill Ave NW, Concord.

She’s A Poet - Self-described Artivist Chiara Richardson headlines the Power of SHE Poetry Slam. Richardson is a published poet, actress, artist, educator, and activist. 8 p.m., McGlohon Theater, 345 N. College St. $12. Details.

Holla: Sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Bikes, artful dance, beer festival and Best Of!

Get up and get out early today. Beer festivals, dance, art and music. No rest for the weary. Let's get this party started!


Rock ’n’ Soul - According to Courtney's Soundbites, Les Baines III and the Glory Fires delivers blistering performances of well-educated punk and literary folk-meets-Southern rock. Late Bloomer, Totally Slow, and Motel will open. 9 p.m., The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd., $8.

 


Family Fun

Art Through Dance  - Get the whole family moving at Family First: Danstallations. Kinetic Works dancers interpret art through dance. It’s part mystery and part activity. By the end of the program, the entire family will be creating dances to art. 11 a.m., Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, 551 South Tryon St. Free with museum admission. Limited Street parking available and paid parking decks.

Cool Bikes - Head uptown to see world class bikers compete in the Novant Health Invitational Criterium. It’s an all day event with an expo, BMX Freestyle shows, and the races. 2:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Uptown.





Don't Forget

Best Of Awards - This best of awards celebration benefits Project Halo. Enjoy beer and cocktails specials, appetizers, a fashion show and more at Elevate Lifestyle Best of the City Awards 2015 Celebration. 7 p.m., LABEL Charlotte, 900 NC Music Factory Blvd. $5.

Beer Benefit - Creative Loafing’s Moo & Brew Craft Beer & Burger Fest isn’t just another beer festival. Well it is, but it benefits Second Harvest Food Bank. The event features samplings from 40 breweries and bottle shops and food from 10 local restaurants. Music by Ancient Cities, DJ Overcast and Langhorne Slim and the Law. 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. NC Music Factory, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd. $45.

Cultural Initiative: Batman, skateboards and ramen

Cheery women posed with mannequin parts on the small stage at the Chop Shop while Ryan Fenix Sumner snapped pictures. A half dozen people buried their heads in  bowls of ramen noodles. Scores of others milled about admiring art that ranged from a skateboard sculpture to framed paintings and photos. On the mainstage, Adrian Crutchfield, Tony Diaz, and others performed. In masking tape squares, random party-goers danced dramatically. Human mannequins posed on a platform. A handful of vendors hawked everything from coffee to handcrafted items. All of this occurred at the exact same time.

Saturday was my first time experiencing Cultural Initiative. At first it, felt overwhelming. So much happening simultaneously. Then I felt emancipated. I'm so accustomed to events being linear experiences. There's a set schedule. Typically all of my attention must be focused on the main performer on stage, then the next performer.

Cultural Initiative let the audience decide. It was a refreshing approach to entertainment. I caught a little bit of everything, talked with friends, made new acquaintances all at my own pace. Kudos to Joel Andrew Tracey and the rest of the Cultural Initiative collective for trusting that the audience could experience the evening on its own terms.

ACC Fan Fest, art social and a new brunch

A big congratulations to the organizers of the Novant Health Thanksgiving Parade. Attendance reached an estimated 70,000 this year! The parade kicked off  the most wonderful time of the year when football and basketball collide with shopping and parties. Let's get started.

Thursday 

Country star - Brantley Gilbert most recently opened for Toby Keith and Tim McGraw, but now he's headlining his own arena show. 7 p.m. Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 E. Trade St.  $34.78-$47.89. Read Theoden Janes' article on Gilbert.





Family Fun - Head to The Square for Lights On the Square: The Uptown Tree Lighting. ACC mascots join the festivities to start the ACC Tournament weekend. Families can enjoy Santa Village in Polk Park (free photos!), and a performance by The Wonderettes! Food trucks will be there too. 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. The Square, Trade and Tryon streets. Tree lighting starts shortly after 6:30pm. Parking tips.

Friday

It's Your Anniversary - Birdsong Brewery Third Year Anniversary features new brews each weekend night starting tonight with Puppies on Penguins and Nighthawk Postcard, Sour Stout with Raspberries. The three-day celebration begins at 4 p.m. Birdsong Brewery, 2315 N Davidson St. 











Cats! Cats! Cats! - Join the Queen City Cats, UK alumni group, when the #BBN takes over Sip Charlotte, 200 N. Tryon St. Suite 100 to watch Kentucky v. Texas. 7 p.m.

Saturday

Family fun - The ACC Football Championship is today so there's lots of free fun. It starts with the ACC Fan 5K and Kids Mascot Run at 8 a.m., Wells Fargo Plaza, Uptown Charlotte. Then enjoy free concerts, autograph sessions and watch ACC mascots square off during the ACC  Football Championship Fan Fest. Noon - 7 p.m., adjacent to Bank of America Stadium along Mint, Graham and Stonewall streets. Florida State vs. Georgia Tech starts at 8 p.m. Purchase tickets.

Party With Local Grassroots Artists - Cultural Initiative: An Art Social Fresh showcases 25 local and regional grassroots artists.  Their works will be on display and for sale, but this is more than an art show. The music will be ridiculous featuring: Miami Dice and Elonzo, and Charlotte's Justin Aswell along with vocals by Charleston's Jordan Igoe. 8:30 p.m. Neighborhood Theater. Limited free street parking. Bring cash for parking.

6th Annual Red Pump/Red Tie Affair - This is the signature event for the Red Pump Project which highlights HIV and AIDS impact on women and girls. The event will feature a fashion show, a silent auction and local boutiques. R.A.I.N. President and CEO Rev. Debbie Warren is this year's honoree.  7 - 10 p.m.,  Hart Witzen Gallery, 136 E 36th St. Tickets: $40. Driving Alert: Access via South Tryon Street instead of North Davidson Street because of road construction.

Sunday

New Brunch Spot - Restaurant critic Helen Schwab reports that Lumiere plans to start serving Sunday brunch today. More details on Helen's blog. Update 12/7! Lumiere says they are not serving brunch.

Read more here: http://helendining.blogspot.com/#storylink=cpy

Don't be shy: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Sour Beer, Latin Dancing And Running In The Streets

Welcome to Sip + Play: Things To Do In Charlotte. Each week, I’ll be your online guide to things to do in Charlotte, especially on the weekends. On Wednesdays, I'll give you a preview. Think of it like entertainment tapas. A taste of what happening this weekend in restaurants, nightlife, music, art and more. Basically, if it sounds fun, I’ll share it with you in Sip + Play. On the weekends, look for live coverage from events as well as more things to do and of course - a party or two!!! Let’s have some fun. I’m starting tonight with the Charlotte Bourbon Club for Bourbonista’s Bourbon & Babble.

  Tonight

Beer and Adventure - Two of my passions come together - hardcore fitness and beer - at the Whitewater Race Series Party, 6 p.m., NoDa Brewing Company, 2229 N Davidson St. Grab a NoDa Brewing's newly released Ashley's Love Potion, a Saison, and see what’s in store for the 2015 race season.

For The Naughty - After a six-year hiatus the Suicide Girls return with their popular Burlesque Tour. Suicide Girls Blackheart Burlesque, 9 p.m.,  at Fillmore Charlotte, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd.

Fresh Beats - Rapid rhythms, live instrumentals and a fancy drum machine have made DJ AraabMuzik a rising star on the DJ scene. He's worked with ASAP Rocky, Azealia Banks, Jadakiss, Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent and Eminem and more.  Doors open at 10 p.m., Suite.

  Friday

Dancing Uptown -  Art and dancing unite at Mint To Move Cultural Dance Night. There will be Afro-Cuban and Latin-American music by DJ Pepito and live musicians. Featured performances: Café Amaretto Music with Ana Lucia Divins and Rumbao Latin Dance Company. 8 p.m. - Midnight. Mint Museum Uptown.

Saturday 

 Running and Partying - It’s the Thunder Road Marathon and the fun begins at 8 a.m. at Romare Bearden Park. Don’t feel like going uptown? The race will likely come to you with live music performances or a DJ at various mile markers along the way. Here's the line up. I'll be live-tweeting from some of the neighborhood block parties along the route. Follow me at this link or grab your bike and join me.




Sour Beer Lovers - If the name doesn’t entice you, the beer will. It’s Release The Funk 2: The Electric Funkaloo presented by Salud Beer Shop & New Belgium Brewing. 1 p.m. - 5 p.m, Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E 36th St. More than two dozen breweries are expected to participate. Get tickets here.








 Sunday 

For the Family - Don’t miss Art & Soul at Latibah Collard Green Museum, 720 Tuckaseegee Rd. Enjoy music by A Sign of The Times Band, live music and art auction and of course soul food. 980-206-1768.


Don't be shy: Tonya Jameson, sipandplayclt@gmail.com