Weekend Preview: The Oktoberfest, Hola and Style Night Out

The rain was great last weekend, but after a week straight, we could use a break. Luckily, there's plenty of indoor fun to be had. If you're brave enough to endure the unpredictable rain there are a couple of festivals worth checking out. Let's get this party started. See you in the streets...
Wednesday
Fabu Deejays - See Fabulous, DJ Dummy and DJ Mustard at this latest installment of the Coors Light Soundtrack Finale. Free. Must RSVP.

 Zora Neale Hurston Play - The latest On Q production is Spunk. The production company takes on “Sweat, In Harlem Slang” and “The Gilded Six Bits” by Zora Neale Hurston. Adaptation by George C. Wolfe. Music by Chic Street Man. Directed by Jermaine Nakia Lee. Tonight through Oct. 10. Duke Energy, 345 N College St. $28. Tickets.

He’s Not A Terrorist - Iranian-American comedian Maz Jobrani jokes about airport security, and a variety of Middle Eastern stereotypes in his stand up. 8 p.m. The Comedy Zone, Suite B3, 900 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd. Tickets.

Thursday
Fashion Night - Nearly two dozen boutiques will participate in Style Night Out, which benefits Carolina Breast Friends. It’s an Effie Loukas production so you know it’ll be hot. Featured boutiques include KK Bloom Boutique, SILVERFLY, Our Place Boutique, Ladies of Lineage, Vestique Charlotte, The Cheeky Bean, Taylor Richards & Conger, Sweet Repeats Upscale Consignment Boutique, Scout & Molly's of Charlotte, The Pink Hanger, Chezelle Boutique, Petal Boutique, Monkee's of Lake Norman (Davidson) , CLTCH , LOTUS, Luis Machcao, Blank Canvas, Mila Amor, South End Chic, Pixton Bridal, Revolution. 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. CenterStage@NODA, 2315 N. Davidson St. Parking is available on site at the event. Dress: Cocktail Attire. Details.

Breast Cancer Fundraiser - Pink Pint Night kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness month. Features live music, food trucks, and a special pink brew. 4 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.  NoDa Brewing Company, 2921 N. Tryon St. Free.

Friday
Best Of - Creative Loafing hosts their annual Best of Charlotte party to honor winners. Live music by Ancient Cities and Mayhue Bostic Group. Friday, Oct. 2 at the Harvey Gantt Center! Tickets include admission, drinks from Tito's Vodka, Red Oak Brewing and Barefoot Wines, catering by La Tea Da's. Cocktail attire is encouraged. 6-10 p.m. Harvey Gantt Center, 551 S Tryon St. $20. Details.

Saturday

Gospel Event - Join Tasha Cobbs, William Murphy & Kevin LeVar live performance in the One Place Live Tour. Cobbs is a three-time Stellar and Dove awards winner. She’s also a Grammy winner. 7 p.m.,  Victory Christian Center, 7228 Kings Ridge Drive. $20 and up. Tickets.

Rescheduled! Hispanic Festival - The Fourth Annual Hola Charlotte Hispanic Heritage Festival features Latin festivals, live performances, Latin American cultural village, Latin cuisine and  kids activities. 12 p.m. Hola Charlotte, Tryon St. Between Trade and 7th St. Details. This has now been rescheduled for Oct 18.




Original Beer Festival - In the summer months, there’s seems to be a beer festival every weekend, but Charlotte OktoberFest was one of the first. The 17th Annual Charlotte Oktoberfest features more than 95 craft breweries and cideries. 2 p.m. NC Music Factory, 1000 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd. $45. Details.

Sunday
Hair Expo - Learn about natural hair care at the Charlotte Natural Hair Care & Health Expo Transformation tour. It’s a hair show featuring poetry performers, poets and more. 12 p.m. Wadsworth House Estates, 400 Summit Ave. $10.

Ticket Giveaway!!!

Sip + Play CLT is giving away more tickets! Craft ciders are the newest evolution in Charlotte's growing brewing industry. Don't miss a chance to win free tickets to CiderFest at the EpiCentre on Oct. 9. Enter here.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Fall fashion preview, Greek Festival, St. Paul & The Broken Bones

Wednesday
Explore Jazz - The Jazz Arts Initiative and the Harvey B. Gantt Center present Jazz in Session. Davidson College’s Lovell Bradford will lead the discussion of Herbie Hancock's milestone recording, “Maiden Voyage.” Bradford will discuss Hancock’s inspiration and other recordings. 6 p.m. tour the galleries and enjoy cocktails. 7 p.m. listening Session. Harvey B. Gantt Center at Levine Center for the Arts, 551 South Tryon St. $10 for non-members, free for JAI and Gantt Center members. Tickets.

Thursday
Gyros and Baklava - Don’t bother eating. Bring cash and appetite to the Yiasou Greek Festival. Starts 3 p.m. today. Ends Sunday. Holy Trinity Cathedral, 600 East Boulevard. Check website for festival times, dates and performance schedule. $3.





Get Artsy - Hands-on Mixed Media Portraits Workshop with Caroline Rust. Participants will learn about color, line, and other design elements and principles. Participants will create a mixed media portrait that employs painting, drawing, collage, and assemblage. 6 p.m. McColl Center, 721 N Tryon St. Register. $30

Fashion Event - Get a preview of fall fashion trends at the Neiman Marcus Art of Fashion Event 2015. Also enjoy the Neiman Marcus beauty bar makeovers, live music and beats. 6:30 p.m. - 10 p.m., Neiman Marcus Charlotte, SouthPark Mall, 4400 Sharon Road. Get tickets and register.




Friday

Goodbye Summer - St. Paul & the Broken Bones headline the End of Summer Southern Social. Price's Chicken Coop, PBR, cocktails, Cheerwine, MoonPies, pimento cheese from Queen Charlotte's Pimento Cheese Royale and more. NC Music Factory, 1000 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd. Tickets.

Pre-show Party - I love a good concert, but I love a good pre-concert party even more. Enjoy the RockBus Concert Series before the Van Halen show at PNC Music Pavilion. 5 p.m. Check-in at Prohibition, 200 N. Tryon St. Details.

Sip & Stroll - The 6th Annual Sip and Stroll: Art & Wine Festival starts tonight. It’s a chance to sample the wines and meet the artists who will have booths set up on Saturday. The official event on Saturday features art on display and for purchase at the outdoor art show. 6-8 p.m. tonight. 1 p.m. 8 p.m. Saturday. EpiCentre, 210 East Trade Street. Tickets. 

Cooking Competition - Caravan Coffee and Dessert Bar invites amateur cooks for a local cooking competition featuring grills and smokers at The 9th Annual Summer Sizzlin’ Cook-Off. They’ll cook all night on Friday accompanied by live music. The Belmont Astronomy Society will host a stargazing event simultaneously, as well as a solar viewing on Saturday. At 10 a.m. Saturday, the tasting begins. Attendees will enjoy music by D.J. Buddy Love and a free 

public tasting to determine the winner of the People’s Choice Award. Judging 

will begin at noon Saturday. 

Saturday

Drink & Walk - My kinda bar crawl. The Fitness Bar Walk winds through Dilworth and Southend. Each bar on the crawl is approximately a 1/2 - 1 mile apart which gives participants enough time to burn those cals before the next stop. Wear you 80s/90s gym uniforms. $5 in advance, $10 day of. The first 100 people to sign up get an official RockHouse headband, fanny pack and more. Check-in is from 1 p.m. -2:30 p.m. at Morehead Street Tavern, and we’ll get our fitness on from there by walking to Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, Ed’s Tavern, Bakersfield, Tyber Creek Pub, and All American Pub.

Outdoor Jazz Concert - Pianist Alex Bugnon headlines Jazz Under The Stars. Trombonist Buff Dillard will also perform. 7 p.m. Queens Landing, 1459 River Highway, Mooresville. Bring your lawn chair, but no coolers or tents allowed. Vendors will be available to purchase food and drinks. $20. Details.

A Worthy Cause - The 11th Annual BBQ & Blue Jeans features Midwood Smokehouse BBQ, cold beer, and live music. Benefits Pat's Place Child Advocacy Center which assists children in the Mecklenburg area facing obstacles of sexual abuse. 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. 907 Huntington Park Dr. $100.  Details.

Sunday

Family Day - This Land Is Our Land is the theme of this month’s family day at the Mint. Enjoy family-friendly art projects, gallery visits, artist demos, and Let’s Move! yoga sessions once a month. View America the Beautiful: Works on Paper. Hands on projects include: sketch and paint an abstract autumn picture, craft a paper animal, construct a bird feeder, learn about raptors, and meet Zlaty, a golden eagle, with the Carolina Raptor Center !  1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St. Free for kids. $6 for adults.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Legos, bourbon and wine - what a Saturday!

When I was a kid, I loved getting Legos for gifts because my gifted cousin Sean would build me the most intricate ships and structures that would play with for months. This weekend, master Lego builders and other nerds will be into town for Brick Magic in Concord. If playing with Legos isn't your thing, I've got with you plenty of music and booze events.  Let's get this party started. See you in the streets.

Bluegrass and Brews - Enjoy eight bands and beers from nearly two dozen area breweries at the North Carolina Brewers and Music Fest. 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Road, Huntersville. Deets.

Race Finale - Head down to the US National Whitewater Center to cheer on the participants in the USNWC Time Laps 24 Hour Relay Race. They started Friday at 7 p.m. and end tonight at 7 p.m. Enjoy bonfires, food, craft beer and live music during the post-race festival.

Family Fun - Spark your child or you own imagination at the Brick Magic LEGO Festival. There will a huge hall filled with custom LEGO creations, and participants can build with thousands of bricks in the Free Build Room, and meet Lego professional builders. 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Embassy Suites Hotel, 5400 John Q. Hammons Dr NW, Concord. $10-$12.








Don't Forget

My Favorite Things - Head to SouthPark for what the Charlotte Bourbon Club calls the best bourbon event - Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Festival. Enjoy the Shrine of Swine, seminars in the Tasting Theater and live music. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. 5440 Carnegie Boulevard. $39.

Fashion Timeline - The Decades of Fashion show features style and fashion from the 1920’s to 2000’s by local boutiques, designers, salons and make-up artists. Admission includes red carpet, live music, fashion show and the after party with dancing. Participants are encouraged to dress in their favorite decade. 6:30 p.m. Le Meridien Charlotte, 555 South McDowell Street, North Tower.

Wine Tasting - Charlotte Food & Wine Weekend finale Big Bottles & Blues features 40 wineries, live and silent auction and blues music. The event benefits local children’s charities. CWFW is partnering with retailers The Wine Vault, Arthur’s Wine Shop and Bond Street Wines to offer the option to purchase wine at the event. There will also be special guests. 6:30 p.m. Founders Hall, Bank of America Corporate Center. $125.












Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com