What is aresol art? Straight Outta New York!!!!

This weekend was made for hip-hop heads - graffiti art show, spoken word and a world famous DJ! See you in the streets. Let's get this party started....

Graffiti By Another Name - Celebrate local art, music and food, at Outside Voices - An Aerosol Art Show. The event will benefits: - The Behailu Academy, Friendship Trays and ToolBank of Charlotte. Local graffiti artists will be creating a mural at C3Lab that celebrates Historic South End and the Charlotte community. Other local artists will be featured in the Gallery Space. Features music, food and beer. 6 p.m. C3 Lab, 2525 Distribution St. Free. Details.

Poetry Slam - Here professional slam poets at the August Poetry Slam featuring Raleigh-based Dasan Ahan. He is a public speaker, organizer, workshop facilitator, poet, spoken word performer, songwriter, writer and more. 8 p.m. Booth Playhouse, Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, 130 N Tryon St. $12. Details.




Old School Hip-Hop - If “Straight Outta Compton” has you yearning to hear old school hip-hop, then check out the I Love NY Party with DJ Red Alert. New York hip-hop was more fun than West Coast rap, so this is just the kind of party music you need to start your weekend. 9 p.m., Vibrations Club, 5237 Albemarle Road. $20. Details.

NoDa Dance Party - NoDa isn’t known for its dance clubs, but every third Friday the DanceBox Sessions: DJ Series at The Evening Muse presents classic and top 40 dance music. Avoid the uptown crowd and groove in the more laid back NoDa neighborhood. 10 p.m. Evening Music, 3227 N Davidson St $5.

Booze Cruise - Rock House takes the fun to Lake Norman for the Rockin' The Lake Booze Cruise. Drink specials, DJ and fun. $35. 6:45 p.m. Prohibition (Checkin), 200 N. Tryon St. Details.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Weekend Preview: Soul music, Latin grooves and happy hour

What a crazy weekend. The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity convention is in town and we have our usual bevy of parties to choose from. See you in the streets... Let's get this party started!


Wednesday 

Latin Movie Night - The Cinemas Latino Film Series presents “Feriado” (Holiday) presented in collaboration with the Latin American Coalition and the Mint Museum. These films are considered some of the the best of contemporary Latin films. $5. 6 p.m. - 10 p.m. Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road. Details.

 


Happy Hour - Rock House Events takes On The Rocks: Summer Happy Hour Series uptown. It’s a chance to experience Ri Ra’s Irish Whiskey Room if you haven’t been there yet. The newly remodeled whiskey room features more than 130 whiskies and $5 Guinness. Don’t be intimidated by the brown liquor. Whiskey Room also features some yummy whiskey punches. $5 specialty cocktails, $5 Guinness and 130+ whiskies to choose from (In addition to a full bar) 6 - 8 p.m Whiskey Room, Ri Ra Irish Pub, North Tryon St.



Meet the Future - Queen City Forward’s ImpactU Demo Day is one of the coolest events in Charlotte. It’s a chance to meet eight young visionaries whose ideas will shape this city. ImpactU Demo Day is the culmination of Queen City Forward’s 10-week accelerator program for college level entrepreneurs. 5 p.m. reception. 6 p.m. pitches, UNC Charlotte Center City
. Details.

Thursday

Bye, Bye, Bye - The Light Factory’s Member’s Show closes tonight. This is your last chance to see these local works. Noon - 6 p.m. The Light Factory, 1817 Central Ave.

Bye, Bye, Bye II - Join Charlotte Drinking Liberally for a night of cocktails and laughs. The group will watch the first Republican Presidential Debate and Jon Stewart’s final “Daily Show.” 7 p.m. Thursday Ri Ra, 208 N. Tryon St. 

 Friday

New SouthPark Event- Hear one of my favorite Charlotte DJs, That Guy Smitty, spin at the debut of Under the Lights, a new Friday night series at Village Tavern in SouthPark. Features beer and drink specials as well as bites. This will be held on the restaurant’s gorgeous patio. Should be fun, especially with friends. 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Village Tavern, 4201 Congress St.

Jazz Uptown - Ziad Jazz Quartet performs a tribute to John Coltrane in Coltrane Revisited at this edition of Jazz at the Bechtler. 6 p.m. Bechtler Museum, 420 South Tryon. St. $14. Details.

   

Saturday

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

Sunday 

Get Your Fill - Enjoy bottomless mimosas and bellinis, a brunch, big games and more at Prive Brunch. Music by Power 98s DJ LP. 11 a.m., Slate Billiards/Oak Room, 200 E. Bland St.


Get Dressed Up - Think you have what it takes to scare the crap out of people? Take your talents to Carowinds for Scarowinds Haunt auditions. Must be age 16 and up. Auditions are Sundays and Thursdays from 5 – 8 p.m. through October 15. Must apply online before attending an audition. Carowinds Employment Office 14523 Carowinds Blvd. 

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Celebrity chefs, family picnics, and beer festivals

We have a little bit of a slowdown weekend ahead after a crazy-packed Memorial Day Weekend, but there's still lots of fun. It starts tonight at the Mint Museum.

Tonight

Family Happy Hour - Bring the kids to the front lawn of Mint Museum Randolph for the fourth annual Party in the Park, a family-friendly event, benefitting the Mint's annual fund. Bring snacks or cash for the food trucks and bar.  Enjoy an evening outside listening to summer tunes and playing games. The museum will be open. 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road. Free.

Celebrity Chefs - Get ready for a culinary experience featuring a multi-course meal created by top regional chefs paired with cocktails. Celebrity chefs featured in the James Beard Foundation Celebrity Chef tour dinner include: Blake Hartwick, Bonterra Dining & Wine Room; Luca Annunziata, Passion 8; Jon Fortes, The Flipside Café, Jay Pierce, Rock Salt and others. 6:30 p.m. Bonterra Dining & Wine Room, 1829 Cleveland Ave. $175
#‎PCF #‎cltfood #‎charlotte


Thursday

Alive After Five - See Bon Jovi tribute band Slippery When Wet tonight at the weekly Alive After Five after-work party. 5 p.m. Epicentre, 210 E. Trade Street.

Sunset at Metropolitan - Silver Train headlines the weekly Sunset At Metropolitan afterwork party. 6:30 p.m, Metropolitan, 1111 Metropolitan Ave.



















Friday

Free Breakfast -  During the month of May join Free Wheelin' Fridays for a complimentary breakfast at the Common Market on Commonwealth in Plaza Midwood. Breakfast begins at 7 a.m., then commute into uptown at 8:15 a.m., Common Market, 2007 Commonwealth Ave.

August Wilson Play - Pulitizer Prize winning playwright August Wilson wrote Seven Guitars in 1995. The recurring theme is based in the blues music and tackles a search for our humanity, self-understanding and self-acceptance. Presented by On Q Productions. 7:30 p.m., Duke Energy Theater at Spirit Square $10. Available at door.


Friday Live! - Misterwives headlines this weekly afterwork event. 6 p.m. N.C. Music Factory, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd.  $8.



Saturday

Soul Music - Hear Charlotte’s own Stephanie Mills, Freddie Jackson, Evelyn Champagne King, El DeBarge and more at The Kinfolks 6th Annual Soulfood Festival. 4 p.m., Rte. 29 Pavilion, 5650 Sandusky Blvd, Concord. $35.


















Celebrate Homebrewing - Before there was a craft brew scene, Charlotte enjoyed a robust home-brew culture. The American Homebrewers Association Rally celebrates homebrewing and connects beer enthusiasts from all over North Carolina. Includes a VIP brewery tour, beer samples, gifts, prizes and more. Local homebrew clubs will there. 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., NoDa Brewing Co, 2229 N Davidson St. RSVP here.


Sunday

Beer Festival -  The rescheduled Beer Me Brewfest will feature 30 breweries, more than 60 beers, wines, and ciders. Live Music by Time Sawyer & Josey Wails, food trucks, cornhole, giant beer pong, and more. 1:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., All American Pub Charlotte NC, 200 East Bland Street. $25.

Pool Party - Prive hosts The Sunday Scene for young professionals from the Charlotte area. The event includes a low country crab boil, water gun fights and adult games. 4 p.m. - 10 p.m., Century Resort Pool, 8700 Long Creek Club Drive.

I'll Trade You - Share homemade, homegrown or foraged food at the Plaza-Midwood Food Swap. 2 p.m. Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Hotdog eating contest, Caribbean grooves and beer festivals

The Memorial Day weekend fun is underway. Speed Street continues today with the Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest, and music by "The Voice" winner Craig Wayne Boyd and Dennis DeYoung and the music of Styx. Want to get out of Charlotte, but not travel too far? Head to Cornelius or Mint Hill for some fun. See you in the streets. Let's get this party started....

Calling All Talent - If you think you believe you belong on the big stage then head to the Open Auditions for Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade. 2 p.m. Petra’s 1919 Commonwealth Ave.

Caribbean Grooves - Head over to Plaza-Midwood to hear Justice Sun Tzulu and Brian Jopedo Sambula spinning at Su Casa Presents: Afro-Caribbean Bashment.
10 p.m., Petra's Bar, 1919 Commonwealth Ave. $5 before 11 p.m.



















Beer Fest - Sample more than 75 different craft brews at the 2015 Lake Norman Beer Festival. Music by Gump Fiction (5:30-7pm) and headliner Joystick (7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.) Benefits: USO of North Carolina and Ace & TJs Grin Kids Children’s Charity. 5 p.m. - 9 p.m., Galway Hooker, Cornelius. $50.


Don't Forget

Summer Kick Off - Join Kiss 95.1, Ragin' Uptown and Luxury Yacht Charters in  LKN's largest floating party, Kiss Anchor Island. Every Saturday until Labor Day. 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Mojo's Bar and Grill, 19901 Holiday Lane, Cornelius. $20.









Three-Day Party - The Snug 600 is an alternative to Speed Street. Head to Plaza-Midwood for less traffic and cool crowds to enjoy indie bands Jesse Clasen (formerly of HRVRD), Spirit System, the Nude Party, and 1970s Film Stockon the second night of Snug 600. The celebration ends on Sunday. 10 p.m., Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. $5.


Family Fun - The city of Mint Hill celebrates it’s beginnings during Mint Hill Madness. The three-day festival features music, food, rides, games and fireworks. 4 p.m. Mint Hill Veterans Memorial Park, 8850 Fairview Road, Mint Hill. Free.




Speedway All-American Craft Brewer’s Festival features the Beer Haven mobile festival, a self-pour beer sampling station billed as the world's largest mobile bar and brewery. The festival will feature 50 craft beers from Charlotte-regional craft breweries during both the NASCAR Sprint All-Star and Coca-Cola 600 race weekends. It will also include the Bucking Mule Brewery, a mobile brewery with a five-barrel brewing capacity and canning system mounted to a 53-foot-long tractor trailer. Participants can learn the brewing and canning process from brewmasters. Admission includes unlimited sampling. 1-4 p.m., Charlotte Motor Speedway. $39.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

A white party, MMA fight, jazz and more tonight

Tonight is going to be great. Fun-seekers can choose from a bloody MMA fight or a sensuous jazz show just to name a few things.

Let me explain: In Wednesday's Sip + Play, I listed the incorrect date for the Inaugural STEM to Fork Culinary Competition.  It's happening now. It ends at 11:30 a.m., 7th Street Public Market, 224 East 7th St.

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

Intimate Jazz - Maysa sings the kind of moody jazz that pairs well with a cigar and a bourbon. Prepare for a great evening of jazz at An Intimate Evening with Incognito Featuring Maysa. 8 p.m. McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square, 345 N. College. St. $42.50 and up.

Spring Fever - It’s not Memorial Day yet, but it’s okay to break out white for The White Party. The outfit doesn’t matter as long as it’s white. 10 p.m. On The Roxx Cornelius, 19712 One Norman Blvd, Cornelius. Free. Presented by Social Flockers.







Don't Forget

For Real Beatdown - Somebody’s going to tapout at Fight Lab MMA /Fight Lab 45. South Carolina Stingrays’  Nate Kiser makes his MMA debut  6 p.m., Grady Cole Center, 310 North Kings Dr.  $35 and up.

Jazz and Film - This editioin of New Frequencies: Inspired Lunacy features short films by Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin. Maddie is known for reimagining the silent film era. 8 p.m. - 10 p.m., McColl Center for Art + Innovation, 721 N Tryon St.









For The Kids - Play hoops and raise awareness about teen violence at The 5th Annual Midnight Madness Basketball Tournament for teens and young adults. It’s for ages (13-22) 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Johnston YMCA, 3025 N. Davidson St. $5 and registration is onsite.

More Craft Week Events, MMA Fights and more freakiness

Craft Beer Week continues and Easter events are kicking off too. Let's get this party started. See you in the streets...


Tonight

Happy Hour - Hang out with Charlotte’s young black professionals and listen to the grooves of the The Mighty DJ DR at Charlotte’s Favorite Happy Hour. 5:30 p.m. Bubble Charlotte, Epicenter, 210 East Trade St. Free. Paid parking onsite and limited street parking.







Beer Beatdown - 15 NC breweries participate in the Annual Rumble In The Alley, part of Charlotte Craft Beer Week. The first hour is blind taste-testing and voting and then good ol’ enjoyment of libations. 6 p.m. The Common Market, 2007 Commonwealth Avenue. $25. Free street parking.

Celebrate Black Women  - Raheem DeVaughn is showing his love for black women with his new project “Queen.” His Queens For A Day event earlier this month supported battered black women. He joins songstresses Ledisi and Leela James. 8 p.m., Fillmore Charlotte, 1000 NC Music Factory Boulevard. $48.41. Standing room only. Parking onsite.





Thursday

Freaks and Beer - Enjoy rare brews from NoDa Brewing, Terrapin Brewing, Hi-Wire Brewing and others breweries at Freakfest, another Charlotte Craft Beer Week event. Rare beers paired with  entertainment by Purgatory. You know there’ll be fire! 6:30 p.m., The Common Market Southend, 1515 South Tryon St. Limited surface lot parking and street parking.


Monthly Zaniness - The freakiness continues at Shiprocked Presents: Lipgloss. It’s all about the burn, spandex, and headbands and shake weights. BethAnn Phetamine and guests Oliver Clothessoff and Miley Virus tear up the Snug Harbor stage with a campy physical fitness-themed drag revue. Spandex-clad Go Go dancers; it doesn't get any crazier. 10 p.m., Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. Free. Street parking available.

Friday

For The Kids - Four CMS middle school will compete in a head-to-head kids cooking competition the Inaugural STEM to Fork Culinary Competition. 9 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., 7th Street Public Market, 224 East 7th St.

For Real Beatdown - Somebody’s going to tapout at Fight Lab MMA /Fight Lab 45. South Carolina Stingrays’  Nate Kiser makes his MMA debut  6 p.m., Grady Cole Center, 310 North Kings Dr.  $35 and up.

Jazz and Film - This editioin of New Frequencies: Inspired Lunacy features short films by Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin. Maddie is known for reimagining the silent film era. 8 p.m. - 10 p.m., McColl Center for Art + Innovation, 721 N Tryon St.









For The Kids - Play hoops and raise awareness about teen violence at The 5th Annual Midnight Madness Basketball Tournament for teens and young adults. It’s for ages (13-22) 10 p.m. - 2 a.m., Johnston YMCA, 3025 N. Davidson St. $5 and registration is onsite.

Saturday

For The Kids II - Bring the kids out to see the Easter Bunny and enjoy balloon artist and face painting at Easter Hoppenings. 1 p.m. - 3 p.m., Phillips Place in Southpark. Free.

Celebrate Leaders - Celebrate community leaders at the Whitney M. Young Gala. It’s a celebration of philanthropic, diversity and inclusion. Festivities  begin at 6 p.m. with registration and hor d'oeuvres. Formal program and dinner begins at 6:45 p.m. After the program, the evening there will be dancing and dessert. Omni Hotel Charlotte, 132 E. Trade St. Paid parking available. Ticket info.



Sunday

Jazzy Sunday - Enjoy music by jazz/soul singer and keyboardist Frank McComb.  5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sydney’s Martini and Wine Bar, 401 N. Tryon St. Parking validated for Trans America Parking Deck.

A freakshow, an oyster roast and more

The first weekend of spring continues with a crazy line-up ranging from what I know will be a crazy to party to a family-friendly oyster roast. Charlotte Craft Beer Week continues with bashes at seven spots. Pick your pleasure. Let's get this party started. See you in the streets...


Gonna Be Crazy - If the Madhatter party was any indication then SPENT Entertainment’s Freakshow is going to be bananas. It features two stages, vendors, go go dancers, 11 deejays and celebrity guest MC Taylor J. Burt from Myrtle Manor. 9:30 p.m. The Chop Shop NoDa, 399 East 35th St. 18 and up. $15, $20.



Soup & Beer - Enjoy an afternoon of seasonal beer selections by local breweries at Butcher, Baker, Craft Cocktail Maker. Class includes beer samples and Chef Ben's beer cheese soup. 2 p.m. Block & Grinder, Providence Road. $40.

Latin Dance - BachataCLT is bringing back it’s monthly bachata social at Welcome Back Bachata! Dance to bachata with a smattering of salsa. Grooves by Charlotte's own DJ Pete. Arrive early for an urban bachata lesson taught by the Observer’s own Cleve Wootson. 10 pm. MoveStudio Charlotte, 1111 Hawthorne Lane #101. $5.

Don't Forget

Family Fun - The Rosedale Oyster Roast returns for a day of family fun. The oysters are roasted outside. There will be beer for the adults and activities for kids.  2- 5p.m., Historic Rosedale Plantation, 3427 North Tryon St.  Find tickets or call 704-735-0325. $5.

Celebrate African-American Culture - 3rd Annual Charlotte African American Festival celebrates black heritage and culture. Includes musical acts ranging from gospel to hip-hop. There will also be art, literature and educational exhibits. Can’t forget the food, drummers and dancers to round out a full day of fun. 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Grady Cole Center, 310 N. Kings St.







Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com