Regifting party, Panther nation and a cool art show

This is one of my favorite lineup of events. The mix of parties and cool stuff is fantastic. See you in the streets!

Giving Back - Come out to honor 10 people who have helped the Charlotte community at Playing for Others’ 3rd Annual Night of Gratitude. The event features original songs and poems by teens. McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square,  345 N. College St. $10- $20. Details.

Don't Forget
Regifting Made Cool - The Fourth Annual Flip Your Gift Party gives you a chance to regift those unwanted Christmas gifts. Each gift should have a minimum value of $10. 11 a.m. The Gallery South End, 1320 S Church St.

Art Show - See creations by three artists at Character Form. 7 p.m.
twenty-two, 1500 Central Ave - Corner of Central & Pecan - Plaza Midwood.

More Than A Party - Hear rare grooves, funky, hip-hop and soul sounds at The Cosmic Union Zulus presents: O&Mi with Preach Jacobs & DJ Wizdom. This event also features a hip-hop record swap. 516 Custom Medallions will be in the house with custom beads & medallions. 10 p.m. Crown Station, 1625 Elizabeth Ave. $5, Ladies free before 11 p.m.

Panther Party - Get ready for the Panthers’ playoff home game next week at the Panther Playoff Giveaway Party/Pep Rally. Hangout at “The Lake Norman Panthers” bar and all the Roaring Riot groups to watch the Wild Card game, party and see who the Panthers will play the following weekend. There will have a bus shuttle running people from Charlotte. There will be a giveaway of two free tickets to the Divisional Round Playoff game. 7:30 p.m., Rusty Rudder, 20210 Henderson Road # 101, Cornelius.

Beer And Cookies - It’s not a typo. The Cookies and Crafts features Girl Scout Cookies and craft beer  from 10 local breweries, such as Unknown, Birdsong, Triple C, Red Clay Cider Works, and Wooden Robot. Beers will be matched with a Girl Scout cookie, creating carefully considered pairings that play up the flavor of each one. 3 p.m. Fillmore Charlotte, 1000 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Hot Box's Pop-up Bistro Was A Food Truck Restaurant Experience

I got my grub on at Journey A Pop Up Bistro Experience by the Hot Box food truck at Crown Station. I lusted when I saw the menu which included fried oysters, shortribs and hot & sticky apple pies!

One of my biggest complaints about food trucks is that for me to get full, I need to order several items and I end up paying restaurant prices to order eat off a styrofoam cartoon. 

At Hot Box's pop up bistro we had attentive servers and our entrees were served on real plates. The appetizers and desserts came on cardboard trays. Crown Station is a great location for the pop bistro concept. It has a full bar and nice seating areas. It's a cozy spot with an eclectic customer base. Unfortunately, the live band, which was pretty good, started playing about an hour after we arrived. It became impossible to talk, which took away from the restaurant experience.

Now for the food. Their strength on this night were the appetizers. The oysters and risotto fritters were great and fried to perfection. The braised short ribs were tender, but far from the most flavorful that I've eaten. The rib side dish of sauteed greens were so salty that we had to send it back. The chef apologized and quickly prepared another batch. The Hot Box Ramen was delicious with a nice little kick. I was totally disappointed with the apple pies. The apples weren't peeled and the crust was dense and thick. Overall, I liked the execution and would stick to their small plates next time.

Vintage Market, sour beer and a benefit for a fallen friend

Good morning! I've been biking all over the east side for the Thunder Road Marathon. You can follow my fun. In the meantime, here's a little something to plan the rest of your day.

An Acquired Taste - I haven't gotten into the sour beers yet. I tend to lean toward the nutty brown ales. I'm going to try again at Sour Beerfest: Release the Funk 2, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St. More than two dozen breweries are expected to participate. Get tickets here.

BBQ and Quilts - Find an assortment of vintage collectibles and eat delicious pimento cheese, BBQ and more at  2014 Vintage Charlotte Winter Market. Vendors include Ferris Wheel Vintage, the Big White Cat and Olive You More among others. At least seven food trucks including Bleu Barn Bistro, Ooo Wee BBQ and Central Coffee and more. More info.

Night Time Is The Right Time

We Love The 80's -  Off The Wall returns with Best of the 80's V.6. Features DJ Justice and Aking spinning old school hip-hop, soul and more. 10 p.m. Crown Station Coffee House & Pub, 1425 Elizabeth Ave.

Musicians Helping A Friend - The Neighborhood Theater's Luke Hill was critically injured in a hit-and-run accident while walking home. Charlotte's music community has rallied together for the Benefit Show For Luke Hill. 8 p.m. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E 36th St. $10. 

Who Shot JR? - I grew up watching "Dallas" with my mom. See TV show's star Linda Gray and a performance by the Talley's at the 5th Annual Evening of Hope and Inspiration. This annual event raises money and awareness for the Jeanne White Ginder Food Pantry. 7 p.m. McGlohon Theater, Spirit Square 130 North Tryon St.                                                                            

Winthrop University Homecoming Celebration - Winthrop homecoming partiers move from Republic to the EpiCentre this year for Garnet Wishes & Gold Dreams 5th Annual WU Alumni Homecoming Party. 10 p.m. Studio Movie Grill.








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