Food truck Friday lineups, Charlotte Wine & Food Festival and more

Great food and music this weekend. See you in the streets!

Food Truck Fridays

Food Truck Fridays

Plaza Midwood

Friday Night Festival

Unknown Brewing

Matthews Food Truck Festival

Food Truck Friday Southend

Sycamore Brewing

Don't Forget

Taste So Good - Head uptown early today for the  Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend Grand Tasting Tent featuring wineries, local craft breweries, chefs and demonstrations. 2 p.m. today and Saturday, Romare Bearden Park, 300 S Church St. Details.

Art Event - 2015 Light Factory winner Michael Joseph will present his street portraiture project, Lost and Found, which examines a youth subculture of transients who abandon home to travel the country hitchhiking and freight train hopping.  6:30 p.m. The Light Factory 1817 Central Ave. Details.


Let’s Dance II - The second part of The New Latino Sound - Part 2 features a concert with Orquesta Mayor, Patabamba, Jahlistic, and Reinaldo Brahn.  6:30 p.m. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E 36th St. Tickets.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Food Friday lineups, jazz and film festivals underway

Food Truck Lineup:

 Friday Night Festival

Unknown Brewing, Mint Street

Food Truck Friday

Plaza Midwood

Matthews Food Truck Friday

Sumptown Park, Downtown Matthews

Don't Miss

Outdoor Festival - St. Paul and the Broken Bones headline the kickoff concert for TuckFest. It's a weekend of competitions and live music at the 5 p.m. U.S. National Whitewater Rafting Center,  5000 Whitewater Center Parkway.

Film Festival - The 2016 GayCharlotte Film Festival features full-length drama and comedies, documentaries and short films. Various times throughout the weekend. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Rd, 501 Queens Rd.

Evening Race - Come out for an evening of running, eating and drinking in FreeMoreWest in the 4th annual FreeMoreWest 5K at FreeMoreWest's 5K on the Greenway. After the race, enjoy food from 2 Chicks & a Truck and Olde Mecklenburg Brewing beer. Benefits Classroom Central. 6 p.m. Uptown Cycles, 1432 W Morehead St.

It’s Back - The occasional Takeover Friday returns. The Charlotte LGBT Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a business expo at Takeover Friday at Le Meridien Charlotte. Music by DJ Little Betty. Le Meridien, 555 S McDowell Street




Happy Birthday - Join the EpiCentre as it celebrates Rooftop 210 Anniversary & Season Opener. VIP Happy Hour 8 p.m. Rooftop 210, 210 E. Trade St.

More Jazz - The monthly edition of New Frequencies returns with Trio Red Space. Charlotte duo Ghost Trees opens.  8 p.m. McColl Center, $10/$12. Details.

Concert Series - Another weekly concert series returns tonight with SouthPark Cocktails & Concerts each Friday featuring live music until May 6.  5 p.m. Piedmont Town Center, 4725 Piedmont Row Drive. Details.

Holla: Sipandplayclt@gmail.com

The Sklar Brothers, food truck lineups, live jazz and spoken word tonight

It's Friday! Get out for night of live jazz, good food and spoken word. See you in the streets!

 Food Truck Friday 

Matthews Food Truck Fridays

Friday Night Festival

A Bao Time, Maki Taco, Gyro Twins Truck, Bebo's Mac Shack, Hart's Soda Shop, All-Star Cafe, & Joe's Doughs!

Food Truck Fridays

Light Factory, Plaza Midwood

Other Events Tonight

Celebrity Comedians - Comedians and identical twins Jason and Randy Sklar, known as The Sklar Brothers, debut in Charlotte this weekend. They mix pop culture, sports and comedy. They are regulars on my fave “@Midnight,” and have also appeared on “Conan, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage, Comedy Bang! Bang!,” “Grey's Anatomy” and more.  Various times tonight and Saturday.  The Comedy Zone, Suite B3, 900 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd. Tickets.
 

Cool Combo - The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and The Jazz Room for The Jazz Room at the Symphony. The performance celebrates American jazz legends. They will perform Anthiel’s “A Jazz Symphony,” Gerswhin’s “Walking the Dog,” Schuller’s “Concertino for Jazz Quartet” and Ellington’s “Harlem.” Afterparty featuring live jazz from the Jazz Arts Initiative's All-Star Youth Jazz Ensemble and signature cocktails in the speakeasy lounge following the concert. The Jazz Arts Initiative presents a special pre-concert talk hosted by The Jazz Room's Curtis Davenport beginning on stage at 6:30 pm. Show: 7:30 p.m., Knight Theater, 430 S Tryon St. Tickets.
 

Adult Science - The monthly party Science on the Rocks returns with Geek Out, Freak Out. This month features comics, robotics, virtual reality and more. Capes and Spandex supersets are encouraged. There will be a prize for best superhero costume at the end of the night. 5 p.m. Discovery Place, 301 N Tryon St. $20.

Spoken Word - This a themed spoken-word event with performances focused on the state of the climate including crime, schools, music, domestic violence and climate change. G.O.O.D. Music’s Malik Yusef will host along with Mark Prophet. Charlotte’s J.C., Mason Parker and live bands Quent Young & The Free Will Project and Dee Dray will perform. There will also be live painting. 7 p.m. One-Five-O Studio Gallery, 4825 Ballantyne Village Way, Suite 150. $20 and up. Details.

 Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Food truck friday and CLT Craft Beer Week begins

It's Fridaay!!! St. Patrick's Day partying begins and Food Truck Friday fun continues. See you in the streets...

Food Truck Fridays Lineup 

Friday Night Festival This week’s edition features The Art of Baking Inc bringing the dessert, Smax Flatbread Grill, Hot Box " Next Level Street Food " and Maryland Crab Co. bringing the seafood. Live music by the McKinney Gap Band. ‪This is a collabo between The Unknown Brewing Company, Craft Tasting Room and Growler Shop. #‎fridaynightfestival‬ ‪#‎foodtruck‬ ‪#‎southend‬ ‪#‎clt‬

Matthews Food Truck Fridays features Dave Haywood Duo providing the grooves and grub by: All-Star Cafe, Cheese to the Mac, Cuzzo's Cuisine, Now Toasted, Spoon's BBQ, Spice Wagon Kabobs, The Plated Palette, Vito's Pizza,Wingz on Wheelz, Cheesecake Carousel, Sweetcakes Bakery and The Coffee Priest. Hosted by the Town of Matthews Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resource Department. #MatthewsFoodTruckFridays

...And

Bull Faye's 7th Annual St. Patty's Get Lucky Party Bus 
This party bus stops at LGBTQ-friendly bars. 

 
Swing Dance & Beer - Free Range Brewing has partnered with Gotta Swing Charlotte to host a Swing Dance party. There will be a short swing dance lesson and then the dance party really begins. Hart's Soda Shop will be whipping up delicious homemade sodas and floats. 7:15 p.m., Free Range Brewing, 2320 N Davidson St.

Beer Week - Charlotte loves beer! Get ready for a week of beer events during Charlotte Craft Beer Week. It starts with the fight for Craft Freedom at OMB. Other events at Charlotte breweries range from beer release parties to brunch to a Craft Crawl on Saturday. Schedule.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

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

New Year's Parties Tonight

Want to head out to celebrate the first weekend of the month? Here a couple of events to start your new year.

First Friday - Jazz N Soul Music family features the Hot Jazz and Smooth Soul sounds of GrooveMasters! 8 p.m., The Tavern, 300 East Morehead St. Details.

Gallery Crawl - Tour Southend galleries and enjoy music, craft beers, and vast menu items from vendors at Food Truck Friday. 

Half-naked sexy men and hip-hop's finest tonight

Discovery Place's Fire and Ice did not disappoint last night. Beer and fire - what more do you need? Watch the video. I was also pleasantly surprised to see the hearty crowd at Food Truck Friday. The bonfire made it even better. I'm officially addicted to The Tin Kitchen food truck. I finished the evening at Epic Chophouse for restaurant week. Read my take on FB. Enough about last night. Here's what's poppin' tonight. See you in the streets...


For The Ladies - Big pecs, hard biceps and firm bodies await the ladies tonight at The Chippendales: Get Lucky 2015 Tour. 9 p.m. Fillmore, $30 and up. TJ's Turnup!

Breducation - Lenny Boy Brewing's Cabrew Common release party features homebrew samplings and Elma C. Lomax Farm Incubator Farm Awareness. 1- 5 p.m. Lenny Boy, 2224 Hawkins St.  

For The Family - The venerable Tosco Music Party celebrates 25 years of showcasing local artists for a night of fun. More than a dozen artists will perform tonight. 7:30 p.m. Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. $17 and up. Parking tip: $5. Pay as you enter at the Wells Fargo Cultural Campus Garage.

Don't Forget

Get Fit - Fitness competitions, showcases, motivational speakers and vendors showcase healthy lifestyle opportunities at the Greater Charlotte Health & Fitness Expo. 10 - 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday, Park Expo & Conference Center, 2500 E. Independence Blvd. TJ's Turnup!

 

Classic Hip-Hop - Enjoy classic hip-hop when Pop Life & Su Casa collaborate to present The Classics featuring Maseo of De La Soul. 10 p.m. The Chop Shop Noda, 399 East 35th St. $15 and up.  TJ's Turnup!

Holla': sipandplayclt@gmail.com