SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Li’l Friday features dozen of ways for people to enjoy the weekend via theater, music, art, culinary happenings and more.
All events featured were scheduled as of Thursday; however, it’s wise to check in ahead of attending any one. Inclement weather, changes in schedules and unforeseen circumstances may shift for organizers at the last minute.
Thursday, May 1
CAM After Dark with Beverly McIver
Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St. • Tickets: $10 and up
Cameron Art Museum stays open late some Thursdays to host gallery chats with visitors after hours.
This week welcomes Beverly McIver, an acclaimed North Carolina artist whose autobiographical paintings cover African-American life.
Her works are part of “We Belong Here: The Gutierrez Collection,” featuring 130 contemporary pieces of art representing underserved communities. They all were collected by North Carolina–based Onay Gutierrez and Jeff Childers. The multi-media pieces cover a multitude of issues — social, political and cultural. The exhibit’s goal is to inspire dialogue that explores various perspectives and remains on display at CAM through September 2025.
McIver, currently the Esbenshade Professor of the Practice of Art, Art History and Visual Studies at Duke University, will speak about her work at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to her chat are free for students and educators, $15 for members and $20 for the general public.
Registration is open here.
Friday, May 2
Ten-Minute Miscellany
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. • Tickets: $10
Port City Playwrights opens its annual show “Ten-Minute Miscellany,” a showcase of new short plays written by PCP members.
The weekend will feature 10 varied plays from 10 different writers; each captures a moment in time, such as a therapy skeptic’s first time in counseling, an emergency landing that leaves passengers in panic, and a police interview spiraling into something unexpected.
The show takes place from May 2 through May 4 for 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday shows and 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $20, with a $10 low-income option available here. The program takes place in Thalian Hall’s Ruth and Bucky Stein Theater.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
Signal Fire — Free Concert Fridays will kick off at Eagle’s Dare (420 N. Third St.) this weekend and continue through July. Music takes place 6:30 p.m. through 10 p.m. with local reggae act Signal Fire inaugurating the 2025 season and taking the stage by 8 p.m. Blue Karma will open the show. Concerts are free and a DJ spins tunes after.
“The First Day of Spring” — Theatre for All, the local troupe offering acting opportunities for people with all abilities, is hosting its spring show at Thalian Hall on May 2 and 3, 7 p.m. The show is titled “The First Day of Spring” and features the commotion created by the bees and the bears as the forest comes to life with the longer days and warming temps pulling the animals out of hibernation. Music will be featured by Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra and original tunes from the Ugly Bug Band. Tickets are $9 to $20 here.
“Fame Jr.” — Thalian Association Community Theatre will feature junior performers bringing to life the moves of the students from New York’s celebrated high school of the performing arts. The show takes place in the 1980s and follows the students as they engage in artistic and academic work. The show, developed by David De Silva, is based on the popular film from 40 years ago. Tickets are $17.57 and it takes place at Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center at Orange and Second streets downtown.
Free Bird Hikes — A Halyburton Park program, free bird hikes are offered the first Friday of every month at the 4099 S. 17th St. locale. The hike is for beginning birders and takes place from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Registration is here.
Sesame Street Live — The whole Sesame Street gang will be at Wilson Center for a live performance Friday. “Say Hello” has Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, and friends singing, dancing and even playing hide and seek in this family-friendly celebration. The show is at 6 p.m.; tickets are $40 here.
The Dead South — Canadian folk-bluegrass band is coming through Wilmington’s Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, 1941 Amphitheater Dr. The band — Nate Hilts (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Scott Pringle (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Danny Kenyon (cello, bass, vocals) and Colton Crawford (banjo) — has dubbed themselves “Mumford and Sons’ evil twins” and has released four albums to date, including 2024’s “Chains and Stakes.” Tickets to the show are available here.
Port City Top Comic — Dead Crow Comedy Room is hosting a Port City Top Comic winners showcase Friday night. It will highlight sets from the 2024 winners of the comedy contest, including Wolfgang Gohlke, Ellie Coleman, and Steve Melia. There will be two shows, at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and tickets cost $13 to $19.
Considering Matthew Shepard — A local choral ensemble is celebrating the life of Matthew Shepard, who was brutally murdered in Wyoming in 1998 in a hate crime that was committed because he was gay. “Considering Matthew Shepard” aims to spread compassion and understanding as Wilmington Voices ensemble, featuring various diverse communities who come together to sing, perform the show. It will include varied musical styles, but also include passage readings from Shepard’s journal, interviews and writings from his parents, as well as various reports on the crime. A portion of proceeds — tickets are $15 and up — are donated to the Matthew Shepard Foundation to support its mission to embrace dignity and equality of all people. There will be two shows hosted at Kenan Auditorium this weekend — the first on May 2, 7:30 p.m., and the second on May 4, 3 p.m.
Saturday, May 3
Ocean Fest
Downtown Surf City • Free
Happening this weekend in the coastal town of Surf City in neighboring Pender County, Ocean Fest returns for a weekend of live music, beer, vendors, food, a surf contest and more.
The event, founded in 2019 by three surfers, celebrates preservation of the ocean and educates the public on environmental threats made to it. It kicks off Thursday night with the Ocean Fest Lager release taking place at Salty Turtle Brewing at 4 p.m.
On Saturday, May 3, the daily events gets underway, including a vintage surf experience at beach access 19 at 8 a.m., a beach cleanup from Surfrider Foundation at 9 a.m., the vendor market from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. featuring more than 50 artisans and makers, and the music festival taking place in Soundside Park from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Performing will be Artikal Sound System, Signal Fire, Winyah, Cooper Greer, and Fudge. Tickets to the music festival are $27 and up and will feature beer, wine and food trucks.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
Bird Bonanza — Cape Fear Bird Observatory will host the first annual Bird Bonanza, a free event to help people learn about migration, challenges and triumphs of North Carolina birds. The observatory team collaborates on long-term bird monitoring, partnerships with researchers and conservation organizations, and outreach at area local schools. There will be scientists at the Bird Bonanza, along with hands-on activities for all ages, and participation available in interactive presentations, live bird banding, educational talks and workshops, and local vendors. The event takes place at the New Hanover County Arboretum (6206 Arboretum Drive), 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Kentucky Derby Parties — It’s the run of the roses and plenty of places will have celebrations that celebrate the horses and jockeys who provide “the most exciting 2 minutes in sports,” as the saying goes. The new Tap Yard Wilmington on 16th Street will kick off celebrations at 2 p.m. Dress to impress, hats and all, for a best dressed contest and expect mint juleps and other classic cocktails, while watching the race in the outdoor beer garden. Downtown at the Exchange Barbershop (104 Grace St.), a party will get underway at 5 p.m. with a cash prize for best derby hat; also live music will keep the party going with the New River Band from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Leaf and Barrel in Hampstead (15010 U.S. Highway 17) will throw down with Massive Grass, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dram and Draught (109 Market St.) is hosting a ticketed event for $58, which includes three drinks from the Derby Day menu, food from Front Street Brewery, raffles, the race and more.
Free Comic Book Day — This year everyone’s favorite day to grab up free Marvel, DC comics and more is taking place at multiple comic book stores in town. Memory Lane (201 Princess St.) will kick off the party at 10 a.m., with five free comics given to everyone who stops by, with more than 45 titles available. Plus, they’ll have others on sale at their retail location and they’ll be set up with even more pubs at nearby Bourgie Nights (123 Princess St.). There will be door and raffle prizes and an Artist Alley will be set up featuring local creators selling works. Fanboy Comics (University Landing Shopping Center) is also participating and will have 25 titles for participants to choose while supplies last — including Star Wars, Fantastic Four, Iron Man and His Awesome Friends, and others. Also, the first 50 people will receive free gift bags and there will be a $1,000 cash prize.
WSO Presents Errante: A Celebration Symphony — Conductor Steven Errante is retiring from the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra after 39 seasons. In his honor, the symphony is hosting a show for his final bow as music director. Joining the show will be The Vanguard Voices from Errante’s hometown of Dearborn, Michigan. Erannte will conduct the symphony’s performance to feature Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture and Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 in the finale. Plus, they will play Errante’s original pieces, including “God is Our Shelter and Strength,” “The Rivers of Babylon,” “A Celebration Symphony,” and “Sing to the Lord a New Song.” As well, G. Kevin Dewey will join, directing the Vanguard Voices. The show is at the Wilson Center, 703 N. Third St., and tickets are $37.
River to Sea 35th Celebration — A 20-mile bike ride is slated for the historic route of the Wilmington Beach Car Line. Cyclists of all ages ride 20 miles at a casual pace — helmets required. Free pre-registration opens May 2 at noon and caps out at 450 participants, though day-of registration costs $5 cash, with check-in from 6:15 a.m. to 6:50 a.m. at the intersection of Princess and Second streets in downtown Wilmington. Cyclists depart at 7 a.m. from downtown and arrive at Wrightsville Beach Park close to 8:15 a.m. There will be a 15 to 20 minute break at Wrightsville Beach Park, with refreshments, before beginning the second half of the ride back downtown.
Mark Brady — Having taken home the title of North Carolina’s funniest person contest at Raleigh’s Goodnight Comedy Club, Mark Brady is coming through Wilmington’s Dead Crow Comedy Room this weekend. Brady has released two albums — “Incongnito” and “For the Birds” — and has a comedy YouTube channel “Hummy’s VR Comedy.” In his first Dry Bar Comedy special, released last year, he dishes on parenting: “We have two kids, they’re great. Two beautiful girls. They’re both beautiful — now. Look when they’re first born and they first come out, they’ve been vacuum-sealed for nine months. You got to give them time to, you know, let them expand a little bit. They look like bubble gum chewed up a little bit.” He performs at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $19 to $24.
Encore Revival Party — The alternative weekly arts publication that once hit the stands every Wednesday across Wilmington is looking to make a comeback after shuttering due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Relaunching as a nonprofit organization, encore 2.0 is being led by Shannon Gentry, the nonprofit’s executive director and former staff editor of the pub; Gentry has been hosting listening sessions with artists and musicians in recent months, to assess how encore will resurface in Wilmington’s evolving landscape. Fundraising and grant-writing is underway to bring back the pub, which began in 1984 (full disclosure: Port City Daily’s editor, Shea Carver, worked at encore for 21 years). In honor of the eventual reboot, Gentry is hosting a revival party on Saturday, May 3, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at 716 S. 17th St. in the Cargo District’s Designworx building. Artists will exhibit work, beer will be provided by Waterline Brewing, and food and snacks will be served. There will be live music and a silent auction, with proceeds benefiting encore.
Les Fontanelles and Minor Gold — Made up of members from two former local acts — The Barnraisers and No Dollar Shoes — best known for their Americana swagger, Les Fontanelles are performing at Bourgie Nights at 7 p.m. with openers Minor Gold. Les Fontanelles consist of Tiff Reese, Jesse and Carson Jewell and others, who released a four-song EP with the help of producer Trent Harrison from Hourglass Studios. The show will be seated for a listening-room experience. Tickets are $15-$20.
Sunday, May 4
Boogie in the Park: The Phantom Playboys
Ocean Front Park, 105 Atlantic Ave. • Free
Wilmington’s very own Rockabilly ska outfit The Phantom Playboys will take the stage in Kure Beach this Sunday for a free show.
The band consists of Jim “Jungle Jim” Kaylis on drums, Jake “Hot Rod” Horton on guitar, Jones “Jonesy” Smith on upright bass, Maaike Brender à Brandis on trombone, and Eric “The Phantom” Lawson on vocals.
Concertgoers are welcome to bring beach chairs or blankets. Shows take place the first and third Sunday through October, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and feature a different band weekly.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Jewish Film Festival — For more than a decade, the Wilmington Jewish Film Festival has been hosted in town and will showcase six films as part of its 2025 festival, which will wrap May 4. Screening will be a story about the “fifth Beatle,”Brian Epstein’s life is screening in “Midas Man”; Epstein signed The Beatles and helped usher in their rise to fame. The screening takes place at 3 p.m., with tickets $10-$12 here.
‘May the Fourth Be With You’ Dance — Eagle’s Dare (419 N. Third St.) is hosting a dance party in homage to fictitious characters — Darth Vader, Princess Leia, R2-D2, the Ewoks, Stormtroopers and the whole gang — that changed the face of science-fiction in popular culture. And it’s taking place on the iconic StarWars Day, May 4. It’s $5 at the door and Sticky Bandits (a DJ duo featuring Spooky Kyd and Scheme of Gold) will spin intergalactic tunes, techno, DnB, and so much more. Dress as your fave StarWar’s character to compete in the costume contest and there will be themed drinks and a food menu from Circle Pit BBQ. Party is for ages 21 and up only.
Nerdom Celebration — Also in line with StarWars fanfare, a Nerdom Celebration will be held at Waterline Brewing from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the foot of the Cape Fear Bridge (721 Surry St.). There will be vendors selling nerdy and galactic treasures, performances by 5th Horseman, Megan Cook, and Just Justin, and a poetry and comedy showcase by LouisTee. Allison Porter will be dressed as Princess Leia and there will be a cosplay dance party with a Best Sith and Jedi costume contest, so don your best.
Cinco de Mayo Block Party — Though the official holiday isn’t until May 5, Zocalo in Barclay Place is getting a head start on celebrations. It will host its official party on Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with 30 local vendors, a DJ, face-painting, and more. It’s free to attend, but the restaurant is also open for drinks and food.
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