SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — It’s Mother’s Day weekend and this Li’l Friday features quite a few ways to celebrate the matriarch of the family.
Below are more than dozen of ways to bring fun to 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 8
Fitz and the Tantrums
Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, 1941 Amphitheatre Drive • Tickets: $52
Los Angeles-based Fitz and the Tantrums will return to Wilmington with their brand of neo soul and indie pop.
The group is made up of Michael Fitzpatrick, Noelle Scaggs, Joe Karnes, James King, Jeremy Ruzumna and John Wicks, all of whom have released five albums including their 2010 debut “Pickin’ Up the Pieces,” which reached the Number One slot on Billboard.
The band followed up with “More Than Just a Dream” in 2013, “Fitz and the Tantrums” in 2016 — containing their most popular song “HandClap” — and “All the Feels” in 2019. They released “Let Yourself Free,” in 2022.
The group just dropped their title track from the new album “Man on the Moon,” expected for release in July. They’re kicking off the tour in its honor in Wilmington Thursday at 6 p.m. Tickets are $52 here.
OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS
Free Community Dinner — The Northside Food Co-op is hosting a free Thursday-night dinner with a taco bar. It will take place at Dreams of Wilmington, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., and will include build-your-own tacos. The Northside Food Co-op is planning to bring a grocery store to the area that centers on community; the dinners are a way to cultivate those relationships and hear back from what kind of store the community wants. Plans are on pause currently as Northside re-evaluates the kind of co-op it will be, with a goal to also include a hot bar. Read the latest updates from previous PCD coverage here.
Legacy Latimer House Fashion Showcase — Taking place Thursday through Sunday, a special tour of the Latimer House offers a different way to celebrate moms who love history. The Lower Cape Fear Historical Society will have a tour focusing on the women of the Latimer family and fashion, with every room donning Victorian and Edwardian garments curated from Latimer’s in-house textile collection. There will be expert docents on hand to talk about varied generations’ clothing and show photographs; visitors will learn about the history of wedding gowns, children’s clothing, mourning fashion, and more. Guests will have a chance to pose for photos in period-appropriate attire. Tickets are $17 to $25 and are half price on Mother’s Day. Tours are offered 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Friday, May 9
Robin Tran
Dead Crow Comedy Room, 511 N. Third St. • Tickets: $25-$35
Robin Tran has been on the comedy scene for a decade but received rave reviews for her 2023 Edinburgh Fringe Festival set. “People want me to be a role model, but I just want to be a shitty trans woman,” she started out in her set.
Tran came out in 2015 as a transgender woman and has been performing as Robin since, opening for comedians such as Margaret Cho and Anthony Jeselnik. She has released comedy specials, including “Santa Doesn’t Like Every Kid” and “Don’t Look at Me,” and has written for Netflix and Just For Laughs.
Tran details some of the experience coming out in her sets. In a Comedy Central special from 2022 she noted: “I get asked a lot of annoying questions about my transition; I get asked a lot of questions about if I’m going to get the surgery. I don’t know what you think I have under my dress, but I’ll tell you what I don’t have: $100,000.”
Tran was crowned Just For Laugh’s New Faces of 2021 and has performed on That’s My Time with David Letterman on Netflix.
She performs at Dead Crow Comedy room for four shows this weekend, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday; tickets are $25 and up here.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
A Warped Tour Tribute — The Eagle’s Dare continues its free concert series with a tribute to the pop-punk and emo energy that one of the late ‘90s and early aught tours brought to hard-rock music fans. The Supply Chain is taking over the Eagle’s Dare stage, showcasing the musical talents of vocalist Josh Rodriguez, guitarist Gary Schutt (Hairdaze, Category Three, Live Without a Net), bassist Chris Ryals, and drummer Jason Lawrence (Live Without a Net, Nobody Cares). The group performs songs by Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Panic! At the Disco, The Killers and more. Opening at 6:30 p.m. will be local band Sloppy Copy; Supply Chain takes the stage at 8 p.m. The show is free and the food truck onsite will be T’Geaux Boys.
Caribbean Fest — Latin music is taking over Waterline Brewery on Saturday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Caribbean Fest, from Borichamos Productions, will feature live music from Jose Bautista (El Catracho de la Bachata) and Grupo La X-presion. Dance performances by Wilmington Latin Dance will also take place and DJs will spin Caribbean beats. There will also be multiple Latin American food trucks on site, including Wilmiricans and Made in Venezuela, as well as sweets from Stellar Snowcones and Sweet Moments. Plus, games will be available for all ages (kids 12 and under are free). Tickets are $12 here.
‘The Little Mermaid Jr.’ — Acting Up Community Theater is staging a Disney classic as part of its youth program. “The Little Mermaid Jr.” takes audiences through Ariel’s wish to gain her land legs forever, as she falls in love with a prince. But to do so, she has to give up her beautiful voice and craft a deal with the sea witch Ursula. The story comes to life “under the sea” with the theater kids also bringing to life Ariel’s friends, Sebastian the crab and Flounder the fish. Popular tracks — “Part of Your World,” “Under the Sea,” and “Kiss the Girl” — are all part of the junior production at Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. The show runs the next two weekends, Friday through Saturday, 7 p.m. and on Sunday at 3 p.m.; tickets start at $36.
Saturday, May 10
Silver Pride Cinema Festival
Jengo’s Playhouse, 815 Princess St. • Passes: $35
A one-day film festival taking place at Cucalorus headquarters, Jengo’s Playhouse, will center on LGBTQ+ cinema, featuring three feature film blocks. Silver Pride Cinema will showcase two documentaries and a narrative feature and one shorts block.
Films include “1946: The Mistransition that Shifted Culture,” about how an erroneous translation in the Bible almost 80 years ago led to weaponization against the LGBTQ+ community. It screens at 10:45 a.m.
The shorts block starts at 1:30 p.m. and features seven films, including one that follows a transgender man’s journey of getting a tattoo to cover his top surgery. There is also a country-western line-dancing queer party short and love stories.
At 4 p.m., “Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Film Project” will be screened, from Charles B. Brack. It follows 15-year-old Sakia Gunn who was stabbed in a hate crime in Newark, New Jersey.
“Lavendar Men” will close out the festival at 7 p.m., described as a “sexy, gay twist of the history of Abraham Lincoln.”
Passes are $35 and individual tickets are $10 here.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
Curated on Castle Street Vintage Market — The vintage market on Castle Street takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the 600 block. Visitors will shop through wares from Gravity Records, Second Skin Vintage, Jess James + Co., Threads By Sydney, The Vintage Cellar, Dots & Doodle, Holly’s Typewriter Poetry and more. It’s free to attend but all items are individually priced.
White Elephant Yard Sale — Burgwin-Wright House is hosting a community yard sale featuring housewares, books, vintage linens, antique furniture and more from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members will be able to shop early at 7:30 a.m. in the visitor center and under the porches. Shoppers should bring their own bags or boxes and all proceeds from sales benefit the Burgwin-Wright House (224 Market St.). Cash and credit cards accepted.
Port City Shakedown — At the Marina Grill (18 Harnett St.), Port City Shakedown is performing as part of the Sunset Concert Music Series from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Shows take place in the boatyard behind both the grill. Local vendors are also set up selling wares and admission is free. PC Shakedown is known for covering Motown, soul, rock, hip-hop, Top 40 dance and more.
Ladies Tea — The Arboretum is leaning into high tea for a Mother’s Day celebration spent outdoors. The event is also a fundraiser for Mission of Hope — a nonprofit that works toward safeguarding the health of women and children in Rotifunk, Sierra Leone, by ensuring they have clean water, electricity, medical equipment and supplies, medicine, and skilled healthcare workers at the Rotifunk Hospital. Tickets — $65 to $125 — include tea, mocktails, tea sandwiches, dessert trays, good company, live music, and fun. The event takes place 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 11
North Carolina Symphony: Stravinsky’s Firebird
Wilson Center, 703 N. Third St. • Tickets are $32 and up.
The North Carolina Symphony will host a 90-minute concert at Wilson Center on Sunday, featuring conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto and pianist Alessio Bax.
The symphony will perform Stravinsky’s showpiece The Firebird and Bax plays Falla’s Nights in the Garden of Spain. Also performed will be Ravel’s La valse and Albéniz’s Selections from Suite Española.
The symphony will perform at Wilson Center, 703 N. Third St. Tickets are $32 and up.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Mother’s Day Korean Cooking Class — Hi-Wire Brewing has a fun day planned that goes beyond giving Mom flowers in appreciation this Mother’s Day. Culinary-loving moms will appreciate an experiential afternoon spent with kids and, in this case, learning about Korean cooking. The event is hosted by GringoNinja Private Chef Service and features a hands-on interactive class, where guests will learn the ins and outs of Korean cuisine. Tickets, $65, include a drink plus all the ingredients and recipes to take home.
Mother’s Day Market — At Satellite Bar and Lounge, local makers and artisans will be set up for a Mother’s Day Market; wares will include flowers, baked goods, vintage items, vinyl and apothecary products. The event takes place from noon to 4 p.m. It’s free to attend and there also will be live music. Satellite is located in the South Front District near Benny’s Big Time Pizzeria.
Enter your events on Port City Daily’s calendar for free here.
Want to read more from PCD? Subscribe now and then sign up for our morning newsletter, Wilmington Wire, and get the headlines delivered to your inbox every morning.
