SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — Li’l Friday features dozens 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, July 10
‘A Ride Through the Country’
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. • Tickets: $35
A premiere production by local director and playwright Ray Kennedy, “A Ride Through the Country,” will be staged at Thalian Hall for the next two weekends.
Produced by Big Dawg Productions, the storyline follows the Southern family matriarch, Louie, undergoing cancer treatments. However, the closest treatment center is 45 minutes away, so her friends and family travel with her for her appointments.
With hilarious moments, also filled with poignant truth, the cast of characters showcase courage amidst adversity. According to Kennedy, the play “explores friendship, love, hope, and the importance of Tupperware.”
The show stars Greg King, Deb Gillingham, Jenny Wright, Erin Hunter, Elizabeth Michaels, Matthew Thomas-Reid, Cindy Colluci, Fracaswell Hyman and Michelle Braxton.
Shows take place Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. from July 10-20.
OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS
Boardwalk Blast — Carolina Beach continues its Boardwalk Blast concert and fireworks series on Thursday. The Bibis Ellison Band will take the Gazebo Stage at 6:30 p.m. and the fireworks display begins at roughly 9 p.m. Ellison is well-known in town for her powerhouse vocals, covering songs like Pat Benatar’s “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” Boardwalk restaurants and shops are also open during the show.
Sealevel Stringband — Fermental in the Cargo District is preparing for a string-slapping, foot-stomping good old-timey music hootenanny Thursday. Sealevel Stringband is an assemblage of local mountain music masters playing traditional folk music similar to bluegrass. The band brings in multiple string instruments, including banjo, upright bass, guitar, fiddle, concertina, and mandolin. The Rico’s Mexi-Tacos food truck will also be on site at 5 p.m.
WECT Sounds of Summer — Wrightsville Beach Park will come alive with live music from No Regretz, performing rock and R&B. The show is at 6:30 p.m. and food trucks will be parked on site, including Port City Plates, Well-Fed Ed, and Cool Beans Wilmington.
‘The Life of Chuck’ — Stephen King’s latest work is screening at Thalian Hall — a story about Charles ‘Chuck’ Krantz as he experiences the wonder of love, the heartbreak of loss, and the multitudes contained in all of us. The film won the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival “People’s Choice” Award and is directed by Mike Flanagan, who also wrote the screenplay with King. The film stars Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Karen Gillan, and Mark Hamill and is screening as part of Thalian Hall’s new cinema series. Showtime is 7 p.m. and tickets are $10-$12.
Civil War Fair — A Civil War round table and fair is taking place from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Elebash Hall at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 1219 Forest Hills Drive. The event will showcase authentic artifacts, including uniforms, weapons, accouterments and more. Displays will be set up around the room and members, such as reenactors Mart Thompson, Byron Hovey, William Jordan and Curt Cole, will discuss collections and answer questions. Make plans to come and learn about the Civil War through the medium of the artifacts of a soldier’s everyday life.
Friday, July 11
Lace Larrabee
Dead Crow Comedy Room, 511 N. Third St. • Tickets: $22-$33
A stand-up comedian and former southern beauty queen, Lace Larabee is performing at Dead Crow Comedy Room for one night only this weekend. Larabee’s act can be caught during two time slots: at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Larabee’s debut comedy album, “White Trash Cinderella,” scored at the top of the iTunes chart. In it she quips: “When you have a name like the title of a country song, you have a lot of pressure on you. ‘Cause prior to comedy I did pageants, because that’s just what you have to do when your name is Lace, right? It’s like it’s your responsibility to go out and make it in the big city to keep the family farm alive, except it wasn’t a farm, it was a trailer. But still…”
A season 17 semifinalist on “America’s Got Talent,” Larabee returned to the finale to roast judge Simon Cowell and Jeff Ross. Larabee also has had a Vegas residency as a host of “AGT Superstars.”
Tickets to her show are $22 to $33.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
Pleasure Island Pirate Cruise — In Carolina Beach, Island Cruises is welcoming all freebotters to walk the plank for a special Pirate Cruise. The journey departs from the Carolina Beach Marina and includes narration about the history of pirates in the Cape Fear. Plus, passengers will have a chance to take back the bounty from a pirate at sea, with the recovered treasure divided among the kids to take home with them. Arts and crafts also take place onboard and drinks and light snacks are available for purchase. Tickets are $26 to $36, available here; the cruise is an hour-and-a-half and begins at 3 p.m.
Saturday, July 12
BAD Day Music and Arts Festival
Brooklyn Arts District, N. Fourth Street • Tickets start at $100
It’s gonna be a BAD Day this Saturday in the Brooklyn Arts District — but only in the best way.
Roughly 10 bands are performing at the all-day music festival taking place along N. Fourth Street. There will be two outdoor stages providing sounds of bluegrass, rock, reggae, house, and more. Plus art vendors will be in the Fourth Street Festival Village from Hanover to Brunswick streets, also to feature live mural painting and wellness experiences, such as yoga and breathwork. The village also will include food and beverages for sale.
The music headliner is Railroad Earth, though throughout the day multiple bands will play, including Yonder Mountain String Band, and Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Signal Fire, Electrolust, and others.
An aftershow at Eagle’s Dare will have a third stage set up, featuring Lettuce at 9:30 p.m.
Individual businesses in the Brooklyn Arts District also have lineups of events taking place throughout the day, which are free in most places. Flytrap Brewing, for example, has yoga with Anupath at 10 a.m. and Seaview Crab Company will serve fresh seafood from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Bottega will have Ethan Hanson perform from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in a free show.
A pre-game to Saturday’s event, BAD is also hosting a show at Palm Room on Friday, July 11, featuring supergroup Mike Mattison & Trash Magic, consisting of members from Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dr. John and The Night Trippers, and Los Lobos. Find tickets here.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
‘Jaws’ in Concert — The summer blockbuster that turns half a century this year is being screened at Wilson Center, with a live performance of the Academy Award-winning score by composer John Williams. The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra will sync the score to the movie, which follows folks in the community of Amity. They’re under attack by a dangerous Great White, which the town’s police chief, a young marine biologist and a grizzled shark hunter are desperate to take down before Jaws strikes again. Tickets start at $25 and there are two showings, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Shakey Graves — Greenfield Lake Amphitheater will host the one-man folk act Shakey Graves. Also known as Alejandro Rose Garcia, the actor-turned-singer-songwriter launched his act in 2009 while living in Los Angeles. He returned to his hometown of Austin, Texas, where he quickly became a huge draw for locals with his unique performances. He takes the stage with a “jerry-rigged” drum kit and plays multiple instruments. In 2011, Shakey Graves released “Roll the Bones” with his creative take on traditional folk. NPR named him one of 10 artists fans “should’ve known in 2012.” He released “Donor Blues EP” in 2012, with a bluesier vibe and followed up with three LPs, including 2014’s “And the War Came,” 2018’s “Can’t Wake Up,” and 2023’s “Movie of the Week.” His stop at GLA is to celebrate the 10th anniversary of “And the War Came.” Tickets are $59.
Gregory Farms Farmers Market & Wine Fest — If hanging out on a farm in more your style for Saturday, then Gregory Farms is the place to be. Located in Currie — 23 miles from Wilmington, in Pender County at 2576 Montague Road — the farm is hosting a farmers market and wine festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s billed as a celebration of local businesses combining farm-fresh goods and wine. There will be live music from Blind Dillon Music (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.) and Kenny Reeves (1 p.m. to 4 p.m.), with vendors set up from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. as well. Plus, Lobster Dogs food truck will be on site and there will be giveaways.
Sunday, July 13
‘A Goofy Movie’ Shadowcast
The Eagle’s Dare, 420 N. Third St. • Free
If you missed the local comedy troupe Pineapple Shaped Lamps’ shadowcasts at Eagle’s Dare in the past — such as Halloween’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show” or the holiday season’s romp of “Elf” — now’s your chance to check out a family-friendly event.
The group is back at it for the 30th anniversary of Disney’s “A Goofy Movie.” A Walt Disney Television Animation film released in 1995, it follows Goofy and his teenage son, Max, as they embark on a U.S. cross-country fishing trip.
The group will act out — in costume and with props — the movie and encourages crowd involvement. Everyone’s welcome to dress in their favorite ‘90s costumers for the event and sing along to all the tracks by Powerline.
All ages are welcome and it’s free; the show is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Dhim — Wrightsville Beach Brewery is bringing irie vibes to life from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. with a family-friendly concert featuring Dhim. In between sets, ArkLight Sound System will spin vinyl. Plus, the Night Nurse Kim Smith, whose reggae show Reggae Redemption has been part of Wilmington’s culture for 30 years, will be at the event, presented by Thalian Hall.
‘Summerween’ Vegan Potluck — Though the temps say the dog days of summer, a group of local vegans is thinking ahead to the cooler season ahead. That’s why Wilmington Vegan is hosting a “Summerween” potluck from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at South Front Apartments. The mashup encourages participants to make their favorite dishes, including items like Jack-o’-melons, pineapple lanterns, spooky snacks, and sunshine-friendly costumes (witch hate with flip-flops, anyone?). “Think Halloween … but with popsicles!” Make sure the dish shared is 100% vegan, with a notecard containing all of its ingredients. Also bring all plates, utensils, cups, cloth napkins, etc. Head to the clubhouse kitchen at 1400 South 2nd Street.
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