SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — The weekend lineup of events highlights goings-on in 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, Jan. 22
‘Legends and Landmarks’
Bellamy Mansion, 503 Market St. • Free art exhibit
More than 40 paintings and drawings by James Horton will be on display at the Bellamy Mansion through April 26.
Horton works in various media, including oil, gouache (opaque watercolor), graphite pencil, and acrylic. “Legends and Landmarks” feature landscape and water scenes, as well as interpretations of historical events and places, celebrating 250 years of American history with storied subjects of Wilmington and beyond.
The show is open during museum hours, Monday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with an artist reception taking place Friday, Feb. 27, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS
NC Symphony — The North Carolina Symphony is hosting a concert on Thursday featuring Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23. Conducted by Keitaro Harada, it will feature Jeneba Kanneh-Mason on piano. Mozart’s selections include Overture to Don Giovanni, Symphony No. 35, “Haffner,” Overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Piano Concerto No. 23. The concert takes place at Wilson Center, 703 N. Third St. Tickets are $21 to $65 here.
‘Nature’s Symphony’ — Flytrap Brewing at 319 Walnut St. welcomes artist Jessica Nisbett. Having grown up in small-town Arkansas, Nisbett has been inspired by time spent in forests and mountains — the quiet beauty of small flora, insects, and natural rhythms. An art teacher for nine years, Nisbett creates artwork that explores the emotional and spiritual relationship between humans and nature. Thus “Nature’s Symphony” consists of an abstract, minimalist collection, interpreting nature’s sounds, movement, and stillness into color and form. The opening night will feature music from Doug McFarland, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., with food fro Kimchi Taco from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wilmington Big Band — The Eagle’s Dare will welcome Wilmington’s 17-member swing and jazz orchestra to its digs at 420 N. Third St. The public will pay $10 to hear a blend of timeless standards and pop tunes that will keep dancers swinging all night long. The show is from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 23
‘Little Women the Broadway Musical’
Historic USO/Community Arts Center, 120 S. Second St. • Tickets: $18
The famed Louisa May Alcott novel “Little Women” is coming to life as a musical at the Community Arts Center through Feb. 1.
Produced by Thalian Association Community Theater’s youth program, the story follows the adventures of sisters Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March growing up in Civil War America. The show unfolds with details from their daily lives — Jo wants to be a writer, Amy a famous artist or painter — in Concord, Massachusetts, as their father is serving as a Union Army chaplain during the war. Some of Jo’s short stories come to life as part of the vignettes.
The musical debuted on Broadway in 2005 and ran for 137 performances, and was nominated in 2005 for Tony, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk awards. The musical features music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, and book by Allan Knee.
Tickets to the Thalian Association youth musical is $18 here; showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday for the next two weekends.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
Scott Thompson — Most folks recognize Thompson as a member of the sketch comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall — popular in the late ‘80s as discovered by “SNL” creator Lorne Michaels. “The Kids in the Hall” became a groundbreaking TV series from 1989 to 1995, and thereafter the team went on to write and star in its own feature film, “Brain Candy.” In May 2022, Amazon brought back the show for eight episodes. Thompson’s acting career has been fruitful, as a series regular on NBC’s “Hannibal,” “The Larry Sanders Show,” and most recently in the Arnold Schwarzenegger Netflix series “Fubar.” He’s also appeared on “The Simpsons” and “Tim and Eric Awesome Show,” among doing the late-night circuit, as well as published several books, created visual art and music with his band Mouth Congress. Tickets are $36 to $48 with shows taking place Friday and Saturday, Jan. 23 and 24, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
No Boundaries Art Exhibit — As part of the art council’s Fourth Friday Gallery Nights, which features varied art exhibits at venues downtown, the No Boundaries International Art Colony 2026 exhibition will be featured at Acme Art Studios, 711 N. Fifth Ave. No Boundaries started in the late ‘90s as a residency program to bring in local, regional, national and international artists to Bald Head Island each year for two weeks to create new works, as inspired by the natural surroundings of the remote island. This year’s exhibit opens Friday and is on display through Feb. 20. It features works by Addie Hirschten, Heidi-Lee Peach, Lisa Mullikin, Jay Edge, Andy Alvarez, Anabelle Puttbach, Grayson Toal, Abby Ozrovitz, Jonathan Summit, and Heather Divoky. No Boundaries was founded by local Acme artists Pam Toll, Gayle Tustin and Dick Roberts.
Saturday, Jan. 24
[Ed. note: After press, the show was rescheduled to June, due to weather.]
Trae Crowder
Wilson Center, 703 N. Third St. • Tickets: $35-$148
A comedian best known for his porch rant videos leading to his best-selling “The Liberal Redneck Manifesto,” Tennessee native Trae Crowder is performing at Wilson Center on Saturday.
Crowder has had many sold-out shows nationwide, as well as appeared on “Real Time with Bill Maher” and in the “Veronica Mars” reboot as Chattanooga Charlie. Currently, he co-hosts the WellRED, Evening Skews and Puttin’ On Airs podcasts.
In his 2025 full-comedy special “Trash Daddy,” Crowder, with his heavy Southern drawl, quipped about doing shows in various venues, some even unexpected:
“Earlier this year I did standup at a lawyer’s conference in Miami and I don’t know why either. I guess they were like, ‘This guy has felons in his family. He knows lawyer’s stuff, probably. … Honestly, there was a point and time in my life where I thought I may want to be a lawyer when I grew up. I got it in my head that lawyer is only one of the white collar jobs you can have when talking like a racist banjo.”
Tickets to his Wilson Center show start at $35 and go up to $148.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
Great Gatsby Party — Wilmington’s premier speakeasy bar, The Blind Elephant, is celebrating the Roaring Twenties this weekend with its annual Great Gatsby Party. There will be live music, a burlesque dancer, free samples of delicious beverages and more. Doll up in your fanciest 1920s attire and strut down the red carpet as Blind Elephant celebrates 12 years of crafting cocktails and memories at 21 N. Front St.
Afrofusion Dance Party — Vue 21 at 1002-B Chestnut St. and BeatMotion Productions will host an event celebrating the rhythms, culture and vibes of Africa, Latin American, The Caribbean and America. It’s an Afrofusion Party with live DJs and performances from DJ Starrz and DJ Riz, hosted by DJ Tmore. There will be Afrobeats, reggaeton, dancehall, salsa, soca, cumbia, R&B, batchata and more played. Plus, global cuisine and a fusion chic dress code, so get creative. Tickets are $10 at the door and the event takes place from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
MLK Breakfast — MLK Day may have been Monday, Jan. 18, but the NAACP is continuing to honor the social justice activist this weekend with its annual MLK Breakfast at 10 a.m. at the Wilmington Convention Center, 10 Convention Center Dr. The theme is “The Fierce Urgency of Now,” with a goal to inspire for the future. Tickets are here unless sold-out.
Punk Fest — Dram Tree Tavern is hosting Punk Fest on Saturday with Krokodil, Forty Two, Infinity Fortress, The Ryan Henry, Kratorellos, Joint Break, and Church Burner. Dram Tree is an all ages venue, pet-friendly, with a full bar and restaurant. Doors are at 1 p.m. with the show starting at 2 p.m. and $10 admission.
‘Beanstalk’ — Pied Piper Theater, a 75-year program for elementary-aged school children, presents “Beanstalk” at Thalian Hall. This “mooo-sical for children” was written by Steve Cooper and takes a unique approach to the classic “Jack and the Beanstalk” tale. Themes include friendships and responsibility, with a tap-dancing Bessy the cow, a wayward giant and of course the hero, Jack. Tickets are $32 and the show starts at 2 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 25
Chamber Music Wilmington: Terra String Quartet and Oskar Espina Ruiz
UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, 5270 Randall Dr. • Tickets: $19-$39
A NYC-based young international ensemble made up of graduates from The Juilliard School, The New England Conservatory, Harvard University, and the Curtis Institute of Music, Terra String Quartet is performing at UNCW at 4 p.m. Artistic director and international clarinetist Oskar Espina Ruiz will join violinists Harriet Langley and Amelia Dietrich, viola player Chih-Ta Chen and cellist Audrey Chen. They will perform the following compositions:
- Franz Schubert Quartettsatz in C Minor, D. 703
- Seth Grosshandler Dances for String Quartet
- Joaquín Gutierrez Heras Clarinet Quintet
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581
Tickets start at $19.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Badfish — With Joel Hanks on bass, Scott Begin on drums, Pat Downes on vocals and guitar, Danny Torgersen on horns, keyboards, and guitars, Badfish will perform at Bowstring Brewyard at 1002 Princess St. The group is a tribute act to American band Sublime, a California group that brought ska-punk and reggae-rock to the mainstream. Badfish encapsulates Sublime’s musical spirit and legacy but after two decades also released original music, including “High With You” and the recent anthemic “F You Pay Me,” with special guest Grieves. Tickets to the Bowstring show are $32 here.
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