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, April 30
‘The Varsity Line’
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. • Tickets: $27
An original show by two Wilmington natives is being staged at Thalian Hall for the next two weekends.
“The Varsity Line” was written by Mack Webb and is directed by his father, Bo — whose work in the film industry can be seen on “Veep” and “Outer Banks.” The two have been working on the show over the last year, including refining jokes, adding comedic bits based on casting and working out kinks in the story.
The farce stars Jon Stafford, Sam Robison, Tyler Patrick Smith, Jake Brenden Taylor and Ed Wagenseller and is set in 1938. The play follows the antics of the train’s passengers, as they learn a safe full of money is among them, along with at least one train robber.
The play’s structure follows the events in three separate rail cars over the same 20-minute period; some of the jokes are essentially in reverse, meaning audiences may not understand the humor until the third installment. Some items turn up one moment with no explanation until the subsequent scene.
Tickets to the show are $27 and “The Varsity Line” will be staged at Thalian Hall’s Red Box Theater May 1-9; Friday showtimes are at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays are 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and the Sunday showing is at 3 p.m.
OTHER THURSDAY EVENTS
‘Disaster! the Musical’ — It’s 1979 at the grand opening of New York’s first floating casino and disco. But a wave of calamities hit — earthquakes, fires, floods and more — as the passengers on board scramble for survival. The Tony-nominated musical features songs like “Knock on Wood” and “Hot Stuff,” among other ‘70s hits. It will be staged at Thalian Hall from Panache Theater Productions April 23-26 and April 30-May 3, at 7:30 p.m., except for Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets are $37.
Friday, May 1
Dan Mintz
Dead Crow Comedy Room, 511 N. Third St.• Tickets: $30-$42
Comedian Dan Mintz, who voices Tina Belcher on “Bob’s Burgers,” will be touring through Dead Crow Comedy Room this weekend.
Mintz performs his standup on May 1 and 2 as part of his “Well Rounded Entertainer” tour.
He explained to Port City Daily during an interview last week, he does not home in on his own life experiences when it comes to writing one-liners but tries, instead, to relate to other people’s experiences.
Often he will focus on topics like relationship issues, such as with parents or a partner. For example, on “Late Show with David Letterman” in 2013, Mintz quipped: “Whenever I ask my parents who their favorite kid is, they always say they don’t have a favorite — which kind of hurts my feelings as an only child.”
Mintz writes his comedy like a series of short stories, so it could be multiple 1-minute jokes instead of a 5-minute elongated bit.
“If each joke is like its own story, each joke has its own character,” he said. “They still all kind of are me or a version of me, in terms of the point of view and the misunderstanding of reality or an obliviousness to it.”
You can read the full interview here and get tickets to the show, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, here.
Mintz’s tour is in support of a new animated standup special debuting on YouTube May 20.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
NC Black Film Festival — This weekend’s Black Film Festival will take place May 1-3 at varied locations and celebrate Black filmmakers and films exploring African-American life and history, featuring shorts, animation, documentary, and student works. The event takes place over three days and is juried, with awards given to first place in docs, features, and shorts. Most of all screenings take place at Jengo’s Playhouse on Princess Street, such as Stranger Than Fiction Social Doc Shorts at 6 p.m. Friday and “Can You Stand the Rain” on Saturday. On Sunday, the Cameron Art Museum will host the closing film, “Free Joan Little,” directed by award-winning Peabody documentarian Yoruba Richen, followed by a Q&A with the director. The film tells the story of the landmark 1975 trial of Joan Little, the first woman in U.S. history acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault. Activists including Angela Davis and Rosa Parks joined her cause, catalyzing a national conversation about racial justice and gender-based violence that remains deeply relevant today. Richen is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and recipient of the Black Public Media Trailblazer Award. Her most recent film, “American Coup: Wilmington 1898,” was nominated for a Peabody Award. The schedule and tickets can be purchased to the screenings here.
‘Kinky Boots’ — Based on a 2005 British film by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth, the story of “Kinky Boots” was adapted for the stage by Harry Fierstein, with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper. The show won six Tony Awards, a Grammy and the Laurence Olivier Award. The story follows a young man, Charlie Price, as he inherits an almost-bankrupt shoe factory after his father’s sudden passing. Price becomes transfixed with saving the company to honor his dad’s legacy, but to do so he must take a different approach to its business plan. It always focused on drab, though well-made and expensive, men’s shoes. After a drink with a buddy one night, Charlie tries to help a lady being attacked, only to find out later when he comes to, she is actually a cabaret performer and drag queen. An unlikely friendship blossoms between Charlie and Lola, as she inspires Charlie to fill a niche market by making flashy shoes that can hold a male’s weight. Tickets to the show are $60 and up here.
Saturday, May 2
Everclear
Bowstring Brewyard, 1002 Princess St. • Tickets: $40
A leading alternative ‘90s rock band is coming to Bowstring Brewyard this weekend.
Everclear will perform at the venue their Top 40 hits, including “Santa Monica,” “Father of Mine,” “I Will Buy You A New Life,” “Wonderful” and “Everything To Everyone.” The group was founded in 1992 by vocalist and guitarist Art Alexakis and scored a 1998 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance category for the track “El Distorto de Melodica.”
Their 1995 album “Sparkle and Fade” went platinum and made the group a household name. Since, the group has continued to tour and create music, with Alexakis being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2019. Today, he donates one dollar from every ticket purchased for his performances to charities such as Sweet Relief Musicians Fund and National MS Society.
The group hasn’t released a new album since 2015, though Alexakis told reporters in 2025 he was creating new music for an impending release.
Opening for the group at Bowstring will be Echostone, a Carolinas rock band that performs early aughts-style modern music and has toured with artists like Creed, Gavin DeGraw and more.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
Mayday Festival — Shelton Herb Farms will host Mayday Festival at 340 Goodman Road NE in Leland. There will be food, coffee, and 11 local vendors selling a variety of plants, herbal products, and botanical crafts. Also there will be kids activities, along with flowers, crowns and a maypole, plants, herbal products, and botanical crafts.
Kentucky Derby Party — The most exciting 2 minutes in sports is happening at the Blind Elephant — the annual Kentucky Derby Party. The alleyway bar will screen races around 3 p.m., so arrive early to pick the winning horse for each race and win a prize. On special will be specialty juleps, fancy hats and a portion of proceeds will be donated to Pasture Pals Equine Rescue in Clayton, North Carolina. It’s free for members and $10 for non-members.
Free Comic Book Day — Free Comic Book Day is back with multiple stores participating locally on Friday. Downtown Memory Lane Comics will have 50 different books to choose from and attendees will receive five free comics. In addition to being at its Princess Street venue, Memory Lane also has rented out Bourgie Nights for the day to have more options and giving out freebies. A local creator alley also will be set up for people to meet artists and writers. Memory Lane and Memory Lane Part II will be having all-day sales that you won’t want to miss. High-end items up for raffle. Fanboy Comics will have 25 free comics to choose from while supplies last — “Spidey and his Amazing Friends,” “Armageddon/X-men #1,” “Alien,” “Predator” and more.
Ocean Fest — Ocean Fest, a nonprofit two-day arts and music festival in Surf City with a focus on celebrating and preserving the environment, is returning this weekend. Ocean Fest brings together tens of thousands of festival-goers for a free weekend-long celebration of music, art, surfing and coastal culture. On Saturday, May 2, this year’s event returns to the streets and back by the ocean in the heart of Surf City. The all-day, family-friendly festival brings the community together from morning to night with a purpose that goes beyond entertainment. From a surf competition and beachside 5K to yoga on the sand and interactive experiences throughout the day, Ocean Fest delivers something for everyone. There will be more than 50 ecological and sustainability-focused vendors, local art, kids zones, and live art installations, the event continues to build on its mission to create fun while shaping the next generation of stewards of the ocean. It takes place from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
River to Sea Bike Ride 2026 — Riding from historic downtown to Wrightsville Beach, bikers are welcome to the annual Wilmington’s River to Sea Bicycle Route for a 20-mile round trip. It starts at the intersection of Second and Princess streets and winds through residential streets, off-road multi-use paths, and a few arterial roadways. The event takes place on May 2, but participants can enjoy the River to Sea Bike Ride Expo the day before on May 1 at Empire Park from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be free bike checks and additional information about the ride and merch for purchase.
‘Wizard of Oz’ on Ice — The wizard, Dorothy and her crew are coming to Thalian Hall for a show on ice this weekend. Thalian Hall’s stage will be transformed with synthetic ice for skaters to dazzle in colorful costumes to dance, jump, and spin on. The classic L. Frank Baum tale will illuminate with all the songs made popular in the 1939 film. There are two shows at 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. with tickets costing $47 to $68.
Ali Saddiq: The Custom Fit Tour — Ali Saddiq is has been crowned as “stand-up comedy’s most prolific storyteller” and will perform at Wilson Center on Saturday. The comedian has amassed more than 47 million views, on “The Domino Effect” from 2022 through 2024 and won the 2026 NAACP Image Award nomination for his standup special “Ali Siddiq: My Two Sons.” On it, he quips: “So, I’m 50, right? Let me tell you what that means. That means I should have been have my last fight … I get into it with a 29 year old male. 29-year-old male said I started it. Let me tell you what I don’t do: start fights … I’mma be honest with y’all, I said something first. But what I said, it’s not supposed to start some altercation: ‘Hey, take that trash out on your way outside.’ Oh this is my son — it’s not some regular 29-year-old male.” On his 2026 tour “Ali Siddiq: Custom Fit,” the comedian will bring new material to the stage. Tickets are $42.
Sunday, May 3
Ani DiFranco
Greenfield Lake Amphitheater, 1941 Amphitheater Drive • Tickets: $47
An iconic female folk artist and activist is returning to Wilmington. Ani DiFranco is making her local stop May 3 as part of a 20-city “The Spirit of Love Tour.” She will be joined by Valerie June.
An American-Canadian singer-songwriter, DiFranco has dropped 20 albums that blend folk and alternative rock, punk, funk, hip hop and jazz. Like all of her releases, 2024’s “Unprecedented Sh!t” came out on her record label Righteous Babe, which she started in 1990.
DiFranco’s music, comprising fierce vocals with staccato rapid guitar playing, is both political and personal. The Grammy-winning artist is known for albums including “Not a Pretty Girl,” “Dilate,” “Little Plastic Castle,” “Evolve” and “Living in Clip.”
In addition to her passion for creating music, DiFranco also is well-known for her advocacy work, with organizations like the The Southern Center for Human Rights and The Innocence Project. She has been outspoken against the Gulf War in the 1990s, advocated to get out the vote during presidential years with “Vote Dammit” tours, and most recently called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
DiFranco also has donated songs for benefit albums and created specialized concerts, such as 2010’a “For Our Coast” in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. She started a nonprofit “Aiding Buffalo’s Children” in the early aughts to raise money for Buffalo’s public school system and today it has folded into the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo.
Among many awards and accolades, DiFranco’s voice for positive change received the Woody Guthrie Award in 2009.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Boogie in the Park — Local rock band The Hatch Brothers are coming to Kure Beach this weekend for the season’s first Boogie in the Park. The free concerts take place every first and third Sunday through October and folks are welcome to bring their beach blankets or lawn chairs to Ocean Front Park. The Hatch Brothers comprise Sam Hatch (vocals/guitar), Paul Hatch (bass/vocals), and Phil Milligan (drums), who blend blends blues, rock, jazz, and folk influences. The show takes place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Jewish Film Festival — For more than a decade, the Wilmington Jewish Film Festival celebrates films that embrace Jewish culture. The 2026 festival continues through May 6, with receptions including food and beverages as well. Sunday’s screening features “Diane Warren: Relentless,” directed by Bess Kargman. Warren is a prolific songwriter best known for a writing mega-hits for industry giants, such as Cher, Gloria Estefan, David Foster, Jennifer Hudson, and Kesha. Along with Academy Award nominations, an Honorary Oscar, and Grammy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Awards, Diane is part of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The documentary showcases the writer’s humor and a rare glimpse into her life and underdog journey. The full lineup of Jewish Film Festival screenings can be found here, along with festival passes on sale for $60 or tickets for $10 individually, with screenings at Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St.
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