Your guide to entertainment in Charlotte this week

Friday

The 39th annual festival is one of Charlotte’s most popular cultural events. The family-friendly weekend features authentic Greek cuisine, homemade pastries, live traditional music and dancing as well as shopping and cultural exhibits. Yiasou, by the way, is the Greek word for “hello,” “goodbye” and “cheers.”

Byrd is a seventh-generation North Carolinian whose journey has taken him across the country, around the world and back to Carolina. Reviews have said he’s sly, mischievous, melodious and “able to say more in two words than most other people can say in a novel.”

The seventh annual art and wine festival kicks off with wine samples, art demonstrations and live music. On Saturday, local artists will sell their artworks and more than 40 vineyards will offer wine tastings and wine seminars throughout the EpiCentre.

Saturday

From fish n’ chips and BBQ to dumplings, lobster dogs, and Banh Mi, the Music Factory gathers over 100 four-wheel kitchens for this festival of food. There’ll also be live music, and bounce houses, obstacle courses and a climbing wall for kids. A portion of proceeds benefits Kids First of the Carolinas.

Fans of “Dwell” magazine and HBO’s “Mad Men” can get their modern fix with Charlotte’s only mid-century modern home tour. This one-day, self-guided tour includes eight privately owned homes designed and decorated in the mid-century modern style, popular from roughly 1935-1965.

As they proved three years ago by collaborating with rapper Nelly on a smash-hit remix of its single, “Cruise,” the pop-friendly country duo doesn’t play by any of Nashville’s old rules. Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley also put on a deliriously raucous live show that goes really well with $13 beers.

Join more than 50 North Carolina potters who will gather on the lawn of Mint Museum Randolph to sell their creations. There will be pottery demonstrations, food, live music and more. Your ticket is also valid for museum admission.

Sunday

The marketplace features experts in building, remodeling, decorating and landscaping for projects like home improvement and enhancing outdoor living spaces. Also hear from celebrity guests Brett and Wayne from Animal Planet’s “TANKED,” buy food truck items or visit the beer garden, and explore three tiny homes.

Ever dream of downsizing your life? Get a glimpse of what it’s like to live the “Tiny House” lifestyle as tiny home owners from the Carolinas and beyond bring their portable homes on-site for your viewing pleasure. The first 100 guests each day will receive a free giveaway from Lowe’s.

Opening weekend for the seven-acre corn maze, which features more than two miles of interconnecting paths that challenges your directional skills. Look for mailboxes containing map clues as well as “kernels of knowledge” throughout the maze. It is designed to be navigated in 45 minutes to one hour.

Week ahead

Food can be a rich source for metaphor and memory. Join author and writing instructor Maureen Ryan Griffin and learn fun, easy-to-use tools that will benefit your writing in all genres, including memoirs, novels, poetry or even a family cookbook.

The one-time vocalist for Steve Vai-turned-founder of Canadian metal outfit Strapping Young Lad has dabbled in everything from industrial to prog to new age music with his signature wall-of-sound style production. He’s paired with NC prog-metal heroes BTBAM, last seen at Carolina Rebellion.

The singing group from Ireland performs both solo and ensemble numbers, accompanied by the Celtic Concert Orchestra under the direction of David Munro. Celtic Thunder consistently is one of the most popular musical shows for PBS stations throughout the United States.

In Theatre Charlotte’s production of the Broadway musical, Tony Manero is a humble paint store clerk by day and stallion dance king by night who lives for Saturday night at the disco. He falls under the spell of the disco beat and forgets the reality of his life, dead-end job and deadbeat friends.

The Atlanta-based country-music band makes its annual late-summer visit to the big outdoor stage, with songs like “Knee Deep” and “Chicken Fried” in tow. Opening the show: Drake White and the Big Fire.

This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Your guide to entertainment in Charlotte this week."