Cool stuff to do in Charlotte this weekend
Sports
Charlotte Hornets
Sat 7 p.m. Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 E. Trade St. $50 and up. www.charlottehornets.com.
Our NBA team returns from the All-Star break with two new players – Mo Williams and Troy Daniels – and (hopefully) a (miraculous) nine-game winning streak that would put them over .500 for the first time since October. Here’s to the power of positive thinking!
Comedy
Laugh for the Cure
Sat 7:15 p.m. Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. $45-$85. www.blumenthalarts.org.
Breast cancer is typically serious business ... except for one night a year, when Komen Charlotte stages its annual night of comedy. This one features Hickory native Jon Reep (a former “Last Comic Standing” winner) and lots of opportunities to donate.
Food
Vietnamese New Year’s festival
Sat/Sun 6-11 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 4929 Sandy Porter Road. Free admission; food and drink available for purchase. 704-504-0907.
Yes, it’s a family-friendly celebration of the Chinese New Year. But it’s also a celebration of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Observer correspondent Tom Hanchett, a local ethnic food aficionado, recommends the bahn khot (tiny pancakes topped with pork and other morsels).
Theater
‘Chita: A Legendary Celebration’
Sun 7 p.m. McGlohon Theater, Spirit Square, 345 N. College St. $20-$89.50. www.blumenthalarts.org.
Before Idina Menzel or Kristin Chenoweth or Audra McDonald were even twinkles in their fathers’ eyes, Chita Rivera was Broadway’s brightest diva. Does she still have the pipes at age 82? We will be there to find out.
TV
87th Academy Awards
Sun 8:30 p.m. on ABC.
If I had to bet, I’d put my money on “Birdman” for Best Picture (although, personally, the movie made me sleepy). And if I had to bet, I’d put my money on the Oscar telecast running long.
This story was originally published February 19, 2015 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Cool stuff to do in Charlotte this weekend."