Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Aug. 17-23
What is there to do in Charlotte this weekend? Here’s our experts’ picks on everything from entertainment – movies to music to theater – to food and wine, beer and restaurants. And shopping, of course...
Friday
Fashion, environmentalism, and visual art mingle in Opera Carolina’s Opera Recycles, which was conceived as a creative way to make haste of its waste with designers fashioning leftover marketing materials into elaborate dresses and ball gowns. Playbills become pleats and flyers fold into bodices with astounding results. The initiative has been such a success Opera Recycles has taken its entire line to New York for Fashion Week. See for yourself when The Bechtler exhibits these imaginative creations during Bechtler By Night from 5 to 9 p.m. Galleries are also open. Free.
Without the full-time commitment to Netflix’s “Full House” reboot “Fuller House,” comedian Bob Saget can enjoy the show’s continued success from afar and still have time for bawdier adult comedy on the road, in books and film. He’s back for an intimate four-show, two-night run. $30-$35, 7:30 and 9:45 Friday, 7 and 9:30 Saturday. Comedy Zone.
Little under a month after selling out Atlanta’s Sun Trust Stadium, country music superstar Jason Aldean continues his winning streak on the High Noon Neon Tour with Luke Combs and Lauren Alaina. He recently charted his 20th No. 1 country single (“You Make It Easy”) and the first gold-selling country album of 2018 with his new album, “Rearview Town” (although a copy of the CD comes with each concert ticket sold). Regular tickets for Friday’s show in Charlotte are sold out. Fan-to-fan verified resales through Ticketmaster start at $115. 7:30 p.m. PNC Music Pavilion.
Laura Eason’s critically acclaimed play “Sex With Strangers” delves into the very contemporary topic of identity, romance and lust in the digital age where presentation is everything and online acquaintances can easily be misled. Told from the perspective of two writers from different generations, the intimate show explores ambition, self-invention and how true we are to ourselves online and off. $25. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Duke Energy Theater.
Saturday
Charlotte Pride Week reaches its apex during the two-day uptown Pride Festival, which features live performances by Stacey Layne Matthews, Coco Montrese and Aja from “Ru Paul’s Drag Race,” Superfruit – who mix hip-hop tracks with Broadway-style arrangements, award nominated Latin vocalist Leslie Grace, former Pussycat Doll Jessica Sutta, Chicago rapper CupCakKe and others. Vendors, arts exhibitors, food trucks, political candidates and non-profits will have booths throughout the festival. VIP tickets, which include several meet and greets with the weekend’s acts and complimentary wine and beer and Sunday brunch, are $119 to $169. Noon to 10 p.m. Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday along Tryon Street in uptown. The annual Pride Parade begins Sunday at 1 p.m. along Tryon between Ninth and Trade streets.
A-list comedian Jerry Seinfeld steps away from the driver’s seat of his hit Netflix talk show “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” and back on to the standup stage for a night of keen observations and big laughs. Few regularly priced tickets are available, but tickets can be purchased through verified resellers on Ticketmaster’s website. 7 p.m., Ovens Auditorium.
Sunday
Thirty years after Ted Turner moved the Southeast’s wrestling hub to Atlanta (from Charlotte), pro-wrestling tightens its grip on the Carolinas again as numerous N.C.-born and trained athletes continue to pop up on the rosters of the big three television promotions — WWE, Impact and Ring of Honor. Many of those show’s current stars started out on PWX cards and you’ll likely see some of Sunday’s performers on the big screen in the future. Charlotte-based Premier Wrestling Xperience’s “Land of Opportunity” event returns to Concord with a seven-man ladder match and Crockett Cup Tournament topping the card. Adults $15-$35, children age 5 to 12 $5 general admission. 3 p.m. Cabarrus Arena.
Tuesday
Columbia is your closest shot to catch power couple Beyonce and Jay-Z’s OTR II stadium tour. The Carters touch down during their six-date run of the South, which includes stops in Atlanta, Nashville, Tenn., and Florida. The setlist is a he said/she said/we said run through their respective catalogs and collaborations and from the pair’s surprise summer co-release “Everything is Love.” $54.50-$799, VIP tickets cap out at $1250. 7:30 p.m., Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia.
Wednesday
Six-time Tony awarding winning musical “The Lion King” roars back into Belk Theater for a three-week run. With elaborate stage and set design, magnificent dance numbers, and colorfully bold characters, “The Lion King” has become the quintessential modern Disney classic to transform on the Broadway stage, eclipsing the original animated film in popularity. $40-$195, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thursday with shows running all week, except Mondays, through Sept.9.
Thursday
Charlotte photographer Daniel Coston has shot local and touring musicians for regional and national publications for over 20 years. His latest collection “When the Legends Come to Town” features some of the bigger names in Coston’s portfolio. The exhibit opens with a reception during uptown’s gallery crawl from 6 to 9 p.m. Knight Gallery at Spirit Square. More of Coston’s work is on display at Petra’s in Plaza-Midwood through Aug. 27, when the venue will host a closing reception from 7 to 9 p.m.
This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 1:14 PM.