Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Nov. 2-8
Friday
▪ Last spring, Omimeo Mime Theater founder Hardin Minor discovered letters his grandfather wrote to his grandmother while he was stationed in France during World War I. To mark the 100-year anniversary of the Armistice that ended the war, Minor used the letters to craft a one-man show, “Letters from the Trenches: Dear Kit,” to honor his grandfather’s memory and other veterans. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. St. John’s Baptist Church’s Broach Hall. Suggested donation is $20. A percentage of the proceeds will benefit Veteran’s Bridge Home, Affordable Housing Fund, and the Elizabeth Community Association.
▪ Conductor Roberto Abbado pays homage to his native Italy with Charlotte Symphony: Mendelssohn Italian Symphony as well as Berlioz’s “Roman Carnival Overture,” Paganini’s “Violin Concerto No. 1,” and contemporary composer Luciani Berio’s “Return of Madrid.” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Knight Theater. $19-$88.
Saturday
▪ It’s all you can eat madness as J.J.’s Red Hots in Dilworth stages its seventh annual SausageFest with unlimited housemade sausages and other exotic doggery, 30 local craft beers from 10 area breweries, and live music. The unique international-flavored menu includes Bratballs with marinara and parmesan; Lowcountry sausage stuffed with shrimp, corn and potato; Korean-style Bulgogi; Eastern NC-style ’Que Sausage; Knackwurst; and Chorizo Pie — along with more traditional fare. (Real) dogs are welcome. 3-7 p.m. $40-$45; $25 designated drivers; kids 10 and younger free.
▪ It’s the 36th year for The Light Factory Annual Art Auction, which features photography from Emmet Gowin, Luis Gonzalez Palma and Maggie Taylor, and local artists Byron Baldwin, Carolyn DeMerritt and Jim Herrington, among others. Proceeds from the auction make up one-third of the Light Factory’s operating budget. Food, drink and artwork will be on exhibit in the gallery during the reception, but you don’t have to attend to bid. The silent auction begins at 6:30 p.m.; the live auction is at 8:30 p.m. $40 for members, $50 for non-members.
▪ Less than a month after the release of his latest Netflix special, “If You Quit Listening, I’ll Shut Up,” comedian and actor Ron White — who grew to international acclaim as part of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour — returns to Charlotte. 8 p.m. Ovens Auditorium. $46.75.
Sunday
▪ The Latin American Coalition and Levine Museum of the New South co-host the 15th Annual Day of the Dead/Dia De Los Muertos Festival. The family-friendly festival will take place at the museum includes children’s activities, Aztec-inspired dancing, traditional Mexican food, crafts and music, as well as an altar-building contest featuring beautiful, elaborate memorials. Noon-6 p.m. Free.
Wednesday
▪ Jazz-fusion group Spyro Gyra approaches its 45th year in music, and despite having lost members to health issues and death in recent years, it’s still out on the road and still anchored by original members saxophonist Jay Beckenstein and keyboardist Tom Schuman. 7:30 p.m. McGlohon Theater. $27.50-$47.50.
▪ Check out a versatile multi-instrumentalist and Grammy-winning country singer during An Evening with Vince Gill, featuring a marathon set covering his 40-year career — from “One More Last Chance” to “Liza Jane” — as well as interesting covers and blistering fretwork. 7:30 p.m. Ovens Auditorium. $57-$125.
Thursday
▪ Opera Carolina’s 70th season doesn’t technically kick off until Nov. 10, but locals can get a sneak peek (and discounted tickets) during Opera Carolina First Night: Daughter of the Regiment. Opera Carolina takes a cue from the current #TimesUp environment and welcomes its new female executive director Beth Hansen with its “She Season,” focusing on works that celebrate strong female characters. Gaetano Donizetti’s classic French comedy is the tale of an orphan girl raised by an army regiment who falls for a peasant while unaware of her own aristocratic roots. 7 p.m. Belk Theater. $9.68; $8.21 for students.
This story was originally published November 1, 2018 at 1:13 PM.