Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Feb. 10-16

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

How about a little free wine after work? The Wine Shop Dilworth on Morehead Street does free tastings (usually 1-ounce pours) of four wines every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. Did we mention you get cheese and crackers too? You can park next door at Max & Co. after 5 p.m. (If you need a little wine any night, they always have their tasting machine set up with 12, ranging from 50 cents to $3 for a 1-ounce pour.) – KP

When he’s not popping up in huge TV series like Netflix’s “Orange Is the New Black” or huge movies like Amy Schumer rom-com “Trainwreck,” Mike Birbiglia is out on the road doing stand-up at clubs like The Comedy Zone at Charlotte’s AvidXchange Music Factory. Performances are at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, and tickets run $25-$30. – TJ

Rescheduled from early December, folk-rock singer-songwriter Josh Ritter returns to McGlohon Theatre before heading to Europe. He’ll try out new material that he premiered for fans during his fall Works in Progress solo shows. The 8 p.m. concert is a chance to witness the process behind one of his generation’s most acclaimed literary songwriters. – CD

Two of alternative rock’s biggest bands – headliner Muse and Jared Leto-led opener Thirty Seconds To Mars – are teaming up on June 15 to help kick off the summer concert season at PNC Music Pavilion. The reason we’re telling you right now? Because tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. – TJ

“Ragtime” remains an unheralded musical, despite winning Tonys for best score and book in 1998. This adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel about raciusm, politics and immigration in early 20th-century America gets has a powerful emotional core, and CPCC Theatre will perform it Feb. 10-19 in Halton Theater. – LT

Saturday

If you missed the opening at the McColl Center for Art + Innovation a few weeks ago, the Open Studio Saturday scheduled for noon-4 p.m. is a great opportunity to meet the Center’s new slate of artists-in-residence: Rob Carter, Dustin Farnsworth, Scott Gardner, Rebecca Kamen, Fallen Fruit, and Marcus Kiser + Jason Woodberry. There will be artmaking activities and food trucks too. Personally, I think these open houses are a better way to meaningfully engage with the artists. It’s a bit quieter than a typical evening reception, with the crowd trickling in throughout the day. This means you can spend more time actually exploring the art and chatting one-on-one with the artists. – LN

Does the idea of Valentine’s Day drive you to drink? Bob Peters is there for you, with ANTI-Valentine’s Day, a Mixology Lab class on cocktails that pair with a sour attitude and “a general lack of desire to be happy.” It’s 2:30 p.m. at Earl’s Grocery (get there early -- seating gets tight). And it’s free, which might make you at least a little happy. – KP

See what treasures 20 local designers can create from upcycled Goodwill fashions and home goods during REPURPOSED: An Upcycle Fashion Show + Auction. The show, at 5 p.m. at LaCa Projects, 1429 Bryant St., is presented by the Crownkeepers and sponsored by the City of Charlotte Solid Waste Services to educate about upcycling and encourage people to reduce waste. – CB

OK, so it’s really, let’s see, 48th Night. But that nasty ice storm canceled plans for the Twelfth Night celebration at the Charlotte Museum of History. It’s going on at 6 p.m., renamed “Winter Holidays Celebration,” but it’s still a night of winter fun, colonial-style. $8 for members, $10 for nonmembers, $5 for ages 6-12, and free for children younger than 6. – KP

How does “Intimacy With Wine and Chocolate” sound to you? (Um, maybe you should keep that answer to yourself.) Actually, it’s a pairing of wines and plated chocolate desserts, and starts at 7 p.m. at The Secret Chocolatier’s Ballantyne location. It’s $30 ($55 if you sign up to go to a second session Feb. 18) and a portion of the wine sales goes to Crisis Assistance Ministry. 704-323-8178. – KP

If you want to run an organized race for both fun and charity this Valentine’s Day weekend, there are two options. The first – the 13th Annual Cupid’s Cup – is a traditional 5K (and 1 Mile Walk) on a fast course that starts and finishes close to CMC-Myers Park at 8 a.m.; it benefits cardiac rehabilitation at Carolinas HealthCare System’s Pineville, SouthPark and Union facilities. The second – the Cupid’s Undie Run – is a 1-mile fun run that serves as a prelude to a big ol’ Valentine-themed party; the run starts at 2 p.m. at the EpiCentre, the soiree takes place upstairs at Suite, and the beneficiary is the Children’s Tumor Foundation. Running in your underwear is obviously suggested, but it’s not required ... – TJ

The Charlotte Hornets plan to honor Kemba Walker’s selection as an NBA All-Star by giving away “Starting Lineup” figurines made in his likeness to the first 7,500 fans at the team’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers. In the concourse also before the 5 p.m. game, fans can record video messages for Walker, which will be played on the scoreboard later during the game. – TJ

Since focusing on music full-time in 2014, Durham’s MC Taylor has become a favorite among tastemakers and other musicians for his lyrical detail and ability to weave fresh ideas into the tapestry of the South’s musical traditions. His band Hiss Golden Messenger’s latest album, “Heart Like a Levee,” pushes folk boundaries with psychedelic exploration and horn-fueled gospel soul. Hiss Golden Messenger performs at 8 p.m. at Neighborhood Theatre. – CD

Former N.C. poet laureate Fred Chappell is the guest on D.G. Martin’s N.C. Bookwatch at noon on UNC-TV. – DP

Joe and Katy Kindred go in front of the cameras for “Order/Fire,” the chef documentary series produced by Peter Taylor and Mark Jacksina. The showing is at 1 p.m. at Free Range Brewing with food samples and a raffle to benefit the Lake Norman YMCA. (The winner gets a chef’s tasting menu for four at Kindred.) – KP

Caritas Acapella Ensemble can’t spell but can sing. Its concerts – 3 p.m. at Myers Park Presbyterian Church, 7 p.m. at Davidson College Presbyterian Church – include baroque music, “My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth” and the “William Tell Overture” done by voices. Half the proceeds go to Community Culinary School of Charlotte. – LT

Ludwig Van Beethoven and Bela Bartok both revolutionized string quartet form, and you’ll hear how if you attend the Providence United Methodist Church Chamber Music Series at 7 p.m. Kari Giles, Jenny Topilow, Kirsten Swanson and Mira Frisch will team for each man’s fifth quartet. It’s free, but donations are accepted. – LT

Wednesday

“Shape Shifting: When Novel Becomes Film,” a talk about “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,” with Sam Shapiro, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library film series curator, will be at 7 p.m. at Charlotte Lit Studio. Free for members; guests $5. – DP

Thursday

Troy Ball, author of “Pure Heart: A Spirited Tale of Grace, Grit and Whiskey,” the story of how a pearl-wearing Southern woman became the country’s foremost legal distiller of Appalachian moonshine, will read at 7 p.m. at Park Road Books. – DP

John Cariani’s “Love/Sick,” set on “a Friday night in an alternate suburban reality,” consists of nine vignettes that show love in appealing, off-putting or bizarre avatars – partly a celebration of Valentine’s Day, partly a corrective to its excesses. Three Bone Theatre does the play at Duke Energy Theater through Feb. 25. – LT

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 9:57 AM with the headline "Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Feb. 10-16."