Summer time was made to share good food, cool beverages, laughs and good tunes with friends. You can do all that and more at the Elizabeth Block Party by AKA Creative. AKA Creative has teamed up with local musicians, food trucks and charities to throw down a great party while providing for those families in need. The admission is free, but a $15 donation is appreciated, and will go toward feeding local families in need through the Grocery Giveback program. Fishes & Loaves, Earth Fare, Charlotte Farmers Market, and Charlotte Health Center are partnering to help feed 100 local families.

Come out to the Elizabeth block party. Eat, drink, be merry and give to those in need. You will be able to enjoy some great food and music all evening. See all the details below for time, date, and who’s going to be attending the party. More information at www.akacreative.org.

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31st
Time: 5pm – 11pm
Phone: (704) 919-0845
Accessibility: Elizabeth Ave will be blocked off from Charlottetown to N. Torrence.

Music Line Up:

• Simplified
• Cordula Davis
• QC Dub
• John Hairston jr
• With These Hands Sprite DJ Academy
• School of Rock

Food Trucks:

• Roaming Fork
• NumNum A GoGo
• Auto Burger and Fry Guys
• Southern Cake Queen
• Queen City Q
• Tacquiera Mexico
• Philly’s Italian Water Ice

Busking, what’s that? It is a performance or skill done on the street in return for gratuities, usually cash. Busking is not new, it dates back to antiquity. We have all seen street performers before; someone painted solid white from head to toe, a late night serenade by acoustic guitar, or balloon contortionist. You can find a busker in most major metropolitan areas. These performers will provide timely entertainment for laughs, claps, and most importantly tips.

If you have yet to encounter a busker, then you are in luck, Buskapalooza III The Street Performance Festival is happening in Uptown Charlotte on May 17th. Come out to Trade and Tryon streets in the evening from 5pm – 9pm, to enjoy the best of the Queen’s City buskers. There will be Dance, Music, Performing Arts, and Visual Art.

If you have the desire to learn more about Busking, there is a film premier that you can attend: BUSK! The Documentary. This showing is happening at the McGlohon Theater; tickets are $5. The film runs around 42 minutes, and after the feature there will be a Q&A session with the director, April Denee, and two buskers.

If you want to take your busk information and try busking for yourself, they have provided a full busking guide with permit info, helpful advice, and popular busking locations: Busking Guide.

Busking Events

Buskapalooza Street Performance Festival III
When: Friday, May 17th, 5-9pm
Where: Uptown Charlotte, starting at Trade & Tryon
Price: FREE (but please tip your favorite buskers)
Schedule: http://buskmovie.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/3_event-program.jpg

BUSK! The Documentary Premiere
When: Sunday, May 19th, 4pm
Where: McGlohon Theater, 345 N. College Street, Charlotte, NC
Price: $5 (buy tickets)

More busking information.

This all access backstage passes to all NoDa studios. This is not just the gallery crawl. You will get a glimpse of 15 private art and music collections. What are the 15 studios, and when are they open? Not all studios have the same hours, and most, but not all, will be open both Friday & Saturday. Below we have the list, the hours, and the map. Also check out nodarioty.org for more information on this event.

All locations are on this Google map
Flyer of the event

X Foundation & Mona
Time: Friday 11am – 10pm / Saturday 11am – 6pm
Showing many studios, two galleries, and the opening for Andrew Hayes

David FrenchTime: Friday 4pm – 11pm / Saturday 10am – 3pm
David is opening his personal 700 sq. ft. studio featuring many paintings of Charlotte

Liz Stainsing
Time: Friday 5pm – 10pm / Saturday 11a – 6pm
Liz is featuring her prints inspired by nature in her personal studio

Sean O’Neill
Time: Friday 7pm – 10pm
Featuring his oil paintings

Area 15
Time: Friday 6pm – 10pm / Saturday 11am – 3pm
Boasting a 23,000 sq. ft. warehouse full of art and artists, even an active graffiti wall

Artistic Ironworks
Time: Friday 6pm – 10pm
Theron Ross will be putting on a blacksmith display

Debra Taliaferro
Time: Friday 6pm – 10pm / Saturday 10am – 9pm
There will be oil paintings and photography being shown with two books

Douglas Barger & Kathryn Hughes
Time: Friday 5pm – until / Saturday 10am – 3pm
Studio is located in the rear

Henry Schreiber Studio
Time: Friday 6pm – 10pm / Saturday 11am – 3pm
Live music and drinks on Friday. Also, featuring Genome gallery art prints

Behailu Academy
Time: Friday 6pm – 10pm / Saturday 11am – 3pm
Non-profit to help the youth find their voice; live performances and art

Don Calledare
Time: Friday 5pm – 9pm / Saturday 11am – 3pm
Come visit the painting studio

Day Hixon
Time: Friday 6pm – 9pm / Saturday 2pm – 8pm
Saturday is “NoDa” Day, many artists and lots of fun

James & Alex Clark
Time: Friday 6pm – 9pm / Saturday 11am – 3pm
Sculpture and painting studio behind the Smelly Cat

Map of All Locations in the Area

After the Valentine’s dinner, and activity rush, how are you spending the remainder of your February? A great way to spend an evening – at the theater. There are several local performances happening this Feb. that will leave you feeling greatly entertained, without severely denting your wallet. The Actor’s Theater of Charlotte is located snugly in between Midtown and Uptown Charlotte, on Stonewall. the ATC has a rich history in Charlotte dating back to 1989 beginning with only two employees performing plays written by North Carolina natives. As its popularity began to grow it moved from the Spirit Square only seating 70 plus, to it now home on Stonewall seating for 199 and housing its administrative and production studios. There have been countless accolades for the productions and performances over the years for the ATC.

The play currently being staged for the remainder of February is The Whipping Man, a winner of the 2011 John Gassner Playwriting Award. This play showcases the power of loyalty when a confederate soldier returns home to find his family missing, and two former slaves still on the premises. Not knowing the proper behavior since the signing of the emancipation, watching the interactions between the men proves intriguing.

The Whipping Man
When: Feb. 20th – March 9th
Tickets: $26 – $31 – buy tickets
The Actor’s Theater of Charlotte
650 E. Stonewall St.
Charlotte NC 28202

Theater has free parking – yay!

Craft beer is back. All the Charlotte Area craft brewers and beer snobs, elitist, and lovers come together in this one great event. With the growing hype for craft beers this is even is the perfect place to try a large selection. There will be over thirty beers, from at least eleven different breweries. Each will have a representative present to enlighten you about their flavors, and processes. Brewers are encouraged to bring out their ‘super’ beer as this event is the day before the Super Bowl.

What’s better than tasting great craft beers? Tasting great craft beers and helping a local non-profit, Partners for Parks. This foundation seeks to promote and enhance parks, greenways, open space and recreation in neighborhoods throughout Mecklenburg County and the surrounding region. Part of the proceeds raised at Queen City Brewers Festival will go to help Partners for Parks in their endeavors.

Also, there will be food provided by some of the local sponsors: JJ’s Red Hots and Revolution Pizza & Ale House, as well as live music for all to enjoy.

When: Saturday, Feb. 2nd
Time: 1-4pm & 6-9pm
Where: Neighborhood Theater in NODA
Price: $25/session

Buy Tickets Here

It is time to get  your game on, now that football season is upon us. I find that the fan base in Charlotte is varied because of the amount of people that have migrated to this city. We have a huge Steelers following, along with a large NY fan base, either Jets or Giants. Get your gear on, and  your tickets to see your favorite team coming to the Bank Of America staduim. Below is the current schedule for the Panthers games.

You can also visit: http://www.panthers.com/schedule/schedule.html to purchase tickets. I would recommend trying to find cheaper tickets on Ebay or Craigslist before purchasing full price tickets.

	New Orleans Saints Date: Sunday 9/16 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Bank Of America Stadium	TV: Fox Direct TV: 704 Radio: 1110 AM WBT
	New York Giants Date: Thursday 9/20 Time: 8:20 pm EST Home: Bank Of America Stadium	TV: NFL Network Direct TV: n/a Radio: 1110 AM WBT
	Atlanta Falcons Date: Sunday 9/30 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Away @ Georgia Dome	TV: Fox Direct TV: 704 Radio: n/a
	Seattle Seahawks Date: Sunday 10/7 Time: 4:05 pm EST Home: Bank Of America Stadium	TV: Fox Direct TV: 710 Radio: 1110 AM WBT
	BYE WEEK Date: n/a Time: n/a Home: n/a	TV: n/a Direct TV: n/a Radio: n/a
	Dallas Cowboys Date: Sunday 9/16 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Bank Of America Stadium	TV: Fox Direct TV: 704 Radio: 1110 AM WBT
	Chicago Bears Date: Sunday 10/28 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Away @ Soldier Field	TV: Fox Direct TV: 704 Radio: n/a
	Washington Redskins Date: Sunday 11/4 Time: 1:00 pm ESTHome: Away @ FedExField	TV: Fox Direct TV: 707 Radio: n/a
	Denver Broncos Date: Sunday 11/11 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Bank Of America Stadium	TV: CBS Direct TV: 705 Radio: 1110 AM WBT
	Tampa Bay Buccaneers Date: Sunday 11/18 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Bank Of America Stadium	TV: Fox Direct TV: 705 Radio: 1110 AM WBT
	Philadelphia Eagles Date: Monday 11/26 Time: 8:30 pm EST Home: Away @ Lincoln Financial Field	TV: ESPN Direct TV: n/a Radio: n/a
	Kansas City Chiefs Date: Sunday 12/2 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Away @ Arrowhead Stadium	TV: Fox Direct TV: 706 Radio: n/a
	Atlanta Falcons Date: Sunday 12/9 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Bank Of America Stadium	TV: Fox Direct TV: 705 Radio: 1110 AM WBT
	San Diego Chargers Date: Sunday 12/16 Time: 4:05 pm EST Home: Away @ Qualcomm Stadium	TV: Fox Direct TV: 714 Radio: n/a
	Oakland Raiders Date: Sunday 12/23 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Bank Of America Stadium	TV: CBS Direct TV: 709 Radio: 1110 AM WBT
	New Orleans Saints Date: Sunday 12/30 Time: 1:00 pm EST Home: Away @ Superdome	TV: Fox Direct TV: 707 Radio: n/a

Yoga Shala. a local Charlotte group, is hosting free classes early mornings each day of the DNC. Currently, Yoga Shala, is in a transition period, and trying to find a home for their studio. You can find all the instructors each morning from 7am – 8am in Midtown Park, on the Sugar Creek Greenway, leading classes.

This class will be held outside every day. You will need to bring: yourself, yoga mat, towel, and water. All ages welcome. These classes are open to the public, no tickets required.

You can walk, run, bike or drive to the Greenway. If you are driving it is suggest to park in the vacant lot at the corner of Baxter and Cherry Street.

Address:
Midtown Park
South Kings Drive
Charlotte, NC 28204