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…
Why wait for Valentine’s Day to feel romantic? Jazz at the Bechtler offers “Jazz for Lovers” at 6 and 8:15 p.m. Vocalist Toni Tupponce and the Ziad Jazz Quartet explore sentimental ballads, torch songs and odes to joy of all kinds. Bria Alexander, an eighth-grader at Piedmont Middle School and 2015-16 recipient of the Community School of the Arts Merit Scholarship for Voice, opens. – LT
This is your last weekend to see the 20th-anniversary tour of “Riverdance” at Ovens Auditorium. (The show runs through Feb. 5.) “Riverdance” has gotten much more diverse over two decades; in addition to the usual array of male and female step-dancers, it now includes African-American tappers, flamenco dancers, a large Russian Ensemble and more. – LT
Through Feb. 5: Charlotte will be one of the first cities in the country to get a bite of the Pazazz apple, an offspring of the popular Honeycrisp with a tart, bright flavor. Look for samples and demos at Publix stores in Charlotte and all around the area through the weekend. – KP
The nostalgic Legends of Southern Hip Hop concert at 8 p.m. at Bojangles’ Coliseum highlights some of the Deep South’s biggest successes and most troubled emcees of the ’90s and ’00s (most have done jail time, which put careers on hold). The lineup features Houston’s Scarface, Memphis’s 8Ball & MJG, Miami’s Trick Daddy, Augusta’s Pastor Troy, and New Orleanians Juvenile and Mystikal. $39 and up. – CD
New Frequencies at the McColl Center brings in writers, poets, musicians and performers for one-night-only events, connecting Charlotteans to a curated experience of contemporary talent. Performing and visual artist (though that work won’t be on view) Lonnie Holley will take viewers on a lyrical journey, offering a musical performance with improvised lyrics. Holley is not classically trained, but has made an artwork out of his life, something worthy of witnessing. $10-$14. – GC
It’s a who’s who of the vegan set at The Humane League’s Charlotte Gala at C3 Labs They’ll be serving up vegan appetizers and desserts while discussing efforts to ease animal suffering during this Celebration for the Animals fundraiser. VIP admission of $110 gets you in for the 6 p.m. cocktail hour to sip, nibble and mingle with Humane League staff and guest speaker Kristie Middleton, senior director of food policy for The Humane Society of the United States. $35 for students, $60 for general admission. – CD
Classical music has had a sense of humor since the song “Summer Is Icumen In” 800 years ago. (It has a fart joke.) But evenings devoted to symphonic silliness have been rare since Victor Borge left the stage, so we welcome Colin Mochrie and conductor Albert-George Schram for “The Second City Guide to the Symphony” at 8 p.m. at Belk Theater. charlottesymphony.org. – LT
Winey Grapes Indoor Wine Festival serves more than 100 wines during this tasting event 2-5 p.m. at Slate in SouthEnd. Bottles will be available to purchase and pick up the following week. Admission of $35 includes a commemorative glass. Upgrade to VIP for $45 for early admission, light apps, raffle drawings, and access to limited wines not available to others. – CD
The Queen City Brewers Festival, always held the day before the Super Bowl, returns to The Fillmore 1-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Tickets to the first session are sold out, and fewer than 100 tickets to the second session are available at the time of this writing. The festival features a variety of breweries from Charlotte and surrounding cities, and it raises funds for ACEing Autism, “a non-profit organization that uses the sport of tennis to improve the lives of children affected by autism spectrum disorders.” – DH
Film and discussion: “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,” in partnership with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library and Charlotte Film Society. 1:30 p.m. at ImaginOn. – DP
National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine has a remarkably wide repertoire (much of it by Russian composers) and has made acclaimed recordings, so it’ll be a treat to hear its big sound. Charlotte Concerts imports the Grammy-nominated ensemble for one show at 7:30 p.m. at Knight Theater. – LT
What was Charlotte like when novelist Carson McCullers lived here in the early 40s? Tom Hanchett and Mary Kratt fill us in. 7 p.m. at Charlotte Lit Studio (1817 Central Ave.). – DP
Three broken souls and the people who abused or betrayed them are at the heart of a Big Sky Romance novel, “Patch of Dirt,” by Richard Lutman, who will sign books at 7 p.m. at Park Road Books. – DP
If dining out on Valentine’s Day isn’t romantic enough, you have Feb. 9 through 11 to order a dinner for two from The Fresh Market to cook at home: $49.99 gets you a choice of two Chateaubriand filet mignons, two lobster tails or one of each, with potatoes, asparagus, chocolate-dipped strawberries and roses. Need something more eye-catching? Until Feb. 14, you can buy an aged Sweetheart Ribeye butterflied into the shape of a heart. – KP
Feb. 10: When Guy Fieri gets on that bus for Flavor Town, he’s knows where to go: Here. Several local places have already been on the show, but now there’s a whole slate coming up on his Food Network show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” starting at 9 p.m. with the Papi Queso food truck and JJ’s Red Hots and followed Feb. 17 with the Improper Pig. Coming up, we hear: Heist Brewery and Fud at Salud. – KP
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