17 things to do in Wilmington this weekend during peak festival season
Festival season in Southeastern North Carolina reaches its peak this weekend, with major festivals in Ogden, Castle Hayne, Hampstead and Kure Beach.
Plus, there's a nice smattering of concerts, a couple of really cool art shows, a two-night stand of a touring Broadway musical and a touring production performing one of the most famous ballets of all time. Not to mention two performances from world-class chamber music ensembles.
If you're looking for events specific to Brunswick County, we do a seperate roundup for that. If you're looking for the Wilmington area, we've got you covered!
More: Area eventsNew York Times best-selling author appearance highlights these Brunswick events
THURSDAY
Shana Tucker
At the Cameron Art Museum: North Carolina cellist is known for blending jazz, classical, R&B, folk, pop and more into a genre she calls Chamber Soul. She often puts her own spin on popular songs (Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car," Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It") but she's got stirring, exploratory originals as well.
7 p.m. Nov. 3, $35 and $55.
ALL WEEKEND
Festival Latino
At Ogden Park: Billed as the largest Latino event in North Carolina, this festival started at Wilmington's Long Leaf Park in the late '90s and has happened most every year since, growing along with the area's Latino community. The 21st annual Festival Latino celebration returns to Wilmington's Ogden Park this year for the first time since the pandemic. Highlights include a range of food from countries around Latin America, Latino music and dancing, and plenty of fun for the kiddos. Founder Lucy Vasquez was given a StarNews Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.
11 a.m. gates, Nov. 5-6. Details on the festival's Facebook event page.
N.C. Spot Festival
Hampstead: This festival of fried fish (the spot is a local delicacy, for all you many newcomers out there), live music, pageant queens and more is aiming for its first celebration since 2019. There'll be vendors, beer and wine and an area for the kids to play as well, but the main attraction here will be the plates of fried spot loaded up with hushpuppies and cole slaw, a meal that's been eaten in Southeastern North Carolina going back decades now.
Festival runs Nov. 5-6. Details at TheNCSpotFestival.com.
Cape Fear Kite Festival
Fort Fisher State Recreation Area: This high-flying festival brings in dozens of kiters from all over to celebrate the end of the kite-flying season. To see the air filled with all those colorful kites, many in the shape of animals, is really quite a sight.
10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 5-6. Details at CapeFearKiteFestival.org.
'Anastasia'
At CFCC Wilson Center: Touring Broadway music set during the fall of the Russian Empire makes its way to Wilmington. The show, which ran on Broadway from 2017 to 2019, features music by Stephen Flaherty ("Ragtime"), a book by Terrence McNally ("Love! Valour! Compassion!") and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens ("Seussical").
7:30 p.m. Nov, 4-5 and 2 p.m. Nov. 5. Tickets start at $25. 910-362-7999.
'Armageddon Time'
In theaters everywhere: Wilmington actor Banks Repeta stars in this major motion picture, a coming-of-age story from the writer and director James Gray ("Ad Astra"). Banks, who's now 14, plays 11-year-old Paul Graff, a white, Jewish kid whose friendship with a Black classmate leads to him learning some sobering truths about inequality. With Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins (as Paul's grandfather) and Anne Hathaway (as his mom).
More: Wilmington filmWilmington teen actor stars in high-profile movie opening in theaters this weekend
Caitlin Cook
At Dead Crow Comedy Room: Music-playing comic Caitlin Cook returns to Wilmington for the second time this year, following a January performance at Dead Crow when she played a song about the very real differences in graffiti between men's and women's bathrooms. She's played everywhere you can imagine and has a trio of very funny comedy albums.
7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Nov. 4-5. $18 and $28.
FRIDAY
'Swan Lake'
At UNCW's Kenan Auditorium: The touring World Ballet Series brings in this fully staged production of perhaps the most famous ballet of all time. Choreographer Nadezhda Kalinina reinterprets the work of original choreographer Marius Petipa, and the story of the doomed love of a prince and princess plays out to the iconic score of Piotr Tchaikovsky.
7: 30 p.m. Nov. 4. For tickets or information, call 910-962-3500 or go to UNCWarts.universitytickets.com.
More: Wilmington artsWilmington arts calendar gets a move on with world-class dance performances this fall
Mike Wiley's 'Breach of Peace'
At Thalian Hall: Actor and writer Mike Wiley brings his latest one-man show to Wilmington. Wiley, who has performed in Wilmington several times over the years, composes "solo plays," often historical in nature, in which he portrays multiple characters. "Breach of Peace" is based on the true stories of the so-called Freedom Riders, many of them idealistic young people, who in 1961 went to Mississippi to push for the desegregation of buses. They met with violent resistance from whites, and some were killed.
7:30 p.m. Nov. 4. Call 910-632-2285 for tickets.
Lauds
At the Palm Room: Wilmington dream-pop act Lauds will play the entirely of its upcoming album, "Imitation Life," at this Wrightsville Beach mainstay. The album doesn't come out until January on Wilmington's Fort Lowell Records, but you can pre-order (digital or vinyl) from the band's Bandcamp page. With indie rockers Sprl.
9:30 p.m. Nov. 4.
More: Wilmington musicWilmington dream pop band Lauds matches its retro sound to a moody modern world on new EP
SATURDAY
St. Stanislaus Polish Festival
At St. Stanislaus Catholic Church: This wonderful festival at the Catholic church in Castle Hayne is the only one of its kind in the area. Thousands of folks turn out for the Polish food and desserts, live tunes and kids' activities.
11 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 5. More at StStanislausCatholic.org.
Taste of Wrightsville Beach
At Bluewater Grill: This big ol' festival (and contest) of food and drink features three dozen tasting booths of various kinds, with judges and attendees awarding Best in Show, Best Savory and Sweet dishes, Best Beer, Best Wine and Best in Show. There's also live music. Proceeds benefit the Weekend Meals on Wheels program.
5-8 p.m. Nov. 5, tickets are $25-$75. Details and tickets at WeekendMealsOnWheels.org.
Gutter Gallery
At the ArtWorks: Art show and concert featuring a number of Wilmington artists (Laura Gayle Phillips, Delia Stanley) will be a popular destination on Saturday. Music from Wilmington rocker Billy Heathen, and the very first show from a brand-new act called Twice Dead Ghosts.
5-9 p.m. Nov. 5. $10.
The Great Indoors
At Bourgie Nights: Michigan indie rockers bring their jangly, dynamic tunes to town. Opening acts include The Forum and Wilmington garage rockers Hot Plastic Poets.
9 p.m. Nov. 5. Tickets are $10.
SUNDAY
Quarteto Nuevo
At Thalian Hall: Touring acoustic act with an uncommon instrumentation -- saxophone/flute, cello, guitar and percussion -- brings its mix of classical, European folk, Latin and jazz to Wilmington as part of Thalian Hall's Main Attractions series.
3 p.m. Nov. 6. Tickets are 910-632-2285.
Merz Trio
At UNCW's Beckwith Recital Hall: Chamber Music Wilmington presents this award-winning group, accompanied by CMW artistic director Oskar Espina-Ruiz on clarinet. On the program is Messiaen's "Quartet for the End of Time," one of the cornerstones of 20th-century chamber music.
4 p.m. Nov. 6, tickets are $35, $17.50 for youth and free for UNCW students. 910-962-3500.
'Pam Toll: 'Landscape and Memory'
At Art in Bloom Gallery: Longtime Wilmington artist Pam Toll has a new book and a new exhibit, both titled "Pam Toll: Landscape & Memory." The book was designed by Ned Irvine, who with Toll is a professor in UNCW's department of art and art history. The book includes essays, stories and photos of Toll's drawings and mixed media work, some of which will also be on display at Art in Bloom. ( A second book on Toll's paintings will be published in the future.) One of Wilmington's most prolific and accomplished artists, Toll is a co-founder of Acme Art studios in Wilmington and of the No Boundaries International Art Colony on Bald Head Island.
Reception is 5-8 p.m. Nov. 6. Free.
Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Things to do in the Wilmington NC area Nov. 3-6 2022
