Fayetteville fun: Drink beer to Star Wars music, see Jelly’s Last Jam, sports and comedy

People looking for things to do this weekend can celebrate Star Wars with beer and the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, watch minor league basketball, football and baseball, and catch comedy, ballet and theater productions on stage.

And it’s also Cinco de Mayo on Friday, when many Americans celebrate Mexican culture. For a rundown of Cinco de Mayo events in the Fayetteville area, click here.

For other things to do, read on.

The symphony: Star Wars Day with beer, Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton films, and Carnival of Animals

The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra has three events:

• Fans of Star Wars, classical music and craft beer can say “May the Fourth be with you” starting at 7 p.m. Thursday with the orchestra at Heckler Brewing Co., 5780 N. Ramsey St. The event includes a costume contest. Free admission.

• The symphony will play music along with screenings of two classic silent films — Charlie Chaplain’s “The Tramp” and Buster Keaton’s “One Week.” 8 p.m. Saturday, Dirtbag Ales and Taproom, 5435 Corporation Drive, Hope Mills. Free admission.

• For kids: “Carnival of the Animals,” 2 p.m. Sunday, Seabrook Auditorium at Fayetteville State University, 1200 Murchison Road. Free.

Ballet

World Ballet Series: “Cinderella.” For all ages. 6 p.m. Sunday, Crown Theatre, 1960 Coliseum Drive. Tickets: $35-$95. Information: crowncomplexnc.com.

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Live beach music all day Sunday

The Chairmen of the Board and The Tams headline the second annual Karen Chandler Trust Beach Music Festival. The show has six bands — including Cumberland County’s Rivermist — and runs 1 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Festival Park downtown. It is raising money to support local cancer patients and their families. Tickets: $20 (kids 12 and under free). Tickets can be purchased in advance through Eventbrite.

Comedy

Comedy & Cocktails at the Church Entertainment Lounge at Paddy’s Irish Pub, 2600 Raeford Road. Open mic at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and comedians Jerrold Benfold and Gina DiMaggio at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10. Information: paddysirishpub.com.

Lip sync for the Child Advocacy Center

Competitors will strive to be Fayetteville’s ultimate lip sync star at this fundraiser for the Child Advocacy Center on Saturday. Reception at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m., Crown Center Ballroom. Tickets: $74-$99.

On stage: Jelly’s Last Jam, All in the Timing, The Illusion

Fayetteville’s three major theater companies have performances this weekend:

• The Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s presentation of “Jelly’s Last Jam” — a musical about ragtime and jazz performer Jelly Roll Morton — opens at 7:30 p.m. at the theater, 1209 Hay St., on Thursday and runs to May 28. Tickets: $19 to $37. Showtimes 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m. Information: cfrt.org.

• The Gilbert Theater, 116, Green St., has its final weekend of “All In The Timing” — performances of four short plays by David Ives plus a staged reading of another play. Friday-Sunday. Showtimes 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets: $18-$20. Information: gilberttheater.com.

• Sweet Tea Shakespeare has its final performances of “The Illusion” by Tony Kushner in the amphitheater at Gillis Hill Farm, 2701 Gillis Hill Road. This is a comedy in which a wealthy lawyer consults a wizard to find his long-estranged son. Thursday-Saturday, music at 6:45 p.m., play at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $12-$22. Information: sweetteashakespeare.com.

Looking for more fun? Check out the Events Calendar for things to do in and around Fayetteville and Cumberland County.

Local sports: Basketball, football, baseball

Fayetteville’s hometown pro teams have these games:

• The Fayetteville Stingers basketball team plays the Coastal Georgia Buccaneers at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Crown Arena. Tickets: $15-$100.

• Sunday is Faith and Family Night for the Fayetteville Mustangs arena football game against the San Antonio Gunslingers at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Crown Arena. Tickets: $15 and up.

• The Fayetteville Woodpeckers play the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers Tuesday and Wednesday at Segra Stadium, 460 Hay St. Tickets: $12.50 and up.

Senior North Carolina reporter Paul Woolverton can be reached at 910-261-4710 and pwoolverton@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Shows, symphony, comedy, lip syncing and sports on tap in Fayetteville