Wilmington this weekend: With big festivals and 'SpongeBob,' it'll be a wild weekend
Welcome to the weekly Port City Life newsletter brought to you by me, StarNews reporter John Staton.
It's been an eventful week already, and it's only just Thursday. Last night, I was over at Waterline Brewing for a party celebrating the opening of the N.C. Black Film Festival. With Wilmington DJ RizzyBeats spinning cuts for Wu-Tang Wednesday — the festival's opening film tonight is a Wu-Tang Clan concert documentary — it was a who's who of the local hip-hop scene over there.
After that, I drove down to Carolina Beach's Sandspur restaurant, which has been hosting some great live music lately. C. Albert "Clark" Blomquist, formerly of the band Kingsbury Manx, played a great set of tunes with wordplay inspired by classic country hits.
Let's check into what other fun the Wilmington area has in store this weekend.
Weekend weather outlook
Welp, I'm afraid it's looking like a rainy weekend. Mostly dry but cloudy on Friday, with a 50% chance of showers on Saturday increasing to about 75% on Sunday. High in the low 80s, with lows in the 60s.
Go | See | Do
It's the last weekend before the throngs return for Memorial Day — kind of snuck up on us, didn't it? — so it's a good time to get out there.
The weekend's highlights include two big festivals: the 21st annual N.C. Black Film Festival coming to venues around downtown, and the 32nd annual Wilmington Greek Festival, coming to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
Plus, "The SpongeBob Musical" is coming to the main stage of Thalian Hall, viral comic Jordan Jensen is coming to Dead Crow and Wilmington indie-punk act Tercel debuts their new single, "Tiny Towns," during a show at Satellite.
Link to full list of events below.
Happenings: 14 things to do in the Wilmington area for the last weekend before Memorial Day
The Dish with Port City Foodies
Plans for a food truck hub are being made for downtown Wilmington's Northside. Allison Ballard has the story.
Plus, restaurants coming to the Cargo District's new food court are announced, and Leland is getting an Al's Burger Shack location.
Getting to know Dead Crow Comedy Room
In 15 years of existence, Wilmington's Dead Crow Comedy Room has seen its share of magical moments and famous comics.
Since moving to its current location nearly three years ago, the comedy club has both enjoyed triumphs and faced challenges as it reinvents itself in a larger space while maintaining its status as Wilmington's only full-time spot for comedy. Story link below.
Dead Crow: This Wilmington club reinvents itself while remaining 'home base' for laughs
News you can use
Forty years ago, Dino De Laurentiis opened the first film studios in Wilmington. They've gone through a few different names, but the studios are still there today.
Plus, the Wawa convenience store chain plans 10 new locations in the Wilmington area, and movie "The Supremes at Earls' All-You-Can-Eat," which shot in Wilmington in 2022, gets an air date on Hulu.
Unlikely story: 40 years ago, Dino De Laurentiis started Wilmington's film industry
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This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Things going on and what to do in Wilmington, NC for May 17-19
