Ginny from the Blog

I’ve got the Austin blues. After spending a week in Austin, Texas, for the SXSW Interactive conference, I’m back in the tamer Triangle. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy to be home, but I definitely left a piece of my heart in Austin. To remind myself that the Triangle still has it going on, I looked up what was going on this weekend. Here’s what I found:

Raleigh:

• Tom Green, of Tom-Green-Show-Slash-I-Was-Briefly-Married-to-Drew-Barrymore-Fame, is doing standup at Goodnight’s Comedy Club on Friday and Saturday.

• Rita’s Italian Ice is celebrating the first day of spring by giving away free 10 oz. servings of Italian Ice on Sunday. Details and store locations here.

• If you’re into beading/making jewelry, then stock up on beads at the Bead Mercantile Show in the Kerr Scott Building at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. No need to make your friends or lover suffer through a bead show. Set them loose on the flea market, which also takes place at the fairgrounds this weekend.

• Trip out at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday night. Go see The Machine, a Pink Floyd cover band that is scheduled to perform two sets of Pink Floyd hits.

Durham:

• There are virtually no seats left to the Blue Man Group, or if there are, then I don’t know how to use the ticket chart on Durham Performing Art Center’s website. But a few single seats appear to be scattered throughout the theatre. One of my coworkers wouldn’t stop gushing about the show today, so I’m guessing it’s truly incredible. So if you don’t mind sitting by yourself, then look into getting tickets.

• Learn about the role Christianity played in slavery during the Civil War. Dan Fountain, director of Public History at Meredith College, will talk about his recent book “Slavery, Civil War, and Salvation: African-American Slaves and Christianity, 1830-1870″ at 2 p.m. Sunday at Historic Stagville.

Chapel Hill:

• Learn how to bake biscuits so good your grandma will be asking you for the recipe. Chefs Willard Doxey and Marilyn Marke are teaching a Southern Biscuit class at A Southern Season at 11 a.m. Saturday. For $30 you can learn how to make two types of tasty biscuits and sample some other delicious foods.

Carrboro:

• DSI Comedy is donating 50 percent of proceeds from all of its shows this weekend to help aid those suffering in Japan. There’s a total of five shows on Friday and Saturday night that you can attend. Full schedule and details here.

I’m certain there’s more going on this weekend. If you know about something fun, interesting or unusual, leave it in the comments section.

If you’re looking for some ways to get in the holiday spirit in the Triangle, here are some tips. As always please add any events I forgot to list in the comments section! Happy Holidays!

Get your Gingerbread on. Seriously, you would not believe how many opportunities you have to get your hands (or just your eyes) on some gingerbread in the Triangle:

You can attend the Family Gingerbread Workshop on Dec. 12 at C’est Ci Bon cooking school in Chapel Hill. Or you can decorate gingerbread houses on Dec. 3 at the Capital City Club in Raleigh.

View the entries in the Raleigh Gingerbread House Competition now through Jan. 3 at Alta Oakridge Retirement Community.

See gingerbread houses created by the area’s top chefs and raise money for a good cause at the Triangle Family Services 7^th annual Gingerbread Gala on Dec. 17 at the Umstead Hotel.

Check out Durham’s Christmas parade at 4 p.m. Dec. 5. The eclectic event always features a random mix of floats, librarians and an appearance from Beaver Lodge Local 1504.

Ride the Holiday Express Train at Pullen Park. The city park will be decked out in holiday lights. You can ride the train to Santa’s village from Dec. 10 and 13 and tell the big guy what you want for Christmas. There will be concessions, carousel rides and more. Parking gets bad, so consider riding the shuttle.

Go see the Raleigh Ringers, the internationally acclaimed community handbell choir is based right here in the Triangle. My mom saw them perform on PBS one year, and I’ve had to hear about them ever since. Truly, it is pretty incredible what they can do with handbells. Besides bells pretty much equal Christmas music, right?

Want more holiday music? Here’s a list of all the Christmas Concerts in the area.

Give a computer to a student who needs one. If you have any computer refurbishing skills, then volunteer at the Mini Geek-A-Thon on Dec. 12 at the Kramden Institute, a Durham nonprofit that helps connect hardworking, less-advantage students with computers.

Go see the Nutcracker. I was obsessed with the ballet when I was a little girl. I would love it if my boyfriend took me to see it this year. The Carolina Ballet performs the classic holiday ballet from Dec. 5 to 6 at Memorial Hall in Chapel Hill or Dec. 19 to 28 at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium. You can also see it on Dec. 12 and 13 at Carolina Theatre in Durham.

Go see Disney’s A Christmas Carol at the IMAX in Raleigh. The 3-D flick will be on the big screen at least through Dec. 17.

Just whatever you do, don’t take your kids on a horse and buggy ride around Crossroads in Cary. That’s just tacky.

This weekend is shaping up to be the most gorgeous one of the year so far. With temperatures forecasted to reach nearly 90 degrees this weekend (they’re calling for sunny and a high of 89 on Saturday and 87 on Sunday).

So with the wonderful weather and the stupid recession in mind … Here’s your list of weekend events that might be worth checking out in the Triangle:

FRIDAY

* The 3d annual Bluesfest Benefit at Longview Center in downtown Raleigh sounds like a good deal. You’ll get to hear John Dee Holeman (who was one of the best performers at Shakori Hills last weekend. The 80-year-old Bluesman and Storyteller still has it.) and harmonica man Geroge Higgins. Tickets are $10. It starts at 7:30 p.m. and proceeds benefit the very deserving Music Maker Relief Foundation.

*Head to Golden Belt in Durham to see The Rosebuds, Midtown Dickens and Lost in Trees for $12! The money benefits the Durham Arts Council. (UPDATE — I accidentally posted this under Saturday, but the concert is tonight!).

SATURDAY

* Put the finishing touches on your spring cleaning by dropping off all the documents you need shredded at the NBC17 Shred-It Event (what, you didn’t think you’d get through this list without any shameless self promotion in this post, did you?). So if you have a box (or boxes) of old documents you need shredding, come to Village Square Shopping Center in Cary or Indigo Corners Shopping Center in Durham between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., we’ll handle the rest.

* Go shopping for random props, vintage screen art, signage and scenery at the Valentine Design Group and Aardvark Printing yard sale. The Clean Out The Clutter Parking Lot “yard sale” is from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.  Saturday 1019-1021 East Whitaker Mill Road in Raleigh. If you still have the yard sale bug after visiting this sale, head over to the N.C. State Fairgrounds for the flea market. It’s always fun and completely free to get in.

* The Durham Earth Day Festival is probably your best bet if you want to be outside doing something different on Saturday. The growing festival features music, plenty of vendors and educational booths, and it gives you a chance to hang out in downtown Durham. It’s from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday in CCB Plaza.

* If you’re already in Durham for the Earth Day Festival, steer over to Duke Gardens for the Plant and Craft Festival, which runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

* Springfest at Chavis Park in Raleigh sounds like it could be fun for families. The free event will supposedly feature rides, vendors, entertainment and food. It’s from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

* If you’re an aspiring photographer, but can’t afford to take an intense class. You can drop $12 on the Introduction to Digital Photography Workshop that the Raleigh City Museum is hosting. The class is perfect for those of you who haven’t dived into digital photography yet. It’s at 2 p.m. Saturday.

* Go to a drag show. Legends in downtown Raleigh is featuring a 9:30 matinee, a midnight show and another at 1 a.m. for you night owls. Be sure to get a Shish-Kabob afterward from the man who sets up his cart near the club’s entrance. They are delicious! (See my pic on the right … mmmm).

Please ADD YOUR EVENTS to the comments section so us Triangle dwellers don’t miss out on something cool!