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.

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!

My Saturday plans have been crushed with the rescheduling of the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Forecasts of rain and chilly temps prompted them to push it back to March 21.

So I figured it was time to see what else was going on this weekend. Here are some events that should keep you dry, warm and entertained:

* Artistic bailout. Go see the Bailout Biennial exhibit at Golden Belt in Durham. The exhibit features 57 works by 26 artists all center on the messed up economic situation we’re facing and the scandals and greed that got us there. Not only is the show worth checking out, but so is the venue. Golden Belt is a restored historic textile mill that is simply gorgeous. Here’s a snippet from an N&O article about the show:

The staging could hardly be more spare; the works are arrayed around a vast second-floor room with tall windows and high ceilings. The show is remarkable not only for the variety of media it includes — painting, photography, sculpture, installation, audio — but the variety of perspectives and approaches the artists took. Some of the works are subtle, others distinctly less so, and some offer no easy or obvious interpretations.

The exhibit is scheduled to end Sunday. So this is your last chance to check it out. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

* Political theater. Can you believe the Iraq war started six years ago this month? Carolina Theatre is marking the anniversary with a one-man show by ex-soldier and playright Kenny Carnes. “Pieces of War” starts at 8 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $24.

* Hang out with some live alligators and sea turtles. Saturday is Reptile and Amphibian Day at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History. The 16th annual event will feature hundreds of live creatures. Best of all? It’s free. It’s from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just don’t snicker about the theme “Extreme Herps” in front of your kids (they mean Herpetology, of course. Geez, I can be immature sometimes).

* Get your comedy on. You know I’m a big improv fan. If you’re in Raleigh on Saturday night, check out the return of the Super Sparkle Showcase at Comedyworx. The talent competition is supposed to be hilarious. Or if you’re closer to Carrboro Saturday, head over to DSI Comedy Theater for the “Best Show Ever” — a comedy showcase.

The Super Sparkle Showcase starts at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and costs $10. The Best Show Ever starts at 9:30 p.m. and costs $12 (or $10 if your a student, in the military or a senior).

* Look at the stars. The Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill has several shows scheduled this weekend. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for children. Though there are discounts, including this $1 coupon for Sunday shows. News & Observer subscribers can get buy one, get one free admission using this coupon.

As always, there are plenty of other events worth checking out around the Triangle including the Bishop Allen concert at Local 506 Saturday, the craft fair at the State Farmers Market, the Hillsborough Street Renaissance eco event in Raleigh, Art After Dark at the Ackland Art Museum and more.

If there are other events we should know about, please share in the comments section.

Happy chilly, wet weekend!