Creative Loafing loves handmade goodies — which is why we’ll be checking out Craft Attack! 2009 tomorrow at Independence Park.
You can expect to find pottery, jewelry, wearables, dolls and collectibles, bags, soaps, candles, handspun yarn, stuffed animals and more. To preview some of the vendors that will be rocking the event (including The Button Florist, pictured above) and to get more info, click here.
Pura Vida is an eclectic gift shop of culture located in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood. If you like bright colors and art, this is the place to check out. According to their Web site, the folks at Pura Vida believe “that exposure to and knowledge of other cultures fosters positive relationships and a stronger community.” Amen to that.
Check out a video tour of the shop with owner Teresa Hernandez below.
To see more video tours of other independently owned shops in Charlotte, all of which are kick-ass, click here.
Ever since I saw the movie Under the Tuscan Sun, I’ve always wanted to indulge in a salty affair with an Italian man. Sigh. If only … Anyway, you should definitely check out the 2009 Ciao, Italia! Festival going down all day on Sat., Oct. 10. The entertainment will be non-stop. Have you ever wanted to learn how to make mozzarella? Watch international pizza toss champions display their talents? You can do that here, in addition to attending book signings by several local Italian authors, enjoying performances by the Opera Carolina Chorus, the Northwest School of the Arts Chamber Group and Italian singing sensation Franco Corso from San Remo, Italy, and of course, eating plenty of pasta and Italian ice. Rome may not have been built in a day, but you can indulge in plenty of Italy’s rich culture in one day by hitting up this annual fest. $3, free for children 12 and under. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Wachovia Atrium, 301 S. Tryon St. For more information, call 704-614-3822. See flyer below for more details.
Today’s a good day to shop — it’s Friday, some of you got paid, and the weather’s kinda iffy, meaning you’ll most likely want to be inside. Actually, in my opinion, every day is a perfect day to shop, but I digress.
Want to know what today’s sale of the day is? Head over to KLEPTO, CL’s shopping blog, to find out. And bonus: It’s one of those goodies that offer 50 percent off. Excited? You should be.
CL Music Editor Jeff Hahne chats with a couple members of the local band Heywire, who will be a part of a FREE event dubbed so cooly Project: Homebrew. This FREE event, to be held at Neighborhood Theatre on Oct. 1, is comprised of a panel discussing local music in Charlotte, as well as a concert of select artists from Jeff Hahne’s Homebrew Volume 3, a CD compilation of local music. And did we mention it’s FREE?
Atalaya Capital Management.
Outgoing CEO Ben Eason lost control of the company his parents founded in 1972 to the New York hedge fund from whom he borrowed $30 million to buy the Chicago Reader and Washington City Paper.
Atalaya won the auction with a $5 million cash bid. Eason’s highest offer was a $2.3 million bid, $1.5 million of which was “in-kind contributions.” Had Eason won, he also would have had to repay Atalaya at least $12 million.
Read the details here.
Creative Loafing’s biggest and brightest issue, “Best of Charlotte 2009,” has hit stands (and the Web). To celebrate the best of the best in the Q.C., chosen by you the readers, Madison’s is hosting a Readers’ Picks Party tonight. Everyone’s invited, and with a live DJ spinning tunes, drink specials for those who are financially challenged like the rest of us, and special local celebrity appearances, you’ll definitely want to stop through. Free. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Madison’s, 115 E. 5 St. 704-358-4244. www.madisonsbar.com.
Rockhouse Events is hosting a comedy night at Alive Comedy Club in NoDa on Friday, June 19. Feature comedians are Valarie Storm, a “Good ‘ol Gal” from Florida (pictured below), and Jack Wilhite, who offers up a tour-de-force of costume changes, props and musical parodies.
Tickets are available for the 8:00 show. Prior to the show there will be a private RockHouse cocktail party w/free buffet at 7:00. Tickets are only $10 (+ $1 service fee) for RockHouse Events guests.
Click here to order tickets.
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, June 17, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• Crowntown Showdown at Snug Harbor
• Comedian James Gregory at McGlohon Theatre
• Author Mary Kratt discusses and signs Charlotte: A Brief History at Morrison Regional Library
• Evil Dead: The Musical at Actors’ Theatre
• The Sol Kitchen/Creative Loafing presents Pop Life at Apostrophe Lounge
