FanFare: Perick Returns and Pickleball Gets Tipsy
March 20, 2025
Spring is a time for new growth, and not just in your garden. A new online feature has sprouted at WDAV.org. Welcome to FanFare, my blog about the exciting, engaging, and edible things we’re fortunate enough to enjoy in the Charlotte area and across the Carolinas. I’ll tell you about upcoming performances, exhibits, festivals, movies, kids’ events, and places to fuel up your family for all the fun. Let the FanFare begin!
Christof Perick Returns
To paraphrase a ‘70s soul classic,reunited and it sounds so good. This weekend brings Christof Perick back to the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.* The CSO’s former Music Director will conduct selections by Richard Wagner, including Lohengrin and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, as well as The Ring: An Orchestral Adventure. Performances will be at Belk Theater (130 N Tryon St) on Friday, March 21st and Saturday, March 22nd at 7:30 p.m.
Small Town Celebration
One of my favorite things to do when the weather warms up is to hit the road and explore the charming small towns of North and South Carolina. Many of them really know how to throw a party. This Saturday, the streets of historic downtown Mooresville, NC, are being taken over by the Mooresville Day Festival. You’ll find an open-air artisan market, live entertainment, fun activities, and lots of tasty food from local restaurants and food trucks. Saturday, March 22nd, Noon to 4:00 p.m.
Broadway Comes to High Point
The windmills of the Triad are on notice. Piedmont Opera* presents the Broadway classic, Man of La Mancha, at the High Point Theater (220 E Commerce Ave). Inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ seventeenth-century masterwork, Don Quixote, the original 1965 stage production won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and remains one of the world’s most popular musicals. Sunday, March 23rd at 2:00 p.m.; Tuesday, March 25th at 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, March 28th at 7:30 p.m.
Brewing Up Another ‘Small Batch’
If you haven’t been to one of our Small Batch concerts, put this one on your radar. The Charlotte Strings Collective will make its Small Batch debut with a celebration of Black composers, including Chevalier de Saint-Georges and Charlotte’s own Madison Bush. The program also features hip-hop artist YUNG Citizen and emerging poet Maurice J. Norman.
Tickets are pay-what-you-can and if you choose to pay at least $20, you’ll get a Small Batch pint glass to take home, plus a tasty beverage. We’ll see you at Free Range Brewing (2320 N Davidson St) on Thursday, March 27th at 7:00 p.m.
Pickleball, Tex-Mex Style
Like most everyone, I’ve started playing pickleball, a.k.a. America’s fastest growing sport. The proliferation of paddlers means it’s not always easy to get on a court in my neighborhood park. Fortunately, there are other options, and some of them offer more than just pickleball.
Charlotte has a new pickleball venue that doubles as a Tex-Mex restaurant. Lifting a margarita glass burns calories, right? Tipsy Pickle opened on February 22nd in Camp North End (201 Camp Rd) and features six pickleball courts, golf simulators, arcade games, pool tables, ping pong, darts, and shuffleboard. Oh, plus indoor and outdoor bars. Did someone say, “date night?”
Check back next week for another helping of things to see, do, and eat. You’ll also find more on the WDAV Events Calendar.
*Disclosure: Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Piedmont Opera are WDAV underwriters.