Agenda Weekender: 60 things to do including the Charlotte Marathon, Patriotic Pops and Southern Christmas Show

Weekend Forecast

Friday: 72. Mostly sunny. 0% chance of rain.
Saturday: 57.  Sunny. 0% chance of rain.
Sunday: 63. Sunny. 0% chance of rain.

Friday, November 11

Food and Drink

Pizza Week throughout Charlotte: Spend the weekend eating specialty pizza slices, personal pizzas and flat breads at a discounted price. Fri-Sun. Details.

Veteran’s Day Breakfast and Tour at The Billy Graham Library: Guests will enjoy a hot buffet breakfast, fellowship and an encouraging message from retired Army Maj. Gen. Douglas Carver. 8-10 a.m. Free. Details.

Pints for Patriots at NoDa Brewing Company: They’ll be donating $1 from every pint sold to the USO of NC Charlotte. 12-10 p.m. Free. Details.

Funky Food Truck Fridaze at the Open Air Market: Live music, food trucks and local beer. 7 p.m. Free. Details.

River’s Edge Craft Dinner at USNWC: A five-course dinner with a 6 oz. beer pairing for each course. 7-9 p.m. $50. Details.

Veterans Day & US Soccer Viewing Party at Flight: Drink to America and watch US Men’s Soccer take on Mexico; drink specials, US themed prizes and a Jersey giveaway. 7 p.m.- 2 a.m. Free. Details.

“The Hungry Games” Food Drive & Game Night at Whiskey River: The more canned foods you bring, the more raffle tickets you will receive (Hornets tickets, hotel stays, gift cards and VIP packages); they’ll also have games set up on the dance floor for anyone to play. 7-10 p.m. Free. Details.

Service Dogs for Veterans at Lenny Boy Brewing Company: A non-stop 2 hour rock set with 100% of the appearance fees going to the Patriot Military Family Foundation. 8-10 p.m. Free. Details.

VIDA’s 6 Year Anniversary LATE NIGHT Party at Vida Vida: Drink specials, live DJ, giveaways, games and prizes. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Free. Details.

Experience

Southern Christmas Show at The Park Expo and Conference Center: Browse 400 merchants for gifts, food, local wine and holiday decorations. $3-$12. Details.

Charlotte Folk Society Gathering: John Doyle Concert at Great Aunt Stella Center: Doyle’s an Irish singer, songwriter and guitarist. 7 p.m. Free. Details.

Open Mic Night at McGlohon Theater: Open to performers and spectators of all ages; instrumentalists, singers, dancers, storytellers, poets, jugglers, magicians and all others are welcome. 7:30-10 p.m. Free. Details.

Bonus Veteran’s Day Swing Dance Fundraiser at Free Range Brewing: A swing dance lesson and social dancing with all proceeds going to Patriot’s Path; all current and past members of the military get in for free with ID. 7:45-10:45 p.m. $5. Details.

Charlotte Music Festival at Bojangles’ Coliseum: A night of smooth R&B at the Charlotte Music Festival, featuring legendary artists Keith Sweat, Mint Condition, K-Ci & JoJo and Avant. 8 p.m. $45+. Details.

Learn things

Free Crash Course – Getting Started with Java on the first floor of HQ Charlotte: Walk through the basics of Java tweaking and building video games. 6-9 p.m. Free. Details.

Art

Cabaret at Belk Theater: As part of their 50th Anniversary Season, the critically acclaimed and award-winning Roundabout Theatre Company is proud to present this Tony Award®-winning production. Fri-Sun. $30+. Details.

Opening Reception / Artist + Curator Talk at McColl Center: The exhibition consists of a mixed media installation encompassing drawing, painting, sculpture, audio and video; free beer on tap. 6-9 p.m. Free. Details.

Pardon My FRO: Art Show & Trunk Sale at Evolution EGO: A new exhibit with Dana Bly’s, aka Pardon My FRO, natural hair inspired work. 7-9 p.m. Free. Details.

SOLO – A Charlotte Storytellers Showcase at Google Fiber: The sixth showcase of curated and polished stories. Fri-Sat: 7-9:30 p.m. $10. Details.

Patriotic Pops presented by the Charlotte Symphony at Knight Theater: Celebrate Veteran’s Day with powerful music and images from both World Wars and a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the National Parks. Fri-Sat: 8 p.m. $17-$123. Details.

Sales

Bridal Sample Sale Blowout at Ladies of Lineage Bridal Boutique: All sample gowns $500, bridal accessory basket everything $100. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Details.

Red Tag Vogue Warehouse Sale at 307 W. Tremont Ave. Suite R: Designer warehouse sale with savings up to 70% off. Fri-Nov 19. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Details.

Fitness

Novant Health Charlotte Marathon Health & Wellness Expo at Charlotte Convention Center: The expo will feature new official merchandise and 75+ vendors. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Free. Details.

2nd Annual A Shot in the Dark Night Race at USNWC: Participants take on the 5k or 10k distance through the trail system along the Catawba River, then enjoy s’mores and hot chocolate by the bonfire. 6:15 p.m. $30-$42. Details.

Sports

Basketball at Spectrum Center: Charlotte Hornets v Toronto Raptors. 7 p.m. $10+. Details.

Saturday, November 12

Food and Drink

The Battle of Land & Sea Chili Cook-off at The Sporting Gent: Clean Catch Fish Market, representing the Sea, will be pitting their chili against the seasoned vets of Rocky Top BBQ, representing Land. 12-3 p.m. Free. Details.

Red Clay Apple Pressing and Cider Day at Red Clay Ciderworks: Learn the cider making process from start to finish and watch live demonstrations of apple pressing; expect a live band, face painter, What Goes Round food truck, fresh doughnuts and hot mulled cider. 12-11 p.m. Free. Details.

Fall Oyster Roast at Sycamore Brewing: Fresh oysters provided by Sea Level NC, fall seasonal craft beers, cider and Prosecco. 12-3 p.m. First come first serve. Details.

Barrel & Smoke: A Whiskey and Cigar Night at Craft City Social Club: Tickets include expert-guided whiskey sampling, heavy hors d’ oeuvres and 2 wine drink tickets (for the ladies). 7-11 p.m. $50. Details.

Thanksgiving Preparation Cooking Class at Bar Cocoa: Learn how to bake pumpkin pie, apple pie and peach cobbler. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $125. Details.

Experience

Rural Hill Sheepdog Trials and Dog Festival at Historic Rural Hill, Huntersville: National Border Collie Sheepherding Championships, Ultimate Air Dogs and Dog Sports demos. Sat-Sun: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $8-$11. Details.

Stars – Stripes – Cars at Eurowise: Enjoy cars, local vendors, music, food and brews; they’ll be raising money for the Charlotte Bridge Home. 11-4 p.m. Free. Details.

Base Camp at Tabor: You don’t have to leave Charlotte to get your outdoor vibes. Come hang out for s’mores, Lenny Boy, Luna’s and trunk shows to celebrate adventure. 12-4 p.m. Free. Details.

Psychic Tea at the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge: This Romani-themed specialty tea will feature a fortune teller and the option to add a “Your Fortune” Cocktail for $10. 1-5 p.m. $20-$40. Details.

Clown Crawl at Common Market: Bring coats, scarves, and blankets (in good repair) to benefit the homeless directly; contribution gets you clown makeup and waived cover for all destinations. 4 p.m. Free. Details.

BarkHappy BARKsgiving Happy Hour to benefit Dog Days of Charlotte at Helles & Dunkel: They’ll have dog-themed drink specials, $1 hot dogs, giveaways and doggie treats. 4-7 p.m. $5-$10. Details.

GoWILD! 2016 at The Palmer Building: Annual Fall Benefit Concert and Auction; expect music, silent and live auction items, food, beer and wine. 5-8 p.m. $50. Details.

Bee Something for Bee Mighty Gala at Charlotte Country Club: Bee Mighty has funded over 100 local families, providing grants for medical therapy and equipment to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit graduates. 7-11 p.m. $125+. Details.

Learn things

The Life and Times of Robert Smalls at Levine Museum of the New South: Learn about the life of escaped slave Robert Smalls, who went on to become a Civil War hero and member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. Admission. Details.

MBA and MACC Preview Day at Belk College of Business: Expect a class experience and career panel discussion with students and alumni. 9-12 p.m. MBA. MACC.

Art

Open Studio Saturday at McColl Center: Artists-in-Residence open their studios to you and your friends and family to talk about their work and creative process. 12-4 p.m. Free. Details.

Comics Drawing & Story Workshop at McColl Center: Current Affiliate Artists will show you how to create a comic book character and make an artistic sequential story during this one-of-a-kind drawing workshop. 1-3 p.m. $30-$35. Details.

Kids

Kinetic Heights’ Grand Opening at Providence Square Shopping Center: They’ll have a DJ, food truck and activities for kids; the facility will remain open for use after the event. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Details.

Green Eggs and Ham presented by Charlotte Symphony at Knight Theater: This fully staged orchestral adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s beloved children’s classic will be a feast for the ears. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. $20+. Details.

Charlotte Kids Expo at Carole Hoefener Center: This event highlights local businesses and resources focusing on safety, health and wellness, special needs, education and child care; expect bounce houses, face painting, balloon art, character meet and greets, stage shows and glitter tattoos. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Details.

Bilingual Stories & Music at Mint Museum Randolph: This is your chance to play fun, traditional children games from Latin America, in Spanish and English, with the storytellers and performers from Criss Cross Mangosauce. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. $5. Details.

Saturday Family Workshops at Mint Museum Randolph: Visit the European Painting gallery to talk about landscapes; experiment with leaves, rubber stamps and more to draw and paint an autumn collage. 1:30-3 p.m. $16. Details.

Fitness

Charlotte Marathon at Romare Bearden Park: Marathon, Half Marathon, 1-Mile, 5K and Relay. 6 a.m. Varies. Details.

Used Bike & Boat Sale at USNWC: The USNWC will release some of their used bikes and boats for you to purchase at low prices. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Free. Details.

Yoga…Coffee…Naps at Coco and the Director: Uptown Fitness & Wellness Studio will lead a yoga session for 12 people. First come, first serve. 8 a.m. Free. Details.

4th annual DYNOMITE Bouldering Competition at USNWC: Featuring bouldering problems for all skill levels. 11 a.m. $30-$45. Details.

Sports

Charlotte 49ers Young Alum + Agenda Tailgate at the Hauser Alumni Pavilion: Tailgate like a king this Saturday with the Agenda team + Young Alum; tickets include access to the pavilion, an all-you-can-eat buffet, open bar, live DJ and a general admission ticket to the game; call (704) 687-4849 to purchase. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $30. Details.

Sunday, November 13

Food and Drink

Donut Eating Contest at Joe’s Doughs: Participants will be timed to see how fast they can eat a dozen donuts and winner will win a free dozen donuts of their choice. 12-12:30 p.m. Buy a dozen to enter. Details.

Experience

Finders Keepers Market – November at NoDa Brewing Company: NoDa Brewing will donate $1 from every beer to the Cam Newton Foundation while you watch the game and shop for the holidays. 1-6 p.m. Free. Details.

Cranksgiving at Legion Brewing: An annual event occurring in many USA cities around Thanksgiving; a charity bicycle ride to collect food for neighbors in need. 1:30-6 p.m. Free. Details.

Baby+Company’s 1st Birthday Bash at Baby+Company: Festivities include free maternity + breastfeeding photography, a workshop for mindfulness yoga in pregnancy + motherhood, a Meet Your Village gathering for families, cake, and more. 2-5 p.m. Free. Details.

Farm Hands Charlotte 2016 at Free Range Brewing: Enjoy a Sunday Supper with craft brews, then hear the finalists present their ideas for a project before voting for the farmer who should receive a community-sponsored microgrant from Farm Hands. 6-8 p.m. $30. Details.

Learn things

Charlotte’s Military History at Duke Mansion: Popular history speaker David Erdman will take you on a “visual tour” of places that mark the Queen City’s military past. 3 p.m. Free, but RSVP required. Details.

Art

Pride and Prejudice Tour at Mint Museum Randolph: Take a docent-led tour of the Mint’s Portals to the Past: British Ceramics exhibition. 2-3:30 p.m. Admission. Details.

Kids

Fairy Fest at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden: Enjoy a day of crafts, music, fairy house building and food trucks while creating an outdoor habitat for fairies. 11-3 p.m. Admission. Details.

Fitness

Recovery Yoga at NoDa at NoDa Brewing Company: A low-key hour of stretching specifically designed for runners recovering from the Marathon. 11 a.m.-12 p.m. $5. Details.

Sports

Football at Bank of America Stadium: Carolina Panthers vs. Kansas City Chiefs. 1 p.m. $50+. Details.

We’re excited for…

Holidays at the Garden at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden: See the Garden glow with holiday spirit from the twinkling trees to the sparkling fountains. $9-$15. Opens November 18.

Holidays at the Hall: WBT Outdoor Ice Skating Rink at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Plaza: Lace up those skates to glide along more than 7,000 square feet of ice with an incredible view of the city skyline. Opens November 18.

Speedway Christmas at Charlotte Motor Speedway: See 3,000,000+ lights with a lights-to-music drive-thru section along the 3.5-mile course. $20+. Opens November 19.

See all the upcoming events we’re pumped about here.

Cover photo via Tabor.