It’s Friday, dear readers, and time again for us to take our weekly dive into the local event scene.
I often run into readers out there during the week, and I love the positive feedback I get from this article. That feedback reminds me that we are all in this together, and that is true for me more than ever this week. This is because today’s issue falls on Friday, Jan. 28, my birthday. This being the case, I looked extra hard for us all to find some great things to do in the upcoming days.
Besides. Somebody else is probably celebrating a birthday, too.
Let’s start with some live music tonight at the Weathered Ground Brewery in Cool Ridge, where Matt Kiser takes the stage from 6 – 9 p.m. There are few better local places to enjoy an award-winning craft beer and a great meal in front of a live stage. If you haven’t visited the WGB yet, you are truly missing out on a West Virginia gem. Matt is from Summersville, plays a wide variety of rock music, and you can’t go wrong with this pick.
Meanwhile, in Beckley, there’s a great southern rock band at Calacino’s. The Best of Times goes on stage tonight, Friday, Jan. 28 at 8 p.m. They have played Calacino’s before, and you can expect them to draw a nice audience, as always.
Also tonight, Friday Jan. 28, let’s not forget the Fayetteville music scene. At 101 South Court Street, the Southside Junction Tap House certainly has you covered. Back by popular demand, they are hosting Stacey and Frank fom The Stacey Carroll Project – unplugged. Based out of Fayette County, The Stacey Carroll Project books themselves as a variety band that plays covers in classic rock, pop, country and blues. I haven’t seen them play live yet, but I have heard nothing but good things. This duo coupled with the amazing food and drink selection there, the Southside Junction is the place be if you are in Fayetteville tonight.
Also in Fayetteville, and just across the bridge, Chetty’s Pub has some live music planned for you. Overlooking the beautiful New River Gorge, from 7 – 9 p.m., the Untrained Professionals will be on stage. I’ve told you about these guys before, and I hope you have been able to see them live by now. If not, Chetty’s would be a great place for you to make that happen.
Moving on to Saturday, Jan. 29, Calacino’s has Beckley covered yet again. Buddy Allen and the Cheat River Band is a country music group from Mullens that has recorded songs and videos written by some big names in Nashville. You don’t have to drive to Nashville to see them however, because they go on stage at Calacino’s at 8 p.m.
Also on Saturday, Jan 29 there are two murder mystery dinners to choose from. Let’s talk about The Ghost of Winter Manor being held at the Lost Paddle. Located at 1 Concho Rd in Oak Hill, The Lost Paddle begins their Murder Mystery at 5 p.m., where the Ghost of Windsor Manor has returned to wreak havoc on the family! Join them for a night of murder at ACE Adventure Resort, where tickets are $60 and you can call or check their Facebook for availability.
The second murder mystery dinner on Saturday, Jan. 29 is being held at The Greenbrier in White Sulpher Springs, set in 1945 France. They invite you to enjoy an evening of mystery and intrigue, along with the award-winning culinary offerings from America’s Resort, as you work to solve the case based on clues from the actors. Call them or visit their Facebook for more details.
So far I haven’t let a week go by without finding something truly different for you, and this week is no different. Friday, Jan. 28 through Sunday, Jan. 30, is Wizard Weekend in Fayetteville. There are more Wizard and Harry Potter themed activities going on there than I can even write about. Feel free to dress as your favorite character and visit just about any business in Fayetteville this weekend for some fun. Festivities start Friday, Jan. 28 with the Wizard Weekend Great Feast at the Gaines Estate from 4 – 10 pm. The Gaines Estate is a 1920s era mansion located in downtown Fayetteville, and perfect for a Wizard event setting. They invite you to come dine under the shadows of their enchanted candles and among your favorite wizards, both past and present. The bewitching feast starts promptly at 5:30 pm, beginning with wizarding appetizers and cocktails. A magical dinner will follow in the great hall pavilion 6:30 pm. Dinner will be served buffet style and catered by Dobra Zupas.
Saturday, Jan. 29 will be loaded with Wizard events as well. Most businesses will have their own themes going on and you can call or check their indidvidual Facebook pages for details. You will find things from costume contests to scavenger hunts. For instance, Candace Evans at New River Yoga at 128 South Court Street is presenting a Harry Potter Owl & Book Paint Class from 1 – 4 p.m,. hosted by yours truly. Everyone will be painting their own picture on canvas, with all supplies provided. I will be personally guiding this class, and you can check out the Facebook event page by the same name for details. Candace also invites you to start your Wizard Weekend with yoga classes both Saturday, Jan. 29 and Sunday, Jan. 30. These classes will be held at Adventures on the Gorge at 9 am both mornings, perfect opportunities to get stretched out before roaming the streets in search of Wizard adventures.
In the end, you can see there’s certainly no shortage of entertainment options out there. Whether you want some music with your dinner, a murder with your dinner, or you just want to have a quiet drink in full wizard costume, we have you covered. So as they say, you don’t have to party like it’s your birthday, unless you’re me, and it just happens that it is.
Do you have an event you would like to read about here? If so, email me at least a few weeks ahead of time at garyinwv@yahoo.com.
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Calendar of events
Friday, Jan. 28
Wizard Weekend in Fayetteville. To learn more about times, activities and locations, visit https://visitfayettevillewv.com/events/wizard-weekend-2/
A gallery exhibition by Derek Reese, a Pittsburgh-based artist and former Fairmont State University adjunct professor, is now on display in the J.D. Brooks Gallery in Wallman Hall through February 4.
Saturday, Jan. 29
The Greenbrier will hold its Dinner and a Show series each Saturday, now through March 12. The dinner and a show evenings will feature comedy, dueling pianos, Landau Eugene Murphy, game shows and murder mysteries. For more information, visit https://greenbrier.com/Holidays-Events/Greenbrier-Games-Gourmet.aspx
The Metropolitan Opera Series will be back for another season at Greenbrier Valley Theatre in 2022. Tony Award–winning director Bartlett Sher creates a bold new take on Verdi’s timeless tragedy, Rigoletto – Verdi, resetting the opera’s action in 1920s Europe, with Art Deco sets by Michael Yeargan and elegant costumes by Catherine Zuber. Baritone Quinn Kelsey, a commanding artist at the height of his powers, brings his searing portrayal of the title role to the Met for the first time. Showing at 12:55 p.m.
Wizard Weekend in Fayetteville. To learn more about times, activities and locations, visit https://visitfayettevillewv.com/events/wizard-weekend-2/
Sunday, Jan. 30
Wizard Weekend in Fayetteville. To learn more about times, activities and locations,visit https://visitfayettevillewv.com/events/wizard-weekend-2/
Tuesday, Feb. 1
First day of Black History Month at Burning Rock Outdoor Adventure Park in Sophia
Wednesday, Feb. 2
Oceana Public Library is hosting Story Hour each Wednesday from 11 a.m. until noon for pre-school children, ages three to five years old; two-year-olds are welcome if they will sit and listen. The free program includes read-aloud books, silly songs, games, crafts, parties, among other activities. For more information or to enroll a child, visit the library or phone 304-682-6784.
Chill in the Ville at The Gaines Estate in Beckley beginning at 4 p.m.
Pub N’ Play at the Gaines Estate in Fayetteville beginning at 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 9
Chill in the Ville at The Gaines Estate in Beckley beginning at 4 p.m.
Pub N’ Play at the Gaines Estate in Fayetteville beginning at 4 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 15
The Righteous Brothers will be in concert at the Clay Center in Charleston from 7:30 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.theclaycenter.org
Wednesday, Feb. 16
The Simon & Garfunkel Story will be presented at the Clay Center in Charleston beginning at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.theclaycenter.org
Chill in the Ville at The Gaines Estate in Beckley beginning at 4 p.m.
Pub N’ Play at the Gaines Estate in Fayetteville beginning at 4 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 18
Bob Malone with Annie Neeley will be presented at the Clay Center in Charleston beginning at 7:30 p.m. Malone has toured the world as a solo artist for two decades and has played keyboards with rock legend John Fogerty since 2011. For more information, visit www.theclaycenter.org
Saturday, Feb. 19
The Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton will present the vocal group Naturally 7 at 7 p.m. For ticket information visit www.chuckmathenacenter.org
The Greenbrier will hold its Dinner and a Show series each Saturday, now through March 12. The dinner and a show evenings will feature comedy, dueling pianos, Landau Eugene Murphy, game shows and murder mysteries. For more information, visit https://greenbrier.com/Holidays-Events/Greenbrier-Games-Gourmet.aspx
Wednesday, Feb. 23
Chill in the Ville at The Gaines Estate in Beckley beginning at 4 p.m.
Pub N’ Play at the Gaines Estate in Fayetteville beginning at 4 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 27
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox The Grand Reopening Tour will begin at 7 p.m. at the Clay Center in Charleston to make the 20s roar again. For more information, visit www.theclaycenter.org
Wednesday, March. 2
Oceana Public Library is hosting Story Hour each Wednesday from 11 a.m. until noon for pre-school children, ages three to five years old; two-year-olds are welcome if they will sit and listen. The free program includes read-aloud books, silly songs, games, crafts, parties, among other activities. For more information or to enroll a child, visit the library or phone 304-682-6784.
Saturday, March 5
Stand Together Tour at the Calvary Assemble of God in Beckley at 7 p.m.
The Greenbrier will hold its Dinner and a Show series each Saturday, now through March 12. The dinner and a show evenings will feature comedy, dueling pianos, Landau Eugene Murphy, game shows and murder mysteries. For more information, visit https://greenbrier.com/Holidays-Events/Greenbrier-Games-Gourmet.aspx
Wednesday, March 9
Chill in the Ville at The Gaines Estate in Beckley beginning at 4 p.m.
Pub N’ Play at the Gaines Estate in Fayetteville beginning at 4 p.m.
Friday, March 11
The Russian National Ballet presents Giselle at the Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton at 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 12
The Metropolitan Opera Series will be back for another season at Greenbrier Valley Theatre in 2022. The exhilarating soprano Lise Davidsen makes her Live in HD debut in one of her signature roles, the mythological Greek heroine of Strauss’s enchanting masterpiece, Ariadne auf Naxos. Showing at 12:55 p.m.
Wednesday, March 16
Chill in the Ville at The Gaines Estate in Beckley beginning at 4 p.m.
Pub N’ Play at the Gaines Estate in Fayetteville beginning at 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 17
Amy Helm will grace Carnegie Hall’s stage on St. Patrick’s Day, Thursday, March 17, 2022. This will be the first of three shows within 15 days at Carnegie Hall. Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Amy Helm started her solo career with a bang and hasn’t looked back. A remarkable songwriter and a powerful singer, Helm commands any stage she performs on, captivating audiences with her soulful voice. With a successful career as a performer in groups such as the Levon Helm Band, the Dirt Farmer Band, and the Midnight Ramble Band, Amy Helm now amazes audiences with music that is both intimate and universal.
Saturday, March 26
The Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton will present Second Helping, The Lynard Skynard Show at 7 p.m. For ticket information visit www.chuckmathenacenter.org
Friday, April 1
The Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton will present the Motones & Jerseys in concert at 7 p.m. For ticket information visit www.chuckmathenacenter.org
Wednesday, April 6
Oceana Public Library is hosting Story Hour each Wednesday from 11 a.m. until noon for pre-school children, ages three to five years old; two-year-olds are welcome if they will sit and listen. The free program includes read-aloud books, silly songs, games, crafts, parties, among other activities. For more information or to enroll a child, visit the library or phone 304-682-6784.
Wednesday, May 4
Oceana Public Library is hosting Story Hour each Wednesday from 11 a.m. until noon for pre-school children, ages three to five years old; two-year-olds are welcome if they will sit and listen. The free program includes read-aloud books, silly songs, games, crafts, parties, among other activities. For more information or to enroll a child, visit the library or phone 304-682-6784.
Saturday, May 7
The Chuck Mathena Center in Princeton will present the Haggard Brothers with EmiSunshine at 7 p.m. For ticket information visit www.chuckmathenacenter.org
The Metropolitan Opera Series will be back for another season at Greenbrier Valley Theatre in 2022. Superstar soprano Anna Netrebko makes her long-awaited Met role debut in Turandot as Puccini’s icy princess — live in cinemas on May 7. Showing at 12:55.
Saturday, May 21
The Metropolitan Opera Series will be back for another season at Greenbrier Valley Theatre in 2022. Soprano Nadine Sierra takes on one of the repertory’s most formidable and storied roles, the haunted heroine of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor, in an electrifying new staging by Australian theater and film director Simon Stone, conducted by Riccardo Frizza. Showing at 12:55.
“Miss Dirt Turtle’s Garden Club,” written by filmmaker Danny Boyd with music by Larry Groce, will open Theatre West Virginia’s 2022 summer season at the Hulett C. Smith Theater at Tamarack in May. There will be eight performances, with limited general seating of 150 per show, on May 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28 and 29.
Wednesday, June 1
Oceana Public Library is hosting Story Hour each Wednesday from 11 a.m. until noon for pre-school children, ages three to five years old; two-year-olds are welcome if they will sit and listen. The free program includes read-aloud books, silly songs, games, crafts, parties, among other activities. For more information or to enroll a child, visit the library or phone 304-682-6784.
Saturday, June 4
The Metropolitan Opera Series will be back for another season at Greenbrier Valley Theatre in 2022. When Australian composer Brett Dean’s Hamlet had its world premiere at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2017, The Guardian declared, “New opera doesn’t often get to sound this good … Shakespeare offers a gauntlet to composers that shouldn’t always be picked up, but Dean’s Hamlet rises to the challenge.” This riveting contemporary masterpiece appears live in cinemas, with Neil Armfield, who directed the work’s premiere, bringing his acclaimed staging to the Met. Showing at 12:55.
Friday, June 17
“Hatfields and McCoys” will open Theatre West Virginia’s 2022 summer season at 7:30 p.m. at Cliffside Amphitheater. Gates open at 6 p.m., pre show musical guests start at 6:30 p.m. and concessions available from 6-7:45 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are at 7 p.m., with Sunday matinee performances at 3 p.m.Tickets are $15 each. Visit http://www.theatrewestvirginia.org
