What's Happening This Weekend
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| What's Happening This Weekend |
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| Good vs. Evil: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert |
Ever wonder what happens behind the kitchen doors of your favorite restaurants? Let Anthony Bourdain, chef, author of Medium Raw and host of The Travel's Channel's No Reservations and Eric Ripert, renowned chef of Le Bernardin, author and regular guest on Bravo's Top Chef, guide you through the good, bad and evil of America's kitchens. The master chef's appear live at Boston's Symphony Hall on Friday, March 4, for an honest discussion with audience members, and endless storytelling about the role food plays in our lives.
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| Chicago Polar Plunge |
Whether taking the plunge or simply reveling in the company of the hundreds of brave souls who wade into Lake Michigan, this Sunday’s Chicago Polar Plunge is not to be missed. Funds raised by the creatively dressed (the best costume category is a fan favorite), fun-loving teams and individual plungers benefit Special Olympics programs. Everyone is welcome, so register now or simply show up the day-of to hang out at the "Melt Down Party” located at North Avenue’s Beach Boat House, where complimentary food and drinks, plus a bar for those needing some liquid courage, allow plungers and spectators to warm up.
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| Miami International Film Festival |
A new director, a free screening and the world premiere of a film starring 50 Cent are just a few reasons why this year’s Miami International Film Festival is the ticket. The festival opens March 4 with the animated film Chico & Rita, a celebration of Cuban-American Jazz. Also on the bill for the 10-day program (March 4-13) is the highly buzzed-about City Memoirs, directed by local Aaron Salgado with executive director Andy Garcia.
For those looking to break into the biz, there’s a mélange of seminars like “Ready…Steady…Pitch.” And if you just want to hobnob, there are plenty of parties where you can take center stage.
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| Urban Glass Demonstration and Party |
The raw ingredients are simple: Sand, lime and soda. It’s the heat, at over 2000 degrees, that changes everything. Brooklyn’s Urban Glass is one of the best places in New York to play with fire and create beautiful results. Urban Glass, which is the largest artist-access glass center in the U.S., is hosting its annual Urbanites’ Hands-on Glass Demonstration and Cocktail Party this Saturday at 8 p.m., where you can craft your own pieces, mingle with artists and enjoy cocktails. No matter what your first glassmaking effort looks like, remember this intriguing tidbit: Each glass blown creation is like a fingerprint -- wholly unique.
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| Fat Tuesday Preps at Parish |
On Saturday, March 5, partake in N’awlins revelry at Parish’s 3rd annual Mardi Gras celebration in Atlanta, ceremonially titled Fat Tuesday Preps. The event will be loaded with live music from Charlie Wooten and Zydefunk, all you can eat crawfish and Abita beer, whole roasted pig and king cake.
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| South Beach Comedy Festival |
The South Beach Comedy Festival has been hosting events for the last couple weeks, but the acts are in full swing this weekend with performances by Wanda Sykes, Kevin Hart, Bill Burr and others. Head down to Miami Beach for crude laughs, social commentary and original theater by respected popular and up-and-coming comedians.
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| Duke Blue Devils at North Carolina Tar Heels |
Another chapter in one of the most enduring and celebrated rivalries in American sports closes the final weekend of college basketball's regular season. These two storied programs, whose campuses are eight miles apart, will meet for the 231st time March 5. The stakes are often high in this heated series, and Saturday's game between the Blue Devils and Tar Heels is no different -- currently tied atop the standings in the Atlantic Coast Conference, the winner could also earn a regular-season conference championship at the expense of its most bitter rival.
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| Emerald City Comicon |
The annual Comic-Con (held July 21-24 in San Diego) is already sold out, but not to fear, Seattleites. Don't miss the opportunity to geek out with your fellow fanboys and fangirls, as the Emerald City Comicon happens Friday through Sunday at the Washington State Convention Center. A few highlights of the three-day event will include appearances by William Shatner and Rainn Wilson, photos with your favorite Star Wars characters and a Buffy the Vampire Slayer sing-a-long, though really, the costumed people watching itself would be worth the $35-three-day pass.
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| Gold Standard |
The LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold is the rare food critic that seems without the slightest snobbery: His reviews and recommendations vary from the highest-end restaurants to the top food trucks. The third annual Gold Standard acts like a curated music festival, with Gold-approved restaurants handing out samples all under one roof, including all-organic Akasha, the upscale pizzeria Mozza, the Manila Machine and the downtown post-art walk fave Nickel Diner. You may want to wear pants with an elastic waistband.
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| Opry All-Star Weekend |
Playing the Grand Ole Opry is a telltale sign you've made it in the country world. Being invited to play the Opry All-Star Weekend, well, that signals you're at the top of your game, and we're not whistling dixie. March 4 and 5, the famous Nashville stage will host the best in the business when Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, The Band Perry, Rodney Atkins and others will light up the nights with their signature sounds.