Cape Fear River Watch, Wilmington NC

Wilmington's waterways watchdog

by Lois Carol Wheatley | July 25, 2010

Meet Doug Springer. He’s the Cape Fear Riverkeeper, affiliated with the Cape Fear River Watch (http://www.cfrw.us) and with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Waterkeepers Alliance. Kennedy became a water quality advocate in the 1980s when GE was dumping PCBs into the Hudson River, rendering its fish unfit for human consumption and totally destroying the commercial fishing and recreational economy of a good-sized region in upstate New York. His intervention failed to save the Hudson, but …

Slice of Life, Wilmington NC

Pizza is one of two main attractions

by Lois Carol Wheatley | July 25, 2010

The pizza gets a lot of attention, but the biggest and boldest typeface on the menu says, “Largest Tequila Selection in Wilmington.” You probably thought beer was the matching beverage.

Slice of Life Pizzeria & Pub is a happening little spot down in the historic district, and it claims its pizza is the best in town because it is made “with purified water and only the freshest and highest quality ingredients.” Even …

Childrens Museum, Wilmington NC

Where even grown-ups are filled with wonder

by Lois Carol Wheatley | July 16, 2010

The main part of this—let’s call it a structure—used to be the Saint Johns Museum of Art, now moved out to a suburban location. Another identifiable building in the mix is the old Masonic lodge. Former streets, sidewalks and alleys have been included in a charming indoor/outdoor labyrinth with mythological overtones comprising a total of 17,000 square feet of pure child’s play.

High overhead in the skylights, enormous papier mache insects hover. A model of …

America’s Tall Ship, Wilmington NC

Big visit from one of the Coast Guard's big guys

by Lois Carol Wheatley | July 16, 2010

Tall ship fans, man your battle stations. The USCG Barque Eagle is sailing into Wilmington for a three-day stay starting August 6. But will it be able to squeak under the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge? Barely, according to LCDR Chris Vargo.

“Bridge clearance is 135 feet raised and 65 feet lowered at mean high water,” he said. “The Eagle will stop just south of the bridge to ‘house’ its mast, then stop again on …

Wilmington Railroad Museum, Wilmington NC

Kids wouldn't recognize their town 50 years ago

by Lois Carol Wheatley | July 12, 2010

Boys and girls, it may surprise you to know that Wilmington once was completely covered with railroad tracks that snaked their way all around and through big brick warehouses and shipping offices. Only three of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad buildings are still standing, including the one that houses the Wilmington Railroad Museum.

Executive Director Mark Koenig shifts into Mister Rogers mode to conduct school field trip tours and explain in words of one …

Rusty Nail Saloon, Wilmington NC

Bring your bass and pass the Prozac

by Lois Carol Wheatley | July 03, 2010

The Rusty Nail Saloon at 1310 S. 5th Street is the home of the Cape Fear Blues Jam (www.capefearblues.org) every Tuesday night and the first Saturday night of the month. What this means is that anybody with a bad case of melancholy can drag in the instrument of their own choosing and play three songs or 20 minutes, whichever comes first. The only rule that is lightly enforced is that it be the blues, …

Cape Fear Blues Festival, Wilmington NC

Blues cruise and other news, July 23-25

by Lois Carol Wheatley | July 02, 2010

The 15th annual blues fest kicks off with a blues cruise aboard the Henrietta III, an authentic replica of the old-time steamboats that once freely roamed the waters of the Cape Fear River. Spider Mike Bochey will entertain on the docks prior to the launch on Friday, July 23, starting at about 5 p.m. On board, it will be Florida-based Bill “Sauce Boss” Wharton & Band, Wilmington’s own Dusty Long & Friends, and local favorite …

Lake Waccamaw, Whiteville NC

Far from the madding crowd

by Lois Carol Wheatley | July 02, 2010

If rumor and innuendo are to be believed, Lake Waccamaw is 250,000 years old and was formed, like other lakes in the Bladen Lake Group, by a meteorite. If so it was one helluva meteorite, creating a crater that measures roughly five miles by seven miles with an average depth of 7.5 feet.

Lake Waccamaw State Park is on the shores of this ancient mystery, named for a tribe of Indians that …

Two Fireworks Cruises, Wilmington NC

Floating food and fireworks

by Lois Carol Wheatley | June 25, 2010

Where can you get two ringside seats for two fireworks displays on the Cape Fear River? Aboard two cruise lines that offer special dinner and fireworks packages. These are on different nights so you could do them both if you got your reservations in early.

The Henrietta III is an old-time riverboat, built to replicate the steamboats that once freely roamed these waters. She offers a buffet dinner on the Fourth of July cruise …

Fourth of July, Wilmington NC

Battleship Blast

by Lois Carol Wheatley | June 25, 2010

In addition to rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air, Wilmington’s Fourth of July celebration also includes a street fair (food, crafts) and music (the 440^th North Carolina Army National Guard Band) at Riverfront Park starting at 5 p.m. The fireworks start around 9 p.m. and as always will be shot from Eagle Island, where the Battleship USS North Carolina is anchored in the Cape Fear River. Viewing from the downtown area gives you …

Shakespeare on the Green, Wilmington NC

What ho! What light on yon stage breaks

by Lois Carol Wheatley | June 18, 2010

You’re in 16th century London, seated in an outdoor amphitheater. The sun has set, the lights onstage are lit, and as costumed actors stride boldly forward to deliver their impassioned lines, frogs croak and crickets crank it up.

It’s as close to the original Shakespearean performances as you’re likely to get in this century.

Shakespeare on the Green is performed throughout the month of June at Greenfield Lake’s amphitheater (www.ci.wilmington.nc.us). …

North Carolina Blueberry Festival, Burgaw, NC

Some events actually involve blueberries

by Lois Carol Wheatley | June 14, 2010

The North Carolina Blueberry Festival is Saturday, June 19, in Burgaw, about 20 miles northwest of Wilmington on I-40. Burgaw is Pender County’s seat and sends this annual shout-out to a crop that put the entire geographic vicinity on the map, starting in the 1930s and taking Pender County to the number two ranking in the state for blueberry production.

Some of the festival events actually involve blueberries: a golf tournament, an antique show and …

Front Street Brewery, Wilmington NC

“Kiss Fun Hello”

by Lois Carol Wheatley | June 13, 2010

Father’s Day might be on a Sunday, but Wednesdays are the best time to go to Front Street Brewery at 9 Front Street in downtown Wilmington. Every Wednesday at 6 p.m., brewmaster Kevin Kozak conducts a brewery tour and gives away free samples. From that tour you can decide which brew to order with your meal:

Lumina Lager--A German style Helles Lager, golden in color and medium-bodied, made with German malt and hops.

…

NC’s Oyster Shell Recycling Program

"Chuck Your Shucks Here"

by Lois Carol Wheatley | June 12, 2010

Here’s an intriguing concept recently introduced in North Carolina: dumping your trash in the ocean. Yes, you heard that right. The state wants you to throw your oyster shells back in the water—or, more accurately, would like to deposit them offshore on your behalf.

Newborn oysters are free-floating organisms that attach to any hard surface they can find, which can be pilings or concrete but ideally would be a shell of one’s own. A …

Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital, Topsail Island NC

Sick and injured turtles make their way back to the open sea

by Lois Carol Wheatley | June 05, 2010

The sea turtle hospital is on the move, slowly crawling from its seaside quarters to higher ground on the mainland.

The tiny facility at the southern end of Topsail Island, located at 822 Carolina Blvd., has been nursing sick and injured turtles back to health for ten years, and releasing its rehabilitated patients amidst ceremony and fanfare. The hospital is open to the public 2 to 4 p.m. on weekdays, early June through Labor …

Johnnie Mercer Fishing Pier, Wrightsville Beach NC

You might have to hum while you fish

by Lois Carol Wheatley | June 05, 2010

Remember Johnnie Mercer? “Moon River”? “Tangerine”? “Days of Wine and Roses”? Well, forget about all that. That has absolutely nothing to do with this story.Johnnie Mercer is the name of Wrightsville Beach’s 945-foot fishing pier, and coincidentally also the name of the guy who bought the pier in 1939.

He is not remembered so much for his singing—no records survive indicating that might have been among his many talents—but the Wilmington Star News …

Graystone Inn, Wilmington NC

As good as it gets

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 26, 2010

Graystone Inn recently received Four Diamonds from AAA, the most prestigious rating possible, awarded on the basis of an extensive checklist that includes every conceivable high-end amenity known to the upscale traveler. It was well-earned by this historic landmark, one of the most elegant structures in historic downtown Wilmington. The inn has recently undergone extensive renovations and is now under the new ownership of innkeepers Rich and Marcia Moore, who purchased the 14,300-square-foot mansion …

New Hanover County Arboretum, Wilmington NC

A marriage of beauty and smarts

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 26, 2010

A wedding lawn with a little temple and a perennial border at the seven-acre New Hanover County Arboretum is popular with brides of all seasons. Follow the winding path into the woods and you’re in a Japanese garden.

The Tidewater Camelia Club maintains the camellia walk along the shaded pathway. The Wilmington Cape Fear Rose Society maintains the rose garden.

The arboretum is a haven for horticulturalists because, for one thing, it’s headquarters for …

Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn, Wilmington NC

Hot, fast, cheap and easy

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 23, 2010

The bright paint on the windows reads, “Hot,” “Fast,” “Cheap” and “Easy.” Let us proceed on the assumption that this describes the food, not Amy.

She’s hot and fast in that you don’t have to be hosted by a hostess or wait for a waitress. You go up to a counter and try to read through the 20 or so burrito offerings without holding up the line too bad—there’s a lot of material up there, …

Simmons Sea Skiff, Wilmington NC

A world-class boat first launched from these shores

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 21, 2010

A local boat-building legend, T.N. Simmons, still lives on in the waterways of Masonboro Inlet and at the Cape Fear Museum in downtown Wilmington, nearly 40 years after he built his last boat. In an era when wooden boats have fallen from favor—too high-maintenance for the fiberglass set—the museum maintains a Simmons Sea Skiff inventory and sells original Simmons plans to worldwide customers who have heard the word.

Simmons was born in 1908, raised …

Free Movies at Carolina Beach Lake Park, Carolina Beach NC

Outdoor movies on Sunday summer nights

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 15, 2010

Memorial Day kicks off the free summer movies on the lake every Sunday night and fireworks on the boardwalk every Thursday night.

Carolina Beach Lake Park is two blocks from the ocean and has a paved trail around it, paddleboats for rent, and a wide lawn where a huge movie screen is set up. Movies start as soon as it’s dark enough to see the screen, usually about 9 p.m. You can buy …

Carolina Beach State Park, Carolina Beach NC

Camping, hiking, fishing, short drive to beach

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 14, 2010

Starting right around Memorial Day, trailers and RVs come over Snow’s Cut Bridge in a stately procession that looks like an outdoor outfitters parade, pulling boats, packing bikes and strapping all manner of flotation devices to their roofs. So it is best to get in an advance campsite reservation at Carolina Beach State Park, because 83 sites all of a sudden aren’t nearly enough.

For a modest fee you’ll get a picnic table, …

Fort Fisher Aquarium, Pleasure Island NC

Alligators and stingrays and sharks, oh my

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 07, 2010

Luna the albino alligator is pretty much the star at the Fort Fisher Aquarium. The staff won’t say that right out loud—they claim ALL their aquatic creatures are important—but it’s said in the way most parents try to refrain from pointing out the favorite child where other children may be lurking.

Luna arrived as a young hatchling about a year ago and a celebration is planned for Memorial Day Weekend to mark what …

Taste of Wilmington

Sauces simmer, meats marinate

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 07, 2010

They might wear silly hats, but local chefs are quite serious about the third annual Taste of Wilmington Food & Wine Festival on May 16 at the Coastal Convention Center. The highlight of the event is a cook-off for the title of Top Chef, the heat is on, and the field has been narrowed to three ferocious contenders: Eric Gephart from Mixto Contemporary Latin, 5 S. Water St. in downtown Wilmington, Michael Comer from …

Airlie Gardens, Wilmington NC

Fellow Southerners, please try to keep up

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 01, 2010

The expression “keeping up with the Joneses” started here. At the turn of the 20th Century, railroad magnate Pembroke Jones and his wife Sarah so very lavishly landscaped the 67 acres that now comprise Airlie Gardens that the neighbors simply couldn’t hope to compete.

Today it’s a major attraction near Wrightsville Beach, with ten acres of freshwater lakes, 100,000 azaleas, and a 462-year-old oak tree. A self-guided tour takes you through the …

Orton Plantation, Winnabow, NC

History and horticulture

by Lois Carol Wheatley | May 01, 2010

Orton Plantation is credited with bringing the film industry to Wilmington. Dino DeLaurentiis was looking for a gracious Gone-With-the-Wind-style mansion to burn down for Firestarter, starring Drew Barrymore and based on a novel by Stephen King. Ultimately he shot the film on the premises but he burned a scaled-down model, leaving the popular tourist attraction intact.

This year the gardens celebrate their 100th anniversary with special events throughout the year. The mansion is …

Wrightsville Beach Scenic Cruises, Wrightsville Beach, NC

For Mother's Day, take her for a (free!) cruise on Wrightsville Beach Harbor

by Lois Carol Wheatley | April 24, 2010

Moms cruise free on Mother’s Day, May 9, with Wrightsville Beach Scenic Cruises on Waynick Avenue, across the street from Blockade Runner. Special Mother’s Day excursions leave at 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., and a sunset cruise launches at 6:30 p.m.

The daytime cruises are one-hour trips around Wrightsville Beach’s Harbor Island, a barrier island that buffers and protects the harbor. Historical, ecological and cultural points of interest are pointed …

Korean BBQ, Wilmington NC

A new position is taken in the ongoing barbecue wars

by Lois Carol Wheatley | April 24, 2010

Most people in Wilmington aren’t from these parts and don’t even know there’s a war on, an ancient dispute between the east and the west raging over vinegar-based versus tomato-based barbecue sauce. Heck, most of us are from states that were either neutral or on the other side of that north-south conflict.

As proof of Wilmington’s blissful oblivion, one of the best barbecue spots in town is Korean BBQ at 4102 Oleander Drive, the …

Tidal Creek Coop, Wilmington NC

A '70s-era food coop, now all grown up

by Lois Carol Wheatley | April 17, 2010

Whole Foods and Earth Fare are nowhere to be found in Wilmington. This is probably not a large enough market for the big boxes, and after you’ve come to that horrible realization and eventually dried your tears, you may at some point concede that their absence here is maybe not quite as catastrophic as it seemed at first.

We do have Tidal Creek Coop on 5329 Oleander Drive, on one of the …

Restaurant Week, Wilmington NC

Get it while it's hot, April 28 to May 5

by Lois Carol Wheatley | April 17, 2010

April 28 to May 5 is the most delicious week of spring. That’s when 31 local restaurants participate in Encore magazine’s Wilmington Restaurant Week. Diners either print their passes online or clip them from the magazine and, if they’re smart, spend each and every day of an entire week trotting from one hot spot to another taking advantage of these once-a-year specials.

Participating restaurants are some of Wilmington’s finest:

Hieronymus (seafood)

Poplar Grove, Wilmington NC

Historic tour and home of that OTHER farmers market

by Lois Carol Wheatley | April 09, 2010

The Poplar Grove Farmer’s Market opened on April 7, and will operate every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through December 15.

Poplar Grove Plantation is a gracious 19th-Century mansion nine miles north of Wilmington on Highway 17 in Scott’s Hill, with a National Register of Historic Places designation and daily tours conducted by costumed docents through the main house and its various dependencies.

The market is held …

Riverfront Farmers Market, Wilmington, NC

Opening for the season April 17

by Lois Carol Wheatley | April 08, 2010

The Riverfront Farmer’s Market opens for the season on April 17, big news for those of us forced to winter over in the produce aisle of a supermarket. The early spring inventory might not provide much relief for the anemic tomato syndrome, but it’s bound to have a fresh and local offering of seedlings, herbs, flowers, eggs, cheese, meats, seafood, baked goods, pickled items, jams and jellies, wine, arts and crafts.

And it’s …

Annual Garden tour, Wilmington NC

The flowers that bloom in the spring, tra-la

by Lois Carol Wheatley | April 03, 2010

Azaleas ain’t the half of it. By the time the annual Azalea Festival rolls around, the wisteria is cranking, dogwoods are flowering, and irises are just starting to put in an appearance. It might even be possible to tiptoe through the tulips.

The Cape Fear Garden Club puts on its annual garden tour at festival time, this year with 12 public and private gardens in early stages of springtime development. The …

Historic Home Tour, Wilmington NC

A big part of the annual Azalea Festival

by Lois Carol Wheatley | April 03, 2010

Peek through the branches of a blooming azalea and you’re likely to be looking at a gracious old Southern home. That’s the thinking behind the Historic Wilmington Foundation’s participation in the annual Azalea Festival, a prime opportunity to attract attention beyond those flaming blossoms and into the downtown area’s historic homes.

Nine vintage homes are on this year’s tour, all well within the city’s Riverwalk district and most of them …

Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry, Wilmington NC

One leisurely way of getting from here to there

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 27, 2010

An ongoing problem in this fair city is getting from the right bank to the left bank. The most popular means—a bit too popular during rush hour—is the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge, arching high in the sky between the downtown district and Brunswick County, Leland, and arteries leading south to Oak Island.

Another option is the Fort Fisher-Southport Ferry, about 15 miles south of the big bridge and, during the height of beach season, …

Cape Fear Museum, Wilmington NC

New exhibit plunges visitors into a distant and leafy past

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 27, 2010

Five years of research into the region’s early inhabitants and Colonial experiences has gone into Land of the Longleaf Pine, a new exhibit opening on April 2 at the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science. Visitors will be immersed in a longleaf pine forest centuries ago, filled with Native Americans and European settlers making a living from the forest. They will visit a merchant’s store, examine imported goods that arrived …

Earth Day in Wilmington, NC

Reduce, recycle and reuse

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 21, 2010

Nobody is exactly sure how all that trash, mainly plastic, has collected in gyres in each of the earth’s oceans.  But we do know that reducing our consumption of plastic disposables such as bags and bottles might head off a problem that can only get bigger, and even now is entering our food source. For more information visit algalita.org.

That’s one of several reasons that “Reduce” is the central theme of

Chowder Cookoff, Carolina Beach, NC

One of the many pleasures of Pleasure Island

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 20, 2010

Two things to like about the 14th Annual Pleasure Island Chowder Cook-Off at Carolina Beach Lake Park on April 17: The first, of course, is the chowder.

Chefs from Pleasure Island and Wilmington prepare their best seafood chowder recipes from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and, for a mere $5 admission fee, you become a judge in a friendly chowder competition while your kids hit the park’s playground and a Kidz Zone …

Cape Fear Wildlife Expo, Wilmington NC

Gear up for the outdoor season March 20 and 21.

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 13, 2010

Your stock of outdoor toys—fishing rods, hiking shoes, boogie boards—is woefully inadequate in these advanced stages of early spring. This season is all about renewal, which can only mean new stuff.

The Cape Fear Wildlife Expo shares those sentiments, and maybe takes them one step further. Beyond new toys, let’s take a look at some new games.

Through two days at the Coastline Convention Center, March 20-21, more than 100 exhibitors …

Battleship North Carolina, Wilmington, NC

Floating war memorial anchored in Cape Fear River

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 13, 2010

Anchored in the Cape Fear River near downtown Wilmington, the Battleship USS North Carolina points its three cannons directly at the city’s historic Riverwalk. It’s a major attraction, offering daily self-guided tours and a full slate of special events throughout the year.

The North Carolina set out in 1942 at full capacity, with 2,339 men bound for Pearl Harbor in the aftermath of the Japanese attack. During the course of her four-year …

Wilmington Roadrunners, Wilmington, NC

Meep-meep, coming through

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 05, 2010

Without a coyote in hot pursuit, does a roadrunner still seemingly vanish from sight in a split second, leaving only a small cloud of dust in the spot where he’d been standing?

For the Wilmington Roadrunners, that would depend on whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or a cartoon character with no weight or mass.

The local running club holds four weekly runs, Tuesdays through the downtown district and Thursdays on the …

North Carolina Azalea Festival, Wilmington, NC

Belles and blossoms in The Grand Southern Tradition

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 05, 2010

Keep your fingers crossed that the azalea that blooms so abundantly in this region will be in any kind of mood to participate in Wilmington’s 63rd Annual North Carolina Azalea Festival (April 7-11, 2010).

The city is pinning its hopes on the timely cooperation of thousands of pink, lavender and white blooms to serve as honored guests—or at least as distinguished backdrops—at a festival that traditionally showcases Southern belles dressed in colorful hoop …

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

The Soaring Seahawks are convenient to city and beaches

by Lois Carol Wheatley | March 01, 2010

Wilmington College, a two-year institution that first opened its doors in 1947, has grown into a university that enrolls nearly 12,500 students. In 1961, Wilmington College moved from a single building near the city's downtown to its present 650-acre campus on College Road.

The University of North Carolina Wilmington now offers four-year programs through the College of Arts and Sciences, the Cameron School of Business, the Watson School of Education, and the …

Travel Guide to Wilmington, NC

Why you should visit Wilmington

by Lois Carol Wheatley | February 26, 2010

Goldilocks would like Wilmington. Not too far north, not too far south. Not too big, not too small. Just right.

The Carolina coast is world famous for its wide expanses of unspoiled beaches, but you’d be surprised what happens after two or three days into basking on the more remote stretches of white sands in the golden sun under blue skies. “Is there somewhere decent to eat around here?” “How close is …

Hilton Wilmington Riverside, Wilmington, NC

High living in the low country

by Lois Carol Wheatley | February 21, 2010

There can be no dispute that the Riverwalk is the place to be in Wilmington, or that the Hilton Wilmington Riverside is the place to stay on the Riverwalk. That’s not a subjective judgment; it’s actually the only hotel on the Riverwalk.

The view just keeps on going from 272 guest rooms, and the VIP floor is on the 9th floor, where you’ll get it all, starting your day with a complimentary breakfast and ending …

More TV shot in Wilmington

"Surface" was cancelled before we learned the fate of our fair city

by Lois Carol Wheatley | February 21, 2010

“Surface” was a short-lived TV series filmed in Wilmington that spoke to fears shared by beach dwellers all over the world. Never mind mere hurricanes; we’re talking cataclysmic tsunamis, strange creatures emerging from the depths, ships disappearing at sea.

The federal government, I shouldn’t have to tell you, is engaged in a massive cover-up concerning most if not all of these alarming events.

The series first aired on NBC in 2005 and, possibly due to government …

Television show shot in Wilmington

"One Tree Hill" is one of several local TV thrills

by Lois Carol Wheatley | February 14, 2010

You’re strolling the downtown streets, checking out the shops and restaurants, and you come upon a big barricade, some big trucks with big lights, maybe even a big crowd. And you’re politely asked either to cross the street or to go find some other street to stroll.

The popular television show One Tree Hill is filmed on Third Street, a couple blocks from the riverfront, and the ongoing drama spills out of the studio-owned …

Oscar Party, Wilmington, NC

Hollywood East watches the Academy Awards

by Lois Carol Wheatley | February 14, 2010

Speaking of Screen Gems Studios (we were, weren’t we?), that’s definitely the place to be for Oscar night.

The Cucalorus Film Festival is hosting an Oscar party on a Screen Gems sound stage on March 7th during the airing of the Academy Awards. Large screens will show the Oscars all night and, during breaks, live musical and comedic entertainment will take over: Jonathan Guggenheim, Bibis Ellison, Cullen Moss, Sandy Vaughan, and Matt Malloy.

Riverfront Convention Center, Wilmington, NC

Still under construction, awesome new convention center is now accepting bookings for late 2010

by Lois Carol Wheatley | February 07, 2010

Wilmington is holding its collective breath as its new riverfront convention center takes shape, slated for completion in fall 2010. The city is currently accepting bids for an adjacent hotel and more breath-holding will be involved before ground is broken on that project, whatever and whenever that may be.

The hulking shape now rising from the urban banks of the Cape Fear River will morph into a 30,000-square-foot exhibit hall with 30-foot ceilings and …

Mardi Gras annual fundraiser, Wilmington, NC

Read not beads: Fat Tuesday benefits the Cape Fear Literacy Council

by Lois Carol Wheatley | February 06, 2010

Mardi Gras is not parades, beads, and a string of nights on the town in Wilmington. Maybe a few downtown bars will do a scaled-down version of all that, but the only local event branded as Mardi Gras and featuring masks and costumes is the annual fundraiser for the Cape Fear Literacy Council.

This year it’s the Silver Anniversary Gala, to be held March 6 at Screen Gems Studios. The evening starts …

Elijah’s on the Riverfront, Wilmington, NC

Sitting on the dock of the bay in Wilmington

by Lois Carol Wheatley | January 31, 2010

Anyone around here will tell you that Elijah’s is the most happening spot in Wilmington, and that its oyster bar is legendary. Of course you’ll have to wade through the shrimp, crab, mussel and fish offerings to get to the oysters, but all great meals come at a price.

You can get your oysters chilled, steamed and Rockefellered, but the hands-down local favorite is the fried oyster sandwich, on a hoagie with lettuce and …

Buffalo Wild Wings, Wilmington, NC

Sports bar has two Wilmington locations

by Lois Carol Wheatley | January 31, 2010

Watching the game is conducive to non-stop grazing, so it is highly advisable to order off the appetizer menu. What the heck, order everything off the appetizer menu.

You’ve got the sampler, the crispy southwest dipper, cheeseburger slammers, pulled pork slammers, mozzarella sticks, nachos, queso, quesadilla, roasted mushrooms, chili fries, mini corn dogs, popcorn shrimp, naked tenders, potato wedges, onion rings and buffalo chips. Order an item with a name like buffalo chips at your own …

Thalian Hall Center for Performing Arts, Wilmington, NC

A place for live performances, movies, concerts, political and fundraising events

by Lois Carol Wheatley | January 24, 2010

Here’s a quick look at the calendar for February, which also provides a glimpse at the diversity of events staged at Wilmington’s historic downtown theater.

Cinematique: “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee,” Feb. 3-7

Cinematique: “Headless Woman,” Feb. 10-14

Live Performance: Kellylee Evans, renowned jazz singer, Feb. 12-14

Taste of the Town: Feb. 23

Oscar Shorts: Feb. 24-28

So that’s pretty much the type of mix generally seen on the calendar, with maybe a …

Wilmington Chocolate Festival, Wilmington, NC

Swear to god, it's good for you

by Lois Carol Wheatley | January 24, 2010

Hershey, Godiva and Ghirardelli—some of your closest friends and associates—have already agreed to meet you at the Wilmington Chocolate Festival, Feb. 5-7.

This, hot on the heels of the news that Kraft has acquired Cadbury, should provide ample opportunity for gossiping about anyone and everyone who isn’t there.

You can dance with your old friends to live music Friday night, share a few drinks (wine by the glass, artisan beers), or compete against them …

Romantic carriage rides, Wilmington, NC

Treat your Valentine to Wilmington's historic district

by Lois Carol Wheatley | January 16, 2010

Picture this: you, your sweetheart, and the clip-clop of hooves on cobblestoned, moonlit streets. Throw in a red rose, a box of chocolates, and a costumed driver who narrates the sights you’re seeing in historic downtown Wilmington, its stately mansions, its romantic riverfront setting.

That’s the Valentine package deal offered by Springbrook Farms, a charter member of CONA, Carriage Operators of North America. The company has been doing this for 22 years, with rescued …

Children’s Museum of Wilmington, Wilmington, NC

Hey, let's play!

by Lois Carol Wheatley | January 16, 2010

The wheels on the bus going round and round is a recurring theme in this place. The tune plays in your head in the outdoor courtyard, where a real live school bus is parked and waiting for children to board, and it’s also available downstairs, in karaoke form, the words appearing on a screen, the music piped in, and a microphone for kids of any age to belt out their newest hit single.

Also field trips, …

North Carolina Jazz Festival, Wilmington, NC

Which is it, ladies—the trumpet, the saxophone, or the bass?

by Lois Carol Wheatley | January 09, 2010

Is the saxophone the sexiest musical instrument on the planet? Judge for yourself at the 30th annual North Carolina Jazz Festival, slated for February 4-6, 2010, at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside.

Well, most of the festival is at the Hilton. On Saturday a musical brunch cruise is launched from Wilmington’s historic downtown Riverwalk.

Headliners include concert vocalist Stephanie Nakasian & the Hod O’Brien Trio; New Orleans style jazz by the Duke Heitger Sextet; and local favorites Grenaldo …

Greenfield Lake and Gardens, Wilmington, NC

Wilmington’s urban park is good for scenery and exercise

by Lois Carol Wheatley | January 02, 2010

They call it Greenfield Lake and Gardens mostly because “swamp” is such an unattractive term. But as long as you’re lacing up the sneakers and heading out to burn up some calories, that urban swamp is a prime destination, and close enough to Wilmington’s historic downtown district that a lap around the 90-acre lake isn’t likely to burn up half the day.

Nearly five miles of paved paths and bridges are prime for walking, running or …