Romantic Valentine’s Day dates, Super Bowl parties and more this weekend
Compiled by Alicia Clanton
Small Plates Crawl – Thursday – Restaurants and bars in the Downtown Loop come together for this weekly event to draw more dine-in guests to their establishments. Current participants include Mateo Bar de Tapas, Taberna Tapas, Viceroy, COPA, Luna, Pompieri Pizza, Bull City Burger and Brewery, Jack Tar, Dashi, Rue Cler, Alley Twenty Six, Queeny’s, M Pocha and Killer Queen. Each participating restaurant and bar will feature something special around small plates every Thursday night, though the exact format will differ from place to place. Some venues will highlight a special small plate, others will offer discounts and some will provide pairings from their bar.
‘My Furry Valentine’ presented by Adam Dickinson Group at Nest Realty – Thursday, 5:30-7:30pm – Head to Hi-Wire Brewing to meet adoptable dogs from the Animal Protection Society of Durham. Assorted Poppies Photo will be on-site to take Valentine’s pet portraits, and the first 100 guests to register will get a free drink token.
Valentine’s at The Durham – Friday to Monday – Book a romantic room package complete with a bottle of sparkling wine, two flutes and a chef’s specialty dessert board at The Durham Hotel. The on-site restaurant offers a special Valentine’s three-course, prix fixe menu all weekend. There’s also the option to book a romantic evening with cocktails and snacks on the hotel rooftop.
Valentine’s Day Flights & Beer Cocktails – Friday-Monday, noon-10pm – The Glass Jug Beer Lab’s downtown location offers the Cupid’s Shuffle Flight and beer cocktails all weekend long as well as food trucks on Friday and Saturday.
Science Nights: Felt Friends – Friday, 5:30-8pm – Create your own cuddly “Palentine’s” Day friend at the Museum of Life and Science. Participants learn about the fuzzy friends who live at the museum and get to take home handmade felt companions, cards and buttons.
Self-Love Valentine’s Workshop – Friday 6-8pm – Enjoy a night of cider, crafting and self-care at Bull City Ciderworks. This three-part event starts with the folks from Ky’s Kandles assisting as you make your own double-wicked coconut wax candle, and follows with learning how to create a boho macrame keychain from CozyHangs. The evening concludes with repotting a succulent into a cute martini glass with The Houseplant Hippie.
Lovers & Friends: A Hibachi Experience – Friday, 7-9pm – Melanated Wine presents a special Valentine’s Day dining event featuring a hibachi menu along with its signature wines.
Kathleen Madigan: Do You Have Any Ranch? – Friday, 7pm – The comedian’s 32-year career is showing no signs of slowing down as she performs her standup routine inside Fletcher Hall at The Carolina Theatre.
Dylan Innes Live! – Friday, 7:30-9:30pm – The Boone, North Carolina, native and emerging singer-songwriter performs at The Oak House Durham.
Nashville Songwriters with Special Guest Lainey Wilson – Friday, 7:30pm – Ten top songwriters who created some of country music’s greatest hits perform live at DPAC in a special 20th anniversary show benefitting three local organizations: Kidznotes, a youth orchestra, band and choir program that uses music to encourage children to succeed; The North Carolina Boys Academy, a Christian boarding school for teenage boys; and Voyager Academy Friends of the Arts, which aims to increase support for visual and performing arts at the school. This is DPAC’s fourth year hosting the annual event, which is organized by songwriter and area resident Jeff Outlaw and brings fans closer to the creative process that has produced some of the biggest hits in country music.
Radical Repair Workshop – Saturday, noon-4pm – Multimedia artist Julia Gartrell teaches concrete skills, such as sewing and darning, and explores the abstract notions of repair during this workshop inside a vintage camper trailer, which is parked in the Nasher Sculpture Garden as a part of the “Reckoning and Resilience: North Carolina Art Now” at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. Visitors are also invited to bring a piece of clothing with a hole in it and learn how to make beautiful, visible repairs in the spirit of sashiko, a traditional type of Japanese embroidery.
‘Everyday Beauty’ Reception – Saturday, 4-6pm – PS118 Gallery & Event Space hosts its first reception of the year. This exhibit, which highlights quiet beauty in everyday moments, features paintings by Anthony Ulinski as well as pottery by Doug Dotson, who join in a public conversation together during the event.
Celaris with special guests As Oceans, Echonest and Clout Chaser – Saturday, 6pm-midnight – Three bands join for a night of metal and rock at GPAZZ Live Music Hall.
A Night of Silent Films – Saturday, 7pm – Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a selection of silent films at the Rubenstein Arts Center at Duke University, presented by Duke Independent Film Festival. This event showcases a variety of romantic comedies from the 1920s, including works by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Alice Howell and others.
Leanne Morgan – Saturday, 7pm – The comedian, known for her combination of Southern charm and hilarious storytelling about her own life, performs at DPAC on her first national headlining tour.
Galentine’s Trivia Night – Saturday, 7-9pm – Gather up a team and challenge yourself to trivia at Mystic Farm and Distillery for a chance to take home a bottle of their signature spirit.
The Groovynators Valentine Dance Party – Saturday, 7:30pm – The Durham-based band performs familiar songs with a jazzy twist at The Blue Note Grill.
The Luther Vandross Experience featuring Danny Clay – Saturday, 8-10pm – Listen to live covers of the late singer’s soulful music at Durham Arts Council.
Galentine’s Day Paint and Sip – Sunday, 2:30pm – Get your girlfriends together for an alternative Valentine’s Day activity at Wine & Design, which hosts two separate classes. You can choose between painting a breathtaking rose or a sultry valentine. BYOB!
SERIES CONCERT – ‘A Musical Affair’ – Sunday, 3-4:30pm – Join Mallarmé Chamber Players and the Durham Literacy Center for a combined concert and book reading at Motorco Music Hall, where author Carrie Knowles will read from her new book “A Musical Affair.”
The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle – Variaciones Concertantes – Sunday, 3pm – The orchestral ensemble of 40-plus musicians presents a program of Arthur Honegger’s “Pastorale d’ete,” Mozart’s Piano Concerto N.24 and Alberto Ginastera’s “Variaciones Concertantes” at The Carolina Theatre.
Super Bowl Party at the Jug – Sunday, 5-11pm – Watch the Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals this Super Bowl Sunday at The Glass Jug Beer Lab’s RTP location. Mr. Wingz and Mrs. Thingz food truck will be on-site in the beer garden.
The Bird Returns: A Tribute To Charlie Parker – Sunday, 6-7:30pm – Hayti Heritage Center celebrates the jazz legend with a live performance during its latest installment of its Black American Music Series.
