49 things to do this week

Good morning, Wilmington. Settle in, sip whatever gets you going, and let The Wilmington Brief serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead ☕️

*Friendly reminder we’re springin’ forward at 2 am on Sunday.

In today’s edition:

• Donate your diapers 🚼️ 

• WFD’s cutest employee 🐕️ 

• Upcoming shindigs ☘️ 

• 49 things to do 📆 

Let’s get to it.

This week’s highlights

🍼 Got extra baby stuff you don’t need?

All month long, the Burgwin-Wright House is collecting diapers, wipes, and more for the Lower Cape Fear branch of the NC Diaper Bank. They have a lot of items on their most needed list (new and opened packages are accepted for most). See the list & drop off locations →

🐕‍🦺 Meet Milo, WFD’s newest employee

Thanks to the Paws 4 People Foundation, the Wilmington Fire Department has added a four-legged crisis response team member named Milo. Prepare for your weekly dose of cuteness, then check out the most adorable photo you’ll see all week →

🍀 Beer, bourbon, BBQ, and a whole lot of green

Next Saturday (the 15th), there are two festivals to choose from unless you accept my challenge to make it to both. This year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Festival starts at 11 am, and it’ll be filled to the brim with Irish cheer, live music, food, drinks, and all the shamrock spirit you can handle →

Riverfront Park is home to this year’s Beer, Bourbon, & BBQ Festival where smoky meats, smooth bourbon, and endless craft beer meet →

Other highlights this week:

• Sheets hiring event | Today @ 8 am

• Smart Start of NHC fundraiser | Tuesday @ 7:30 am

• ITS Carolinas 2025 annual meeting | Tuesday @ 8 am

• Latin American Business Council Meeting | Tuesday @ 6 pm

• African American Business Council Meeting | Wednesday @ 8:30 am

• Veteran Business Collective meeting | Thursday @ 6 pm

Here’s your weekly Wilmington brief, featuring (at least) 20 things worth checking out over the next seven days 👇

Today - March 7th

🧸 Play & learn at the library

10:30 am: The Northeast Library is hosting Kaleidoscope Play & Learn led by Smart Start of NHC. There’s no registration required, it’s free, and there are plenty of snacks →

👗 Fashion, fun, and fundraising

6:30 pm: The 13th Annual Love is Bald Fashion Show is bringing glitz, glam, and goodwill to Bakery 105 downtown. Expect a night of fabulous models, silent auctions, raffle prizes, and plenty of ways to "Pey" it Forward to Make-A-Wish Eastern NC →

🕯️ A candlelit colonial adventure

8 pm: Step back in time and explore the Burgwin-Wright House by candlelight. Discover colonial rituals and superstitions in an hour-long tour that reveals life before electricity. It’s perfect for history buffs and curious minds alike, but space is limited so RSVP now →

Unable to get tickets or can’t make it? It happens on the first Friday of every month.

Tomorrow - March 8th

🐶 Stretch, relax, and snuggle some puppies

11:30 am: Puppy Yoga is going down at O2 Fitness, blending gentle yoga flow with adorable, adoptable pups from the Paws 4 People Foundation. It’s the ultimate combo of poses and puppy cuddles, all for a good cause →

Prefer four legged friends of the goat variety? Check out goat yoga at Flying Machine Brewing — it starts at 10 am.

🚗 See some cool bugs

12 – 4 pm: Whether you're a proud VW owner or just love a good car show, Circle the Wagens at Waterline Brewing is putting classic bugs, buses, and all things Volkswagen at center stage. Spectators can come hang out for free →

🏍️ Prefer to ride on two wheels?

12 – 3 pm: Harley-Davidson’s Mardi Gras Party is bringing the celebration to Wilmington with brand-new 2025 bikes, free King Cake, and prizes for anyone who finds a baby →

🍯 Celebrate a local legend

1 pm: Raise a glass to Dean Goodyear at the 6th Annual Dean Day Celebration at Broomtail, where good beer meets a great cause. This event honors a beloved local icon with live music, food, and the release of Bee Kind Honey Kolsch, supporting honey bee conservation and the Goodyear Scholarship for film students at CFCC →

Can’t make it? Grab a Bee Kind at participating retailers and keep Dean’s legacy buzzing.

Sunday - March 9th

💙 Pints, puppets, and a great cause

1 – 6 pm: Raise a glass for World Down Syndrome Day at Waterline where $1 from every pint sold supports Coastal Buds of Southeastern NC. Expect live music, face painting, a reptile petting zoo, a puppet show, and more →

🍖 Free smoked pork butt? Say less

1 pm - until it’s gone: Smoked Butt Sunday at Flytrap Brewing means FREE smoked pork BBQ fresh off the smoker, live tunes, and a special beer release. Mike will be slow-smoking it all night and all you have to do is bring your crew and your favorite sides →

Prefer oysters? Prost is throwing down all you can eat for $30 to celebrate their 2nd anniversary.

🍣 Five chefs, one sushi showdown

5:30 - 8:30 pm: Think you know good sushi? Sushi Showdown is giving you the chance to prove it with five top chefs going head-to-head in Nigiri, Maki, and Poke. That’s 15 unique bites of sushi mastery, and you get to decide who takes home the crown. Your ticket includes all the the tastings and a free drink →

🎤 Sing it or wing it, your choice

4 – 7 pm: Whether you’re a seasoned performer or feeling brave after a pint, Waterman’s Brewing is home to a lively open mic that welcomes local talent, traveling musicians, and anyone who wants to belt it out or sit back with a brew and enjoy the show →

Monday - March 10th

🏛️ Walk through our past

10 am & 12:00 pm: Lace up your walking shoes and take a 1.5-hour journey through Wilmington’s rich (and sometimes rowdy) history while checking out notable homes and churches. If walls could talk, these houses would spill some serious tea →

Prefer a later start? Check out the sunset tour — it starts at 4:30 pm.

Tuesday - March 11th

🐐 Yoga with baby goats

6:30 pm: This unique yoga experience at Waterline Brewing is about downward goat. It’s beginner-friendly, great for all ages, and includes a drink to sip after →

🚀 A space opera and a book club walk into a bar

7 pm: If you like your sci-fi with a side of existential wonder, you’ll want to check out Wilmington’s only Science Fiction Book Club at Cape Fear Makers Guild. This month’s pick is House of Suns by Alastair Reynolds →

Wednesday - March 12th

🎭 A fabulously fun musical

2 pm: Join Elle Woods on her transformative journey to Harvard Law School in this dazzling and hilarious musical for ages 13 and up → If Wednesday doesn’t work, there are various performances until March 16th.

🎨 BYOB and let creativity do the rest

1:30 pm: Need to destress and unwind? Pop-In & Paint at Wine & Design gives you the chance to grab a brush, pick a canvas, and let your creativity flow without worrying about following along. Also, you can bring your own wine, beer, and snacks →

Prefer guidance? Check out their DIY reversible pallet workshop an hour earlier or one of their many classes throughout the week.

Thursday - March 13th

👗 Lots of kids stuff on the cheap

All day: Dive into Wilmington’s biggest upscale kids consignment sale where you’ll find a treasure trove of new and gently used children's clothing, toys, and more → If you can’t make it on Thursday, it’s happening Friday and Saturday too.

🍝 Pasta with your neighbors

6 – 8 pm: Grab a plate and pull up a chair — DREAMS of Wilmington is hosting a community Pasta Party, and everyone’s invited. It’s a night of comfort food, conversation, and celebrating the people who make this place feel like home. No RSVP needed, just an appetite →

🍽️ Drinks and/or fondue for a good cause

5 – 9 pm: Little Dipper Fondue is hosting a fundraiser for Kitty Pawtrol, the nonprofit heroes behind trap-neuter-return efforts for community cats. Enjoy a cozy, unrushed dinner knowing every bite helps give felines a second chance →

Starting at 6, drink a pint to save the Earth at Flytrap Brewing, where they’re donating $1 per drink to the Wilmington Earth Day Alliance to help fund the 2025 Earth Day Festival →

🌕 Wander under the Worm Moon

8 – 9 pm: Take a night hike through Halyburton Park as the Worm Moon lights the way. Along the trail, you’ll learn about the moon’s history, its cycles, and most excitingly… what to expect from the total lunar eclipse happening later that night →

Live music & entertainment

This weekend:

• 3/7 Wes Sayer @ Wilmington Distillery - 4 pm

• 3/7 The Bon Jovi Experience @ Bowstring Wilmington - 7 pm

• 3/7 Hair Trigger @ Seven Mile Post - 7 pm

• 3/7 End of the Line @ Waterline Brewing - 7 pm

• 3/8 First Friday free comedy @ Wilmington Distillery - 8 pm

• 3/8 ElectroheX @ Reggies 42nd Street Tavern - 8 pm

• 3/7 Back Pocket Buddha @ The Reel Cafe - 9 pm

• 3/8 CMB @ Seven Mile Post - 7 pm

• 3/8 Eternally Grateful @ Fermental - 7 pm

• 3/8 Women of Wilmington Comedy @ Laws and Libations - 7:30 pm

• 3/9 Dram Fam Jam Band @ Dram Tree Tavern - 3 pm

Next week:

• 3/10 Trivia @ Ponysaurus Brewing - 7 pm

• 3/11 Music bingo @ The Brewer’s Kettle - 8 pm

• 3/12 Trivia @ Dead Crow Comedy - 7 pm

• 3/12 Bobcat +3 @ Barzarre - 7 pm

• 3/12 Jam & open mic @ Wilmington Distillery - 8 pm

Price Is Right - Wilmington edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: Frederick Barton & Luke Waddell (Cadence Realty)

This 2022 home has five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and 4,589 square feet of ocean and intracoastal views. With a massive three-car garage, a private owner’s suite, seamless indoor/outdoor flow, custom closets, a heated pool, and an outdoor shower, it’s modern luxury at it’s finest.

Located on North Carolina’s most exclusive island and designed by David Lisle, it’s a true Wilmington masterpiece.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →

Wilmington fun & games

As always, this week’s wordle features a 5-letter word hidden inside this edition. Let us know how many guesses it takes you!

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Trivia question of the week

❓Question: What instrument are you playing if you’re creating piobaireachd music?

🤔 Hint: You’ll need a good set of lungs and deaf neighbors to learn it.

Reply and shoot us your best guess (no cheating!) - Same time, same place next week → we’ll share the answer and a fresh question to ponder.

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See ya next week!

P.S. Know of an event or business we should share, interested in certain types of events & stories, or want to ask a question? Feel free to reply (or email us) any time.