Welcome to the weekly Port City Life newsletter with me, StarNews cultural issues reporter John Staton.
I’ve somehow burned through my summer vacation already, so a look at the calendar for the next two or three months reminds me of that old Soul II Soul song: “Back to life/ Back to reality.”
I’d guess many of you are in the same boat, but just because days off work are mostly over for now doesn’t mean the fun goes away with it.
There’s still plenty of fun things to do and explore in the Wilmington area in the coming days and weeks, and I am here for it. Let’s get into what this weekend has to offer.
Weekend weather outlook
It’ll continue to be a bit warm and steamy in Wilmington this weekend, with highs in the upper 80s, lows in the mid- to low 70s and a 50-50 chance of rain and storms on Saturday. Things could be pretty nice on Sunday, with partly cloudy skies and a low chance of rain.
Go | See | Do
Summer’s nearing its end — maybe not on the calendar, but in terms of things like back-to-school season and the approaching Labor Day holiday — and this weekend in Wilmington has a bit of an end-of-summer vibe to it.
Opera House Theatre Co. will end its popular summer theater series with the classic “Oklahoma!” at Thalian Hall, while the Liquid Summer Festival of food, drink and music will take over Randall Parkway.
We’ve also got a nice collection of concerts, as well as some film screenings, the India Day festival and even a pop-up history exhibit at Wrightsville Beach. Full list below.
The Dish with Port City Foodies
The community rallies around a beloved Leland restaurant to keep it operating, and Yelp names a Wilmington sandwich shop as one of the best in the country.
Plus, sports writer Michel Cuneo goes off the beaten path to investigate the history of the french fry.
Getting to know the Hotel Wilmington
Fifty years ago, an iconic Wilmington structure bit the dust. We’ve got the story of the rise, and fall, of the Hotel Wilmington.
News you can use
A new contract paves the way for the completion of a much-needed bypass around Hampstead, and Wilmington’s airport continues to expand.
Plus, we’ve got the latest on the progress of Tropical Storm (and likely Hurricane) Erin.
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