Discover the origins of one of the ocean’s giants: whales. In a lecture at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences Store and Nature Art Gallery, join renowned paleontologist and George Mason University professor Mark Uhen as he discusses whales’ terrestrial ancestors, the artiodactyls, and their evolution into the modern-day whale. Previously unknown to scientists, learn how “the behavior and anatomy of these disparate mammals changed from terrestrial omnivores to fully aquatic carnivores and how the modern toothed and baleen whales originated from their ancient ancestors.”
Enjoy the lecture (7–8 p.m.) and an evening viewing of the “Blue Whales” special exhibition (open 5–7 p.m.). Tickets are $15 for the lecture and $5 for members. Tickets to attend the four-part lecture series are $45 or $15 for members. –Kennedy Thomason
Growing up, I didn’t play sports but always looked up to soccer players, with their sweaty camaraderie and shower slides and cool sense of self-possession, or at least what I interpreted as such. Sarah Delappe’s award-winning play, The Wolves, explores the intricacies of one such suburban soccer team, comprised of nine teenage girls, with the New York Times writing in 2016 that the “scary, exhilarating brightness of raw adolescence emanates from every scene of this uncannily assured first play.” The PlayMakers’ run is directed by Aubrey Snowden, with previews (which cost slightly less) running October 8-10 and an October 11 opening night. Tickets start at $20. –Sarah Edwards
Beats n Bars is back for the ninth year, bringing homegrown North Carolina R&B and hip-hop to historic Black Wall Street and the Pinhook. The festival itself is free, and will be held on Parrish Street, the home of Black Wall Street, with performances from Rakwon, Just Ali, Lu Bennett, and Jamar, and host Bishop Omega. Continue the night at the Pinhook at 9 p.m. to see live performances by C Shreeve, Watty, and Tha M.A.T.S. Tickets to the Pinhook event are $20. Artist installations and local food and beverages will be available to check out throughout the day, and the event is family-friendly. –Eva Flowe
If you want to celebrate the Halloween season with a little (or maybe a lot of) blood and guts, Carolina Theater is playing a week of horror films, including classics like Alien and The Thing. Splatterflix is a part of the theater’s Retro Film Series, dedicated to bringing old school films and classics back to the big screen. To see an individual film, a ticket is $12, but for aficionados of the genre—or those with a stomach for gore looking to see more horror films—the Carolina Theatre offers $100 ten-film passes and $50 five-film passes. Check out the schedule of showings here. –EF
Don’t let the name fool you; the fourth-annual Sleepy Fest, put on by local label Sleepy Cat, will be packed with lively performances from emerging North Carolina-based artists that are anything but sleepy. Before you go, take a listen to the artist playlist for this year’s lineup, which includes folk, old-time, Americana, cumbia, immersive electronic, a drag show, a puppet show, and twangy punk rock.
Festival-goers can also enjoy the arts and makers market (free 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) and visual illustrations, as well as quadraphonic performances. Although performers will get to jam out on stage, the one-day festival in Saxapahaw is also a platform “to promote the social justice work that is already happening in our community as well as the kind of thoughtful work we hope to encourage moving forward.” Tickets are $49.50 for adults, $22 for kids 6-12, and free for kids under 5. -KT
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