Arts, culture, events and entertainment in Wilmington, NC

I write this newsletter on Thursday mornings, so it’s not uncommon for things I did on Wednesday nights to find their ways in here.

Last night (Dec. 3), for example, I was down at Waterline Brewing beneath the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge for the long-running Gruff Goat Comedy showcase hosted by Wilmington stand-up (and prince among men) Lew Morgante. In fact, Gruff Goat is the longest-running local independent comedy series in Wilmington, per Lew, having celebrated its eighth anniversary this past summer.

The series highlights comics from Wilmington and around the region, and the Dec. 3 show featured very funny local comic and writer Jesslyn Wilson riffing on Wilmington breweries where parents let their little ones run wild, while Emmy-winning standup Ryan McKee dropped some great material about his harrowing, yet somehow hilarious, mental health struggles.

Gruff Goat’s a great time, and even better, it’s always free. Shows run 7:30 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of the month, and the next one’s on Dec. 17, always at Waterline.

OK, now let’s get into some more fun stuff, including your Wilmington weekend.

Weekend weather outlook

It’s going to be a cold and wet weekend, with a near-certainty of rain Friday and Saturday and a decent chance of showers Sunday as well. Highs near 50, lows in the upper 30s, so yuck.

Go | See | Do

Wilmington is packed to the gills with Christmas-themed events and performances this weekend, even a Nutcracker or two. Plus, we’ve got comedy, film screenings, a range of concerts and at least two parades you’re going to want to know about. Link to full list below.

The Dish with Port City Foodies

Food writer Allison Ballard has a look at which area restaurants are open on Christmas Day, as well as at some local places where you can order food for your holiday meal at home. Plus, a beloved Southport restaurant was named to a list of “tasty seafood dives.”

Getting to know Sheme of Gold

But there’s not another artist on the Wilmington scene quite like Sheme of Gold, an idiosyncratic rapper, songwriter and DJ whose style is a blend of hip-hop, pop and psychedelia wedded to lyrics that can be emotional and psychologically complex. We’ve got a look at his story and his new album, “The Sweetest Escape.”

News you can use

The Wilmington area lost two towering figures this week. Educator and civil rights activist Bertha Boykin Todd died Dec. 2, as did the founder and former director of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center on Topsail Island, Jean Beasley. We’ve got remembrances of both women via the links above, and below.