Weekend Events: MLK Celebrations, Wine Tasting, Karaoke and More

Cary, NC – Since the year 1983, our country has celebrated the federal holiday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day to remember the efforts of the nation’s most famous civil rights activist. This Monday and all weekend long, Cary, and cities all over will do just that.

The Town of Cary’s annual event series, MLK Jr. Dreamfest, will run from Saturday, Jan. 18 to Monday, Jan. 20 and consists of eight different programs, most of which are free to take part in. From acts of service to various plays and readings, this weekend is all about recognizing and remembering the work, life and vision of MLK Jr.

Start the weekend off right with a night on the town this Thursday and Friday. Events include wine tasting, movies at the Cary Theater, stand-up comedy and more.

To see a full list of Cary events, go to the CaryCitizen calendar.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

For more Thursday events, go to our calendar.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Mike Palascak will be performing live stand-up comedy this Friday with Mark Brady.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Kicking off the weekend of Dreamfest events are two African-American storytellers, Willa Birgham and Linda Gorham. From 10 AM- noon, “Tellebration: Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” is a free event at the Page-Walker Arts & History Center. Come to enjoy learning about Dr. King and his teachings through the art of storytelling.

The Cary Theater stage will host a staged reading, “Amazing Grace,” presented by the Cary Youth Theatre at 2 p.m. The performance centers around Grace, a young girl who believes she can be anything she wants to be. When Grace is told she can’t be Peter Pan in the school play because she’s a girl and because she is black, Grace proves she can do anything she sets her mind to in real life, too.

Cap off the night with the solo play, “Breach of Peace,” at the Cary Arts Center at 7:30 PM presented by Mike Wiley. This performance is based on true accounts of surviving participants of the Freedom Rides as well as many other individuals involved in the early struggle for African-American equality. This event requires tickets.

For more Saturday events, go to our calendar.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

The Virtual MLK Experience from 12:30-3:30 PM at Christ the King Lutheran Church is a free and immersive experience for all. This will be a digital recreation of Martin Luther King’s “Fill Up the Jails” speech given on February 16, 1960, at Durham’s White Rock Baptist Church, including a collective sound experience, digital simulation, virtual reality presentations and historical displays.

Later in the day, at 3 PM, Christ the King Lutheran Church will host a second event, The Dreamfest Interfaith Service. Featuring guest speaker, Rev. Albert Starr, Chicago, and the NC State Uninhibited Praise Gospel Choir.

The Cary Theater ‘s free 3-5 PM showing of DAR HE: The Lynching of Emmett Till will take viewers back to the historic interviews and events surrounding the murder that became pivotal in inspiring a generation to commit to social change in the 1950s. The film was adapted from the acclaimed one-man play written and performed by Mike Wiley and will feature a talk-back with the actor following the film.

For more Sunday events, go to our calendar.

Monday, January 20, 2020

Monday, as many folks have the day free from work and their usual fast-paced antics, the day is all about using that free time to serve others — something MLK made a legacy of.

Good Hope Farm of Cary is hosting a six-hour day of service titled, “Service & the Dream” from 10 AM- 4 PM. The goal? To celebrate Dr. King and his commitment to service. Together helpers who attend will prepare the urban agriculture project, Good Hope Farm, for spring planting. Located at 1580 Morrisville Carpenter Road, this farm partners the Town with local nonprofits to support startup farmers and connect Cary to local food. This event consists of two volunteer shifts from 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m. Registration for the event is full.

Not registered? Don’t worry! There are plenty more ways to dedicate your day to service!

There is a new canned food drive added to Dreamfest this year with a focus on food security. The challenge is for everyone to help the Town of Cary and Good Hope Farm fight hunger by donating one non-perishable healthy food item per participant when you come to an MLK Dreamfest event. All collected food will be donated to our partner organization, Dorcas Ministries, to provide emergency assistance to our community in need.

Donation sites: Cary Arts Center, The Cary, Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Good Hope Farm.

For more Monday events, go to our calendar.

Around the Triangle

The Canes will return to PNC Arena on Friday night for a stretch of five games at home. Friday they’ll face-off against the Anaheim Ducks with the puck drop at 7:30 PM.  Sunday’s game will be against the New York Islanders at 5 PM. You can always keep up with the season through CaryCitizen’s Canes Coverage by Bob Fennel.

The NC State Wolfpack men’s basketball team will take over PNC Saturday afternoon as they take on the Clemson Tigers at 2 PM. Can the Wolfpack get redemption following their embarrassing loss two weeks ago to the Tigers? Tune in or be in the stands to find out!

Take the scenic route! The Downtown Raleigh Murals and Public Art Walking Tour from 1:30- 3:15 PM is a great opportunity to enjoy this oddly warm weather and observe some of the works of local artists. These tours are a pay-what-you-want style event. Usually, the guide receives $15 to $20 per adult, but you are free to give more or less than that, depending on how you feel about your tour. For more info and to register for the tour, click here.