BREW-OFF
The Francis Pier-Pint Historic Brew-Off: Prohibition Edition puts history and hops in the limelight. The event, set for 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at River City Restaurant, is part beer tasting, part trivia, part interactive history. Wheeling Heritage’s Travis Henline will serve as host, while historians Hal Gorby and Ryan Stanton share fun facts and quiz the audience about Wheeling’s fascinating brewing history, which was interrupted when prohibition came to the city in 1914, six years before the 18th Amendment made it national law. Guests will be invited to immerse themselves in the full story of Wheeling’s prohibition history, which will be told by the characters who lived it, like rival beer barons Henry Schmulbach and Anton Reymann, hatchet-wielding temperance advocate Carry Nation and bootlegger Bill Lias. The $30 admission ticket comes with a commemorative Francis Pier-Pint pint glass, one full pour from a tap-takeover featuring beers from Wheeling Brewing Company and Brew Keepers, an official coaster, seven beer samples, trivia games and much more. Tickets at wheelingheritage.org/brew; 304-232-3087
WALK IT OFF
Enjoy a short walking tour of the Schmulbach Brewery Complex exterior at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. At its peak, Schmulbach brewing was one of the largest brewing companies in the state of West Virginia. Join Betsy Sweeny and Ryan Stanton at 3300 McColloch St. as they talk about the buildings and tell stories about the rich brewing history of South Wheeling.
GET YOUR BREWS HERE
The sixth annual Mountaineer Brewfest, a celebration of West Virginia’s finest craft and microbrews, will be held Saturday, Aug. 17, at the Heritage Port in Wheeling. West Virginia Brewer samples available at this year’s festival include: Berkley Springs Brewing, Big Timber Brewing (Elkins), Brew Keepers (Wheeling), Brewstel Brew Shop & Hostel (Elkins), Chestnut Brew Works (Morgantown), Freefolk Brewery (Fayetteville), Greenbrier Valley Brewing (Lewisburg), Morgantown Brewing, Mountain State Brewing Co. (Thomas), Parkersburg Brewing, The Peddler (Huntington), Screech Owl Brewing (Bruceton Mills), Short Story Brewing (Rivesville), Stumptown Ales (Davis), Swilled Dog Hard Cider (Franklin), Weathered Ground Brewing (Cool Ridge), West Virginia Craft Brewers Guild and Wheeling Brewing Company. VIP entry is at 3 p.m.; general entry at 4 p.m. Entertainment lineup includes: The Cherry Trio during the VIP session, and on the main stage will be the Brett Cain Band and Township Road, with Tony Janflone Jr. Band as the headliner. Tickets at www.mountaineerbrewfest.com
EZRA!
Ezra & the Reletivs’ “Guayaba” release party kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at The Capitol Theatre Ballroom. Dinner by Hangover BBQ at 7:15 p.m.; DJ Stealth, 7:30-8:15 p.m.; 12/8 at 8:30-9 p.m.; Ezra & the Reletivs, 9-10:20 p.m.; DJ Stealth, 10:30-11 p.m. Tickets $25 single/$40 couple. 304-233-4470
ANANGA!
Adrian Niles, Matt Smith, Chad Burrall, Michael Iafrate and John Whorton join Ananga Martin onstage to perform songs from Martin’s new album “Moonlight and Fire.” The release party begins at 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, at Towngate Theatre. Artist Olivia Michele, who created the album cover, will be painting during the show, channeling the music into visual art. The finished painting will be raffled off at the end of the evening, with the proceeds going to HoH Share Inc. $10. 304-242-7700; www.oionline.com
CENTRE STAGE
Hoard and Jones will perform at the Centre Market Outdoor Concert Series, 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at Centre Market. Free admission. Seating is limited; bring your own chairs.
PULP FICTION
The final performances of Mystery Theatre Unlimited’s noir pulp fiction spoof are set for Thursday, Aug. 15, at River City Restaurant in Wheeling, and Friday, Aug. 16, at the Vue Bar and Grill in Grand Vue Park, Moundsville. In the original interactive musical comedy murder-mystery, dinner-theater show, “The Case of the Ms. and the Show Biz Whiz,” the world’s dumbest private detective, Elliot Brick bungles his way through an incompetent investigation of a shady Hollywood agent, leading to laughter and music parodies. For reservations, call River City at 304-233-4555 or the Vue Bar and Grille at 304-810-2778.
BURGUNDY BEAUTIES
Fresh off their tour of Burgundy wine country last month, Good Mansion Wines will share a sampling of some of the better wines for the price from that often-elusive wine region. While the focus will be on the Pinot Noir wines of Cote d’Or, the evening will start with a Chardonnay. Served with Burgundy cheeses and French baguettes. $15 at the door, no reservations needed. Occupancy limited to 40. www.goodmansionwines.com
LUNCH WITH POSTCARDS
David Mould, professor emeritus of media arts and studies at Ohio University, will present Monsoon Postcards at Lunch With Books, noon, Tuesday, Aug. 20, at the Ohio County Public Library. In the sequel to Postcards from Stanland: Journeys in Central Asia, Mould traverses the Indian Ocean — from Madagascar through India and Bangladesh to Indonesia. It’s an unpredictable journey on battered buses, bush taxis, auto-rickshaws and crowded ferries. Monsoon Postcards offers offbeat, witty and insightful glimpses into four countries linked by history, trade, migration, religion and a colonial legacy. Lunch With Books programs, held at the Ohio County Public Library, are free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring a bag lunch, and complimentary beverages are provided. 304-232-0244; www.ohiocountylibrary.org
GETTING DEEP
Music from Alabama Shakes to Ray Charles and from deep-cut Beatles to Green Day will be featured at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, as Undo’s Elm Grove presents the eclectic sounds of the Deep State band, a group that specializes in familiar yet not-often-performed popular songs with unusual instrumentation, including a clarinet. Undo’s is located at 2153 National Road, Wheeling.
ALL SUMMER LONG …
SUMMER MUSIC SERIES
• Erin Huffman, 7-10 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 17, Smokin’ Saturday Nights, Route 88 BBQ & Brew at Oglebay
• Billy the Kid and the Regulators, 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 18, Oglebay Sundaes Under the Stars, Anne Kuchinka Amphitheater
• Roger Hoard Jazz Quartet, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 20, Wheeling Toe Tappin’ Tuesdays, Too, Wheeling Park Amphitheater
• Twice as Nice, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, Wheeling Waterfront Wednesdays, Heritage Port
SCENIC RIDES
Oglebay announces the return of scenic Segway tours! Tours take riders on an adventure through the park’s hard-surface trail system to enjoy breathtaking scenery while aboard the ultimate high-tech ride. Segway tours depart from Oglebay’s Schenk Lake boathouse daily at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Cost is $50 per person, and tours are approximately 90 minutes. All Segway riders must be at least 16 years of age and wear a helmet and closed-toe shoes. 304-243-4026; www.oglebay.com/segways
DRIVE-IN
Back by popular demand, Wheeling Park presents free summer drive-in movies. Grab a parking spot in front of the Wheeling Park White Palace at dusk for an old-fashioned drive-in experience. Drive-In movies take place from 9-11 p.m. on Aug. 16, 30. 304-243-4085; www.oglebay.com/wheeling-park
UP THE ROAD …
• The Brooke Hills Playhouse production of “A Bad Year for Tomatoes,” opens this weekend and will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, and Saturday, Aug. 17, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, Aug. 18. The show continues next weekend, with 8 p.m. curtain Friday, Aug. 23, and Saturday, Aug. 24, 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25. “A Bad Year for Tomatoes” tells the story of actress Myra Marlowe, who escapes the big city to settle in a small New England town to write her autobiography, despite the pleas of her agent and constant interruptions by nosy neighbors, a local psychic and a country bumpkin suitor. Her life is complicated further by an imaginary mad sister and a suspicious sheriff. 304-737-3344.
• Don’t miss what the New York Times calls “convulsively funny” parody, as Pittsburgh’s CLO presents “Spamilton,” at Pittsburgh’s CLO’s Green Cabaret Theater, 655 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh. The show runs Wednesdays-Sundays through Aug. 25. Tickets 412-456-666 or online.
