BLUE SKIES FOR BLUESFEST
From Grammy nominees to International Blues Challenge winners, from fan-favorites to up-and-coming artists, from the B.B. King Horns to music of the Rolling Stones, Heritage Music BluesFest has more than enough to keep any music lover satisfied. The 2019 Heritage Music BluesFest kicks off Friday, Aug. 9, and continues through Sunday, Aug. 11, with two stages of music, food and merchandise vendors, after jams and expansive river views. Don’t miss Victor Wainwright, Albert Castiglia, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Mike Zito, Tommy Castro and more. For tickets and a complete lineup visit www.heritagemusicfest.com.
MAHRAJAN!
Our Lady of Lebanon`s 86th annual Mahrajan-Lebanese Fest is set for Saturday, Aug. 10, and Sunday, Aug. 11, at Oglebay Park. Experience the Lebanese culture by trying different foods, watching the parish dance troupe and belly dancers, and listening to the live Lebanese band, the David Hakim Band.
‘UNLADYLIKE’
Using unladylike as a guiding theme, artists will unpack the traditional rules of being a lady and turn them upside-down to redefine the rules of femininity, in an exhibit titled “Unladylike.” Join friends from 8 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Aug. 10, to experience how fun, empowering and exciting it is to be unladylike. Clientele Art Studio is located at 43 15th St., Wheeling. $5. BYOB event. Tickets available here.
BOY BAND
Relive your pop days with the sounds of N’Sync, Backstreet Boys, Hanson and Boyz II Men with The Boy Band Project, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack Showroom. $15. Tickets available through Ticketmaster or the Wheeling Island Gift Shop.
A ROARIN’ GOOD TIME
Warwood Lions Club Community Festival is set for 5-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at Garden Park, in the Warwood neighborhood of Wheeling. It’s the club’s 75th year for the festival that features food, music, games, raffles and more. Proceeds go to furthering the club’s charitable work.
TIME FOR A NAPA
Good Mansion Wines will revisit Napa wine country in California during its wine tasting at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, with an emphasis on reaching out to other grape varietals beyond its legendary Cabernet. From Sauvignon Blanc to Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot and more, this is a well-balanced presentation of all that the region has to offer. Served with cheeses and French baguettes. $15 at the door, no reservations needed. Occupancy limited to 40. www.goodmansionwines.com
DOWN-HOME MUSIC
Undo’s Elm Grove will offer a mix of traditional country, folk and rock as Mark G. L. Henderson perform from 9 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Aug. 10. Henderson’s thumb-strumming guitar playing, his soft, raspy voice, his gentle wit and his down-home charm combine to create an intimate, unique musical experience. Undo’s is located at 2153 National Road, Wheeling.
WIND ON THE WATER
Join the U.S. Fleet Forces Band’s Wind Ensemble for a free concert from 7-9 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, at the Wheeling Heritage Port. The event, in conjunction with the city’s 250th birthday, will present a wide range of music from traditional marches, popular songs, patriotic favorites and the finest works of wind band literature.
LUNCH WITH POETRY
At noon Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Wheeling Poetry Series at Lunch With Books will feature poet John Hoppenthaler, hosted by Marc Harshman, West Virginia’s poet laureate. Hoppenthaler’s books of poetry include Lives of Water (2003), Anticipate the Coming Reservoir (2008) and Domestic. His poetry appears in countless reviews and anthologies. He has given readings across the nation and around the world. He received his MFA in poetry writing from Virginia Commonwealth University. For nine years he served as personal assistant to Toni Morrison. He is a professor of creative writing and literature at East Carolina University. 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
FOR THE KIDS
• A Backpack Bash is set for 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, at the Wheeling YMCA. This back-to-school party is part of the YMCA Operation Backpack, a YMCA initiative that collects backpacks with school supplies for children in need. The first 125 kids to attend will receive a backpack filled with school supplies. The party will include inflatables, food and drinks, face painting and more.
• From 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, a Warwood Bike Safety Event will be held during the Warwood Farmer’s Market at Garden Park. The event is free and open to all kids and will feature a helmet fitting, bike safety inspections and more. Bike Wheeling will give away free helmets for children who need one.
LEGACY OF LOVE
The Christian music duo the Chrisagis Brothers will present their new book, A Legacy of Love, at the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12. Twins Brian and Shawn Chrisagis are nationally known performing artists who have published their remarkable family story. The event is free and open to the public. The Chrisagis Brothers are known for their wholesome family entertainment. A Legacy of Love, centers around their mother Marguerite DeFilippo-Chrisagis and the struggles, miracles and ministries that have shaped the lives of generations of family members. Compelling and inspirational, the story is a testament to the power of love and faith. The Moundsville Library is located at 700 Fifth St. 304-845-6911 or find the library on Facebook.
ALL SUMMER LONG …
SUMMER MUSIC SERIES
• Roger Hoard, 7-10 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 10, Smokin’ Saturday Nights, Route 88 BBQ & Brew at Oglebay
• MSM, 7 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 11, Oglebay Sundaes Under the Stars, Anne Kuchinka Amphitheater
• Crazy Horse, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, Wheeling Toe Tappin’ Tuesdays, Warwood Garden Park
• Pocket Change, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, 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
DIVE INTO DISCOUNTS
Beat the heat and take advantage of special rates all summer long with Wheeling Park’s Fun After Five discount program. Through Thursday, Aug. 9, park visitors will receive discounted pool admission of $3 for adults and $1 for children, plus free waterslide admission from 5-7 p.m. Guests can also enjoy half-priced activity wristbands daily after 5 p.m. Activity wristbands provide access to mini-golf, swimming, water slide, tennis and pedal boats. 304-243-4085
DIVE-IN, 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. Guests who prefer to float with a flick can dive into the Wheeling Park pool to enjoy the summer dive-in movie series from 9-11 p.m. every Saturday through Aug. 10. Admission for kids ages 4-12 is $6.25, and admission for guests ages 13 and older is $7.25. The movie screening is included with the cost of pool admission. Dive-in movies can also be enjoyed free of charge from the upper level of Wheeling Park’s Stone Building. Drive-in and dive-in movie titles will not be published due to movie licensing constraints. However, guests are encouraged to visit the Wheeling Park Facebook page to participate in weekly movie guessing games, where they’ll be challenged to guess the movie titles for themselves. 304-243-4085; www.oglebay.com/wheeling-park
DOWN THE ROAD …
• Beer here! At the Francis Pier-Pint Historic Brew-Off: Prohibition Edition, history and hops will take center stage. The event, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at River City Restaurant, takes guests back to prohibition-era Wheeling. It’s part beer tasting, part trivia, part interactive history. $30. 304-232-3087; wheelingheritage.org/brew
• More beer! Take a short walking tour of the Schmulbach Brewing Complex’s exteriors, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17. At its peak, Schmulbach brewing, 3300 McColloch St., was one of the largest brewing companies in the state of West Virginia. Ryan Stanton and Betsy Sweeny will talk about the buildings, and tell stories about the rich brewing history of South Wheeling during the Schmulbach Brewery Complex Walking Tour.
• Even more beer! The sixth annual Mountaineer Brewfest, set for Saturday, Aug. 17, at Heritage Port in Wheeling, celebrates the state’s finest craft and microbrews. VIP entry is 3 p.m. and general admission entry is at 4 p.m. For information and tickets, visit www.mountaineerbrewfest.com.
• Ezra & the Reletivs’ release party for the album “Guayaba” is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, at The Capitol Theatre Ballroom. Dinner by Hangover BBQ, and entertainment by DJ Stealth, 12/8 and Ezra & the Reletivs. 304-233-4470
UP THE ROAD …
• Skyflight Productions will present an evening with Oliver the Crow on Friday, Aug. 9, at the Albert S. George Youth Center at Barnesville Memorial Park in Barnesville. The Nashville-based cello/fiddler duo of cellist Kaitlyn Raitz and fiddler Ben Plotnick has been called “inspired” by NPR. Each of the 10 original songs on their first full-length offering unlocks a different musical world. Oliver the Crow navigates effortlessly between the gravitas of chamber composition, the longing of folk music and the near dreamlike quality of atmospheric sound art. Kaitlyn and Ben’s chameleon-like ability to skip between genres stems from their roots as classically-trained performers (Kaitlyn has a master’s degree in classical cello from McGill University, and Ben has performed as a soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic) but also from their love of everything from Hank Williams to Prince. Raitz was a founding member of folk duo Bride & Groom and tours with The Bombadils. Ben is a primary member of the JUNO award-winning folk string quartet, The Fretless. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m., and the show will begin at 8 p.m. $10. 423-276-2653 or Skyflight Productions on Facebook.
• 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.