Dragon Power!
A part of Chinese culture for more than 2,500 years, dragon boat racing is now a worldwide competitive sport. On Sept. 14 and 15, the sixth annual Carolina Beach Dragon Boat and Regatta Festival will take place along the shores of the Carolina Beach Yacht Basin. Interested in putting together a team? Twenty paddlers are required, but the competition is open to all, regardless of age, gender or ability. Proceeds benefit Step Up for Soldiers, which provides disabled vets with resources for adapting to the post-war environment. Admission: Free for spectators. Sept. 14-15, Carolina Yacht Basin and Marina, 216 Canal Drive, Carolina Beach. For information on the full schedule of events and team organizing: carolinabeachdragonboat.com.
She Sells Seashells
Founded in 1957, the North Carolina Shell Club hosts a juried exhibition each year and welcomes new members of all levels of expertise. This year, the organization’s 43rd annual North Carolina Shell Show will take place Sept. 28-30 at the Coastline Conference Center, bringing together shell collectors, dealers, naturalists and general fans of all things malacological.
A competition is held in several categories, with special groups for novices and juniors. Come vote for your favorite exhibits. Tickets: $3-$4. Sept. 28-30. Coastline Conference and Events Center, 503 Nutt St., Wilmington. For more information: (336) 692-4492 or ncshellclub.com.
True Blue
Join your progressive friends for “Politics and Prose,” a fundraiser featuring North Carolina writers Clyde Edgerton, Celia Rivenbark, Kelly Rae Williams and Wiley Cash to benefit TurnNC Blue, a group dedicated to the election of progressive Democratic candidates in Raleigh and Washington, DC. Each author will share a piece inspired by contemporary issues. Sept. 19, 7 p.m.: VIP reception 6-7 p.m. Theater Now, 19 S. 10th St., Wilmington. For more information and to purchase tickets: turnncblue.org.
Southport Wooden Boat Show
The Old Yacht Basin is the setting for the ninth annual Southport Wooden Boat Show, which features many examples of the shipbuilder’s art, both in and out of water. There will also be a wooden boat-building demonstration by Mark Bayne, whose Cape Fear Community College students will build a wooden boat “from scratch” over the course of the day. Maritime displays from local groups, including the Fort Fisher Underwater Archaeology Lab and the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, boat rides and a variety of children’s activities presented by the N.C. Maritime Museum in Southport round out the day. Admission: Free. Sept. 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. West Moore Street and South Caswell Avenue, Southport. Info: (910) 477-2787 or southportwoodenboatshow.com.
High Strung
Christina Brier and Kathryn Sloat — the harp duo known at Lilac 94 — met as students at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and are now dedicated to performing new and previously undiscovered music for the harp. As the opening night of their Masterworks series, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra welcomes Lilac 94 for “High Strung,” a program which includes the Welsh-tinged Over the Stone harp concerto by Karl Jenkins and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. Sept. 22, 7:30 p.m. Wilson Center, 703 N. 3rd St., Wilmington. For tickets and information: (910) 362-7999 or wilmingtonsymphony.org.
It Takes a Village
The Brunswick County Intercultural Festival celebrates diversity in all its aspects, and this year’s celebration is bigger than ever, packed with performing artists, children’s activities, a vendor’s village, cultural displays and ethnic food trucks. The International Village features cultural information and resources from Africa, South America, Asia and Europe. Entertainment offerings include artists in authentic traditional costumes. Along them: the Lower Cape Fear Filipino-American Dancers, the Japanese Drummers, and Alma Y Corazon, Mexico. Admission: Free. Sept. 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Odell Williamson Auditorium grounds at Brunswick Community College, 50 College Road, Bolivia. For info: (910) 842-6566 or bcifestival.org.
Low Country Fun
The North Carolina Coastal Federation works to protect and restore coastal water quality and ecosystems on our coast. On Sept. 30, the group will host its annual Low Country Boil, which in addition to some fine local shrimp will feature live music, yard games and a coastal-themed silent auction. Live music from Into the Fog. Tickets: $50 for members; $60 non-members. Sept. 30, 5-8 p.m. Blockade Runner Beach Resort, 275 Waynick Blvd., Wrightsville Beach. For info: (910) 509-2838 or nccoast.org.
