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Weekend In Entertainment: Charlotte Hornets, The Nightmare Before Christmas & More!

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A live performance of The Nightmare Before Christmas takes place in Charlotte this weekend.

The Charlotte Hornets' NBA season kicked off this week and there's a game in the Queen City this weekend. There’s also a movie that mixes Christmas with Halloween and several sure-to-be-good concerts are on tap.

Joining Gwendolyn Glenn to talk about these events for this edition of “Weekend In Entertainment” is Katrina Louis, managing editor of QCity Metro.

Gwendolyn Glenn: Hi Katrina.

Katrina Louis: Hi Gwen.

Glenn: So, let’s start with the Hornets game on Friday night at the Spectrum Center.

Louis: Yes, the Hornets are back at the Spectrum Center and they’re taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves. As many know, Hornets fans suffered a heartbreak during the off-season when our franchise player and free agent Kemba Walker left for the Boston Celtics. In return, we got Terry Rozier from Boston who’s looking to be the edge the Hornets need to make it to the playoffs this year. So we’ll see what happens as the season progresses. 

Katrina Louis, QCity Metro
Credit Sarafina Wright
Katrina Louis, managing editor of QCity Metro.

Glenn: And that’s at the Spectrum Center, 7 p.m. Friday right?

Louis: Correct.

Glenn: Let’s move next to that spooky and festive movie that will be on the big screen this weekend. That’s from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”And Katrina, it will include live music right?

Louis: Yes, and I’m just noting that it’s one of my favorite childhood movies.“The Nightmare Before Christmas” will be on the big screen at the Belk Theater and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra will bring the music to life for an even spookier experience. So, the plot revolves around the main character Jack -- who is the town’s Pumpkin King -- who gets bored with Halloween and tries to steal Christmas. It should be a really cool show and an inventive way to get in the mood for the upcoming holiday season. It’s like merging Halloween with Christmas and being at the movies -- but with a live orchestra.

Glenn: Nice. And on Saturday there’s a Fall Festival —it’s that time of year. What stands out about this one to you?

Louis: The Fall Festival at Tuck will be held at Tuckaseegee Park in west Charlotte, and it's featuring artist SaulPaul. He’s a national recording artist who has been on America's Got Talent. He bills himself as a musician with positive messages in his songs. There will be other live performances, free food, activities for children, interactive exhibits, dance and play zones, a photo booth and giveaways, all to celebrate the Tuckaseegee community, compliments of Mecklenburg County Parks and Rec.

Glenn: Cost, time?

Louis: Totally free. It kicks off at 11 a.m. on Saturday. 

Glenn: Now there’s another fall festival this weekend as well on Sunday. The Wellness Rocks! Family Festival at the CW Williams Community Health Center on Wilkinson Boulevard.

Louis: Yes. So this one is slightly different. There will be food, games, and lots of fun activities as well, but there will also be free basic medical screenings and guest speakers who will talk about mental health, domestic violence, and other topics. Officers with the Mecklenburg County Sherriff’s Office and CMPD will also be there to engage with the community. 

Glenn: Great. And finally, on Sunday there is a concert with legendary Motown acts The Temptations and the Four Tops.

Louis: So, The Temptations and The Four tops are returning by popular demand to the Belk Theater on Sunday. The Temptations were the marquee group of the original Motown machine led by the legendary Berry Gordy. The Temptations began their musical life in Detroit in the early '60s and had great success with American classics like “My Girl,” “Psychedelic Shack,” “Ball of Confusion,” “Get Ready,” one of my favorites, “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” and many more.

Glenn: That was one of my favorites too. And the Four Tops?

Louis: The Four Tops will be performing some of their greatest hits as well, like their first Motown hit “Baby I Need Your Loving,” and “Sugar Pie Honey Bun.”

Glenn: Lots of activities to choose from for the weekend. Thanks, Katrina.

Louis: Thanks, Gwen.

Glenn: Katrina Louis is the managing editor of QCity Metro.   

Gwendolyn is an award-winning journalist who has covered a broad range of stories on the local and national levels. Her experience includes producing on-air reports for National Public Radio and she worked full-time as a producer for NPR’s All Things Considered news program for five years. She worked for several years as an on-air contract reporter for CNN in Atlanta and worked in print as a reporter for the Baltimore Sun Media Group, The Washington Post and covered Congress and various federal agencies for the Daily Environment Report and Real Estate Finance Today. Glenn has won awards for her reports from the Maryland-DC-Delaware Press Association, SNA and the first-place radio award from the National Association of Black Journalists.