This weekend in Gastonia, NC

Baby Storytime @ Main features a 15 minute session of stories, songs, and fingerplays created just for the littlest patrons.

Cool Beans Cat Cafè hosts the Cats & Coffee alternative vendor market, featuring 12 local vendors such as tarot readers, makers of candles, authors, and others. Browse the vendors, pick up something sweet, and spend time with the cats at the cafe. Cat adoptions are available through Cool Beans Cat Cafè, giving shoppers a chance to meet potential companions while exploring the market.

Worn Down Media and Shellshock Promotions present Execution Fest, a heavy music showcase spanning hardcore, deathcore, and beatdown. Tickets are available at $25 in advance and $30 on the day of the show, with a $50 VIP option that includes a presale ticket and a festival T-shirt available only during presale. This is an all ages event when accompanied by a parent. The lineup features Backbiter, Deathbloom bringing deathcore and beatdown from North Carolina, Screwed Ends representing beatdown from North and South Carolina, Chained with North Carolina hardcore, Jiu Jitsu with North Carolina hardcore, Gas delivering Florida deathcore and beatdown, Jawjacked with South Carolina beatdown, Return To Glory offering South Carolina revival deathcore, Thirst with Florida deathcore and beatdown, Marked for Death with North Carolina hardcore, Lowest Point with North Carolina hardcore, Bridewell bringing Alabama beatdown, Grave Hunter representing North and South Carolina hardcore, and Bridgeburner with North Carolina hardcore.

Get ready for a daytime social with great music, good people, and a tropical luxe dress theme. Social Saturday Day Party features a live DJ spinning R&B, Afrobeats, and hip hop vibes, plus drink specials and a curated food menu made for the event. Come connect, unwind, and enjoy the afternoon with friends from 2 PM to 6 PM.

Get ready for a lively day of R&B classics and soulful vibes at SOUL FOOD, a full-on festival experience featuring top live performers, food vendors, games, and full-service bars. VIP options include exclusive VIP cabanas, and there are plenty of food-curator choices to explore. Gates open at 2:00 PM, and alcohol sales are limited to guests 21 and older. Ticket sales are final.

Explore mindfulness in a guided practice that helps clear the mind and ease stress. Afterward, settle into a restorative sound bath as crystal singing bowls, chimes, drums, and other instruments create soothing vibrations. Shannon leads the session, offering a calm environment for deep relaxation and renewal.

Parents’ Night Out at the Warlick Family YMCA offers kids a fun-filled evening of games, opportunities to make new friends, and a variety of activities, with dinner included. While children enjoy organized play, caregivers can take a break. This program is for ages 6 months to 12 years and takes place on the second Saturday of each month. Pricing is $25 for YMCA members and $44 for program participants.

AJ and the Cool Kids presents Under the Cherry Moon, an annual gala styled as a Great Gatsby inspired affair at CaroMont Health Park. The evening centers on elegance, entertainment, community, and purpose, celebrating inclusion and support for individuals with autism and their families. Guests are encouraged to showcase Gatsby era looks, with a black and gold palette setting the scene for a magical night. Sponsorship opportunities are available, and additional details will be shared by AJ and the Cool Kids.

Explore West Franklin Boulevard on a relaxed photography and architecture walk that invites fresh ways of seeing the city. Expect conversation, opportunities to capture details that often go unnoticed, and a chance to notice beauty along a corridor that is easy to overlook. Trash pickup supplies from Keep Gastonia Beautiful will be on hand so the group can tidy the route while strolling. All experience levels are welcome. No camera or prior training is required, and seasoned or professional photographers are encouraged to share their perspective. Parking is near Keepsake Brewery, and the group meets afterward in the beer garden for a beer before closing. Because the route runs beside a busy stretch of Highway 74, attendees should be agile and old enough to remain fully aware of their surroundings. This outing may not be ideal for small children.

Bryan Adams performs at Spectrum Center in Charlotte with Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo. The show is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM.

Get ready for a fun night at Blush CLT with R&B Music Bingo plus stand-up comedy. Test your R&B knowledge as the songs play, mark your bingo cards, and when you hit bingo, jump up and shout. There will be cash prizes, along with $5 drink specials and tasty bites. A food truck will be on site, and $25 hookahs are available. Come for the music, stay for the laughs.

STS performs live in concert at Trinity Baptist Church Bessemer City.

Mumford & Sons are bringing their tour stop to Charlotte for an evening of indie folk and folk rock. Medium Build will be performing as the supporting act. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, with only a few left at the time of listing.