Butterfly release, Ravelled! fiber arts group, fireworks by the sea, and more. 
Happy Tuesday, Wilmington. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Wilmington Brief serve up everything you need to know for the week ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: Enjoy spicy samosas at India Day, watch wounded vets catch waves in adaptive surf lessons, and peek at plans for 120 new workforce apartments — catch up here.
State-level stories: Families racing to meet school vaccination requirements, fresh endangered red wolf litters on the Albemarle Peninsula, and 1700s shipwrecks emerging off the Carolina coast — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: New SSA tech offers more reliable service, national recalls, and a housing market update — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Help the Wood Brothers save wetlands
- Join Pine Valley’s inclusive adult storytime
- Attend Tuesday’s Board of Elections meeting
- Pitch, learn, and connect with entrepreneurs
- Get $400 off Windows with Renewal By Andersen
🫶 We got your back
Decor: You don’t need a mansion to get magazine-worthy style. Wilmington’s brimming with wallet-friendly gems and statement pieces. These decor destinations prove it.
Outdoors: Mosquitoes might be North Carolina’s unofficial state bird, but its forests deliver real wildlife thrills. From 880-pound bears to soaring eagles, these viewing spots show you where the magic happens.
Cleaning: Cleaning the whole house can feel like climbing Everest in flip-flops. Who even has the energy for that? This cleaning checklist breaks the job into manageable bites so you can crush it room by room.
Furniture: Need décor with a backstory deeper than your latest streaming binge? Port City Peddler is the gallery that’ll turn your living room into a time capsule… just bring a sharp eye and an appreciation for pieces that only improve with every chapter of history.
Finance: Ready to break up with debt for good? National can help you cut ties, pay up to 30% less than you owe, and finally get some peace. This isn’t your average debt relief advice… it’s a financial fresh start, complete with a happy cry or two when your balance hits zero.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
This week
🦋 Butterfly Release @ Airlie Gardens | Tuesday (8/12) at 10:00am – Join our resident butterfly wranglers outdoors for a release in the native Butterfly House, where you’ll uncork dozens of painted beauties and learn what these fluttering divas get up to between naps. Rain or shine, the show goes on, just slip indoors if it pours.
🎸 Stu Cru Jamaru: Open Jam Sesh @ The Bend | Tuesday (8/12) at 7:00pm – Whether you’re a seasoned riff wrangler or still coaxing sound out of your uke, The Bend’s open jam is your permission slip to dust off the ax and join the chaos. Eclectic grooves, random duets, and guaranteed earworms await.
🎸 The Wood Brothers @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater | Thursday (8/14) at 6:00pm – The Wood Brothers are rolling into town with soulful, rootsy tunes and a side of eco-friendly bragging rights. You’ll leave humming, feeling smug about your $1 ticket donation matched two to one for BC wetlands, and have something witty to text your neighbor besides weather.
🎆 Fireworks by the Sea & Boardwalk Blast @ Carolina Beach Boardwalk | Friday (8/15) at 6:30pm – If you’ve been waiting for a reason to ditch the sofa, Carolina Beach is your Thursday night pass to free Motown-to-rock tunes, centennial-inspired treats, and fireworks dancing over the waves. It’s the local tradition that keeps getting better with age.
🐾 The Red Clay Strays: Get Right Tour @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion | Friday (8/15) at 7:00pm – Trade your screen time for starlit grooves and a little honest dirt under your boots. Pack a folding chair, embrace the elements, and catch The Red Clay Strays’ Get Right Tour. Rain or shine, no cover means zero distractions between you and some genuine, rootsy grooves.
This weekend
🍹 National Rum Day @ Wilmington | Saturday (8/16) at 11:00am – Whether you like it spiced, dark, or mixed into a frozen daiquiri, today’s the day to raise a glass. Wilmington’s getting into the spirit (literally) with rum-fueled specials all over town. Start sipping early and toast to tropical vibes – no passport required.
🧶 Ravelled! Fiber Arts Group @ Pine Valley Library | Saturday (8/16) at 1:00pm – Swing by Pine Valley’s library on Saturdays for a laid-back Ravelled! session, think knitting, crochet, and macramé with expert help. All levels welcome, zero shame if you still can’t purl, and you might even make new friends who appreciate a good yarn pun.
🎸 Dirty White Rags @ Cloud 9 Rooftop Bar | Saturday (8/16) at 7:00pm – Kick your Saturday night up a notch with craft cocktails, skyline views, and the bluesy-rock soul of Dirty White Rags. They’re taking over the rooftop with gritty tunes and feel-good vibes. Come for the music, stay for the sunset.
📖 A Tale of Two @ Live At Ted’s | Saturday (8/16) at 8:00pm – Hey, want to catch that swampy Americana duo who’ve opened for Mary Gauthier and Grayson Capps? They’ll serve up bluesy riffs, sly banter, and songs about revenge, drinking, and sinners, just what you need to forget your neighbor’s leaf blowers.
🪕 Back Yard Bluegrass Sundays @ Tap Yard | Sunday (8/17) at 3:00pm – Nothing says Sunday like backyard bluegrass and a cold beer in hand. Jones Smith and his merry band of pickers will serenade your socks off while you chill on a lawn chair, pros at pretending you’re above dancing. Honest fun, zero pretense.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/12 Stu Cru Jamaru @ The Bend – 7 pm
- 8/13 Martin Amini @ Dead Crow Comedy – 7 pm
- 8/14 The Wood Brothers @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater – 6 pm
- 8/14 Bumpin Uglies @ Bowstring – 7 pm
- 8/14 Three Dog Night @ Wilson Center – 7 pm
- 8/14 Jim Gaffigan @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion – 7:30 pm
- 8/14 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s @ Thalian Hall – 7:30 pm
- 8/15 Dan Soder @ Dead Crow Comedy – 9:30 pm
- 8/16 Jared Michael Cline and more @ Ogden Tap Room – 7 pm
🏠️ This house is wild
Listed by: Marshall M Pickett (Ivester Jackson Coastal LLC)
The Cypress House makes a bold entrance in Landfall’s Highlands, channeling five-star resort vibes with Costa Rican cool. Wrapped in cypress and sleek black accents, the exterior sets up a show of clean lines and glassy views, while a yellow balau walkway glows its way from the front door to the marsh-front terrace. The great room brings drama with a drop-down fire flue and custom entertainment wall, all under ceilings that seem to float.
A secluded primary suite comes with spa finishes, marsh views, and its own fireplace lounge for ultimate indoor-outdoor lounging. Infinity-edge pool, guest-ready bedrooms, and oversized Quartz windows keep things as light as the tides just beyond the backyard.
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