Camp North End’s Boileryard was packed with revelers, live performers like magician Caleb Morgan and rock act Modern Alibi, drinks from Canteen and Black Moth Bars, and 15 food vendors on May 30—all under the theme of Y2K to celebrate the BOB Awards’ birthyear of 1999. Find scenes from the event below. Thank you to our sponsors: Carolina Facial Plastics, Diamonds Direct, Blumenthal Arts, The Mint Museum, Camp North End, and Carolina DJ Professionals. PHOTOS BY GRANT BALDWIN PHOTOGRAPHY Categories: The Buzz ..read more

Millennials, born between the early 1980s and the mid-’90s, are the largest living generation with the greatest spending power, and they know exactly what they want to buy. Millennial shoppers value brand experience, emotional connection, sustainability, and customization, according to a 2020 IBM study. For the fine-jewelry industry, that requires a new kind of shopping experience that flips the traditional, often stuffy store—with its limited, mass-produced inventory and salesmanship—on its head. Here are four shops and custom jewelers in Charlotte that appeal to modern shoppers. Sarah Pours ..read more

When Sam Diminich met Alberto González, they didn’t say much. They couldn’t. Diminich didn’t speak Spanish, and González didn’t speak much English. But cooking is a universal language, so when they met in Havana in February, they knew what to do. They went to a nearby street market and bought food, mostly cucumbers, tomatoes, and Cuban ingredients like yuca, guavas, and calabazas, a kind of squash. Then they went into the tiny kitchen of González’s 10-seat restaurant and cooked a seven-course meal for 20 guests, most of them members of a special tour of Havana set up in Charlotte. “There’s ma ..read more

The older I get, the less willing I am to deal with the consequences of alcohol. I don’t care for the brain fog, sluggishness, and occasional depression it brings the following day. It’s why I’ve begun to embrace the legal cannabis products that have popped up in stores all over Charlotte. The number of products, types, strains, and dosages can be so intimidating that it seems a horticulture degree is required to guard against nibbling your way into a 6-hour fetal position. So I went to 2024 BOB Winner Seed to Soul to get an education. After talking through the what, why, and how of their ext ..read more

There’s a lot of sadness in the world today. Let’s not forget to celebrate the things that bring light and connection into our lives—like love, shared culture, nature, art, and baby goats. Charlotte African American Book Festival Saturday, June 8 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Second Ward Gymnasium. Free This book fair for readers of all ages “celebrates African American contributions to literature, books, literacy, and the literary culture.” Shop books at discounted prices, meet featured authors, and attend discussions. Laughter Yoga Saturday, June 8  1:30-2:15 p.m. Charlotte Meditation. Free Guru Ranji ..read more

Josh Patton still can’t bring himself to discuss the accident. He can’t talk about what it’s like to go to work at Wooden Robot Brewery and know that Dan Wade, his childhood friend and partner in brewing and business, won’t be there and never will again. To the extent that Patton allows himself any solace, it’s in the work—Wooden Robot remains a cornerstone of Charlotte’s independent brewery scene—and the support he and his staff have received from their peers in town. When Wooden Robot closed both of its locations—the original in South End and “The Chamber” in NoDa—for a week, other brewerie ..read more

As if the promise of fresh, handmade pasta weren’t tempting enough, Mano Bella has a window that allows passersby to watch the pasta-making process from the sidewalk. A pastaio runs the dough through rollers and the bronze extruder, which releases strands of rough, porous noodles that better absorb sauces. Unlike dried supermarket varieties, this pasta cooks in about two minutes and has the soft, rich texture you’d get at a trattoria in Rome. Husband-and-wife team Madison and Rafaelle Patrizi opened this Italian market and bistro in SouthPark’s Morrison Place shopping center in January. Mano ..read more

In Partnership with Montage Palmetto Bluff Montage Palmetto Bluff, located within South Carolina’s Lowcountry, offers an oasis that feels much further than the four hours it takes to get there from Charlotte. Nestled inside 20,000 acres of protected maritime forest and marshland, this lush backdrop creates lasting memories no matter the season you find yourself there. And throughout the year, the resort offers events and experiences that make the most of this unique setting. Montage Palmetto Bluff’s resident naturalist, Cassie Beato, works in tandem with nonprofit Palmetto Bluff Conservancy ..read more

In 1998, Ana Silva Rey moved to North Carolina with a plan to return to Mexico after she graduated from UNC Charlotte. But she never left, and soon enough, she faced the confusing and daunting process of guiding her children through an unfamiliar education system. Motivated to help parents and students who face similar challenges, Rey, who had experience in management consulting and real estate, joined the board of Latin Americans Working for Achievement in 2012. The nonprofit raises money for scholarships and educational programs to support Latino students. In 1992, when a group of concerned ..read more

By the time Dominick Bibbs entered high school, the episodes of excruciating pain—“crises,” as sickle cell disease patients call them—had increased in frequency from twice a month to twice a week. The pain would target his knees and elbows, sometimes his lower back. At times, it was sharp, stabbing; others, it was a dull, diffused ache. When the crises came, Bibbs knew he’d be down for days, unable to function. No school, no play, no socializing—just pain medicine and waiting for the agony to ease. He’d already had his enlarged spleen, another consequence of his condition, removed at age 4. I ..read more