It may be winter, but that’s no reason to stay inside. Fat Tuesday comes early this year, so celebrate at the Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball at Historic Chatham Mills and you can find a classy evening for a good cause. Proceeds benefit local organizations and Katrina victims.
If that’s not quite your scene, also on Mardi Gras Nightlight hosts their monthly FrequeNC Records Nights, this month showcasing The Ex-Members, Pony Pants and Vytear. Performances at 10.
And if you just plain don’t do the nightlife, take a hike — on Occoneechee mountain, where you can learn to identify trees. That’s bright and early at 11.
And now that Lent has started and you gave up partying, try attending something educational, like the lecture “Struggling with Capital Punishment in NC†at Wilson Library, with illustrious speakers including state legislators Ellie Kinnaird and Hugh Holliman. That’s on the 5th at 5:45 p.m.
On the 7th, singer and guitarist Patty Larkin will perform and drop her new recording entitled “Watch the Sky†at the ArtsCenter. Show at 830 p.m.
Or another lecture on the 8th, by hip-hop artist and professor DJ Spooky at the Graham Student Union, which tells the history of digital art using rare recorded media. 3 p.m.
Also on the 8th and on the 9th, Jade Palace will celebrate the Chinese New Year with activities for old and young alike, as we enter the year of the rat.
Also on the 8th, Underground Railway Theater tells the story of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railway in “Are You Ready, My Sister?†a play intended for grades K-8. Tickets found at 929-2787, ext. 204.
On the 9th, the Cradle throws their 7th Annual Bob Marley Birthday Bash with jammin’ reggae tunes. Show at 8:30 p.m.
For a less expensive concert, head over to the 506 for a free show featuring Erie Choir, Nathan Oliver and Jen Richelson. Music at 10.
On the 10th, the Carrboro Century Center hosts the Celebration of Earth and Sky, a hub for environmental projects and organizations at the local and national levels, with food, music and a presentation by the Foundation for a Sustainable Community. Starts at 2, ends at 6.
On the 15th, the ArtsCenter hosts “Because We’re Still Here (And Moving)†a production by Hidden Voices in which local performers tell local tales about the black community.
From the 21st to the 23rd, the The Annual Dirty South Improv Festival returns for its 8th year and features a huge number of performances at the ArtsCenter, Cat’s Cradle and DSI Comedy Theater. Find a full schedule at festival.dirtysouthimprov.com
Also on the 24th, the Boys of the Lough play the ArtsCenter, bringing their decades of experience in traditional Irish and Scottish music to an American audience.
And closing out the month, the Reservoir will feature rockers Barn Burning, The Wading Girl and Bibis Elisson on the 27th, and Colossus, Freedom Hawk and Fighting Poseidon on the 28th.