Port City Life Newsletter: It's Memorial Day weekend in Wilmington; let the insanity begin

It's Memorial Day weekend in Wilmington and and at Southeastern North Carolina's beaches. Let the insanity begin.

For those of us who've lived in the Wilmington area for a long time, like I have, the first big "summer" weekend of the year is kind of jumping into a chilly ocean, or maybe ripping the Band-Aid off. There's not really a good way to prepare for it, you kind of just have to endure. But once you do it, it's kind of like it never happened.

At any rate, summer is really, finally here now, so we can all stop waiting. What do you say we jump right in?

Weekend weather outlook

I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but it's not ideal. Fifty-fifty chance of rain and storms on Friday and Saturday, then partly to mostly cloudy on Sunday and Monday. Highs in the mid-80s all weekend. But don't worry, things should start clearing up in time for the short work week on Tuesday 😅

Go | See | Do

There's a good number of notable events for your holiday weekend .

Orange Street ArtsFest, which pound for pound is Wilmington's cutest festival, is coming to Second and Orange streets downtown. " The SpongeBob Musical" plays on the main stage of Thalian Hall all weekend , and, on Friday, Fourth Friday Gallery Night takes over downtown galleries and art spaces. At Carolina Beach, there's a very special Friday night edition of Boardwalk Blast, with live music and fireworks.

And, at Dead Crow Comedy Room and the Lush Garden Bar on Sunday afternoon, a Play It Forward fundraiser will feature 14 area bands and musicians playing inside and out . It'll be a banger. Proceeds benefit Play It Forward Wilmington , a nonprofit that donates new and used musical instruments to kids.

Full list of events below.

Happenings: From festivals to outdoor shows, 16 things to do in Wilmington for Memorial Day weekend

The Dish with Port City Foodies

Wait, you haven't found out who StarNews readers voted best area burger yet? You need to get on that .

Speaking of burgers, a downtown Wilmington staple turns 10 , and a local chef who was featured on a popular Food Network show talks about the challenges facing the restaurant industry .

Getting to know Nicolay

Nicolay, a Grammy-nominated, Dutch-born producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has lived in Wilmington since 2006, scored the soundtrack for upcoming ESPN "30 for 30" documentary "False Positive." Read all about it .

Nicolay: Wilmington musician scores soundtrack for major upcoming sports documentary

News you can use

With the Wilmington area continuing to grow, even more living units are coming to Castle Hayne .

Plus, a look back at the devastation caused by Hurricane Floyd 25 years ago , and we remember the names of some Wilmington neighborhoods that have gone by the wayside .

Let's get social

For more Port City Life news, including updates to food and entertainment stories, follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/MyPortCityLife.

Tell your friends

Want your friends and family to be in the know? Forward this newsletter to them. They can sign up here .

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Port City Life Newsletter: It's Memorial Day weekend in Wilmington; let the insanity begin