This weekend on a shoestring

Thursday, July 25

• From a Transition Asheville event page, “The world needs a movie with a sense of humor, straight-shooting truth and solutions. How to Boil a Frog gives 5 memorable ways to make life better now and transition off the energy-chugging treadmill that’s sucking away our time, money and joy. This film is designed to appeal to both adults and kids. With a funny and irreverent take on our consumer culture and unsustainable status quo, this eco-comedy is filled with mind-boggling facts and challenges that will both entertain and motivate people to rise up and save the planet, the polar bears and their own butts.” Screen the film at First Congregational UCC, 20 Oak St. 7 p.m. Free.

• From an Amazon synopsis of Hiking and Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway, “This comprehensive guidebook provides a detailed description of every official trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway. But that’s just the beginning: Veteran hiker Leonard M. Adkins includes information on every trail that touches the Parkway, including the Appalachian Trail, the Mountains-to-Sea Trail and other public pathways on national park, state park, national forest, municipal and private lands. You’ll find GPS coordinates for official Parkway trailheads, along with 50 maps and many photographs of what you’ll see along the way. Adkins notes each trail’s length, difficulty, points of interest, handicap accessibility and natural features.” Join the author for a reading and discussion at Fountainhead Bookstore, 408 N. Main St., Hendersonville. 1 p.m. Free.

• From a Clubland feature in this week’s issue, “The Emerald Lounge hosts the Dig Fest Battle of the Bands on Thursday, July 25, pitting winners of a community poll against one another for a spot at the August festival and a chance to record at Solomon Mines Studio. Performers include burnthesun, Uncle Hamish and the Hooligans, Pipapelli, Marietta’s Palm and Makayan.” 112 N. Lexington Ave. 7 p.m. $5.

• ”Pulp, the private club located under The Orange Peel, is occasionally open for special shows when the upstairs stage is closed,” begins a Smart Bet in this week’s Xpress. “Among the performances gracing Pulp’s intimate space is a series of local and regional underground bands. Wyla, the dreamy, experimental shoegaze project of Edward Madill, headlines on Thursday, July 25. Altered Zones wrote that Madill ‘sweeps the grime off the garage floor and pipes it through a ramshackle array of mammoth fuzz guitars, splattered rhythms and foreboding melodies.’ Nothing But Net, Mobility Chief and Stevie Dinner also perform. 9 p.m., $5.”
Smart Bet by Alli Marshall

Friday, July 26

• Take in a history lesson and the beauty of towering vistas during a presentation on the Civil War in the mountains, featuring historical re-enactors, at the Julian Price Memorial Park Campground Amphitheater, MP 293 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. 7 p.m. Free. Info: 765-2681.

• “They’re funny, clever and full of . . . Carl,” begins a page for The World of Carl Sandburg summer stage play. “The actors bring Sandburg’s poetry to life with comedy, action and style. Young visitors will enjoy bug and nature-inspired poetry as the charismatic actors become centipedes and snakes.” Performed every Wednesday and Friday at 10:15 a.m. at the Carl Sandburg Home, 81 Carl Sandburg Lane, Flat Rock. Thursday and Saturday performances feature Rootabaga!, based on Sandburg’s Rootabaga Stories. Free.

• From another Smart Bet in this week’s issue, “‘This is a coming together of friends for the cultivation of a spiritual awareness of the effect of music on the soul and the collective,’ says the earnest and enthusiastic press release for 2PPM (aka Two People Playing Music) and ONAWA. The local experimental bands have not only been honing their original sounds, but busily recording, too. The resulting projects (a debut album for ONAWA and a third effort for 2PPM) are, according to the bands, their ‘sincerest, most significant contribution to the local music scene to date.’ The two groups share a double-album release show at Isis on Friday, July 26. Producer Kodak to Graph and local instrumental band Hello Hugo also perform. 9 p.m., $3/$5.”
Smart Bet by Alli Marshall

Saturday, July 27

• “We are inviting friends, neighbors, garden and art lovers and those who are just curious to spend a little time in our slice of heaven,” begins a Facebook event page for tours of the Wamboldtopia Sculpture Garden. “The garden is lush with blooms and textures, the shady canopy is out, every day is full of exploration and discoveries. Come see what’s in bloom, check out creative projects in progress and say hello to Ricki and Damaris.” Tours also include ice cream from The Hop. Located at 69 Wamboldt Ave. 9-11:30 a.m. Carpooling encouraged. Free.

• Actor and historian Kurt Sutton will revive the great American novelist Mark Twain this weekend during a performance at WCU’s Bardo Performing Arts Center. More, from the university, “Sutton employs wit and satire in his performance as an elderly Samuel Clemens, the intellectual icon who created Mark Twain as a means of telling stories. Sutton notes the subtle distinction in portraying Clemens rather than Twain: ‘I interpret Sam Clemens’ version of Mark Twain. What people often don’t realize is that Samuel Clemens wasn’t Mark Twain, and Mark Twain wasn’t Sam Clemens.’ The performance is set in Clemens’ parlor and includes storytelling and music, as Clemens was a musician. Sutton will perform popular songs of the time on guitar, banjo and harmonica.” 3 p.m. $5.

• From a Bele Chere after hours rundown in this week’s issue, “Wishing the Bele Chere lineup had more hip-hop? Local act CrazyHorse and Colston performs on Friday, but Gurp Fest provides the beats and rhymes on Saturday. The mini-festival, featuring artists from the Gurp City South roster, returns. Foul Mouth Jerk and TopR, Fist Fam, Smidi, Grand Killa Con and Free Radio bring blistering live hip-hop to Emerald Lounge. DJ Jet and Adam Strange perform DJ sets. 9 p.m., $8.” 112 N. Lexington Ave.