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It’s the first weekend in February, and if you’re looking for a fun way to start the month, here are a few things you can check out in Charlotte, Asheville, and elsewhere.

Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture (Charlotte)

This weekend is full of events at the Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture. Enjoy a live production honoring the lives of Black men who have been change-makers in their community on Friday at 7 p.m. On Saturday at noon, artist Kimberly Turner will guide families through a community workshop exploring art and history. To round off the weekend, you can  join others for Yoga on the Rooftop on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. 

North Carolina Zoo (Asheville)

Head up to Asheville this weekend to visit the world’s largest natural habitat zoo! Open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, the North Carolina Zoo sits on 2,600 acres of land and is home to 1,700 animals. You can watch zoo keepers feed the animals, walk hiking trails, and hang out in the kidzone

Morehead Planetarium (Chapel Hill)

Check out the Morehead Planetarium Science Center’s longest standing show “Carolina Skies” for a guide of the stars above North Carolina – based on their daily position. There are several other shows playing throughout the weekend like “Solar System Odyssey,” “Magic Tree House Space Mission,” and “Earth, Moon, and Sun.” 

Carolina Chocolate Festival (Morehead City): Feb. 4-5

Enjoy all the chocolate you can possibly endure at the Carolina Chocolate Festival in the Crystal Coast Civic Center. Chocolate vendors will be selling cakes, ice cream, tortes and more on Saturday and Sunday. There will be pudding eating contests every hour, a Cocoa 5K Fun Run and Walk, and the chance to win a golden ticket. What more could you possibly want? 

Bikini Bottom Rave at The Underground (Charlotte): Feb. 4

For the 18+ crowd raised on SpongeBob Squarepants, this party at The Underground in Charlotte puts a twist on a childhood favorite. Check out videos from the Bikini Bottom Rave’s  previous shows around the nation. Doors open at 9 p.m.