Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

Jan. 14: Little Italy Meatball Fest

Pandola Learning Center, 914 Stiles St. 3-6 p.m. $30. 410-866-8494.

Last year, more than 200 people gathered inside the Little Italy Lodge for Joe Benny’s inaugural celebration of meatballs—aka the cornerstone of Italian cooking. If you missed it, attend this year’s festival for a buffet of pasta, salad, and dessert, with samplings from heated meatball competition to help crown the next winner of the “Best Balls in Baltimore.” If you’d rather win a trophy and secure bragging rights, submit your own killer recipe or participate in the meatball-eating contest. Try to beat Margaret Miller’s original veal and pork recipe, or Phil “the Fury” Fiore’s 60-second record time of downing 31 meatballs. Proceeds benefit the Pandola Learning Center, a local organization that offers Italian language and culture classes.

 DRINK

Jan. 13: Nobo Can Release

Monument City Brewing Company, 1 N. Haven St. 12-5 p.m. Free. 443-529-8131.

The Appalachian Trail is near and dear to the heart of brothers Ken and Matt Praay of Monument City Brewing. After all, it was on an annual hike along the historic trail that they initiated a conversation about launching the family brewery. So it’s no surprise that one of their most recent beers has been named NOBO, a term for hikers who move northbound on the AT, starting from Springer Mountain in Georgia. Although this brew debuted last September, they’re officially pumping out canned versions this weekend. On Saturday, swing into Highlandtown to sip this hazy New England-style IPA featuring double-dry hops. If you end up loving the citrus and tropical notes of this limited-edition beer, you can finally take it home with you in a six-pack.

 SEE

Jan. 13: The Art of Skateboarding

Bustin Boards at City Garage, 101 W. Dickman St. 6-10 p.m. $11.53-17.80.

When he was only 14 years old, Joey Jett discovered his passion for street skating, videography, and photography. Since then, he’s been touring the globe with fellow boarder Mike Vallely as a professional skater. On Saturday, catch the world premiere of The Art of Skateboarding, a film showcasing Jett’s original skate tricks shot around the world, followed by a meet-and-greet with the star himself, as well as Vallely, plus local food and beer. The silent auction is also a must for all skaters—with a Vallely hand-painted and autographed board, a sold-out first-run Joey Jett board, and a custom-designed Bustin board. Most importantly, all proceeds will go to Jake’s Skatepark, a new section of the redesigned Rash Field Park in tribute to local boarder Jake Owen, a 5-year-old South Baltimore skater tragically killed in a distracted driving accident.

 HEAR

Jan. 12: Charm City Bluegrass Festival’s Battle of the Bands

Union Craft Brewing, 1700 Union Ave. 6-11 p.m. $12-15. 410-467-0290. 

Each winter, local and regional musicians duke it out for a chance to grace the stage at Druid Hill Park’s Charm City Bluegrass Festival in the spring. This year is no different as the first round of the festival’s Battle of the Bands starts this month. On Friday, enjoy a night of Americana music as you sip on local brews by Union Craft and nosh on eats by BricknFire Pizza and The Local Oyster. Listen to performances by four bands—The Plate Scrapers, Hurricane Hoss, Gold Top County Ramblers, and 19th Street Band—as they go head to head with their fiddles, banjos, and harmonicas to see who will advance to the next round. 

 DO

Jan. 13: Version with Trillnatured  One Year Anniversary

The Crown, 1910 N. Charles St. 10 p.m. Free. 410-625-4848. 

Jessica Hyman accidentally stumbled into DJing out of a simple curiosity. Within a few years, that curiosity evolved into a full-blown passion, transforming Hyman into Trillnatured, a DJ spreading her eclectic style at local dance parties and curated shows throughout the East Coast, even earning her the title of Baltimore magazine’s Best DJ of 2017. This weekend, come celebrate the one-year anniversary of Version, her monthly turnup at The Crown. Though Trillnatured will be serving up her usual R&B and jazz-influenced club mixes, the event gained a renewed importance after she announced that it is now an explicitly queer function, providing a safe space for the city’s LGBTQ community to embrace who they are and just be.

Five things to eat, drink, see, hear, and do with your Charm City weekend.

 EAT

Oct. 21: Shuck Like A Pro

Sandlot, 1000 Willis St. 1 & 4 p.m. $30.

This Saturday afternoon, experience the best of both seasons with the beach vibes of the Sandlot harbor-front hangout and the R-month rewards of oyster season. Gather with fellow ostreaphiles and enjoy a step-by-step shucking demonstration by Scott Budden of Orchard Point Oyster Comany on the Eastern Shore. Master the craft of cracking open these delightful local delicacies—made extra earthy and sweet from their northern bay birthplace—and slurp a few down as Budden discusses oyster farming and reef restoration, with a take-home gift of your very own shucking knife and gloves to boot. All the while, sip Spike Gjerde’s brand-new Snake Oil lager and support the Oyster Recovery Partnership, the region’s leading nonprofit dedicated to restoring local oysters.

 DRINK

Oct. 21: Jake’s Skatepark Fundraiser & Landing Bolts Launch

Key Brewing Company, 2500 Grays Rd., Dundalk. 2-6 p.m. Free. 410-477-2337.

In Baltimore, breweries and benefits often go hand in hand as a means of nurturing the local community. On Saturday, Key Brewing Company, in collaboration with Checkerspot Brewing and Stillwater Artisanal, will be launching a Landing Bolts lager to support a new section of the redesigned Rash Field Park known as Jake’s Skatepark. This new skate area will pay tribute to Key Brewing co-owner’s son Jake, a young South Baltimore boy who loved skating but tragically lost his life because of a phone-distracted driver six years ago. This weekend, all proceeds from the Landing Bolts release will go towards its creation, so join the local skating community for boarding tricks and grub from Blue Pit BBQ and Chuck’s Trading Post.   

 SEE

Oct. 19-21: Rocky Horror Picture Show

Creative Alliance, 3134 Eastern Ave. Fri.-Sat. 7:30 p.m., Sun. 7:30 & 10:30 p.m. $12-17. 410-276-1651.

With Halloween nearly upon us, there’s no better time to watch the 1975 cult classic that is the Rocky Horror Picture Show. For three nights at the Creative Alliance, dress up as your best Frank, Janet, or Riff Raff and enjoy a screening of the film that spawned an audience-participation phenomenon. The twisted comedy is set in a mysterious castle on a dark and stormy night, with wild characters, elaborate rock songs, and a plot that thrills, no matter how many times you’ve seen it. Join local burlesque dancers Betty O’Hellno, Bunny Vicious, Tapitha Kix, and Whiskey Joy, to name a few, for a punk-rock singalong to songs like “Sweet Transvestite” and “Hot Patootie, Bless My Soul,” with themed cocktails served at the bar all night. 

 HEAR

Oct. 21: Sean K. Preston

Cat Eye’s Pub, 1730 Thames St. 9 p.m. Free. 410-276-9866.

At first glance, Sean K. Preston, a Fells Point regular and beloved Baltimore artist, looks like a classic country singer with his cowboy hat and sometimes-acoustic guitar. But underneath that outlaw appearance is a mix of musical styles waiting to be executed by his fast-flying fingers and gritty vocals that are as classic and rebellious as Johnny Cash. At Cats Eye Pub, hear the local songwriter alongside his band, the Loaded Pistols, for a night of blues, punk, country, and old-school rock-and-roll as Preston ruminates on topics of love, loss, and wanderlust.

 DO

Oct. 21: Baltimore Running Festival

Locations & times vary, starting at 7 a.m. $15-280. 410-605-9381.

This Saturday, whether you’re a diehard runner or recreational jogger, it’s time to grab your sneakers and hit the streets during Baltimore’s 17th running festival. From team relays and 5Ks to half and full marathons, there’s something for everyone in this run around town, which fills the city with thousands and thousands of athletes. We even recommend standing on the sidelines as an onlooker, because this beloved annual race is truly a sight to behold.