15 Triangle events to check out this week

RALEIGH, N.C. — Can't wait for the weekend? Our fun picks will help you get through the work week.

It's Open Mic Night at Local 506 in Chapel Hill. The music starts at 8:30 p.m.

Visit Busy Bee Cafe in downtown Raleigh for their bi-monthly PineCone Bluegrass Jam, where bluegrass artists of all levels - and people who like to listen to bluegrass - are invited to share in the camaraderie.

Then, for one night only, Regal North Hills Stadium 14 will screen the inspiring romantic film Be Here Now: The Andy Whitfield Story. Tickets are $12 and must be purchased in advance of the show.

Join the Provenance in Raleigh at 6:30 p.m. as they join forces with Raleigh Brewing Company for a four-course pairing of food and beer. A portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Carroll's Kitchen.

Catch performances by The Americana All-Stars at Cat's Cradle at 8 p.m. The cover is $10.

If/Then - a contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today - premieres at DPAC tonight. Shows will continue all weekend.

The Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market is every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at City Plaza. A great lunch spot, it features more than 40 rotating vendors including North Carolina farmers, ranchers, nurserymen, bakers, cheese makers and specialty foods producers.

The band Air Traffic Controller will perform at Local 506 tonight at 9 p.m. If you like eclectic songs and an electronic sound, this show may be for you.

The Piedmont Restaurant in Durham will host a Seasons of the Sea dinner with lots of wine and seafood from Locals Seafood. The multi-course dinner is $65, plus $20 for wine pairings.

Start your weekend early with two Thursday night music series - Live in the District at Park West Village and the Midtown Beach Music series at North Hills both start at 6 p.m.

Animazement, a festival "all about anime and Japan," starts tonight at 6 p.m. at the Raleigh Convention Center and continues until Sunday with events, guests, panels and video rooms.

Comedian Bill Bellamy will kick off his weekend shows tonight at Goodnight's Comedy Club in Raleigh. Tickets start at $22 for shows that run Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.

The moment we've been waiting for is finally here. The WRAL Freedom Balloon Fest, which starts at 2 p.m. on Friday and continues all weekend, is a family-friendly community event that features live music, food, local artist and crafters, vintage rides, military displays and hot air balloon flights at sunrise and just before sunset.

The PNC Downtown Raleigh Movie Series returns to City Plaza for its third season tonight. Classic films are shown every Friday evening until July 1 on a giant inflatable screen in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Tonight, it's Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.