STUFF TO DO All Over The Place

This week STUFF TO DO is attempting to tell you about cool things happening all over this mountainous state and maybe a little bit beyond.

One reason for that is that, this weekend, your humble blogger and his lovely wife are heading to Wheeling, West Virginia for the second (official) KrugerFest, action figure and toy show, which will happen at The Kruger Street Toy & Train Museum.

Carrying on from 2024’s impromptu memorial show for Roberto Ligotti, and continuing in his memory, KrugerFest is, according to the private group page on Facebook, “A group of like-minded toy collector folks who buy/sell/trade vintage toys. A majority of us grew up with GI Joe (Hasbro), Worlds Greatest Superheroes (Mego), and Star Wars (Kenner). There’s a niche of these folks who’ve been action figure customizers for decades. This is an intimate event – not a huge convention. Please be prepared to gain friendships, not a college tuition yielded from sales.” You can read about the Friends of ‘Berto show HERE and HERE.

This is going to be a bit of a bittersweet show for us, because last year was the last time we got to spend a decent amount of time with Lee Harrah, who sadly passed away last Thanksgiving. It’s not going to be the same without Lee, but I’m sure there will be lots of memories of Lee brought up. It’ll be like a memorial service for him at times. Last year I attended the show as a civilian, so I didn’t shoot photos or video. We wanted to spend as much time with Lee as possible.

This is going to be a fun, small, toy show, with several short-run exclusive MEGO-scale action figures and lots of folks who were part of the original MEGO MEET shows, which were held at Kruger Street for the first ten years, before becoming a nomadic show that moves around the country.  KrugerFest happens July 11 from 8 AM to 4 PM.  It’s a toy show open to public. Adult admission is $15.  Dealer events actually start today, but we won’t be there until Saturday when it’s open to the public.

And that is our feature event this week…

Here’s info about some of the figures…

Most weeks I try to tell you in detail about a few cool events all around the state and if you have a show that you’d like to plug in the future contact me via Social Media at Facebook, BlueSky, Spoutible, Instagram or Twitter.  I dont charge for this, so you might as well send me something if you have an event to promote. I do ask that you send a graphic that includes the date, time and location, of the event, as well as the cost to attend. Also, I have limited space, and if I have to bump something, graphics using AI will likely be the first to go.

I should also mention that CharCon happens this weekend. While I have been neck-deep in nerd and geek culture my entire life, I have never managed even the slightest bit of interest in the associated gaming, so all I can do is give you THIS LINK and run a graphic…

We are very happy to remind you that Cristen Michael has created an interactive calendar that is way more comprehensive than this list of STUFF TO DO, and you can find it HERE. Just click on the day and the event and you’ll be whisked away to a page with more details about loads of area events.

I also need to point out that Mya Ross at Status Quo does a much better job of compiling a list of local events than I do, and you can find the WTSQ guide to events HERE. Toss ’em a donation while you’re over there.

You can find live music in and around town every night of the week. You just have to know where to look.  Keep in mind that all shows are subject to change or be cancelled at the last minute.

Among the notable music venues in town are The World Famous Empty Glass Cafe, Live at The Shop in Dunbar, Louie’s, at Mardi Gras Casino & Resort, In Huntington, there’s local institution, The Loud (formerly The V Club),  The Wandering Wind Meadery is on Charleston’s West Side, Plus there’s music in Charleston at The Blue Parrot, Sam’s Uptown Cafe and Fife Street Brewing. Plus there are free concerts almost every weekend at Taylor Books.

You might also find cool musical events at Folklore Music Exchange in Charleston.

To hear music in an alcohol-free enviroment, see what’s happening at Pumzi’s, on Charleston’s West Side.

For cutting-edge independent art films, downstairs from Taylor Books you’ll find the Floralee Hark Cohen Cinema by WVIFF. Each week they program several amazing movies in their intimate viewing room that you aren’t likely to see anywhere else.

Please remember that viral illnesses are still a going concern and many people who have very good reasons are still wearing masks, and many of us, understandably, are still nervous about being in crowds, masked or not. Be kind and understanding  while you’re out. And if you’re at an outdoor event, please remember that it’s awfully inconsiderate to smoke or vape around people who become ill when exposed to that stuff. If somebody asks you to refrain, please respect their weishes and don’t be a jerk about it.

Here’s a few select suggestions for STUFF TO DO in and around Charleston this weekend…