Set your inner child loose in this adult playground

Seven things to do in Uptown before you die.

By Megan Henshall

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JUSTIN DRISCOLL - 105. Turn off the smartphone, undo the top two buttons of your shirt and have a glass of red at Vintage Wine Lounge.

Justin Driscoll
105. Turn off the smartphone, undo the top two buttons of your shirt and have a glass of red at Vintage Wine Lounge.

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102. Dip everything in the beer cheese at The Wooden Vine.

We're exaggerating when we say that we would eat a human finger dipped in this cheese, but we may have bitten our own once or twice. Come for the fondue, stay to witness the incredible care taken in the wine selection and cozy atmosphere. 231 N. Tryon St. 704-376-8463. www.thewoodenvine.com.

103. Lay down on a bed of nails at Discovery Place.

Discovery Place is a blasty-blast way to spend a Saturday afternoon, even (or especially) kid-free. From the interactive display which encourages you to build whatever your heart desires out of various media — my crowning jewel was a fly pair of Harry Potter glasses made from tin foil — to the exhibit of 101 inventions that changed the world, amusement abounds. 301 N. Tryon St. 704-372-6261. www.discoveryplace.org.

104. Embrace your inner carnivore: Eat an entire T-Rex at Pure Pizza.

Bacon and sausage and burger, oh my! Meet the meatiest, most mouth-watering pizza that any carnivore could ever dream of: the T-Rex. Pure Pizza is currently located in the 7th Street Market, but is looking to expand elsewhere as it grows. Hurry in now while you can experience this jewel in the eclectic environment of the market. This is a great place to find quality purveyors of you-name-it, support the local economy and sustainable processes, and eat all of the pizzas. 224 E. 7th St. 980-207-0037. www.purepizzaclt.com.

105. Turn off the smartphone, undo the top two buttons of your shirt and have a glass of red at Vintage Wine Lounge.

The alley of Brevard Court where Vintage Wine Lounge is found is a destination in Charlotte where you can feel like you're abroad. With a brick path and abounding charm, it's a fantastic place to sit outdoors with a good glass of wine, some delicious snacks and enjoy lovely Southern spring weather. 317 S. Church St. 704-332-3273. www.facebook.com/vintagewinelounge.

106. Take a selfie with the Disco Chicken (Niki de Saint Phalle's "Firebird") — then get cultured at the Bechtler.

The Jazz at the Bechtler series, "where mid-century art meets mid-century music," is a funky combination of visual and performing art. Each event focuses on a particular artist (sometimes a few) and current exhibitions, brilliantly fused with live music performed by the Ziad Jazz Quartet. If you're lucky, you may even get to peep items from the private collection of the Bechtler family. (Pro tip for Disco Chicken photos: Wait for a wedding party to congregate around the Firebird — photobomb!) 420 S. Tryon St. 704-353-9200. www.bechtler.org.

107. Get weird in an Uptown bar crawl.

Charlotte's large population of young professionals, thirsty for a chance to throw on a costume and blow off some steam, show up in droves for every one of these cleverly themed day-drinking extravaganzas. The result is an entertaining mix of conquest, triumph, defeat, couple fights and solidarity. No one commits to mass drunkenness in silly outfits quite like Charlotteans do. The next few events coming up are the Sombrero Bar Crawl (May 3) and the Super Hero Bar Crawl (June 8).

108. Perfect your pole tricks at Uptown Cabaret's Amateur Night.

Uptown Cabaret has long been known for its delicious breakfast buffet, but if you have never been to a Sunday night amateur showcase, you are missing the best entertainment that this Charlotte staple has to offer. Each Sunday evening, UC offers ladies the opportunity to fly their freak flag and demonstrate their pole prowess. Considering the increasing popularity of exercise classes like pole dancing and aerial, these "beginners" can often be quite surprising. Adversely, but probably more fun, ladies on occasion decide to hop in and perform in whatever mismatching "last of the clean" underwear they could piece together that morning. 108 E. Morehead St. 704-344-0802. www.uptowncabaretclubs.com.

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