Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.

Friday, Nov. 4
Jeff Hahne's Homebrew Vol. 5 CD Release Party
Neighborhood Theatre
Freebies are great; so great that I used to grab them whenever I spotted them. The down side to that was an increase in clutter. Needless to say, I’m more careful about what I pick up now and I’m not going to recommend you snatch anything that’s not worth it. Jeff Hahne, my co-worker/music editor at Creative Loafing, is also choosey, especially in the realm of music. His annual compilation CD is a conglomeration of 15 handpicked Charlotte-area bands of varying genres. Tonight during its release party at Neighborhood Theatre, you can get it for free and watch some of the bands — Temperance League, Lucky Five, The Cement Stars, Side by Side and The Bear Romantic (pictured) — included on it, perform. Enjoy!

• Arts 11:11, the title of local artist Erich J. Moffitt’s exhibit at Custom/Espada Bicycles in NoDa — opening tonight — is simple enough. It’s November and the year is 2011. The whimsical illustrations in the solo showcase are a whole ‘nother story. Multifaceted in appearance, the colorful wonderland of works are derived from Moffitt's creative ideas for future children’s books. More...

• Arts Who doesn’t love variety (especially when it comes to art)? Tonight at Ciel Gallery, folks can take a glimpse at new works by members of Charlotte Artery (including Julie Benda, Sharon Dowell, Teresa Hollmeyer, Paul Keysar, Bev Nagy, Isaac Payne, Terry Shipley, Natalie Abrams, Diane Pike, and Pamela Winegard), displayed in the fall exhibit, which has an opening reception, from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. More...

Saturday, Nov. 5
Retro Prom-O-Rama
Freeman's Pub
It’s misleading to think the sexy, tatted-up ladies who make up Riot Dolls (all pictured) — an all-female group promoting femininity and diversity through the beauty of curvy inky-limbs, which they feel is somewhat void in the mainstream modeling industry — are just eye candy. Though they aren’t strangers to striking a pose, the gals are rabid about promoting arts and organizing creative ways to raise money for local charities. Currently they’re primming up for the Retro Prom-O-Rama, celebrating styles from the 1920s to the ’50s to benefit The Shelter of Gaston County, A Battered Woman’s Residence and Resource Center. At the event, folks will have the opportunity to down some brews and surrender to sybaritic jitterbug boogies as live music freshens the dance floor. There’s also a prom king/queen ceremony, a Miss Hot Rod Honey pin-up pageant, a silent auction and art show. Sounds like the prom you wish you’d had, right?

• Theater More than 50 years after its debut, West Side Story remains a Broadway staple. The musical, referred to as a modern day version of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, is rejuvenated by Jerome Robbins’ creative choreography and Leonard Bernstein’s jazzy orchestral scores. Set in 1950s New York City, where forbidden love is in the air and rage is boiling between the Jets and the Sharks — two teenage street gangs of different socio-ethnic backgrounds — escalating violence is only half of what you’ve got to look forward to. Fluffy feel-good hits “I Feel Pretty,” “Maria,” and “Tonight,” liven things up. More...

• Festival Vikings, trolls, Pippi Longstocking and Beowulf aren't the only reasons to celebrate Scandinavian culture, but they sure are some literary things to celebrate. This weekend folks can immerse themselves in Nordic culture as SAGA of the Carolina's presents its annual ScanFest. The fest represents the countries of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Finland through cultural displays, traditional music and dancing, Lego building and a "Viking Village" with other activities. Let's not forget food, including authentic Scandinavian cuisine (yes, you can count on some Swedish meatballs and Lingonberry sauce) and tasty pastries, too. More...

Sunday, Nov. 6
Rory Scovel
Petra's Piano Bar and Cabaret
Comedian Rory Scovel has some sort of odd fascination with bears. His YouTube videos based around living with these furry creatures act as humorous and totally unuseful guides (what to do when your bear roommate eats all your food, how to keep a grizzly from hibernating on your couch, what to do when a grizzly uses all your DVR space, etc.) Scovel, a Greenville, SC native currently splits his time between New York City and Los Angeles, where we hope he doesn’t live with an animal that could eat him — at least not before his upcoming show at Petra’s, that is.

• Theater Novelist Ken Kesey’s past experience of working the graveyard shift as an orderly at a mental health facility is a contributing factor to the details in his best-selling novel One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. The book — turned into a film and stage play — tells the story of a new patient causing trouble in the asylum. Charlotteans can visit looney bin this weekend as Theatre Charlotte’s takes on this dramatic (and at times downright funny) production. More...

• Food The 10 renditions of a burger at Wysacky Trading Post make a trip from the city worthwhile. The roster includes the "old fashion" with chili and Carolina slaw, and a jazzy Tex-Mex number with jalapeños. The eatery gets its beef from a local farm on a daily basis. In this day of pricey farm-to-fork cuisine, the burgers here are about as fresh as they can be for a fraction of the cost. And they're good. More...