This weekend in Halifax

The days are slowly getting longer and Halifax's calendar of events is filling up with all kinds of must-see, must-do fun, from must-see music shows by some of the city's biggest stars to snagging seats at a sold-out screening of a buzzy Oscar nominee. Here's where to go and what to do to maximize those precious weekend hours:

Watch In Lieu of Flowers (until Feb 19)

Neptune Theatre's new play about grief and its many shapes sees one of the country's top directing talents (that's Halifax's own Ann-Marie Kerr) guiding a production by one of the city's most exciting emerging theatre voices (playwright Alison Crosby). The dark-yet-funny story of Eddie, a woman dealing with her brother's sudden passing, is showing on the theatre's Scotiabank Stage Tue-Fri at 7:30pm and Sat 2pm & 7:30pm. Tickets and details are on Neptune's site.

See Tony Yayo in concert (Feb 16)

The rapper who "put the G in G-Unit" (as he spits on his biggest hit, "So Seductive") is coming to Halifax's Level8 night club to bring the city a serious dose of early-aughts hip hop. Tickets are $38.15 and available via eventbrite.

See the Lift Every Voice 8 showcase (Feb 16)

A staple celebration of African Heritage Month, the Lift Every Voice showcase offers a primer in top talent from the African Nova Scotian Music Association. From R&B to hip hop, it's all here as acts like   

See Classified on his Retrospected tour (Feb 17-18)

One of the biggest names in east coast hip hop, Classified has a two-night stand at the Light House Arts Centre this weekend, where he's taking audiences on a hit-packed tour of his career to date. Warming the stage for the acoustic evening—that traces Class's staggering 18-album long resume *and* sees him sharing the stories behind his songs—is none other than R&B luminary Reeny Smith. Tickets start at $40 and are available via Classified's website.

Watch All The Beauty and The Bloodshed (Feb 17-18)

Carbon Arc brings this Academy Award-nominated documentary to its screen for two days this weekend, after its first showing sold out. The flick tells the story of artist and activist Nan Goldin, from her boundary-pushing photography to her fight against the opioid crisis. See it at Carbon Arc Feb 17 at 9pm or Feb 18 at 6:30pm, with tickets available through the cinema's site.

Dance along to Honey I'm Home (Feb 17)

No matter if you snagged tickets to see Shania Twain this spring or not, this tribute band to the Queen of Country will find you screaming along to bops like "Man! I Feel Like a Woman!" as you hit the dance floor with friends. Tickets for The Marquee show are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.