🧵 In Today’s Edition

1. Approaching Peak Hot Chicken in Greensboro
2. The Weekender
3. What We’re Reading

The two chicken tenders meal from Dave’s Hot Chicken on Battleground Ave. in Greensboro — one Medium Hot, one Hot.” (Photo: Joe Killian for The Thread)

A Game of (Hot) Chicken

I recently stopped in at Dave’s Hot Chicken with a source who wanted to try it. Nothing like conducting an interview with swelling lips, a runny nose, and watery eyes.

Don’t get me wrong. From the curries of many nations to the hot sauce on my eggs, I am pro spice. Spice positive. A spice ally. But choice of career aside, I am not a masochist. I am, however, a man. And when two men, however secure and enlightened, come together over spicy food…things can get out of hand. One-upmanship. Inexplicable, infectious machismo. A desire to demonstrate a tolerance for pain—oral, intestinal, psychological. Don’t ask me why. We don’t have antlers to smash together, I guess.

Read the full story here.

— Joe Killian

Thanks for reading The Thread, a 3x week newsletter written by Greensboro editor Joe Killian and reporters Sayaka Matsuoka and Gale Melcher. Reach us with tips or ideas at greensboro@theassemblync.com.


With the start of the school year, summer is winding down. But there’s still plenty to do for both kids and adults alike this weekend. Free yoga, art exhibits, opportunities to read to animals, and a secret menu dinner at a local cocktail bar. Don’t let the end of the summer pass you by!

FRIDAY, AUG. 8

Family Fun Day Luau @ Lewis Recreation Center
6:30-8:30 p.m.

Join other families for an evening of fun activities centered around a luau, including music, bingo, limbo, vendors, and refreshments. 

Teen Night @ Lewis Recreation Center
6:30-8:30 p.m.

While the luau is happening, drop your teen off inside for glow-in-the-dark dodgeball! The event is free, but registration is required. Learn more here.

SATURDAY, AUG. 9

SAFE YOGA @ Greensboro Cultural Center (Studio 325)
10:30-11:30 a.m.

Always wanted to get into yoga but haven’t found the right studio? This free SAFE yoga class takes place every Saturday. Instructors ensure each class is accessible and fun for all, regardless of experience. Register online here.

Community Open House @ Greensboro Cultural Center (Studio 127)
1-4 p.m.

This free event brings you art from your own community. Visit the downtown Cultural Arts Center to see a youth art showcase, witness art demos, and go on studio tours. And then check out the other galleries in the building while you’re there, or stop at Savor the Moment Bakery across the street for a sweet treat afterwards.

Can We Brunch? ‘90s R&B Edition @ Aunt E’s Southern Cuisine
1-6 p.m.

A weekend brunch party with a ‘90s twist. An unlimited buffet, curated music, a day party, and mimosa towers. Tickets on sale here.

Read To Our Animal Friends @ Glenn McNairy Branch Library
3-5 p.m.

Visit the Glenn McNairy Branch Library this weekend for a chance to read to animals from NC Pet Partners. All ages welcome. Books will be provided, but feel free to bring your own! Register by calling 336-373-2015.

SUNDAY, AUG. 10

10th Annual Back to School Rally @ First Horizon Coliseum
3-6 p.m.

Make sure your kid goes back to school prepared by joining other families at the tenth annual Back to School rally hosted by Heads Up For Our Youth. Hosted at the coliseum, this event includes a free backpack giveaway to the first 1,000 students, a pop-up barbershop for complimentary haircuts, raffles, and door prizes. Families will also have access to more than 30 community resources. Learn more here.

MUSEP Concert @ Barber Park Event Center
6 p.m.

End the weekend with some great music performed by Soultrii, a local soul and blues vocal group. Concessions like hot dogs and ice cream will be on-site. No registration is necessary, but visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket or chairs to sit on. If it rains, the concert will be moved indoors to the Van Dyke Performance Space at 200 N. Davie St.

Culinary Curiosity Dinner @ Neighbors
6 p.m.

Head on over to Neighbors for a different kind of date night—a secret menu dinner presented by the chefs at this locally beloved cocktail bar. This two-night event features “hard-to-find regional dishes” and promises to be “delicious and unusual” and “not healthy in the slightest.” What more could you want? Tickets on sale for both nights here.

— Sayaka Matsuoka

Officer Shoots, Kills Glenwood Man: On Tuesday, a Greensboro police officer shot and killed a man later identified as Said Ezzine, 48. Glenwood neighbors said he had been evicted from a home in the area and had been living in a nearby shed. The SBI is investigating. The News & Record has the story.

Teen Killed on West Market: A 19-year-old was shot and killed on West Market Street Tuesday night. Two men have been charged. The death was Greensboro’s 25th homicide of the year. WXII has the story.

Twenty Years of Brewster Rockit: Tim Rickard was a long-time cartoonist at the News & Record. He’s also the creator of the syndicated comic strip Brewster Rockit, Space Guy!, which has run for more than 20 years. O. Henry Magazine has a profile of Rickard, who reflects on the strip’s creation and evolution.

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