Arts and entertainment briefs

Ice carving at Blowing Rock. Amanda Lugenbell

Polar Plunge. Amanda Lugenbell

Waterworks Visual Arts Center hosts the seventh annual Oyster Roast on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 6:30-11:30 p.m.

Tickets are $65 per person and are available now through www.waterworks.org or by calling 704-636-1882.

The price includes all-you-can-eat steamed oysters and shrimp, chicken bites, Brunswick stew and all the fixins’, beer, wine, dessert and coffee bar, plus entertainment.

Attendees must be 21 or older. Proceeds support WVAC educational and outreach programs.

New ongoing art workshops by Jim Taylor

CRS studio, 211 S. Main St. in downtown Salisbury, is offering new art workshops (ongoing) for 2012, led by professional artist Jim Taylor.

Drawing Effectively for Painting workshops will begin Monday, Jan. 9, from 6-8:30 p.m.

Painting and Printmaking Workshops will begin on Tuesday Jan. 10, from noon-4 p.m.

Master Art Workshops will begin Wednesday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

For information, call 704-245-6456 or email crstudioworks@gmail.com.

Civil War Railroads

SPENCER — North Carolina historian Matthew Bumgarner will bring a tale of two Civil War-era railroads to the N.C. Transportation Museum Saturday, Jan. 7 at 1 p.m. in the Bob Julian Roundhouse. The program is a timely piece of history, presented during the sesquicentennial observations of the U.S. Civil War.

Bumgarner will focus on the role of North Carolina’s western-most railroads during the Civil War and the after effects during Reconstruction.

The Atlantic Tennessee & Ohio, which ran from Charlotte to Statesville, was conceived before the war, but not actually built until the war was well underway. No sooner than the line was completed, it was ripped up in order to shore up the ever-tattered southern rail network.

The Western North Carolina Railroad, which stretched from Salisbury to the foot of the mountains at Morganton, likewise served the western part of the state. Most of its management played major roles in key battles of the war including Manassas, Gettysburg, and Appomattox. The railroad also was victimized in a raid of Union “bushwhackers” in an attempt to free prisoners from the Salisbury POW camp and its final days of the war came to an exciting climax during Stoneman’s “Great Locomotive Chase.”

Still, the end of the war was not the end of either railroad’s story, as Reconstruction personalities and politics set both railroads back for several decades.

The 1 p.m. program will be followed by a book signing.

Matthew Bumgarner is the author of several railroad and Civil War themed books, including “The Legacy of the Carolina & North-Western Railway,” “Kirk’s Raiders: The 2nd & 3rd NC Mounted Infantries” and “My Face to the Enemy: Insights to the 6th NC State Troops.” He lives in Hickory.

‘Titanic’ auditions

CONCORD — Old Courthouse Theatre announces audition for “Titanic: The Musical,” from 7-9 p.m. on Feb. 5 and 6.

Auditionees should come with a prepared song, be ready to move and also do a reading from the script. The musical is by Maury Yeston and Peter Stone and is directed by Heather Wilson.

The Tony award winning Titanic is based on the true story of the ship’s maiden voyage from departure in Southampton, England to the sinking in the Atlantic by an iceberg. The show touches on issues such as class, immigration and mankind’s vulnerability in the face of nature. The story follows passengers and crewmembers who actually existed and were aboard the Titanic back in 1912.

Performance dates are April-May 13. Visit www.oldcourthousetheatre.org or call 704 788-2405. Old Courthouse Theatre is located at 49 Spring St. NW.

SoulCollage workshop

SoulCollage[0xae] is a playful way of exploring life, honoring the different aspects of one’s authentic self.

Through a simple process of cutting and pasting images from magazines, participants will create cards to help access inner wisdom, allowing intuition to have a voice.

“Discovering Your Inner Wisdom Thru SoulCollage[0xae]” takes place Feb. 4 from 1-4:30 p.m. at Center for Faith and the Arts. The cost is $45.

The SoulCollage open studio is Jan. 11 from 7-9 p.m. at Campbell Farm in China Grove at a cost of $25 which includes all materials and light refreshments.

To register, contact Karen P. Campbell at 704-857-7503 or info@seeds-4-change.com

Winterfest at Blowing Rock

BLOWING ROCK — Winterfest returns for a 14th time to Blowing Rock Jan. 26-29, mixing the heat of bonfires and toasted marshmallows with the frozen thrill of the Polar Plunge and ice carvings. Set in the walkable winter ambiance of North Carolina’s Prettiest Small Town, Winterfest activities will satisfy day-trippers and overnight guests alike.

New this year, Appalachian Ski Mountain, just a short drive from Blowing Rock, has special Winterfest events that include a Sunday snowman building competition and special pricing on ski and snowboard lessons on Friday from 5 p.m to midnight.

For a full schedule of events, visit blowingrockwinterfest.com or call the Blowing Rock Visitor Center toll free at 877-750-4636.