Celebrate Independence Day in Downtown Salisbury with an event inspired by the Open Streets movement which involves temporarily closing streets to automobile traffic, so that people may use them for just about any activity but driving — walking, jogging, bicycling, dancing and social activities all flourish.
Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy with your family or try one of the downtown restaurants or food vendors.
On Friday, July 4, from 4 to 8 p.m., vistiors to downtown may join in the many activities provided by various community groups such as Crossfit Rowan, Rowan YMCA, The Forum, the Salisbury Parks & Recreation Department and more.
Activities include a walking-only designated area, a bicycle designated route, the Salisbury Parks & Recreation-sponsored graffiti wall, a Bodyflow/Yoga class from 4 to 5 p.m., Crossfit competition from 5 to 7 p.m.* and a Zumba class from 7 to 8 p.m. See http://downtownsalisburync.com/play/upcomingevents/674-salisbury-streets-alive for more details.
In addition, the Wine Down and Create artists will be demonstrating painting techniques in front of the Grapevine at 209 S. Main St., and also doing interactive painting starting around 4 p.m.
*The Crossfit competition is sponsored by Crossfit Rowan. There is a $5 entrance fee and a cash prize for top male and female competitors. Arrive before or after the competition to try out the crossfit course just for fun (no cost). All other activities during this event are free.
Summer hours at Waterworks Visual Arts Center are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Waterworks is located at 123 E. Liberty St. Call 704-636-1882 for more information or visit www.waterworks.org
Salisbury Wine Shop, 106 S. Main St., is hosting a Red, White and Blue Rosé wine tasting on Friday evening during Streets Alive, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Store owner Stephanie will celebrate Independence Day by pouring five wines made in the USA and a sample of the type of wine consumed during the signing of the Declaration of Independence — Historic Series Boston Bual Madeira.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, Madeira was the United States’ most coveted wine. Every public event—from the signing of the Declaration of Independence to George Washington’s inauguration—was toasted with a glass of Madeira. For more than 150 years, no other wine rivaled it in the eyes of connoisseurs.
For Friday’s event Salisbury Wine Shop tried to find a blue wine but failed, and decided to substitute rosé wines instead. Tastings are $5/person. There will also be wine by the glass at $4 from 4 to 8 p.m. that night.
For details, call 704-636-5151 or visit www.salisburywineshop.com
The fourth annual Retro Flower Show, sponsored by the Rowan County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association, will be held Saturday, July 12 at the Agriculture Center at 2727 Old Concord Road.
Youth under the age of 19 and adults may enter one or more of the many classes for horticulture specimens and arrangements.
Rules for this standard flower show may be found at www.rowanmastergardener.com, click on Retro Flower Show.
Entries will be accepted from 8 to 10 a.m. on July 12 and judging will be from 10 a.m. until noon.
The show will open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m.
China Grove — The Best Tomato Contest will be held during the annual Farmers Day Festival in China Grove on Saturday, July 19.
Prizes are $50 for first place, $30 for second place and $20 for third place. There are two divisions: adult and youth (age 17 and under).
The tomatoes will be judged on appearance and taste. Participants must submit five tomatoes of the same variety for judging and they must have been grown in Rowan County.
Entries should be taken to the China Grove Roller Mill (308 N. Main St.) and registered before 1 p.m. on Farmers Day.
Entries for the Biggest Watermelon Contest will also be accepted from Farmers Day (July 19) through Sept. 30. The melons must have been grown in Rowan County. More than one entry per person is allowed.
The prize is $100 for the adult winner and $100 for the youth winner (age 17 and under).
Free space at the farmers market. Anyone from Rowan County wishing to sell locally grown products on Farmers Day will be given a free space. For more information, call 704-857-5938. The China Grove Farmers Market is open every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m.
The 25th annual Jersey City Reunion will be held from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 12 at Jersey City Park on West Kerr Street. This year’s event will honor longtime organizer David Campbell, who passed away in January.
The event will include performances by St. Luke’s Baptist Church and the Salisbury Drill Team from the Miller Center, a presentation on the history of the reunion, a car show and a pickup basketball game with Salisbury Kings, a youth basketball team led by Krystal Connor.
Vendors and booths are being accepted through Tuesday, July 8. For more information about applications, contact Sherry Hawthorne at 704-499-1197 or Marvin Shaw at 704-202-3952.
A limited number of spaces is still available in Center for Faith & the Arts’ summer arts academy for rising first through eighth graders, “Wake Up, Leonardo!” Students participate in both visual and performing arts classes taught by local artists with special emphasis on self-reflection during the artistic process.
Classes run 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. July 21 through 25 with the closing performance at 7 p.m. on Friday night.
To register, visit www.faithart.org/ or call 704-647-0999.
Center for Faith & the Arts’ Mad Hatter’s OddBall, an evening in wonderland with music, dancing, heavy hors d’oeuvres, silent and live auctions, a costume contest, and general revelry, is slated for Saturday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m., to be held at the F&M Trolley Barn. For information or reservations, visit www.faithart.org/ or call 704-647-0999.
LINVILLE — The peaks of the 5,946-foot Grandfather Mountain tower above meadows ringed by 170 colorful tents as the 59th annual Grandfather Mountain Highland Games convene in western North Carolina from July 10 to 13.
The event begins Thursday afternoon, July 10, with border collie sheepherding demonstrations, Celtic entertainment, the running of “The Bear” (a five-mile run that climbs 1,568 feet), the Grandfther Mountainmarathon and the opening ceremonies.
At Thursday’s torchlight ceremony representatives of more than 100 clans announce their families’ participation in the “raising of the clans.”
Friday, Saturday and Sunday are filled with competitions in traditional heavyweight Scottish athletic events, Turning the Caber and Tossing the Sheaf; highland dancing competitions; bagpipe band parades; piping, drumming and harp competitions; sheep herding demonstrations by Scottish border collies and a variety of Celtic music.
On Friday night, the Celtic Jam highlights traditional and contemporary Celtic music, followed by the Celtic Rock Concert on Saturday night.
For the kids, there are highland wrestling clinics and competitions, foot races and tug-of-war battles.
For information on tickets, passes and parking, visit www.gmhg.org or call 828-733-1333.
CHARLOTTE — Works by local artist Paul Keysar will be displayed July 7 through 24 in the student union gallery on the main campus of UNC – Charlotte.“While the City Sleeps: Night Paintings” features a group of landscape paintings of Concord, Charlotte and other local towns at night.
An opening reception for the exhibit will be at 5 p.m., Thursday, July 10, in the Student Union Art Gallery on Craver Road near the intersection of Cameron Blvd.
Cherokee — On Saturday July 12, Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort will host a Guinness World Records official attempt for the largest gathering of Elvis impersonators, as part of its Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition festivities.
The first 1,400 ticket-holding guests who arrive in the Event Center by 6:30 p.m. will receive a free Elvis costume to participate.
The largest gathering of Elvis impersonators was 645 and was achieved in Las Vegas, in November 2010.
Harrah’s Cherokee is located at 777 Casino Drive. For complete details, see www.harrahscherokee.com/
BOONE — An Appalachian Summer Festival is celebrating 30 years of bringing the best in music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film to the High Country of North Carolina. Known for its diverse mix of artistic programming, the festival has been named one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society. 
Five-time Grammy winner Michael McDonald will kick start the popular series on Saturday, July 5 at 8 p.m.
A former member of The Doobie Brothers, McDonald’s is known for “What A Fool Believes,” and “Takin’ It to The Streets,” as well as “I Keep Forgettin’” and two highly-acclaimed Motown cover albums.
This year, the festival runs through July 26 with performances by Little Big Town, Sheryl Crow, Matthew Morrison, Nickel Creek, Pilobolus, National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Sir James Galway with the Eastern Festival Orchestra, the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble and much more.
Visual arts exhibitions include TWENTY: Contemporary Art from South Africa and the 28th Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. 
To view the full line up and to learn more about each event, visit http://appsummer.org/
CHARLOTTE ­— The Charlotte Folk Society opens its 34th Gathering Concert season on Friday, July 11, with a special event, Pete Seeger: A Musical Tribute to Courage, to honor the memory of the legendary American folksinger who died in January at the age of 94.
The music gets underway at 7:30 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. CFS Gatherings are family-friendly and free; donations are appreciated.
Among his best known and most beloved songs are “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” “If I Had A Hammer,” “Wimoweh” and “Turn, Turn, Turn.”
This celebration of Pete Seeger’s life will be a multi media experience which includes performances and audience sing-alongs.
The Great Aunt Stella Center is located at 926 Elizabeth Ave., See www.folksociety.org for details.
CHARLOTTE — Great Films Music Group will be launching their first-ever Music Video Competition June 15 to August 22. The competition will be open to all artist and musicians with a video recording of their music.
The videos may include any artist or group of musicians playing and performing any combination of their own original content. The competition will be held during the months of June through August 22, 2014. Artists should submit all content to producer@greatfilms.tv
Winners will receive a promotional package which includes submissions to MTV, VH1,BET and FUSE. The package will also include submissions to over 100 national radio stations. There is no submission fee. Artist who are unable to submit online should mail or hand deliver to ATTN: GFMG Music Video Submission, 2927 Devine St. Suite 130, Columbia S.C. 29205