Drama workshops

Piedmont Players Theatre will be holding Winter Drama Workshops for third- through eighth-graders Feb. 10, 17 and 24.

Instructors for the workshops are Anne Hoffman and Debbie Hubbard, seasoned performers in many Piedmont Players productions.

There are a limited number of spaces available and a full commitment is necessary. Cost is $40.

Call 704-633-5471 for more information.

Waterworks panel

Waterworks Visual Arts Center will host a panel discussion at 2 p.m. Saturday with prominent area collectors. Collectors will answer questions and share their experiences with art and artists and offer their insights into building a collection. Karen Alexander will serve as discussion moderator. The public is invited.

Finger Pickin’ Good

GOLD HILL — The Finger Pickin’ Good Bluegrass Band from Finger, N.C., will be performing at the E. H. Montgomery General Store and Pickin’ Parlor at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Band members include Terry Rinehardt, Roger Harwood, James(Bugsy) Blackwelder, Steve Roseman and Audry McCroskey.

The band last performed in the area at the Granite Quarry Civitan Fiddler’s Convention in October. This will be their first performance in Gold Hill.

A $5 donation is requested at the door for admission. Refreshments will be available.

The Montgomery hosts bluegrass jams on Friday nights and performances on the second and fourth Saturdays by area and regional bands. The store is located in the Historic Village of Gold Hill.

For more information call 704-267-9439 or visit www.HistoricGoldHill.com or www.FifthStringandCo.com.

Local artist

HICKORY — Salisbury artist Sandra Pfaff is among those featured in a show entitled “Art About Women” on exhibit at Full Circle Arts in Hickory through March 3.

A reception is being held for the artists 6:30-8:30 p.m. tonight. The gallery is located at 327 Second Ave. Gallery hours are noon-6 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday.

For more information, call 828-322-7545.

Coffee Therapy

There will be three screenings of “Coffee Therapy,” at George Washington Bookstore and Tavern, 16 Union St. S in downtown Concord. The film, written and directed by Sam Post, will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, 16 and 17.

The film returns to Escape the Daily Grind, 118 N. Main St. in Salisbury at 8 p.m. March 3.

The Coffee Therapy DVD is now available at Amazon.com and at www.customflix.com/ 223473.

For more information about the film, visit www.coffee therapy.net.

Black History events

LEXINGTON — Davidson County Community College is sponsoring events throughout the month of February to celebrate Black History Month.

There will be a showing of the documentary “The Supreme Court: A Nation of Liberties,” at 9:30 a.m. Feb. 12 in Room 116 of the Mendenhall Building.

Vocalist Tanya Ross and the rhythm and blues/jazz group Ebonique will perform in the Cube at 11 a.m. Feb. 13 on the ground floor of the Brooks Student Center.

A hands-on workshop in African drumming will take place at 11 a.m. Feb. 15 in Reich Auditorium.

The documentary “February One” detailing the historic sit-ins at the Greensboro Woolworth’s lunch counter will be shown at 12:15 p.m. Feb. 21 on the Davie Campus.

The movie “Hotel Rwanda” will be shown at 2 p.m. Feb. 22 in Gee Auditorium. The award-winning film documents the recent genocide in Rwanda, Africa.

A poster contest featuring Black History Month themes will offer the winner $50. Bring completed posters to the Gee Building, Room 194, by the deadline of Feb. 23. Call Gerald Bosch at 249-8186, ext. 6145 for more information.

A panel discussion titled “Has the Dream Been Realized?” will take place at 11 a.m. Feb. 26 in Room 183 of the Gee Building. The discussion will focus on bridging the gaps between the races.

At 11 a.m. Feb. 27, participants will take an in-depth look at “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes,” in Room 183 of the Gee Building.

A “Read-in” at 11 a.m. Feb. 28 will celebrate the rich literary history of people of African descent. Students, staff and faculty will read excerpts from published authors or personal works in Room 116 of the Mendenhall Building.

For more information, call 336-249-8186.

Choral concert

On Feb. 18, Gethsemane Missionary Baptist church will host a choral concert in honor of Black History Month. The 4 p.m. program will feature a massed choir comprised of many African-American congregations, St. Luke’s Episcopal Parish Choir and the Jubilee Singers. Nearly 100 voices will perform music ranging from spirituals to gospel and contemporary music.

This program is the third of its kind to be held in Salisbury in the past year. The choir and its’ directors first met when they organized a program during the Lord Salisbury Festival attended by the mayor and city council members from Salisbury, England. The second program , The Glory of Christmas, was held in December at St. Luke’s.

The upcoming concert will be under the direction of Phillip Burgess, Ernestine Ingram, Kay Norman and Phyllis Partee.

Admission is free, but an offering will be received to defray the costs of this program and help the directors plan for the next program later in the year.

Reynolda gallery talks

WINSTON-SALEM — Reynolda House Museum of American Art will resume its series of popular Gallery Talks during the showing of the exhibition “Grandma Moses: Grandmother to the Nation.” The talks take place 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday evenings. The setting is informal, with participants moving from one painting to another, and questions and discussion are encouraged. The talk is followed by a cash bar reception. Cost is $5.

Scheduled to speak are: Feb. 20 — playwright, screenwriter, and actor Angus MacLachlan; Feb. 27 — Reynolda House Assistant Curator Allison Slaby.

For information, call 336-758-5150.

MerleFest contests

WILKESBORO — MerleFest 2007 will feature three instrument contests during the first two days of the April 26-29 event. Any MereFest 2007 ticket holder, except for past champions and artists performing at MerleFest, may enter these competitions for guitar, mandolin and banjo.

For each contest, 20 registrants will be randomly selected from all those who register on time. The 20 chosen for each contest will join the second and third place finishers from last year in the competition. Only the actual contestants may wait in line, no substitutes or place holders.

For more information, call 1-800-343-7857 or visit www.merlefest.org.

Prices reduced

CHARLOTTE — Carowinds will reduce the price of adult and junior/senior one-day regular admission tickets for the 2007 season – the first time the park has decreased its price of admission since opening in 1973.

Beginning March 24, when the 108-acre theme and water park opens for its 35th season, the price of a regular, one-day admission ticket, valid for guests ages 3-61, will be $44.95, a reduction of $5 off the price of the same ticket in 2006. The park’s junior/senior ticket (valid for guests ages 3 and up who are less than 48 inches tall or ages 62 and better) is only $19.95.

The new pricing offers dramatic savings for families in 2007. The price of the child/senior ticket in 2006 was $32.99, amounting to savings of $13 per ticket. Children under three years of age will continue to receive free park admission.

For guests searching for an even better deal on admission than the reduced front gate prices in 2007, the park announces special advance ticket pricing good all season long. In honor of the 35th anniversary season, tickets will be on sale at www.carowinds.com and at the park’s ticket retail partners for only $34.95. Web sales require a purchase more than three days in advance of the visit.

This will be the first full season that Carowinds is part of the Cedar Fair family of amusement parks. Cedar Fair, based in Sandusky, Ohio, purchased the five Paramount Parks last July. The company now owns and operates 12 amusement parks and five water parks in North America.

Season passes are currently on sale at the lowest price of the season. Individual season passes are $69.95 and a Family and Friends four-pack is $269.95. New this year is the Junior/Senior season pass, priced at $54.95 all season for guests 3 and older who are under 48 inches tall, or 62 years of age and better. Guests must purchase by May 21 to receive these prices and the season pass benefits.

For more information, guests can call Paramount’s Carowinds at 800-888-4386 or visit the park’s Web site at www.carowinds.com.