The J. F. Hurley Family YMCA at 828 W Jake Alexander Blvd. presents the Salisbury Swing Band in an affordable night of music, dance and fun.
The dance takes place from 7-10 p.m. on Saturday. Jan. 29. There is a $5 entry fee and guests are encouraged to bring a snack to share.
For more information contact Barbara Franklin at 704-636-0111.
Wreck of the old 97
SPENCER — Historian Larry Aaron tells of the Wreck of the Old 97, celebrated in legend and song, piecing together the events that led the locomotive to plummet off a 45-foot trestle into the ravine below.
The talk is Saturday, Jan. 29 at 1 p.m. in the Bob Julian Roundhouse of the North Carolina Transportation Museum. A time for book signing will follow.
The museum is located at 411 S. Salisbury Ave., Spencer. Call 704-636-2889 or visit www.nctrans.org for details.
St. Thomas auditions
St Thomas Players will hold auditions for Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” on Monday, Feb. 7 and Wednesday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at Center for Faith & the Arts, 207 W. Harrison St., the lower level of Haven Lutheran Church.
The audition will consist of cold readings from the script. The play will be directed by Catawba College Associate Professor of Theatre Arts, Missy Barnes. Rehearsals will begin soon after auditions take place, depending on the availability of the actors.
Production dates are April 7-9 and April 13-16. Performances will take place at the Black Box Theatre of Looking Glass Artist Collective, 405 N. Lee St.
For more information contact Barnes at 704-638-6493 or mbarnes@catawba.edu.
Newcomers luncheon
Newcomers present their annual luncheon, fashion show, game and card party on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at the Civic Center.
The doors open at 11 a.m. and the noon lunch will be catered by Max Trexler of Creative Gourmet. A fashion show by Virginia’s of Kannapolis, modeled by some Newcomer members, will follow lunch.
Afterward, guests may play cards and games. Door prizes will be awarded, many of which are worth more than the cost of the ticket. In addition to the door prizes, artist Anita Graham will provide a beautiful piece of art to be auctioned off at the event.
All tickets are $20 and must be purchased before the event. $10 of each ticket is tax deductible and may be purchased from any Newcomer member or by calling Peggy Lutz at 704-209-6280.
All proceeds will go to Rowan Helping Ministries and the Women’s Crisis Center.
Home/landscape show
CONCORD — On January 28-30 Cabarrus Arena and Events Center presents the seventh annual Greater Charlotte Home and Landscape Show featuring more than 10,000 square feet of landscapes, water features and exhibits and showcasing home improvement experts and the latest trends for home and outdoor living spaces.
Celebrity guests include Brian Santos, better known as “The Wall Wizard” on HGTV, who will present seminars on painting, faux finishing and unique wall covering techniques. Paul James, “The Gardening Guy” on HGTV, host of “Gardening by the Yard” show, will present gardening tips on the expert stage.
Dates and times of the show are Friday, 2-7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Admission is $7, 16 and under admitted free, $1 off admission for military and seniors.
Cabarrus Arena and Events Center is located just north of Charlotte off Hwy 49 in Concord. Visit www.cabarrusarena.com for details.
Jazz and swing benefit
Tickets are now on sale for the jazz and swing benefit concert on Friday, Feb. 11.
The concert, which features the Brubakers, the Salisbury Swing Band and Lonnie Carpenter, begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Meroney Theater.
Tickets are $15 and all proceeds from the event go to Rowan Helping Ministries.
For tickets and information call 704-798-2821 or email lonnie923@yahoo.com.
The Meroney Theater is located at 213 S. Main St.
OCT presents ‘Divorce’
CONCORD — “Divorce Southern Style,” a PG-13 play written by Jennifer Jarrett and directed by Andy Rassler, comes to the main stage of the Old Courthouse Theatre in February.
Performance dates are Feb. 3-6, 11-13 and 18-20 with evening and matinee performances. Ticket prices are $15 / $12 / $10.
Call for rerservations at 704 788-2405 or visit www.oldcourthousetheatre.org.
Betty Lynn at museum
MOUNT AIRY — Actress Betty Lynn, who played “Thelma Lou” on The Andy Griffith Show, will once again make regular appearances at the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy. The museum is located at 218 Rockford Street, next door to the Andy Griffith Playhouse and a half-mile from the actor’s boyhood home.
Lynn’s appearances run from 12:30-5 p.m. on the third Friday of each month. Admission is $3 per person. Lynn will autograph 8-by-10-inch glossy photos for $10 each. For more information, call 336-786-7998 or visit www.AndyGriffithMuseum.com.
T-shirt design contest
The Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival is offering prizes in a T-shirt design contest for the 17th Annual Festival in June.
The festival committee will present one artist $100 and two passes for the winning T-shirt design. The design must not be larger than 16-by-16 inches and can be submitted as an original design or electronically as a high resolution jpg or pdf. The artwork must be original and done in black and white for one-color printing on T-shirts.
Required wording to be included with the design must state: “17th annual Wayne Henderson Music Festival and Guitar Competition Grayson Highlands State Park June 18, 2011,” or simply “2011 always the third Saturday in June, rain or shine.” The design should reflect the tradition of the festival, acoustic music and the casual family atmosphere. No image of guitar player and builder Wayne Henderson should be used.
Deadline is March 14. Email your creations along with your name, evening phone number and mailing address to graphics@waynehenderson.org. Submissions also may be made by mail to the festival committee at P.O. Box 531, Galax, VA 24333.
The winner will be notified in April, and his or her name will be featured in the event program. The nonprofit festival has been held every June since 1995 and has awarded more than $50,000 to young students who play guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, lap dulcimer or acoustic bass and the organizations that support them.
Blue Man Group tours
CHARLOTTE — Blue Man Group will perform at the Belk Theater in Charlotte from April 19-24. Although the group has toured previously with its Megastar arena rock show, this marks the first theatrical production to tour North America and features classic Blue Man moments as well as brand new content. Tickets are on sale at BlumenthalCenter.org, 704-372-1000.
New vocal ensemble begins rehearsals
The Southern Piedmont Singers will begin rehearsals for their inaugural season, Live Your Dream, on Sunday, Jan. 30.[0xa0] The chorus will rehearse on Sundays starting at 2 p.m. in the choir room at North Kannapolis United Methodist Church (1301 N. Main Street).[0xa0] The chorus will perform everything from early classical to modern, pops to jazz.[0xa0] The first performance will be a masterworks concert. The chorus is open to all singers ages 15 and up without audition and to singers ages 12-14 by audition.[0xa0] New members will be accepted through Feb. 13.
[0xa0]For more information, call 704-224-7148 or email southernpiedmontsingers@gmail.com.