The Piedmont Choral Society, plus community singers, will present its 10th annual patriotic and benefit concerts next week.
The concerts are free, and the music is all patriotic. All active and retired service personnel and their families will be honored, along with a special musical tribute to WWII.
The concerts schedule is as follows:
— 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27 at Forest Hill UMC, 265 Union St. N, Concord
— 7 p.m. Friday, June 28 at Central UMC, 30 Union St. N
— 3 p.m. Sunday, June 30 at First Presbyterian Church, 201 Vance St., Kannapolis.
Thursday’s concert will be a benefit for CVAN, a local domestic violence program. Representatives from the organization will speak, and there will be a reception following the concert.
For more information, contact 704-699-6053 or kayy2000@gmail.com

CONCORD — Old Courthouse Youth Theatre announces opening night of “Grease: School Edition” on Friday.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and June 29. There will be matinee shows at 2:30 p.m. Sunday and June 30.
The story revolves around teenagers Danny Zuko and Sandy Dumbrowski in the fictional Rydell High School in 1959 Chicago.
After a summer romance, Danny and Sandy meet up with each other at school.
The story follows each of them trying to fit in to the other’s world while struggling with other everyday issues that happen to all high school students at one point or another.
Tickets are $10 general seating and are available by phone by calling 704-788-2405 or online at www.oldcourthousetheatre.org
Old Courthouse Theatre is located at 49 Spring St., NW, Concord.

CONCORD — Old Courthouse Theatre announces auditions for “Hello, Dolly.”
Music and lyrics are by Jerry Herman, based on the “The Matchmaker” by Thornton Wilder.
Auditions are from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 28 and 29. Registration is from 7 to 8 p.m. Callbacks are July 30.
Prepare 32 bars of a song of your choice, with sheet music or a capella. Sides from the script will be available to look before the audition and actors will be asked to read based on their singing audition. There will be a brief movement combination taught twice during the evening. Wear clothes and shoes you are comfortable moving in.
Visit www.oldcourthousetheatre.org for a list of character descriptions.

St. Thomas Players will present Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia,” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
The performances will be held at the Florence Busby Corriher Theatre on the campus of Catawba College.
Tickets are $15.

Reservations can be made by calling 704-647-0999 or buy online at www.faithart.org/stthomasplayers/upcoming.html.

The Salisbury Ghost Walk will host a walking tour at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Join “Boo” and the gang for a walk around down town Salisbury to hear stories of people from days-gone-by who still come home for a friendly visit.
Be sure to bring your camera, smart phone and a flashlight because some of the tales will come to life via present day hauntings.
In 2010 this walk received a tourism award from the Governor’s Office.
Cost is $5 for students and $10 for adults.
Reservations are recommended by emailing boo@salisburyghostwalk.com or call 704-798-3102.

FAITH — The 67th annual Faith Fourth of July week kicks off at 6 p.m. Thursday, June 27 with Food Lion $5 armband night.
The festivities continue through Thursday, July 4 with the parade at 10 a.m. and fireworks that evening at 10:30 p.m.
Every night in between, there will be entertainment and events, including rides on the midway, food, booths, live bands, the Faith Idol competition, patriotic ceremonies and more.
For more information, see the special Faith Fourth 12-page section that will be in Sunday’s Salisbury Post, June 23.

RALEIGH — July marks the 150th anniversary of the largest and bloodiest battle of the American Civil War: the Battle of Gettysburg.
Called the “high tide” of the Confederacy, the clash in Pennsylvania raged from July 1 to 3, 1863.
Commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Gettysburg at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh.
Watch the movie “Gettysburg,” starring Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen and Jeff Daniels from 12:30 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 7.
The four-hour movie will include intermissions.
The 1993 film will be followed by a Q&A session led by Dean Harry, a licensed battlefield guide from Gettysburg National Military Park.
Admission and weekend parking are free.
For more information about the museum, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org or Facebook.

The Kannapolis Summer Entertainment Series, including concerts, movies, stories, lunchtime events and more, is in full swing.
• Concerts at Village Park, 700 West C St., most concerts begin at 7 p.m. Saturdays
Tuesday, July 2: Charlotte Symphony with fireworks
July 13: Darrell Harwood & Gal Friday Band
July 27: Jim Quick & Coastline

Aug. 10: A1A with fireworks
• Movies in the Park Kannapolis— Village Park, 700 West C St., movies start approximately at 8:45 p.m. Fridays
June 21: The Lorax (PG)

July 5: Madagascar 3 (PG)
July 19: Back to the Future (PG)
Aug. 2: Hotel Transylvania (PG)
Aug. 16: E.T. The Extraterrestrial (PG)
• Stories Under the Stars

7 p.m. Saturdays at Kannapolis Branch Library, 850 Mountain St.
June 22: Bright Star Children’s Theater – Performance of The Secret Garden
Aug. 17: Dancing Stories – Traditional African dances, stories performed by April Turner
Sept. 21: Poetry Alive

• Thursdays on Main – Lunchtime series, Veterans Park, corner of N. Main and East First St., 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursdays
June 20: The Raisin’ Cain Band

June 27: Corey Hunt Band
• Thursdays on Main NEW evening series
Veterans Park; Corner of N. Main and East First St., 6-9 p.m. Thursdays
July 11: Coconut Groove Band

Aug. 8: Fantastic Shakers
• Other summer event live arts performances, VillagePark, 700 West C St.
Saturday, July 20, 7 p.m.: Ballet performance by Piedmont Dance Theater.

Moondance Orchestra will play Friday at the Looking Glass Artists Center’s black box theater.
The band performs a mix of popular favorites from smooth Frank Sinatra and Michael Buble ballads to the high-energy arrangements of Chicago and Blood Sweat &Tears.
Vocalist Lonnie Carpenter is backed by a 10-piece ensemble made up of local musicians.
Doors for the show open at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $10 at the door.

BLOWING ROCK — July Fourth is an extra special time at Tweetsie as the park celebrates its own anniversary.
Tweetsie Railroad opened on July 4, 1957 with a one-mile ride that took guests to a picnic area and then backed up into the Tweetsie train station.
This year, at 9:30 p.m. July 4, a dazzling pyrotechnic display of more than 200 large-caliber mortar shells will light up the Blue Ridge Mountains surrounding Tweetsie Railroad.
The show can be easily viewed from Tweetsie’s parking area.
The park will stay open until 9 p.m. in honor of the holiday.
Parking for the fireworks extravaganza is $5 per vehicle, but Golden Rail Season Pass holders park for free.
In the event of severe inclement weather, the fireworks will be rescheduled for July 5.
Guests that want an up close and personal view can watch the show from a premium viewing area in the Hacienda, complete with a buffet dinner with all the trimmings. Visit Tweetsie.com for pricing.
Tweetsie Railroad is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains on U.S. Highway 321 between Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina. For more information, visit Tweetsie.com or call 877-TWEETSIE.
Going ‘Beneath the Surface’: Weekly programs and prizes for reading. Report reading hours, write book and audio book reviews, complete activity sheets, and attend programs for a chance to bid on prizes. Download forms at www.rowanpubliclibrary.org or pick them up at your closest branch.
June 18 to Aug. 1 from 3:30-5 p.m. Tuesdays at Headquarters, Wednesdays at East Branch, Thursdays at South Rowan Regional
Inside Out: June 25 to 27: Crafts from the inside out
Game Show Challenge: July 2 to 5: How much do you know about bugs, mummies, and all things housed “Beneath the Surface”? Due to July 4th holiday on Thursday, program will be held Friday, July 5
Scratch the Surface: July 16 to 18: Scratch crafts and more!
Beneath Your Feet: July 23 – 25: Underground cities and tunnels
Masked Ball & Prize Raffles: Aug. 1: End of summer celebration at South Rowan Regional for all participants
‘Dig Into Reading’: A fun-filled summer of exciting programs and great reads. Register at any library location for children age 12 months to rising fifth-graders. Weekly programs run through Aug. 1, with prizes for every 5, 10, 15 and 20 hours read.
Tiny Treasures: 12- to 24-month-olds; Mondays 10 a.m. at East Branch; Wednesdays 10 a.m. at Headquarters; Thursdays 10:30 a.m. at South Rowan Regional; each program lasts about 30 minutes and runs for four weeks.
Little Diggers: 2-year-olds; Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. East Branch; Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. at South Rowan Regional; Thursdays 10:30 a.m. at Headquarters; each program lasts about 30 minutes and runs for four weeks.
Fossil Finders: 3- to 5-year-olds; Mondays 10:30 a.m. at South Rowan Regional; Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. at Headquarters, Thursdays 10:30 a.m. at East Branch; each program lasts 30-45 minutes and runs for seven weeks.
Paleontologists: Rising first- through fifth-graders; Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. at South Rowan Regional; Wednesdays 10:30 a.m. at East Branch; Wednesdays 2 p.m. at Headquarters; Thursdays 10:30 a.m. at Cleveland Town Hall; programs last about 45 minutes and runs for seven weeks.
June 24-27: Captain Jim, Magical Pirate.
July 1-5: Ro and Mo, Stories, Songs and Silliness; Due to the 4th of July Holiday on Thursday, program will be held Friday July 5
July 8-11: Flows Circus, Variety Show.
July 15-18: Dapper Dion, Stories and Songs.
July 22-25: Discovery Place Science Reach, A Matter of Science.
July 29-Aug. 1: Blue Moon Puppets, Pea Pickin’ Tales.
Programs are also available for camps and daycares. For more information, check the library website at www.rowanpubliclibrary.org or call your closest RPL location — Headquarters, 704-216-8234; South Rowan Regional, 704-216-7728; East Branch, 704-216-7842.