KANNAPOLIS — Bring the whole family to enjoy Piedmont Dance Theatre’s presentation of the favorite classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Village Park Amphitheater.
Piedmont Dance will be bringing to life a much loved story in a fresh and different way, fun and entertaining for people of all ages, adding comedic touches to this production. The cast is made up of a blend of professional and student artists.
There is no cost and no tickets are required. Bring blankets or lawn chairs and a picnic if desired. In case of rain, the performance will be moved to the first floor of 163 West B. St.
The performance is sponsored by Kannapolis Parks and Recreation as part of their 2013 Summer Entertainment Series.
GOLD HILL — Morgan Ridge Vineyards will host a day of music Saturday.
Sue McHugh will entertain from 1 to 4 p.m. and Stella and The Boys take the stage from 4 to 8 p.m.
There will be a the Slide By Saturday lunch buffet from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Cost is $15 and an RSVP is required.
Food will also be available at the pavilion from 4 to 6 p.m.
Blankets and lawn chairs permitted, coolers and pets are prohibited. There is no cover charge.
For more details, visit morganridgevineyards.com. Call 704-639-0911 to RSVP.
Visitors are welcome at the Carolina Artists meeting at Rufty Holmes at 7 p.m. today.
Frances Driscoll, former art teacher at North Rowan High School, will demonstrate how even beginners can learn to draw realistic faces.
Bring a pencil and enjoy.
CHINA GROVE — The annual summer festival in China Grove kicks off Friday.
Streets will begin closing at 6 p.m. when Singing in the Park at Hannah Park starts. The Edwards Family is featured until 8 p.m. when Atlantic Groove will takes the stage until 10 p.m.
The festival will kick off with an opening ceremony is on the Main Stage at 9 a.m. Saturday. The rest of the day is filled with free entertainment that includes the Elevation Cheer Company, Lindsay Nicole, The Edwards Family, The Nostalgia Band, the Y Service Club raffle drawing, Center Stage Dance Company and Darrell Harwood and the Cool Water Band.
Big Bang Boom, the Little Mr. & Miss Farmers Day Contests, Southern Style Cloggers and Miss Rowan County pageant contestants will be on the stage at Hannah Park stage throughout the day.
Burns & Co. Magic and Ventriloquism and a hula hoop contest will take place on the children’s stage.
The street dance is at 7 p.m. and fireworks conclude the day at 10 p.m.
Find more detail in the China Grove Farmer’s Day special section in Wednesday’s Post.
Artist Patt Legg is now accepting students, at least 16 years old, for an upcoming oil painting class at the beginner/intermediate level.
Class will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. each Tuesday beginning Aug. 6. Advance payment is asked for first three classes at a reduced price of $90, and payment thereafter will be $40 per class, pay as you go.
The basic techniques of the Old Masters will be taught, which is layered/drying between layers. Students will be painting a still life set up prior to arrival. Easels will be supplied.
Legg plans to touch upon how to set up a still life, a little history about the Classical way, basic palette colors, proper brush cleaning and how simplify your drawing.
This is a casual setting in the studio at Rail Walk Studios on Lee St. The class will proceed with two but no more than three students. Call 704-762-9647 or 704-232-6000 for class fees and material list.
For more information, visit pattlegg.com.

SPENCER — Actual treasures from the shipwreck of Blackbeard the Pirate are traveling the state and the N.C. Transportation Museum will host this exhibit for six weeks.
“Blackbeard’s Queen’s Anne’s Revenge: 1718” will be available to all visitors with regular museum admission tickets starting Friday, with a ribbon-cutting and kids’ events planned for Saturdays, July 20 and 27.
The Queen Anne’s Revenge ran aground near Beaufort in 1718. It is only in the past few years that these artifacts have been raised from the depths of the ocean and are now traveling the state, on loan from the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort.
See artifacts that represent weaponry, nautical tools and personal items; ranging from what one would expect on a pirate ship ( cannonballs, lead shot, gun flint, spikes and grinding stones) to items from normal life in the 19th century (dinner plates, a pipe stem and bowl, thumb screws and cask hoops).
The exhibit will be at the N.C. Transportation Museum through Aug. 31.
For more information, call 704-636-2889 or visit nctrans.org
Children and teens are not the only ones participating in Summer Reading at Rowan Public Library.
This summer, the library is asking people to catch their pets in the act of reading. Just pick out a book, pose your pet (or favorite toy pet), and snap away.
Submissions so far have included everything from a dog reading a cookbook to a cat checking out new haircuts in a magazine; a turtle learning about the art of success to a pot belly pig reading to her owner.
Visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org and click on “Well-Read Pets” icon at the bottom of the homepage to view all of the submissions received so far or to submit your own.
Photos will be collected through Aug. 31 and will be posted on the library’s Facebook page, website and in the monthly e-newsletter, as well as being on display at headquarters in Salisbury.
Feel free to submit online, by e-mail to april.everett@rowancountync.gov, or in-person at any branch.

The deadline to submit applications for the Rowan Art Council’s 2013-2014 Grassroots Grants is Aug. 16.
Since 1977, the NC Arts Council’s Grassroots Arts Program provides funding for the arts in all 100 counties of the state through partnerships with local arts councils. Rowan Arts Council serves as the NC Arts Council’s partner in awarding sub grants to local organizations for arts programs in Rowan County.
Applications are available for non-profit organizations whose purpose is to promote and develop diverse cultural arts programming in Rowan County. Funding priority is given to qualified arts organizations, arts in education programs conducted by qualified artists and other community organizations that provide arts programs in the county.
Projects must occur between July 1, 2013 and May 15, 2014.
Application forms and grant guidelines are available at ncarts.org/grants_resources.cfm
The Rowan Arts Council will also mail applications and guidelines upon request. Applications must be received no later than 5 p.m. Aug. 16.
For questions or more information, call the Rowan Arts Council at 704-638-3029 or email visitorinfo@visitsalisburync.com

ALBEMARALE — When the Uwharrie Players raise the curtain for the opening of their summer production of “Big River” on July 26, the show will have a Rowan County connection.
Both the director and the music director have strong ties to the Salisbury-Rowan area.
Director and choreographer Caroline Stephenson is an adjunct instructor for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. She also has her own studio in downtown Salisbury called “Music with Caroline,” where she teaches piano and voice. Stephenson shares this studio with her artist husband, Mark Stephenson, who is a designer and builder of the set for “Big River”.
The music director for “Big River” is John Stafford, who earned his bachelor’s degree in music at Catawba College. He has also worked with several theatrical productions at Catawba over the years. Stafford has also performed with the Salisbury Symphony, and was once the featured pianist in the symphony’s tribute concert to Duke Ellington.
Cast member Nick Culp has the lead role of Huckleberry Finn. Culp was Sir Robin in last spring’s Piedmont Players’ production of “Spamalot.” Marvin King is playing Jim the runaway slave. King appeared in the Piedmont Players’ “Color Purple” and “Spamalot.”
Salisbury resident Hannah-Claire Fuller also appears in the “Big River” cast, playing several different roles.
“Big River” is based on Mark Twain’s classic novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”
Country music legend Roger Miller wrote the music and lyrics. It opened on Broadway in 1985 and became an immediate hit. It also won several Tony Awards that season, including Best New Musical.
The Uwharrie Players’ presentation of “Big River” will run July 26-28, and again the following weekend on Aug. 2-4 at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center, Hwy. 24/27 one mile west of Albemarle.
Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., and the Sunday matinees begin at 3 p.m.
For more information on “Big River” or the Uwharrie Players, visit www.uwharrieplayers.org or call 704-983-1020.
CHARLOTTE — Blumenthal Performing Arts will host Charlotte’s first National Dance Day celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 27 in Bank of America’s Founders Hall, 100 N Tryon St.
This event is free and open to everyone.
National Dance Day is all about having fun and getting some great exercise. Dance instructors will be on site to help teach the two National Dance Day routines to attendees, as well as three other large group numbers.
To learn more, visit BlumenthalArts.org where a link to the official National Dance Day instructional videos and music tracks are available.
For more information, call 704-348-5770.