GOLD HILL — Paris native Jean Luc Leroux will perform at Morgan Ridge Vineyard, 486 John Morgan Road, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday during “Wine Down Friday.”
Leroux tours the United States twice a year, performing in venues across Tennessee and North Carolina. He recently spent two weeks recording his latest CD in Nashville.
He will perform alongside Tom Isenhower, Randy Mauldin and band manager Vivian Hopkins.
The band performs a mix of standard bluegrass favorites and original French ballads with South Pacific Island influences inspired by life and world travels from his home in Caledonia, off the coast of New Zealand and Australia.
For reservations, visit morganridgevineyard.com/wine-down-dinner-july-26th.html
Call Morgan Ridge Vineyard at 704-639-0911 for more information about wine tastings and “Wine Down Friday”events.
For more information about the music tour, call Vivian Hopkins at 704-267-9439.

KANNAPOLIS — As part of its summer entertainment series of concerts at Village Park, the city of Kannapolis presents Jim Quick and his Coastline band live in concert at 7 p.m. Saturday.
The event is free and is being held at Village North stage, 700 West C St. in downtown Kannapolis.
Visit cityofkannapolis.com for more information.
GOLD HILL — The Historic Gold Hill’s Merchants’ Association asks, “Are you afraid of things that go bump in the night?”
Re-live the past through the stories of the spirits who still walk the streets of Gold Hill at night to be seen only by those with inquiring minds and perceptive vision.
Visit with the ghosts of the miners who still wander the tunnels of the mines and hear the tragic love story of Elizabeth Moyle and her beloved Aaron Klein.
The Village Ghost Walk will start at 8 p.m. Saturday. Guided walks are $5 and children under the age of 6 years old can participate for free. Registration begins at the Arbor, behind the bakery in the village, at 7:30 p.m.
There will be directional signs in the Village at 840 St. Stephen’s Church Road.

Piedmont Players’ Theatres’ production of “The Nerd” opens at 7:30 p.m. today.
Join the cast for a complimentary reception on the third floor of the Meroney Theater, 213 S. Main St., immediately following the performance.
Value night is Wednesday, July 31 when all tickets are $10.
For details about other performances and ticket prices, call 704-633-5471 or visit PiedmontPlayers.com
CHARLOTTE/DAVIDSON — From the Top with host Christopher O’Riley, the NPR radio program showcasing America’s best young classical musicians, is seeking local talent for its live show recording on Saturday, Nov. 23, in the McGee Theatre at Wingate University.
Young classical musicians, ages 8 to 18 years old who have not graduated from high school, may submit audition entries to appear on From the Top.
Solo performers on all instruments, composers and vocalists, as well as instrumental or vocal ensembles are all welcome.
In addition to seeking talent for its upcoming live concert at Wingate University, the program seeks young musicians for other concerts that are part of its national tour.
This weekly hour-long radio program is heard on WDAV 89.9 FM at 5 p.m. Sundays as well as on more than 200 other stations nationwide.
The Charlotte-area show will be presented by the Batte Fine Arts Center as part of its 2013-14 season.
From the Top’s variety show format features serious musical performances and lively interviews with some of the country’s best pre-collegiate performers.
This unique blend of music, talk and humor draws nearly 700,000 loyal listeners each week.
After every live concert recording, performers are invited to share their music, experiences, and related passions with their peers in schools and/or a variety of community settings through From the Top’s Arts Leadership program.
Of the more than 100 musicians chosen to appear on the radio program every year, approximately 20 will receive Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Awards to help further their musical education. These up to $10,000 scholarships are given to deserving young classical musicians between the ages of 8 and 18 years old who have high levels of artistic achievement, demonstrated financial need and a solid academic record.
Application and scholarship information is available online at fromthetop.org . Applications and recorded auditions are accepted continuously and on a rolling admissions basis. Audition tapes for the Wingate show should be submitted as soon as possible.

HIGH POINT — Tickets for the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival’s September production of “Macbeth” and its annual production of “A Christmas Carol” are now on sale.
As part of its 36th season, NCShakes will present Shakespeare’s fast-paced, action-packed tragedy “Macbeth” at the High Point Theatre Sept. 6-29. The Sunday, Sept. 22, performance will be signed for the hearing impaired.
For most public performances, tickets range from $15 to $30 with discounts for students and seniors.
The performance on Saturday, Sept. 28, is a community show, which means tickets are $10 to $15 in advance or “pay what you can” at the door beginning one hour before curtain.
NCShakes’ 36th anniversary production of “A Christmas Carol” runs Dec. 4-22 at the High Point Theatre.
Regular individual tickets are $15-32, with discounts for students and seniors.
Tickets for preview performances Dec. 5-8 and Dec. 12 are $12 for all seats.
Three community performances will take place, with $15 advance tickets, or “pay what you can” one hour before curtain. The Sunday, Dec. 15, performance will be signed for the hearing impaired.
Tickets may be purchased through the High Point Theatre Box Office by calling 336-887-3001 or visiting www.highpointtheatre.com. Box Office hours are noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
To learn more about the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival, call 336-841-2273 or visit www.NCShakes.org

Acid FM, a psychedelic hard rock act, will be performing at the Looking Glass Artists Center’s black box theater, 405 N. Lee St., Saturday.
The band is made up of Doc Obergefell, bass; Sparky Simmons, vocals and guitar; and Jeremiah Johnson on drums.
Admission is $5 at the door.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the show starts at 9 p.m.
For more information about the group, see reverbnation.com/AcidFM and find the event on Facebook.
To contact the theater, call 704-633-2787 or visit www.salisburyartists.com.
The final set of performances for St. Thomas Players’ “Circle Mirror Transformation” will be held this week.
Remaining shows will be at 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday at the Florence Busby Corriher Theatre on the campus of Catawba College.
Tickets to the show are $15 and available online at stthomasplayers.org.
For more information, call the Center for Faith & the Arts at 704-647-0999.

SPENCER —The N.C. Transportation Museum will host a Family Pirate Day on Saturday.
Those dressed as pirates will receive reduced admission.
Adults tickets will be $10, while children can get in for $5, which includes the Pirate Train Ride.
Volunteers will be dressed as pirates, handing out plastic coins and conscripting visitors into the pirate crew.
Prizes will also be given for the best pirate costume, awarded in a competition at 1:30 p.m. during the museum’s “Pirate Plank Walk” along the Roundhouse turntable.
A special map will be given to all those attending with a special prize at the end of a museum-wide treasure hunt for children.
The day is in conjunction with the special exhibit called Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge: 1718.
The exhibit combines real artifacts from Blackbeard the Pirate’s flagship vessel with panels, touch screen kiosks and kids’ interactive materials to create a traveling exhibit that will appear at many N.C. Historic Sites.
Visitors to museum can see the story for themselves, with four display cases featuring such items as cannon balls, gun flints, spikes and grinding stones, thumb screws and cask hoops.
Interactive kids’ exhibits include flag raising and lowering, a dressing area where kids can adopt the pirate look and a photo area for families to take pirate pictures.
The exhibit will be at the museum through Aug. 31.
Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge: 1718 is available to all visitors with museum admission.
Regular admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and active military and $4 for children 3-12.
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Two big musical events next weekend will benefit the Rowan Blues and Jazz Society’s fundraising efforts for the annual blues and jazz festival Oct. 19.
Beverly “Guitar” Watkins makes a special guest appearance at the Looking Glass Artists Center’s black box theater Aug. 2.
In her own words, “my style is real Lightnin’ Hopkins lowdown blues. I call it hard classic blues, stompin’ blues, railroad smokin’ blues.”
If you’ve never seen a blues lady who can play her guitar behind her head, belt out songs and roll over to sweet gospel, you’ve never been in the house when Beverly “Guitar” Watkins was on stage.
The concert is from 8 to 11 p.m., and the cost is $10 at the door.
Experience Dancing with the Stars featuring Salisbury’s best R&B band, Divided By Four, Aug. 3.
The music goes from 9 to 11:30 p.m. and there will be food and festive drinks. Admission is $8 at the door.
For more information about this musical weekend, call 704-636-2811.
The theater is located at 405 N. Lee St.