East Spencer Gospel Fest is Saturday

EAST SPENCER — The Town of East Spencer announces its pre-summer activities, including:

The second annual Gospel Fest “Praise in the Park.” a brain child of Alderman John Noble. Noble and his Gospel Lyrics as well as other local gospel groups, choirs and praise teams will perform. The event will be held at Royal Giants Park, 100 Robinson Road, on Saturday, June 20 from 2 until 7 p.m. Bring lawn chairs and tents your comfort. Free food and drink will be provided.

In addition, a free Summer Camp for East Spencer residents will run Monday through Friday, July 6 through  Aug. 7, for campers age 5 to 14.  Non-residents of East Spencer are welcome to attend for a one-time fee of $50.  This year transportation will be provided within the Town with designate stops.

Summer Camp fruns from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. with breakfast and lunch provided each day.  Summer Camp will provide life skills, water play, weekly field trips, educational adventures and more under the direction of Park Director Andrew Mitchell. Registration sign-up will be on Friday, June 26 from 6 until 9 p.m. The Town will also be providing a midnight basketball clinic and T-ball game during registration.  Registration limited to 50 campers.  Concessions will be available for a donation. For additional information, call 704-636-7111.

 

NC Transportation Museum’s Rail Day Festival is Saturday

SPENCER — The N.C. Transportation Museum’s longest running event, The Rail Day Festival, takes place all day Saturday.

The event will feature multiple train rides, a visit from the recently restored Class J 611 steam locomotive, the latest in hybrid vehicle technology, as well as  multiple forms of transportation: steam, diesel, and gas powered vehicles will be moving throughout the site.

Norfolk Southern’s Operation Lifesaver locomotive will attend the event with an important message, “See Tracks?  Think Train!” and have giveaways for kids and adults.

Other attractions and activities include the museum’s partner model railroading clubs, a powered parachute display (a 200-300 lb. flying machine that carries up to 500 lbs. of payload), a living history demonstration where Kate Wright will discussing her brothers, Orville and Wilbur, a chance to walk through James B. Duke’s private rail car, and kid’s crafts, a bouncy house, face painting, sidewalk chalk and a Trackless Train ride.

Admission is the Museum’s regular price of $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and active military, $4 children 3-12.

The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information and ticket prices for rides are available at www.nctrans.org

 

Frozen Summer Fun with Elsa

SPENCER — Join Elsa for a party on Saturday, June 20 from 10 a.m. to noon. The party includes games, crafts, singing, light refreshments and photo opportunities with Elsa. Limited registration: $10 for children, $5 adults. Call 704-762-9359 for details and registration. Held at the Spencer Doll & Toy Museum, 108 4th St., www.spencerdollandtoymuseum.com

 

Classic car cruise-in Saturday

Everyone is invited to show off their classic or antique car on Saturday from 3 p.m. until, on Saturday. Held at B&P Antiques, 502 N. Long St. Call 704-636-6004 for details.

All patriotic music and benefit concerts 

KANNAPOLIS/CONCORD — The Piedmont Choral Society, joined by community singers, will present its 12th annual series of All Patriotic Music and benefit concerts. The music presented is all patriotic, mostly familiar songs with lots of audience participation. Military service personnel, both active and veteran, and their families will be honored and recognized.

Since 2004, the group has raised almost $25,000 for local non-profits thru these concerts. This year’s beneficiary is the Cooperative Christian Ministry Crisis Center (CCM). A representative from CCM will be present at the benefit concert to discuss the various programs offered through CCM. All proceeds from the Thursday, June 25 concert will go to CCM.

The concerts are freeand oipen to the public. A free will offering will be accepted. Concert schedule is:

• 7 p.m. Thursday, June 25: Benefit Concert for CCM at Forest Hill United Methodist Church, 265 Union St. N., Concord.

• The concert will be repeated at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 26 at First Presbyterian Church, 201 Vance St., Kannapolis and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 28 at First Baptist Church, 200 Branchview Drive, Concord.

For more information, call 704-699-6053 or kayy2000@gmail.com

 

Upcoming auditions for ‘Calendar Girls’

Lee Street theatre presents A Center for Faith & the Arts’ St. Thomas Players production of “Calendar Girls.” Auditions will be held on July 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. at Lee Street theatre. Auditions consist of cold readings from the script. The show runs Sept. 17-26 at Lee Street theatre. The play calls for 9 women, ages 45 and older; 1 woman in her 20s-30s; and 4 men, ages 20s-70. For more information visit http://www.leestreet.org/auditions/

Join a Dragon Boat team for a wild ride

HIGH ROCK LAKE — The Rowan County Chamber of Commerce will hold its second annual Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, Aug. 1 from 9 a.m. to  5 p.m. at The Shrine Club on High Rock Lake (6480 Long Ferry Road).

There are spots for 30 teams and organizers anticipate a crowd of more than 1,500 attendees. The event is free to attend; however, no coolers or pets will be allowed. There will be music, food and refreshments. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets and make it a fun lake party. Dragon Boat racing dates back more than 2,300 year to a tradition from ancient China. 45-foot sleek boats adorned with dragon heads, tails and scales seat 20 paddlers. A drummer sits in the bow pounding the drum to the beat of the paddlers’ stroke, and a steersperson stands in the stern guiding the team down the race course. Teams will learn how to paddle during an introductory practice session (included in team registration fee). Each team will provide 20 paddlers; a minimum of eight must be female, and a drummer. On race day each team will race in three heats on a 350m straight course.

For more information, contact the Rowan Chamber at 704-633-4221 or info@rowanchamber.com or www.rowanchamberdragonboat.com

 

Meet the cast of ‘A Few Good Men’

Tickets for Lee Street Theatre’s upcoming performance of “A Few Good Men” go on sale July 1. Show dates are July 16 through 25. The production is directed by Craig Kolkebeck

Meet the cast • Harold Dawson: Anthony Cataldo • Louden Downey: Alex Thompson • Sam Weinburg: Tim Hager • Matthew Markinson: Doug Stauter • William Santiago: William Osborne • Nathan Jessep: Bob Paolino • Jack Ross: Matthew Monte • Jeffrey Howard: Chuck Riordan • Julius Randolph: Joe Campola • Jonathan Kendrick: Jon Planovsky • Daniel Kaffee: Justin Dionne • Joanne Galloway: Jessica Walker

 

Needed: A Few Good Uniforms

For its upcoming production of Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men,” Lee Street theatre is looking for uniforms to serve as costume pieces in this production. If you happen to have a marine or navy uniform, Lee Street theatre would love to borrow it for running of the show. Here are some of the ranks we need to dress • Marine: Private, Private First Class, Lance Corporal, Corporal, Lieutenant, Colonel, Captain • Navy: Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander, Commander, Captain • Basic Needs: Dress Blues, Dress Whites, Dress Greens and Khakis • If you have any information or questions, call  704-310-5507 or email info@leestreet.org

 

‘Heroes and Villains’ film presentation at the library

Heroes and Villains have been battling it out in film since the beginning of cinema. As part of the “Escape the Ordinary” summer reading program for adults, Rowan Public Library presents a film presentation as Will Davis, professional filmmaker and educator explores the worlds of the Good and the Dastardly on the silver screen on successive evenings. Attend one or attend the both. Davis, CEO of Small Creatures, LLC, a Charlotte-based production company is a professor of film production, history and theory at UNC Charlotte. He has produced works for Fortune 500 companies and exhibited films in galleries internationally.

This program will be offered at two library locations:

Heroes: Monday, June 22 6:30 p.m., RPL Headquarters (Salisbury)

Villains: Tuesday, June 23 6:30 p.m., South Rowan Regional (China Grove)

There is no charge, and each attendee will be entered for a chance to win a door prize. Adults participating in the Adult Summer Reading Program will also be given a special code for attending. Visit www.rowanpubliclibrary.org or call 704-216-8240 for more information.

 

Call for volunteers for CHICKWEED festival

Volunteers needed to help set up and tear down for the outdoor music festival on July 18 which benefits the Family Crisis Council’s battered women’s shelter. Volunteers will gather at 405 N. Lee St. at 9 a.m. to begin set-up. The plan is to have everything completed no later than 3 p.m. Set up includes placing 12 8-place round tables with tablecloths and centerpieces as well as 150-200 chairs.The event begins at 4 p.m. and will conclude at 11:30 that evening, after which everything must be removed from the street prior to departure. If interested, email Bonnie at bonnie.link@familycrisiscouncil.org

Appalachian Summer Festival set to begin

BOONE —  Tickets are on sale now for all Appalachian Summer Festival Events including The Beach Boys, Kacey Musgraves, Twenty Feet from Stardom’s Lisa Fischer and more. Appalachian State University’s annual summer arts attraction’s 31st season will take place June 27-July 31. The 2015 schedule brings music, dance, theatre, visuals arts and film to the High Country. The festival has been named one of the Top 20 Events in the Southeast by the Southeastern Tourism Society.

Ticket prices range from $5-$50, with several free events. To purchase, call or visit the Schaefer Center box office at 800-841-2787 or online at appsummer.org

The kickoff event is the outdoor fireworks concert on Saturday, June 27 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kidd Brewer Stadium. Other events throughout the month of July include popular music concerts, classical music programming, theatre and dance , the Weicholz Global Film Series, visual arts programming, lunch and learn lectures and workshops for kids, older teens and adults. The complete schedule can be found www.tcva.org/workshops

 

Cinema Under the Stars at Reynolda

WINSTON-SALEM — Reynolda House Museum of American Art’s 10th annual  outdoor film series Cinema Under the Stars returns Aug. 14 with the 1984 classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Gates open at 7:30 p.m. each night, and films will be shown on the front lawn at 8:30 p.m. In case of rain, films will be shown in the museum’s Babcock Auditorium. Filmgoers are encouraged to arrive early and picnic on the lawn. Admission is $5 per person or $20 per car. For more information visit reynoldahouse.org/rah

The lineup of films is: Aug. 21 ( “Up”), Aug. 28 (“Dr. Strangelove”) and Sept. 4  (“Rushmore”)

 

Robert Earl Keen coming to the Neighborhood Theatre

CHARLOTTE — Tuesday, July 21. Doors open 7 p.m.; show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $28 adv/$30 DOS. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 East 36th St., www.neighborhoodtheatre.com

 

John Cleese and Eric Idle coming to Ovens Auditorium

CHARLOTTE — Britain’s living legends of comedy, John Cleese and Eric Idle, announce their must-see new show “John Cleese & Eric Idle: Together Again at Last…For the Very First Time” is coming to Ovens Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 23. Tickets go on sale on Friday at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or at 800-745-3000. Tickets are $59.50 (plus service charges).

In “Together Again at Last…For the Very First Time,” Cleese and Idle will blend scripted and improvised bits with storytelling, musical numbers, exclusive footage, aquatic juggling and an extended audience Q&A. No two shows will be quite the same.