Arts & Entertainment events Dec. 24-31
Published 12:00 am Thursday, December 24, 2015
- Winter Fever Train Rides at the NC Transportation Museum
Take a Winter Fever Train Ride
Submitted
SPENCER — Following the N.C. Transportation Museum’s Christmas events, there is another seasonal museum tradition as we approach the new year. Special “Winter Fever Train Rides” are offered for families during the down-time between the Christmas and New Year’s festivities, ON Dec. 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, and Jan. 2.
After the hustle and bustle of shopping, family gatherings and company parties, the week between the holidays provides time to get out of the house for some family fun. “Winter Fever Train Rides” give families a great opportunity to visit the N.C. Transportation Museum, browse the wonderful exhibits, visit the museum’s Gift Station and enjoy a 25 minute train ride around this State Historic Site.
The museum’s on-site train ride provides views of the town of Spencer and the former Southern Railway repair facility, including the Roundhouse, Back Shop and the Master Mechanics Office.
The Bumper to Bumper exhibit has an incredible and unique display of classic and antique automobiles. Those vehicles include the Willys Knight, steam and electric powered cars from the innovation years of the auto industry, the 1940s era Chevy pick-up truck, Ford Model As and Ts and even a Ford Model R from 1907.
The Bob Julian Roundhouse, of course, is where the iron horses are kept. Steam and diesel locomotives and railroad passenger cars are housed in the 37-bay Roundhouse. Visitors can see the size and scope of these behemoths of yesteryear, the steel beasts that first tied the country together. Passenger cars from the segregation years and the most luxurious private rail cars are also on display.
Also in the Roundhouse, imagination takes flight with a full size replica of the Wright Brothers “Wright Flyer” alongside other aviation exhibits. The flyer is on long-term loan from the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, N.C. and gives visitors an up-close view of one of the most defining moments in transportation history.
As Southern Railways largest steam locomotive repair facility in the Southeast, much of the Spencer Shops railroad facility buildings are intact and as much a part of the visitor experience as the exhibits. The museum grounds are an important part of the region’s history, a place where 3000 skilled workers once operated around the clock to keep the nation’s passengers and goods moving from place to place.
Tickets for the museum’s “Winter Fever Train Rides” can be purchased at the Barber Junction Visitor’s Center at the N.C. Transportation Museum on each event day. Winter Fever Train Rides are offered Dec. 26-27, 29-31, and Jan. 2. Rides Sunday, Dec. 27 take place at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m., while all other days feature rides at 11 a.m., 1, 2 and 3 p.m.
For more information call 704-636-2889, 877-NCTMFUN or visit www.nctrans.org
New Year’s Eve Tomato Drop in Woodleaf
CLEVELAND — New Year’s Eve Countdown to Midnight with the Tomato Drop: Woodleaf’s Rocking New Year celebration! The doors will open at 9 p.m. Evening entertainment will include live music and variety show entertainment. There is no admission charge and parking is free for this family-friendly event. There will aslo be free refreshments. The giant 10-foot diameter tomato will begin it 75 foot descent as we countdown to midnight. The event will be held at Unity Presbyterian Church, 885 Woodleaf Barber Road, Cleveland. For more information, call 704-278-4248 or email woodleaftomatofestival@yahoo.com
New Year’s Eve Celebration at the Bell Tower
8 p.m.-midnight Dec. 31: Annual downtown Salisbury tradition includes a large projection screen displaying the dropping of the Ball in Time Square in New York City. In partnership with the Salisbury Parks & Recreation Department.
GRANITE QUARRY — The Rowan Museum is sponsoring its 31st annual German Christmas Celebration at the Old Stone House (1766) at 770 Stone House Road on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 2 and 3, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The house is closed November through March, but will open for the holiday celebration the weekend just following Christmas. The Old Stone House will be decorated as it would have been during pre-Revolutionary days — very simply with natural greenery, dried flowers, herbs, fruits and berries.
Tours of the historic house and the enhancement of a colonial family’s Christmas celebration in Rowan County will highlight the weekend. Guides in period costumes will be on site, and guests will enjoy learning about customs and participating in crafts, musket firing, woodworking (benches, bowls and spoons), weaving, candle making, open fire cooking with lots of samples, music, children’s games, goats and chickens and much more. New to the event his year will be a weekend encampment of the First Regiment of the Mecklenburg Militia/Hopewell Company.
Holly sprigs will be available for all to toss into the fire to burn their troubles away for the year, looking forward to a new year.
Admission to the celebration is $5 for adults and $3 for students. For more information, call the Rowan Museum at 704-633-5946, or email rowanmuseum@fibrant.com
The house is located one half mile down Old Stone House Road off Highway 52 in Granite Quarry in eastern Rowan County, just several miles off I-85.
Kwanzaa Celebration
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6-8 p.m. Dec. 26 at City Park Recreation Center. Honor African-American culture and tradition during our Kwanzaa Celebration — a time for celebration of the good … the good life and of existence itself … the good of family, community and culture … the good of the awesome and the ordinary … in other words, a celebration of the good in all its manifestations on the Earth. This gathering will offer family fun, entertainment, refreshments, door prizes and an African market.See www.salisburync.gov/PLAY for details or call 704-638-5291. Annual Kwanzaa Celebration
Details from the program • First day of Kwanzaa Umoja (Unity) • Musical Selections by community talent • Explanation of Kwanzaa celebration by Eleanor Qadirah, community program coordinator • The Seven Principles Audience or Student Participant • Explanations of symbols • Lighting of the candles • Entertainment program by April Turner, Life as Art Production • Hosted by Rowan Blues and Jazz Society in Collaboration with Community Participants, and sponsored by Salisbury Parks and Recreation in part by a grant from the NC Arts Council.
Get your tickets for DSI’s Wine About Winter
From 5 -9 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, tour the wines of Rowan County and beyond right here in Downtown Salisbury during our third annual Wine About Winter tasting crawl. Enjoy this event as night out with your pals or make it a date night. Tickets are a great gift for all the wine lovers on your list this holiday season. Tickets are $20 per person in advance, processing fees and tax not included, and $30 on event day, if not sold out.
Wine About Winter tickets include: • one souvenir wine glass • one WineYoke lanyard holder • walking map • wristband. For details on age restrictions and will-call info, visit https://downtownsalisburync.com/
PPT announces youth theatre workshop and auditions for Shakespearean comedy
Youth Theatre Audition Workshop Saturday, Jan. 2 from 9 a.m.- noon. This workshop will focus on preparing students to audition for a comedy, specifically geared toward PPT’s upcoming production of “Taming Of The Shrew.” Skills developed will be in acting and auditioning techniques. If your child has ever wanted to audition but just didn’t know how, has auditioned many times and just can’t seem to get that role, or just wants to fine tune their audition skills, this workshop is for you. • Instructor: Edward Whitney • Location: Norvell Theater, 135 E. Fisher St. • Ages: Elementary-high school • Cost: $40 • Only 25 spots available. Call 704-633-5471 to sign up• Show dates: Feb. 17-27, 2016
Youth auditions for ‘Taming Of The Shrew’ Monday, Jan. 4 and Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 4 and 5 p.m. at the Norvell Theater. Only 25 spots per time slot. Auditions by appointment only. To sign up call 704-633-5471
UNC-CH women’s and men’s glee clubs to perform in Mocksville
MOCKSVILLE — Mocksville natives Kacy Yount, daughter of David and Janell Yount, and Savannah Taylor, daughter of Joe and Janet Taylor, will sing in a performance of the Women’s and Men’s Glee Clubs from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The concert of choral music will be hosted by Oak Grove United Methodist Church on Tuesday, Jan. 5. The concert will be held in the church sanctuary beginning at 7 p.m. There will be no admission charge but a free will offering will be taken to support the Glee Clubs’ tour.
The Glee Clubs, conducted by Dr. Sue T. Klausmeyer and Dr. Daniel M. Huff, are among the oldest organizations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and include thousands of alumni as past members. The poetry for the familiar “Hark the Sound,” UNC-Chapel Hill’s well-known alma mater, was written by William Myers, a second tenor from the group and was first performed by the Glee Club in 1897.
Members of the two groups are chosen through audition and represent many states in the East and Southeast United States and a plethora of college majors.
In addition to this tour, the groups perform several times yearly on campus, including two formal concerts, collaborations with other choirs, and performances at local churches and retirement communities. Their 2016 repertoire includes sacred and secular choral works of all periods as well as pop songs, musical theater pieces, ethnic music, spirituals, and a premiere performance of a new work by Men’s Glee Club member Garth Molyneux.
In January the Men’s Glee Club will host its annual All Carolina Invitational Male Choral Festival, while in February the Women’s Glee Club will host the Carolina Women’s Choral Showcase: Making Music, Making a Difference, featuring high school women’s choirs.
For more information, the local contact is Pastor Sam Lewis of Oak Grove UMC, 336-751-2453 or slewis@wnccumc.net
Senior Services Available at the Center
The Salisbury-Rowan Chapter of AARP will meet Thursday, Jan. 7, at 1 p.m. at Rufty-Holmes Senior Center, 1120 S. MLK Jr. Ave. Steve Simpson, information and assistance director, will speak on the Senior Services Available at the Senior Center.” There will also be installation of officers and refreshments. Free. Seniors 50+ are welcome. For information call 704-216-7714.
Chatham County Line plays LIVE at Lee Street
The LIVE at Lee Street concert series presents Chatham County Line on Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Entering their second decade together, Chatham County Line brings reverence for traditional American music and bluegrass instrumentation to songs that are contemporary, yet rich with southern heritage. Throughout six albums and performances around the world, they have pursued a style entirely their own, yet connects with audiences from all walks. The concert is Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Lee Street theatre and Performing Arts Center, 329 N. Lee St. The doors will open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25+tax and available at www.leestreet.org or by calling 704-310-5507.
Calling all artists
CONCORD — The Spring into Arts Festival committee is currently accepting applications for the 2016 festivalto take place Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Downtown Concord and attracts artists from across the region. The centerpiece of the festival is a juried art show with artists spanning a wide variety of mediums including jewelry, ceramics, wood, painting, photography, glass and textiles. The first deadline for applications is Jan. 31 with an $85 application fee. Afterward the application fee is $110. A jury selects artists for the festival based on their applications. Any artist who is not selected receives a full refund. Applications are available at www. concorddowntown.com or 704-784-4208. For more information email info@concorddowntown.com
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