PINEPITCH
PinePitch July 2025
Everything is Just Peachy
It’s Peach Week and time to stake out a spot on the lawn to enjoy PeachGrass Summer, an evening of bluegrass and folk music sponsored by the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. The evening opens with Ice Cream for Breakfast, followed by North Carolina native Cooper Morona and the main event: The Red Clay Ramblers with Bland Simpson. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, picnic baskets and settle in. Food trucks, beer, wine and special peach desserts will be on hand. For additional info go to www.weymouthcenter.org.
Book It
Jump on an online conversation between Mike Ayers, author of Sharing in the Groove, and Kimberly Daniels Taws from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23. Filled with anecdotes and stories directly from the musicians, promoters, managers, roadies, et al., Sharing in the Groove is the oral history behind the rise of Phish, Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic, Blues Traveler and other bands that helped define the 1990s music scene. Then, on Monday, July 28, The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, welcomes Karen White to discuss her book The Last Carolina Summer, a tale of sisterhood and secrets set in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Registration for both events is through www.ticketmesandhills.com.
A Cool, Cool Summer
Judson Theatre’s Summer Festival kicks off July 11 in BPAC’s intimate black box theater with I Do! I Do!, a musical with book and lyrics by Tom Jones and music by Harvey Schmidt. Based on Jan de Hartog’s play The Fourposter, I Do! I Do! is the story of the ups and downs of Agnes and Michael over 50 years of marriage. The 10 performances run July 11-13 and July 17-20. It’s followed by 10 performances of Dear Jack, Dear Louise, beginning Aug. 1-3 and finishing Aug. 7-10. Dear Jack, Dear Louise, by Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig, is the true story of the courtship of Ludwig’s parents, two strangers — a military doctor in Oregon and an aspiring actress in New York City — who meet by letter during World War II and dream of being together though the war keeps them apart. For the first time Judson Theatre will offer reserved seating in the McPherson Theater at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Afternoon matinees of both plays feature talk-back sessions with the actors. Tickets begin at $34, excluding fees, and can be purchased at www.ticketmesandhills.com.
Oh, Say Can You See
America’s birthday celebration, Pinehurst style, begins on Thursday, July 3, with a free concert featuring the music of The Ray Band and a fireworks display featuring all kinds of ooohs and aaahs. There will be kids’ activities with food trucks and beverages on hand to keep the energy levels up. Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. Then, on the Fourth of July, the Pinehurst Independence Day Parade begins at 9:45 a.m. with the pet parade followed by the real deal through the streets of the village. Grab a spot at Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green Road W., Pinehurst.
Need more info? Go to www.vopnc.org.
Seeing Stars
Teens ages 13 to 16 can visit the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill from 1 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. The outing is sponsored by Southern Pines Parks and Rec and includes dinner at Raising Cane’s in Chapel Hill following the tour. Buses depart from the Recreation Center at Memorial Park, 160 Memorial Park Court, Southern Pines. Cost is $29 for residents and $40 for non-residents. For more information call (910) 692-7376.
Into the Great Wide Open
Join Somewhat Petty, the Asheville-based tribute band that plays the hits of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (and a Traveling Wilbury or two), on Saturday, July 19, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., on the stage of the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Made up of of six musicians, the band has appeared in venues across the Carolinas including The Orange Peel, the Diana Wortham Theatre, the Grey Eagle Music Hall and Pub, The Ramkat and the Radio Room. Tickets start at $25 for general admission. For information go to www.sunrisetheater.com or call (910) 692-3611.
First Friday Welcomes August
It’s August 1. It’s Friday. It’s toasty everywhere. So might as well let The Jonathan Robinson Band turn up the heat from 5 p.m. to 9 .m. with their bluesy, country, Southern rock sound on the First Bank stage next to the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. All y’all know the drill. There will be tasty bites and cold brews for purchase, but Cujo needs to stay at home in the AC. For additional information go to www.sunrisetheater.com.
Drive for Dough, Too
Habitat for Humanity of the N.C. Sandhills will host its Women Build golf tournament Drive It Home! on Monday, July 14, at Forest Creek Golf Club, 100 Meyer Farm Drive, Pinehurst. All proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity. Both men and women are invited to play in the 9 a.m. shotgun, best ball event. The cost is $250 per person, including a bit of a nosh before and after. Be quick, deadline is July 1. For more information go to www.sandhillshabitat.org.
On the Downbeat
Ben Chapman, a Lafayette, Georgia, native who calls Nashville home, brings The Downbeat Tour, named for his recently released album, to the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, on Saturday, July 26, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. General admission begins at $25. In Downbeat, Chapman is at his most confident in his musical style, a “Southern-funk jam-band country thing.” Artists like Flatland Cavalry, Shelby Lynne, Muscadine Bloodline and The Steel Woods have cut his compositions, but now Chapman is focused on his own performances. For more information go to www.sunrisetheater.com or call (910) 692-3611.