Tag: PinePitch

December PinePitch 2023

Toys for Tots

Eat in or drive thru at the 33rd annual Toys for Tots toy and food drive on Sunday, Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Beefeater’s Restaurant, 672 S.W. Broad St. in Southern Pines. Sponsored by the Mark “Brook” Westbrook Memorial Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, the cost is either a $10 per-plate donation, an unwrapped toy, or five cans or boxes of non-perishable food. Of course, more is always better. Santa will be on-site from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. The plates are chopped barbecue or grilled chicken, cole slaw, baked beans, rolls, tea or soda, and dessert. There are nuggets for the kids. Word on the street is Santa is a nugget kinda guy.

Elf on Parade

Marching bands and Santa Claus. What’s not to like? The Southern Pines Christmas Parade will be on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Santa does the full loop, beginning at Vermont Avenue, down the west side of Broad Street to Massachusetts Avenue, across the tracks then back up the east side of Broad. If any additional information is necessary you can call the North Pole hotline at (910) 692-7376.

And, if you missed him in Southern Pines, the jolly old rascal will be in Vass for its annual Christmas parade on Saturday, Dec. 16, at 11 a.m. There will food and vendors at the Vass Lakeview School, 141 James St., Vass. For more information call (910) 245-4677 or go to www.townofvassnc.gov.

Keeping Christmas Well

The Uprising Theatre Company will present its inventive re-creation of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, on Tuesday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m., at The Village Chapel, 10 Azalea Road, Pinehurst. Each show will begin with caroling, to get everyone in the mood. There will be additional performances on Dec. 20 and Dec. 21, also at 7 p.m. For tickets and more information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

You Say It’s Your Birthday

It’s Sandhills Community College’s 60th anniversary, and everyone is invited to attend the gala celebration on Monday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. The event is for ages 13 and up and the dress is casual but, you know, decent. The lobby opens at 6 p.m. and the curtain rises at 7. The event is free of charge. Tickets can be secured in advance at
www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Look Out Below

The traditional Pine Cone Drop ringing in the New Year (a bit early) will happen on Friday, Dec. 29, near the railway station in Southern Pines from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be live music, carnival games, face painting and early bedtimes for all. For additional information call (910) 692-7376.

Weymouth Wonderland

The Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines, will hold its Outdoor Wonderfest and Market Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and again on Sunday, Dec. 3, from noon to 4 p.m. There will be local vendors and artisans to fill Christmas gift lists, crafts, face painting and plenty of food. The marketplace is open to the public. Admission is by any monetary donation. For additional information visit www.weymouthcenter.org.

Lights, Wreaths, Action

The Episcopal Day School will hold its 44th annual Candlelight Tour of Homes on Sunday, Dec. 3, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., featuring five unique Pinehurst and Southern Pines houses decked out in full holiday regalia. The tour’s tariff is $20 in advance and $25 the day of. For information and tickets you can go to www.ticketmesandhills.com or visit the Episcopal Day School front office.

A Tradition Like No Other

The annual Murphy Family Christmas Concert features two shows at 3 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17, at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. For information and ticketing for this must-see annual celebration of the season call (910) 420-2549 or visit www.sunrisetheater.com.

PinePitch November 2023

Question Everything

Be prepared to be transported to a world where secrets fester and the line between reality and illusion blurs when the Judson Theatre Company presents Gaslight, performed on Broadway as Angel Street, in five performances beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, and running through a 3 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 19 at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Set in a charming Victorian London townhouse, Gaslight, starring Jennifer Hope and Matthew Tyler, revolves around a seemingly perfect marriage, beneath which lies a sinister plot. Sanity is questioned and strange occurrences unfold in a heart-pounding journey to unravel a dark mystery. For more information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

The Last First

The Main Squeeze, an American funk band from Bloomington, Indiana, will bring down the curtain — if there was a curtain on the outdoor stage — on the First Friday concerts for 2023. The music begins at 5 p.m. and wraps at 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, on the Sunrise Square adjacent to the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Everyone knows the drill. Food trucks. Check. Beer for imbibing. Check. Cujos? No so much. It’s the last one of the year, so leave your pets at home and wander by. For additional information call (910) 420-2549 or go to www.sunrisetheater.com.

Sugar Plums and Mouse Kings

Gary Taylor Dance presents The Nutcracker, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 24, at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. There will be additional performances of this holiday classic by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky on Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 at 2 p.m. For information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Let There Be Light

Ring in the holidays at Southern Pines’ annual tree-lighting celebration on Saturday, Nov. 25, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. In addition to block after block of colorfully decorated trees, keep an eye out for Santa Claus. He’s available for pictures. Bring your own camera but no autographs, please. For information call: (910) 692-7376.

From Apartheid to Democracy

William Lucas, a 33-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, joins the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series with a talk titled “The Mandela-DeKlerk ‘Miracle’” on Thursday, Nov. 9, at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Lucas was twice assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, as a political officer serving from 1981-83 and again from 1988-91. He was the director, African Affairs, at the National Security Council in 2006. His current projects include a book on the transition from apartheid to democracy in the ’80s and ’90s, based on interviews with key South African and American officials as well as declassified documentation obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. For additional details go to www.sandhillsbpac.com.

11th Hour, 11th Day, 11th Month

Downtown Southern Pines’ Veteran’s Day Parade will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11. Bring the whole family to support our troops and veterans. All veterans are invited to join the parade. For more information call (910) 692-7376 or leaf through a history book. Freedom isn’t free.

Golf Talk Live

Join Southern Pines native and longtime PineStraw contributor Bill Fields in conversation with his old colleague and PineStraw editor Jim Moriarty as they discuss their decades covering golf and writing about it on Nov. 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Weymouth Center for the Arts and Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Avenue, Southern Pines. Fields, who will be at Weymouth as a writer-in-residence, has contributed multiple features to PineStraw and penned over 100 of his “Hometown” columns since it first appeared in the magazine in Dec. 2014. He was born in Moore County, graduated from Pinecrest High School in 1977 and from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 1981. Fields has been a writer and editor for multiple golf publications and is currently a researcher on NBC’s golf telecasts, serving as the little voice whispering interesting facts into Dan Hicks’ ear. The program is free of charge but registration is required. For info go to www.weymouthcenter.org.

Sandhills Originals

The Artists League of the Sandhills begins its 29th Annual Art Exhibit and Sale on Friday, Nov. 3, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen. The show continues on Saturday with a “meet the artist” session from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The exhibit and sale runs through Dec. 15. For additional information go to www.artistleague.org.

Take a Deep Breath

World-renowned glass artists Einar and James De La Torre will give a glass-blowing demonstration at Starworks, 100 Russell Drive, Star, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9. There will be live music by Laura Jane Vincent and beverages available from the Starworks Café and Taproom. The House of Odell & Luella food truck will be on-site. The event is family and pet friendly, if everyone is on a leash. Well, the pets anyway. Tickets are $5. For more information go to www.StarworksNC.org.

2023 Department PinePitch

PinePitch

Philharmonic Fun

The Carolina Philharmonic hosts its annual gala fundraiser on Tuesday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m., at the Fair Barn, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., Pinehurst. Chef Mark Elliott will orchestrate the meal, and Maestro David Michael Wolff and the junior orchestra will perform. Proceeds from the dinner and charity auction support music education programs. Cost is $150 per person. For more information call (910) 603-0444 or go to www.carolinaphil.org.

Penultimate First

In the next-to-last First Friday of the 2023 season, enjoy the blues sound of Eddie 9V on Oct. 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the stage at Sunrise Square next to the theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. The usual rules apply. No Cujos allowed. There will be food trucks, and Southern Pines Brewing Company will be on-site to administer hops and barley on demand. For additional info call (910) 420-2540 or go to www.sunrisetheater.com.

AutumnFest

We’re talking running, magic, dancing, arts, crafts, food and way, way more. Hey, the Arts Council of Moore County and Southern Pines Parks and Rec have been doing this since 1978. Activities begin at 9 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Downtown Park in Southern Pines, 145 S.E. Broad St. For additional information call (910) 692-7376 or, better yet, just show up.

The Corner of Ghosts and Goblins

Trick-or-treat the downtown businesses of Southern Pines in Boofest 2023 beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20. After your candy buckets are full, gather at the Downtown Park, 145 S.E. Broad St., beginning at 5:30 p.m. for Halloween games, crafts and the best dog costume raffle. If you need more information call (910) 692-7376.

It’s Not Easy Having a Good Time

Watch The Rocky Horror Picture Show outdoors on the Sunrise Square next to the theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, on Friday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. There will be another showing on Oct. 28. Same Bat time, same Bat channel. If you need costume advice call
(910) 420-2549 or go to www.sunrisetheater.com.

Feelin’ Fearless?

Ride a hay-covered wagon down the winding path and into the haunted woods on October’s spookiest Friday the 13th from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Campbell House Grounds, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. You’re fair game for every haunted creature of the night. Be prepared for light, sound, smell, maybe even liquid substances. For daredevils of all ages. Cost is $5 per victim. Campbell House Grounds, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-7376.

Classical Gas

Enjoy the classical guitar virtuosity of Meng Su in the McPherson Theater of the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center at Sandhills Community College, 3395 Airport Road, on Thursday, Oct. 5, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. She has performed in over 30 countries around the world in halls such as the Concertgebouw, Palau de Musica, Tchaikovsky Hall and the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. Cost is $30. For more information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day

The celebration begins on Sunday, Oct. 8, at 2 p.m. at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. There will be a presentation, land acknowledgment and history, smudging ceremony, prayer song and traditional dances with Kaya Littleturtle of the Lumbee Tribe. Admission is free but registration required. The celebration continues on Monday, Oct. 9, with an outdoor children’s event, traditional dance showcase, friendship dances, corn husk doll-making, storytelling and songs. For more information go to www.weymouthcenter.org.

Monte Carlo in Moore

Celebrate Carolina Horse Park’s 25th anniversary from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Village Pine Venue, 1628 McCaskill Road, Carthage, on lucky Friday the 13th with roulette, craps, blackjack and poker, plus raffles to invest your winnings. There will be a silent auction, hors d’oeuvres, and an open bar. Wear your best James Bond cocktail attire. Tickets are $85 for one and $150 for two. Info: www.carolinahorsepark.com

2023 Department PinePitch

PinePitch September 2023

PINEPITCH SEPTEMBER 2023

Stayin’ Alive

Souljam, a band based in Vero Beach, Florida, will perform with Jamie Monroe as the opening act at Live After 5 from 5:15 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8, at the Village Arboretum, 375 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst. There will be kids’ activities and food trucks. Beer, wine and additional beverages will be available for purchase. Picnic baskets are allowed; outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and dancing shoes. For more information call (910) 295-3642 or go to www.vopnc.org.

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

The Sandhills Repertory Theatre presents The Opera Cowgirls, the alt-country band where the Grand Ole Opry meets the mezzo sopranos, on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m., at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. For more information and tickets call (910) 692-3611 or visit www.sandhillsrep.org.

Santa’s Wordsmith

Join Mary Kay Andrews, the author of The Homewreckers and The Santa Suit, for the book launch of her novella Bright Lights, Big Christmas on Tuesday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m. at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Space is limited. For more information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Wait Wait . . . Not My Job

Alonzo Bodden, a regular panel member from NPR’s Peabody Award-winning show Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me, kicks off BPAC’s 2023-24 Comedy Series at the Owens Auditorium, Sandhills Community College, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst, at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15. Bodden has done comedy specials on Amazon Prime and Showtime and was the season three winner of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. Tickets are $25 and up and can be purchased at SandhillsBPAC.com or ticketmesandhills.com.

Variations on a Theme

www.mintjulepjazznand.com
www.midsummernightswing.org

Stroll the beautiful grounds of the Weymouth Center and listen to Jazz on the Lawn featuring the Mint Julep Jazz Band from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24. Bring your own blanket, chairs and a picnic, and enjoy the cash bar with mimosas, beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages available. Tickets start at $27.50 and children 12 and under are admitted free. Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Info: www.weymouthcenter.org.

Page Turners

Libraries all across Moore County are signing up new patrons during the entire month of September. Get a Library Crawl Passport at one of the participating libraries, visit five or more libraries during the month, then return your passport to any of the libraries to be entered in a prize raffle. The libraries include Moore County Library, Page Memorial Library, Pinebluff Library, Robbins Area Library, Vass Area Library, Moore County Library Bookmobile, Given Memorial Library and Tufts Archives, Katharine L. Boyd Library at Sandhills Community College, Southern Pines Public Library, and SPARK-SPPL book vending. While you’re at it, check out a book or two. Happy reading.

The Gatlin Brothers. Nuff Said.

That’s Larry, Steve and Rudy, to all y’all. The Gatlin Brothers will open the Bradshaw Performing Arts Centaer’s 2023-24 Mainstage Series on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m. in the Sandhills Community College Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. The Grammy Award-winning trio has accumulated a lifetime of accolades, including seven No. 1 singles and 32 top 40 records. For information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Magical Monarchs

Celebrate butterflies and promote pollinator habitats with a day of family fun and educational activities during the annual Flutterby Festival, on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Village Arboretum, 105 Rassie Wicker Drive, Pinehurst. Programs include an opportunity to interact and feed hundreds of newly emerged monarch butterflies in the giant Magical Monarch Tents. Live music is provided by musicians from the Carolina Philharmonic. Refreshments are available for purchase from food trucks, and tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Do You Want Slaw With That?

The Third Annual Pinehurst Barbecue Festival begins Sept. 1 featuring the Food Network’s “chopped” champion Adam Hughes at Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green Road W., Pinehurst. The three-day festival concludes on Saturday, Sept. 3, with the Christopher Prieto Pitmaster Invitational, where barbecue virtuosos from all over North Carolina offer samplings of whole hog, ribs, brisket and poultry. In between there’s music and maybe a shot of bourbon or two. For more information visit www.pinehurstbarbecuefestival.com.

2023 Department PinePitch

PinePitch

An Inconvenient Truth

Join David Joy as he discusses Those We Thought We Knew, his compelling new novel of a community whose dark underbelly is suddenly revealed, on Friday, Aug. 4, at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Joy’s honors include winning the 2020 Dashiell Hammett Award for When These Mountains Burn and the 2018 Southern Book Prize for The Weight of This World. In addition, he was an Edgar Award finalist for best first novel for Where All Light Tends to Go. He’s also the author of Growing Gills: A Fly Fisherman’s Journey. The event is free, but space is limited. Go to ticketmesandhills.com to reserve yours.

If You Can Dodge a Wrench

Create your own underdog story at a fun day of dodgeball and fundraising for the CARE Group programs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, at the old Aberdeen Elementary School Gym, 305 Elm St., Aberdeen. The cost is $150 for a team of six plus one substitute player and $5 for a Fan in the Stands pass. Unfortunately Patches O’Hoolihan can’t make it. There will be food trucks, drinks, raffles, contests and prizes. For more information visit www.thecaregroupinc.org/events/dodgeball-tournament.

Pinky Finger Up

Spend the day cruising the Seagrove countryside, sampling teas and pastries, as you discover handmade pottery on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drink iced tea from Carriage House Tea, sample the pastries from the Table Farmhouse Bakery and Holly Hill Farm, then try homemade treats while stopping at Blue Hen Pottery, Dean & Martin Pottery, Eck McCanless Pottery, From the Ground Up, Red Hare Pottery and Thomas Pottery. It all takes place on N.C. Pottery Highway 705, Seagrove.

First Friday

And when you’re finished listening to David Joy, walk down the block — or up the block, depending on if you’re right side up or upside down — to hear Caitlin Krisko and The Broadcast perform from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Aug. 4, on the First Bank Stage at Sunrise Square, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. All the usual rules apply. Leave Cujo at home. There will be beer on tap and food trucks to feed your inner Homer Simpson. For information call (910) 420-2549 or go to www.sunrisetheater.com.

Live After Five

The hits keep on happening when Heads Up Penny performs from 5:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Village Arboretum, 375 Magnolia Road, Pinehurst, on Friday, Aug. 11. Bring lawn chairs, blankets and the unbridled will to dance barefoot in the park. There will be children’s activities and food trucks. Beer, wine and additional beverages will be available for purchase. Picnic baskets are A-OK, but outside alcoholic beverages are not permitted. Julia Golden is the opening act. For more information call (910) 295-3642 or go to www.vopnc.org.

2023 Department PinePitch

PinePitch

Red, White and Blue

The annual Independence Day Parade through the village of Pinehurst takes place on Tuesday, July 4, from 9:45 a.m. to noon. Bring Rover along or put a leash on Darwin the goldfish and participate in the pet parade. Don’t forget the poop bags. Entries in the parade are free of charge and accepted from nonprofits, businesses, civic groups, churches and families. When all’s said and done, the Sandhills Farmers Market will open for business at Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green Road, Pinehurst. For information go to www.vopnc.org.

Throwing a Pottery Party

Help Eck McCanless Pottery celebrate its 12th anniversary on Saturday, July 15, at his shop at 6077 Old U.S. Highway 220, Seagrove. Eck will demonstrate his unique brand of agateware pots made by turning multiple colors of clay on the wheel to create a colorful spiral, then carving his pots to create beautiful patterns. He’ll also have signed and numbered limited-edition pieces in a plum purple pottery. Refreshments will be served. For more information call (336) 873-7412 or go to www.eckmccanlesspottery.com.

On the Small Stage

The Judson Theatre Company will present the musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, July 21, in the intimate McPherson Theater at the Bradshaw Performing Arts Center, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. The second longest running, off-Broadway musical in theater history, the show follows the highs and lows of first dates, first loves, marriages, babies, in-laws and growing old together, paying tribute to those who have loved and lost, and to those who have dared to ask someone out on a date. There will be six additional performances through Sunday, July 30. For information, additional dates, times and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Ooooohh! Aaaaahh!

Break out the lawn chairs and blankets to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks and a free concert at the Pinehurst Harness Track, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., on Monday, July 3. Gates open at 4 p.m. for parking; the celebrating begins at 6 p.m. There will be bounce houses and other distractions for the kiddos, and a wide range of food and beverages for purchase. Picnic baskets are allowed. The Charlotte-based duo The Parks Brothers will be performing eclectic selections, covering tunes from the ’60s to today, along with their original music. The fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m. If you need more info visit www.vopnc.org.

We’ve Got the Blues So Bad

The Blues Crawl, a summer Southern Pines tradition, has been redubbed Bluesfest 2023, a two-day festival on Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15, hosted at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. There will be live performances on both the indoor and outdoor stages. Artists include Vasti Jackson, Idlewild South, Linwood Taylor, Harvey Dalton Arnold, Jason Damico, Corey Congilio, Jonathan Robinson Band, Baxter Clement & Friends, Daniel Anderson, the Neon Rooster blues competition winners and more. For more information call (910) 420-2549 or go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

2023 Department PinePitch

PinePitch

Book It

The Country Bookshop will be hosting several authors during the month of June. You can listen to Ed and Ryan Mitchell talk about their new cookbook Ed Mitchell’s Barbeque on Sunday, June 11 from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.; David Wright Falade discussing his book Black Cloud Rising on Wednesday June 14 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Elin Hilderbrand signing copies of her book The Five-Star Weekend from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 19; and Annabel Monaghan talking about her book Same Time Next Summer on Wednesday, June 21 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Country Bookshop is at 140 N.W. Broad Street, Southern Pines.

Hail Fellow Well Met

Don’t despair if you didn’t get one of the tickets to hear David Sedaris discuss his book Happy-Go-Lucky at 2 p.m. at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad Street, Southern Pines, on Saturday, June 3. Sedaris will have a signing line and promises to stay until the last fan has come and gone or his hand cramps into something resembling a gardening claw. For further information visit www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Tripping the Light Fantastic

It’s the end of the academic year and what better way to celebrate than swaying cheek-to-cheek? Gary Taylor Dance’s students will perform Romancing the Dance, Junior at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst on Saturday, June 3 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. But that’s just the beginning. Enjoy the blend of blues, funk and jazz in Gary Taylor’s Romancing the Dance performed by his company Saturday evening from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and again on Sunday, June 4 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. All seats are reserved. For more information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

The Art of Perseverance

On Thursday, June 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines, artist in residence John Lee will discuss how he taught himself to paint with his non-dominant hand following a stroke. He’ll be joined by Dr. Miller Johnstone III, Dr. Karen Sullivan and Dr. Henry Tellez for a panel discussion about how the central nervous system may recover and adapt. Attendance is free and open to the public though registration is required. For additional information go to www.weymouthcenter.org.

What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks

The Uprising Theatre Company puts Romeo and Juliet by you-know-who in a fresh perspective when Shakespeare in the Pines returns to the stage on Friday, June 9 from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Tufts Memorial Park, 1 Village Green Road, Pinehurst. There will be additional performances on June 10-11 and again on June 16-18. So, wherefore art thou? For more information go to www.vopnc.org or www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Who’s Afraid of Carnies?

Austin Powers. But kids 12 and under can gather to enjoy games, food and fun with a carnival vibe at the Downtown Park, Southern Pines, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, June 9. After the carnival there will be an outdoor showing of Luca. It’s free, people. For more information call (910) 692-7376.

Festival in Vass

The town of Vass will host its annual summer festival on Saturday, June 10 from noon to 6 p.m. at Sandy Keith Park, 3600 U.S. Highway 1. There will be a car show, vendors, food trucks and a kid’s zone. For additional information visit www.townofvassnc.gov.

Hitting the High Notes

The recital and finalist round of The Young Musician’s Festival Concert will feature between 30 and 40 area musicians performing for credentialed adjudicators at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 4 at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. There will be cash prizes awarded in four divisions from the third through the 12th grades. Admission is free but registration is required. For info go to www.weymouthcenter.org.

Juneteenth Celebration

The 3rd Annual Juneteenth Celebration begins at 2 p.m. Monday, June 19 (of course) at The Cardinal Park, 657 S. Walnut St., Pinebluff. Free for the whole family, there will be music, food vendors and storytelling. Festivities last until all the dancing is done. For more information go to www.thecardinalpark.com.

2023 Department PinePitch

PinePitch

Photograph By Diane McKay

Happiness is a Swift Carriage

For over 30 years, the Carriage Classic in the Pines has been one of horse country’s premier equestrian events. Drivers and passengers in formal dress and well-appointed carriages negotiate mazes and compete for prizes. Held at Big Sky Farm on Tremont Road in Southern Pines, the combined test for all levels will be on Friday, May 5 with dressage and cones. The pleasure classes begin at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7 concluding at approximately 4 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday. For more information, see moorecountydrivingclub.net or contact Cheryl Bacon at (910) 309-7624.

Zoom, Zoom

The three-day, sixth annual Sandhills Motoring Festival revs up in the middle of the village of Pinehurst with a block party and live band on Friday, May 26, and ends on Sunday, May 28, with the Concours in the Village and an awards show. The Concours is free and open to the public and runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with more than 160 classic and collector cars competing in various categories. For more information and specific times of events go to www.sandhillsmotoringfestival.com.

Welcome Back

First Friday returns to the grassy knoll — well, OK, the Sunrise square and the First Bank Stage, 250 N.W. Broad Street, Southern Pines — on Friday, May 5, at 5 p.m. The Cinco de Mayo headliner is Daniel Donato bringing his cosmic country western sound. For more information call (910) 420-2549 or go to www.sunrisetheater.com. It may be a new year but the old rules still apply. No rolling or strolling coolers, and please leave you dogs and cats at home.

All That Jazz

Enjoy a night of music for a good cause on Friday, May 19, when the acclaimed Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon performs in a benefit for the West Southern Pines Center for African-American History, Cultural Arts & Business at the auditorium at 1250 W. New York Ave., Southern Pines. Cost is $75. For additional information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Dig Down

Photograph by John Gessner

The Village Heritage Foundation hosts its Spring Garden Party on May 2 from 4-6 p.m. at Timmel Pavilion in the Village Arboretum, Pinehurst. Refreshments, wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Tickets are $30 per person with proceeds supporting the garden’s planned enhancements. In the event of rain, the venue will be the Fair Barn, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., Pinehurst. For tickets and information go to ticketmesandhills.com.

Hitting the Literary High Notes

You’ll be able to rub dangling participles with two of North Carolina’s literary giants on back-to-back evenings on May 9 and 10. First up is Lee Smith, who will read from her new novel, Silver Alert, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9, at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave. She’ll be followed by Daniel Wallace, who will discuss his memoir This Isn’t Going to End Well: The True Story of the Man I Thought I Knew at 5 p.m. on May 10 at The Country Bookshop, 140 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Folks, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Taste of the Wild

Join PineStraw magazine for a special farm-to-table dinner from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, May 24, when Mark Elliott of Elliott’s on Linden and Saif Rahman of Vidrio in Raleigh collaborate on a three-course meal sponsored by Wilders Wagyu at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. Cost is $100 and space is limited. For information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

2023 Department PinePitch

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Broadway the Callaway

Liz Callaway has played starring roles in Baby, Miss Saigon and Cats, and was the singing voice of Anya in the animated film Anastasia. Callaway is an Emmy Award winner; she’s been nominated for a Tony award; and, has just released her latest album, To Steve with Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim. Sandhills Repertory Theatre brings Callaway to the Lee Auditorium stage at Pinecrest High School, 250 Voit Gilmore Lane, Southern Pines, on Saturday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m. for one performance only. Admission is $30, and premium seating is $95. A percentage of net profits will be donated to the Food Bank of N.C. Tickets are available at the Sunrise Theater box office, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, or go to www.sandhillsrep.org.

No Strings Attached

The Paperhand Puppet Intervention, an award-winning puppet troupe, presents “A World of Wonder” at the Fair Barn, 200 Beulah Hill Road S., Pinehurst, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 16. The performance features Paperhand’s fantastical creatures and characters as animals of all shapes and sizes fill the stage. For information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Heritage Day

The Moore County Historical Association’s annual rite of spring on Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., showcases the furnished Bryant House, circa 1820, and the 1760s Joel McLendon Cabin, the oldest dwelling on its original site in Moore County. Both houses will be open, and there will be 18th and 19th century crafters, farm animal petting area, live music and food. There will also be “camps” of both American Revolution and Civil War re-enactors, demonstrations of activities like quilting, weaving, cooking and woodworking. Admission is free. The Bryant House is at 3361 Mt. Carmel Rd., Carthage.

Spring Strings

The Sandhills Community College Music Department will present its annual spring concert featuring students and faculty on Thursday, April 27, at 7 p.m. in BPAC’s McPherson Blackbox Theater, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Admission is free but seating is limited. For information and tickets go to www.sandhillsbpac.com or www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Azalea Cottage by Jennifer Walker

Art for Art’s Sake

The opening reception for the new exhibit — It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood — at the Artists League of the Sandhills, 129 Exchange St., Aberdeen, will be on Friday, April 7, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. For information go to www.artistleague.org.

Home & Garden Tour

The Southern Pines Garden Club is hosting its 75th Home & Garden Tour on April 15th with the proceeds supporting the restoration of pastureland surrounding the recently renovated barn and stable area at the 100-year-old Weymouth Center. From the dramatic color schemes of a remodeled kitchen to a recently completed two-level covered terrace, the tour features six “idea” houses and home gardens — including the home featured in this month’s PineStraw — bound to inspire. Tickets are $25 online at www.southernpinesgardenclub.com or $30 at selected locations that include Bella Filati Yarns, 277 N.E. Broad St., Southern Pines; the Sandhills Woman’s Exchange, 15 Azalea Rd., Pinehurst; and Eloise Trading Company, 111 W. Main St. Aberdeen.

Not Those Sopranos

It’s organized song, not organized crime. The Metropolitan Opera graces the screen three times in April at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines. Falstaff, which seems particularly well-suited to April Fools’ Day, will be shown at 12:30 p.m. on the first day of the month. Richard Strauss’ most popular opera, Der Rosenkavalier, can be seen on Saturday, April 15, at 12 p.m., and the operatic retelling of the story of Emile Griffith, Champion, will be shown Saturday, April 29, at 12:55 p.m. For more information call (910) 420-2549 or visit www.sunrisetheater.com.

Cultivate a Little Spring

The Sandhills Farm Tour, showcasing four farms in the Carthage and Cameron areas, takes place Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The tour is self-driving, rain or shine, and family-friendly with demonstrations, children’s activities and farm products for sale. The tour is sponsored by the N.C. Cooperative Extension and the Master Gardener Program of Moore County. It’s free but ticketed. For information and tickets go to sandhillsfarmtour2023.eventbrite.com.

China and the International Order

The James E. Holshouser Speaker Series continues with Gordon G. Chang, the author of The Coming Collapse of China and Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World, on Tuesday, April 4, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Chang, who lived and worked in China and Hong Kong for almost two decades, has contributed articles to Newsweek, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among other publications. He is a frequent guest on Fox News, Fox Business Network, Newsmax, CNN and MSNBC. Tickets for his presentation “China Shakes the World: A Revolutionary Remaking of the International Order” are $50 per person for general admission or $75 per person, including a copy of his most recent book. There will be a reception and book signing after the program along with a Q&A. For information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

2023 Department PinePitch

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Birdwatch

We Know Great Writing When We See It

Since 1986, the Moore County Writers’ Competition has promoted and honored superior writing throughout our communities. Join the awards ceremony where certificates and cash prizes will be presented for poetry, fiction and nonfiction submitted by writers in five different age groups. Winners will read a selection of their entries from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 12, at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For information go to www.weymouthcenter.org. Admission is free but registration is required.

A Night with Kelli

The Tony Award winning star of HBO’s The Gilded Age, Kelli O’Hara, will appear live at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst, on Saturday, March 18, at 7 p.m. Among her many stage, film and television credits, O’Hara received a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 2015 for her portrayal of Anna Leonowens in The King and I, and an Emmy nomination for her portrayal of Katie Bonner in the hit web series The Accidental Wolf. For tickets and information go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

A Southern Tale

The Country Bookshop and the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities present Marjorie Hudson in conversation with Katrina Denza about Hudson’s debut novel, Indigo Field, on Wednesday, March 22, at 5:30 p.m. at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, 555 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines. For information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Here Comes the Bride

Richard Wagner’s masterpiece Lohengrin returns to the Metropolitan Opera — and the screen at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines — on Saturday, March 18, at 12 p.m. Famed Polish tenor Piotr Beczala stars as the mysterious swan knight. The Bridal Chorus may ring a bell. For information call (910) 692-3611 or go to www.sunrisetheater.com.

Oscar and Steve

The Sandhills Repertory Theatre will present An Evening with Oscar and Steve: The Music and Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim at the Sunrise Theater, 250 N.W. Broad St., Southern Pines, on Thursday, March 30, at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday April 2, at 3 p.m. For tickets and information got to www.sunrisetheater.com.

With a Little Help from Your Friends

Recommended for children from kindergarten to second grade, the heart-warming story A Sick Day for Amos McGee will be performed Saturday, March 4, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at BPAC’s Owens Auditorium, 3395 Airport Road, Pinehurst. Zookeeper Amos McGee knows friends can come in all sizes and species, too. Amos runs races with the tortoise, cares for a particularly shy penguin, and reads stories to an owl. One day, Amos is too sick to visit his zoo friends, but, fortunately, the animals know just what to do. For information and tickets go to www.ticketmesandhills.com.

Three for the Ages

The Sandhills Repertory Theatre presents Judy, Joni and Joan: The Music of Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez at the Sunrise Theater on March 18 at 7 p.m. and again in two shows on March 19 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Three outstanding New York-based female musicians — Elizabeth Nestlerode, Samantha Sayah and Jane Bruce — will have you singing along in this tribute to three extraordinary friends and artists whose music transcends the generations. Tickets can be purchased at the Sunrise box office by calling (910) 692-3611 or online at either www.sunrisetheater.com or www.sandhillsrep.org.

Back in Bloom

The Garden Club of the Sandhills ushers in springtime by hosting the 2023 edition of “Blooming Art” at the Campbell House Gallery, 482 E. Connecticut Ave., Southern Pines, on Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and again on Sunday, April 2, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The “Blooming Art” exhibit pairs local art with interpretive floral arrangements. Among the professional floral designers participating this year are Carol Dowd, Matt Hollyfield, Leslie Habets, Crystal Blue, Ellen Burke, Jeremy Bowden, Bill McPhail and Cynthia Ballantyne. Members of the Southern Pines, Olmsted, Pinehurst and Linden Garden Clubs, in addition to the Weymouth Dirt Gardeners and the Garden Club of the Sandhills, will also be represented. Advance tickets are $15 and are available at www.ticketmesandhills.com. Funds raised by “Blooming Art” support scholarships for students in the horticultural program at Sandhills Community College, projects by the Sandhills Horticulture Gardens, and horticultural programs for children.

Photograph By Melissa Schaub

Tee It High and Let It Fly — for Charity

The Carolina Philharmonic will host its 8th annual Maestro’s Cup at Pinewild Country Club, 85 Glasgow Drive, Pinehurst on Sunday, March 12. All proceeds benefit music education programs in the community. For information call (910) 687-0287 or go to www.carolinaphil.org. Then, on Monday, March 20, you can re-tee in The Kelly Cup Golf Championship at Forest Creek Golf Club, 200 Meyer Farm Drive, Pinehurst. Win a car for a hole-in-one on the designated par-3. All proceeds benefit the Sandhills Children’s Center. For information call (910) 692-3323 or go to www.sandhillschildrenscenter.org.

2023 Department PinePitch