News

SUMMER GUIDE: Entertainment, festivals, farmers markets

By Lightning Reports, Published: May 29, 2024

Whether food, festivals or music is your quarry, Hendersonville is rich ground for hunting.

While the City of Four seasons offers plenty of year-round entertainment, spring, summer and fall are really chockful. Here’s a roundup of some of the best.

FLAT ROCK PLAYHOUSE

Honored by the North Carolina Theatre Conference with the George A. Parides Professional Theatre Award, the Flat Rock Playhouse stages professional productions at the historic facility. The summer season features:

• The Shawshank Redemption: June 14-30
• Cabaret: July 12-Aug. 3
• Boeing-Boeing: Aug. 9-25
• Jesus Christ Superstar, In Concert: Sept. 5-22
• The Mountaintop by Katori Hall (The Black Box Series): Oct. 4-13
• CATS - Oct. 25-Nov. 10
• Mozart to Pop Chart: Volume 3 - The History of Rock and Roll: 14-17
• A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas: Nov. 29-Dec. 21

For more information with descriptions of each show and ticket prices, call the Flat Rock Playhouse Box Office at 828-693-0731 or go to its website at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

 

HENDERSONVILLE THEATRE

Hendersonville Theatre’s 2024 season includes a crowd-pleasing musical, plays, reader’s theatre productions, concerts featuring local and regional acts, educational offerings and various special events.

Legally Blonde: The Musical July 18-Aug.4. Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the hit MGM movies, the show stars America’s Favorite Blonde, Elle Woods, ready to prove who’s in charge in a fabulously fun, award-winning musical. Tickets run $26-$38.

Other performances:

• Mac Arnold & Plate Full O’Blues (concert) Aug, 17. Tickets $50.
• Leon Timbo & The Family Band (concert) Sept. 21. Tickets $35.
• Murder on the Orient Express (play) Oct. 5. Tickets run $15-$19.
• Misery (play) Oct. 17-27. Tickets run $21-$32.
• BonFide (concert) November 16. Tickets $35.
• A Tribute to the Bee Gees (concert) June 9.
• One Act Play Festival (concert) Aug. 23-25.

BREVARD MUSIC CENTER

One of America’s premier music festivals, Brevard Music Center features a 2024 summer lineup of symphony, opera, chamber, jazz, bluegrass, and Broadway performances.
The season will be highlighted by legendary artist Wynton Marsalis, who will appear with The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in three extraordinary concerts from June 25-29. Additional festival highlights through August include classical masterpieces Prokofiev 5, Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben, and world premiere concertos by Errollyn Wallen and Quinn Mason; Janiec Opera Company productions of The Threepenny Opera, Flight, La Bohème, and
An Evening of Jerome Kern and Friends; a family-friendly film + live orchestra presentation of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert; and BMC Presents lighter concert fare featuring Bryan Sutton, David Sanborn, Judy Collins, Aoife O’Donovan, and Béla Fleck. The 2024 Summer Music Festival Season is sponsored by Jacquelyn and Bruce Rogow.
Led by Artistic Director Keith Lockhart, Brevard's hallmark is the powerful sense of community that re-emerges every June as faculty and students work together to present almost 100 performances and events to more than 40,000 enthusiastic fans from across the country. Primary BMC performance venues include the 1800-seat, open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium and the 400-seat Parker Concert Hall.

Subscriptions to the 2024 BMC Summer Music Festival are currently on sale. For information, visit brevardmusic.org or call the box office at 828.862.2105.

 

MUSIC ON AND OFF MAIN

Every summer, Hendersonville is filled with the sound of live music. Downtown, enjoy the danceable Top 40 hits at Music On Main on Friday nights, groove to top regional performers at Rhythm & Brews and experience the sound of the Southern Appalachian region at the 106-year-old Saturday night Street Dances.

A little further out, relax while enjoying a variety of performers at Music by the Lake at Blue Ridge Community College, remember the days gone by with oldies at Bill Moore Park in Fletcher and soak up the sounds at the Jump Off Rock Concert Series. 

Saluda’s Top of the Grade concert series brings a variety of acts to the Ella Grace Mintz Stage in McCreery Park on starting at 7 on the third Friday evening of each month. Bring a chair or blankets for seating. Feel free to bring food, soft drinks, beer, wine and coolers.

 

Rhythm & Brews, the free outdoor concert series in downtown Hendersonville, opens its 2024 season on June 20 with the swing, blues and jazz band Queen Bee And The Honeylovers and Peggy Ratusz & Daddy LongLegs playing blues and swing.

Opening acts kick off the show at 5:30 p.m. followed by the headliner performance at 7:30. Gates open at 5:15 p.m.

Here’s the rest of the lineup, with the headline performer followed by the opening act:

• July 18: The Fritz (funk-soul-rock), The Big Hungry (blues-rock-funk).

• Aug. 15: Empire Strikes Brass (brass-funk-rock), Zydeco Ya Ya (zydeco-Cajun swing).
• Sept. 19: Vaden Landers (county blues), the Mattocks-Johnson Band (bllues-rock).
• Oct. 17: Darren Nicholson (bluegrass), the Wilder Flower (folk-
  Americana-bluegrass).

For the youngsters, the Hendersonville Honeycrisps and Hendersonville Toy Company Kid Zone will provide kid-friendly fun including hula-hoops, activities and games. Meanwhile, adults can enjoy downtown Hendersonville’s first fully integrated beer and wine garden featuring local craft beer, hard cider and wine from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Bold Rock Hard Cider, Guidon Brewing Co., Oklawaha Brewing Co., Dry Falls Brewery, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards and Flat Rock Cider Company.

FOURTH OF JULY

The July 4th parade includes inflatables, kid’s games, and activities, food trucks, and two stages featuring live music. The evening will be capped-off with fireworks display that can be seen from either concert area. Located on Main Street in Downtown Hendersonville. A large red balloon launched the morning of Independence Day signifies visibility of the fireworks show. If you can see the balloon, then you can see the fireworks. Fireworks are not visible from inside Jackson Park.

 

COON DOG DAY

Honoring the loyal and utilitarian hound known for its unique bark and amazing sense of smell, the 61^st annual Coon Dog Day features treeing competition, crafts, food, entertainment and the Coon Dog Day parade. 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, July 8, Main Street, Saluda. Info: saluda.com/coon-dog-day/

 

CHALK IT UP!

Narnia Studios presents the 27th annual Chalk it Up! on Saturday, July 13. Watch as downtown sidewalks are transformed into beautiful murals.

NORTH CAROLINA APPLE FESTIVAL

The 77^th  annual NC Apple Festival includes a street fair, arts & crafts, live music and entertainment, children’s activities and rides, parade, food & much more — all in celebration of our rich apple growing heritage. The Kiwanis Pancake Festival marks the opening of the festival followed by the official opening ceremony at the Historic Courthouse. The festival closes with the popular King Apple Parade at 2:30 p.m. on Labor Day.

LAURA E. CORN MINI GOLF

The new Laura E. Corn Mini Golf is now open at Edwards Park. The course is open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily through Sept. 1. From Sept. 2 through Oct. 6 the course is open 3:30-9 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $3 per round for adults (18 and older); $2 for ages 3-17 and free for kids 2 and under. Besides the mini golf course, the newly reimagined Edwards Parks provides additional amenities including a concession stand and restrooms, a playground with musical features, a bike corral and bike repair station.

 

HENDERSONVILLE FARM MARKET

The Hendersonville Farmers Market opens its fourth season Saturday on Maple Street at the Historic Depot in the Seventh Avenue District. Approximately 45 vendors are lined up to sell local food products including eggs, herbs, produce, plants, baked goods, coffee, meat, honey and more from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All vendors accept cash, and some have their own card readers for debit/credit. For customers who don’t have cash, tokens can be purchased to shop with vendors who don’t have a card reader. Shoppers can purchase tokens using a debit/credit card at the market information booths located near either end of the market. All vendors accept tokens purchased by debit/credit card. 

Hendersonville Farmers Market is a SNAP/EBT retailer and will match dollar-for-dollar any SNAP/EBT spending at the market. SNAP/EBT shoppers can swipe their EBT card at the information booth to retrieve tokens. The tokens can then be used as cash with individual vendors for eligible items. This program is generously supported by our Farmers Market Sponsors, Friends of the Market, and Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s DUNCS Grant (Double Up North Carolina). The idea behind doubling SNAP dollars at farmers markets is that the incentives will attract more low-income shoppers and make their grocery dollars stretch further while simultaneously boosting local farmers' income. 

MILLS RIVER FARM MARKET

Mills River Farm Market is open 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays through October at Mills River Elementary School, 94 Schoolhouse Road.

The very fun, quirky street festival in Saluda celebrates

The celebration held for 50+ years includes a parade, music, street fair with art and food, and dog judging.

 

FLAT ROCK FARMERS MARKET

Open 3-6 p.m. Thursdays at Pinecrest Presbyterian Church, 1790 Greenville Highway.

 

HENDERSON COUNTY TAILGATE MARKET

Open 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays at 100 N. King St. featuring produce, plants, fresh meats, cheese and other locally grown products.

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