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2007 Sand in the Streets winds down Sept. 20The Embers Conclude This Year’s Downtown Concert Series; Beach Music to Launch the United Way Annual CampaignHerritage Street Merchants Plan a Party
The curtain comes down Thursday (Sept. 20) on Pride of Kinston’s Sand in the Streets summer concert series, and the season ends with a bang: the hugely popular Embers—known far and wide for its version of beach music—will be the main attraction in Neuseway Park on Kinston’s Neuse River waterfront.
Nearby merchants and attractions plan to turn the occasion into a giant party, staying open throughout the evening to welcome old and new customers. One of the group, Salon Steven, plans a mini fund raiser for the local SPCA. Dogs and their owners, young and old, will get special hair treatments and face paintings courtesy of the hair salon staff, beginning at 5:00 pm. The salon will also welcome financial and food donations for the local animal shelter. The CSS Neuse II, approved by the City of Kinston only days ago for regular tours, will be open for visitations. Shipbuilder Alton Stapleford and others will be on hand to show visitors through the replica of the original CSS Neuse whose remains currently reside in the Richard Caswell Historic Site.
The Herritage Street merchants who plan to stay open for the concert crowd include: Adriana’s, Barbaros, the Briary, Herritage Place, Parrott’s Hardware store, and the Right Angle will use the occasion to launch its new entrance off Gordon Street at the rear of the Herritage Street frame and art shop. The Embers concert, free to the public, kicks off at 6:00 pm in the riverside park. Main entrance to Neuseway is at the intersection of Gordon and Mitchell Streets. The Lenoir-Greene United Way organization will launch its annual fund drive during the concert. With the theme “Together We Do What Matters,” the September thru December campaign hopes to raise $500,000.
Perry Management is the Embers’ event sponsor, joining co-producers Realo Discount Drugs and the Kinston Free Press. The concert series has also been supported by the Kinston-Lenoir County Tourism Development Authority. The Embers is one of the most popular bands in the South, regularly doing 300 shows a year. The band comes to Kinston from shows in Conover, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Mt. Olive and Myrtle Beach, SC. From Kinston the group goes to Kennesaw, GA and then on to Daniel Island, SC.
The band, with numerous recordings to its credit, has been named North Carolina’s Official Musical Ambassadors, and has been inducted into the South Carolina Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame. “We look forward to a huge crowd of Embers’ fans,” commented Pride director Adrian King. “It’s a fitting way to end a successful series.” King expressed Pride’s appreciation for sponsors who helped “to make Sand in the Streets possible.” Series and event sponsors included Wachovia, R.A. Jeffreys Distributing, Bojangles, King’s Restaurant, Sammy Aiken, Connoisseur of Photography, Woodmen of the World, Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Corporate Resources, m3 Consulting & Services, Chick-fil-A, Minges Bottling Group, TACC 9, Christopher’s Restaurant, and Alison and Company.
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Pride Elects Harriet Harper to Board
Ms. Harriet Harper, proprietor of South Queen Barbershop, was elected Aug. 23, 2007 to the Pride of Kinston, Inc. Board of Directors to represent the Municipal Service District, a 27-block area of downtown, the focus of Pride’s revitalization efforts. A lifelong resident of Kinston and Lenoir County, Ms. Harper, 59, owns several properties on South Queen Street (401-409 S. Queen), and is in the barbershop business with her son Marvin, 33. Another son, Theodore, 41, is a barber in Newark, NJ. Ms. Harper is also the mother of Elaine Harper, 39, of Kinston. Ms. Harper is a long-time advocate for South Queen Street who is “looking forward” to serving on the Pride 22-person board of directors. “I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s all about,” she said. She is married to Sidney Harper, a retiree from Du Pont who is minister for two area churches, Holly Branch and Simro Free Will Baptist churches.
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Find it and you can win $250!Where is the art?
To call attention to Kinston’s public art installations while celebrating October as National Arts and Humanities Month, the Community Council for the Arts plans a scavenger hunt of sorts, challenging young and old alike to look for 15 pieces of public art located in various places in and around Kinston. A photo catalogue of the art works is being published but without the location of each piece. Contestants will be challenged to locate each work of art, fill in the blank under the appropriate picture, and submit the completed form to the arts council prior to Nov. 15, 2007. The contest forms will be available at the Community Council for the Arts in the near future. (Call 252-527-2517) Or they can be downloaded from the Arts Center’s website: www.kinstoncca.com
A drawing will be held during a Chamber of Commerce-sponsored “Business After Hours” reception at the Community Council for the Arts, 5:30 pm Nov. 15, 2007. The arts center is located at 400 N. Queen Street. The individual who submits the first entry drawn with all locations of the 15 art works correctly identified will receive a prize of $250.00, according to arts center director Sandy Landis. The unusual contest was approved Sept. 11, 2007 during a meeting of the arts council’s public art committee.
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For more information, contact: Past issues of our newsletter can be found on our web site.
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