What’s Happening, Tarboro?

TGIF

Related Photos

W. Terry Smith

May 16, 2008

From Stafff Reports The Daily Southerner Fri May 16, 2008, 11:31 AM EDT

Children laughing, people strolling, crafts on every corner and music serenading the streets – its all Happening on the Common Saturday.

One of Tarboro's biggest traditions is returning for its 37th year of bringing families, visitors and residents together for a day of fun.

Happening on the Common is from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday. The event is presented by the Edgecombe County Cultural Arts Council and the Town of Tarboro.

It is funded in part by the Grassroots Arts Program of the North Carolina Arts Council.

"This is an outreach program for us. We don't expect to make a lot of money, we just want people to find out what the Arts Council is all about," said Carol Banks, event organizer.

It is a day filled with arts and crafts, entertainment, food and joyful volunteers.

Throughout the Common, making this the largest festival to date, there will be more than 60 arts and craft venders selling their original work. Venders are hailing from all across Carolina bringing handmade crafts such as pottery, pocket books, hand dressed dolls, wooden toys, musical instruments, stained glass and jams and more.

"We were careful to insist that all crafters wares were homemade or hand-painted or hand crafted," said Buddy Hooks, executive director of the Arts Council.

Besides venders, there are four inflatable amusements: Jurassic Park, Superslide, The Caterpillar and an obstacle course. However, parents will have to dig a deeper in their pockets to buy tickets. The price has gone up from $1 to $2. A special rock climbing adventure for teenagers costs two tickets, $4.

The trackless train also requires a $2 ticket.

"It's costing us more money this year," Hooks said. "We need to recoup some of the money we are spending."

Inside the Arts Council tent will be face painting and a pottery station manned by potter and art instructor Sue Winstead from Wilson.

Winstead will demonstrate with clay slabs and children will be able to create their own piece using stamp designs to cut out. She will give each child a choice of glaze colors and take them back to her studio to fire them and make (refrigerator) magnets for them. This will be free to the children.

"For the younger children," Hooks said, "we will be blowing big bubbles with an assortment of wands to dip and blow into the wind to make big bubbles."

For entertainment, the acts on stage begin at 10 a.m.

The Arts Council also will be selling colorful ("got culture?") t-shirts for $10 and items from the Blount-Bridgers House consignment shop (paintings, prints, pottery, glass, notecards, books, etc).

"We were very lucky this year to get more sponsor that gave us the freedom to offer more and to order t-shirts," Hooks said. "If we sell all of the t-shirts, we'll be able to fund an additional arts program in the next year, and to produce new educational materials about the Blount-Bridgers House and artist Hobson Pittman. "

No festival is complete without an abundance of food. There will be 17 food vendors. The menu includes pork rinds, roasted nuts, cotton candy, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn dogs, soft ice cream, sno cones, pizza, funnel cakes, ribs and barbecue.

There will be a picnic area for those that want to sit and eat.

Bottled water will be for sale.

The day can't be pulled off without the help of volunteers, some 30 men and women.

"We have a lot of volunteers," said Banks. "We wouldn't be able to have this without them.

"It's been hard work, but I'm looking forward to it," she said. "Hopefully, it'll run smoothly. I am anticipating a large crowd, so it better not rain."

The forecast is for sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70s.

Text Only

TGIF

Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. to perform in Tarboro
Edgecombe Community College is pleased present an eclectic evening of classic pop, R&B and gospel music with Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. on Friday, February 24. The concert takes place at 8:00 PM in beautiful Keihin Auditorium on the Tarboro campus, and is the fourth of six concerts in the 2011-12 season of the Edgecombe Performance Series.

February 3, 2012 1 Photo
A Capella Night at Keihin Auditorium
Edgecombe Community College is pleased present a fun evening of a capella singing on Friday, February 17. The term “a capella” (spelled “a cappella” in Italian) is a Latin phrase, meaning “in the style of the chapel.” The modern day use of the term in music is understood to mean “voices without instrumental accompaniment.” The February 17 concert features two of the regions premier collegiate male a capella ensembles, The Clef Hangers of UNC-Chapel Hill and The Pitchforks of Duke University. Both groups feature 12-16 singers who will perform close harmonies in a musical renewal of the famed Tobacco Road rivalry.

January 27, 2012 1 Photo
Joyce Turner
Edgecombe Arts Executive Director, Joyce Turner shares pieces of art from her personal work.

January 16, 2012 3 Photos
New children’s books sparkle any time of year
Last year was a stellar one for picture books, and my personal favorite was “Dave the Potter” winner of the Caldecott Medal for 2011. With illustrations by Bryan Collier, and text by Laban Carrick Hill, the book weaves the story of a South Carolina potter who signed his works merely “Dave.”

January 16, 2012 1 Photo
Americana Singer-Songwriter performs in hometown

Local Americana singer and songwriter, Anna Vaughn Creech will grace the stage 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 at Saint Anne's Chapel in Tarboro with an acoustic guitar filled night of folk and rock music that is sure to keep audience members highly entertained and on their feet.

January 6, 2012 1 Photo
‘A Christmas Carol’
The Tar River Players opened their seventh season with a gala production of Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” this past weekend playing to a capacity crowd in McIntyre Auditorium.
“We were thrilled with the turnout for the first weekend of “A Christmas Carol” and even more excited by the responses we’ve received from those who have attended,” said Director Roberta Cashwell.

December 9, 2011 1 Photo
Award winning S&D Choir to hold concert in Tarboro
Forty-two days after being tagged the, "Best Choir in America," the award winning Salvation & Deliverance Choir of Tarboro is bringing its show home.
At 7 p.m. on Dec. 9, at Keihin Auditorium on the campus of Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro, the Salvation and Deliverance Choir will present, "How Sweet the Tiding" concert featuring David and Tamela Mann. The show is expected to last two hours.

December 2, 2011 1 Photo
The annual Hobson Pittman Holiday exhibition
The works have been selected for the annual Hobson Pittman Holiday exhibition, tentatively titled “Hobson Pittman: the artist’s travel journal”. The show is expected to be ready for public by next Friday.

December 2, 2011 1 Photo
N.C. Symphony takes holiday music across state
Beginning in two weeks, the North Carolina Symphony will travel across the state, from New Bern to Lincolnton and more, for an annual family tradition, the orchestra’s Holiday Pops celebrations.

November 11, 2011 1 Photo
"Alice's Restaurant"
For over 10 years, Tarboro's own Hannah Wilson has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to collaborate with her parents (Kevin and Trish Wilson, owners of Saint Anne's Chapel) on a special theatrical production. This November, her patience will finally pay off.

November 9, 2011 1 Photo
More TGIF Headlines

TGIF

Search Results

Related Photos

What’s Happening, Tarboro?

Site Map