Card making and Valentine crafts for all ages will be provided at the free event. A suggested donation of $5 will be accepted, with proceeds shared with the Buddy Kemp Caring House in Charlotte.
The Valentine's event is just one of the activities on CAP's upcoming schedule. Other events include a Summer Camp Crawl and a Taste of Art.
Summer Camp Crawl will be held Saturday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to noon. CAP is offering an exciting lineup of summer art camps for children ages 4-12, with more than 40 different themes. Tweens and teens between the ages of 10 and 16 can choose from art and ceramic ventures. The free event includes drop-in art featuring projects from the camps, hands-on demonstrations, ceramic demonstrations and "meet the instructors" gatherings with question and answer sessions. This is an opportunity to check out and register for summer camps and take advantage of early bird and "multiple madness" discounts.
The fifth annual "Taste of Art" fundraising party and art auction to benefit CAP will be hosted at The Fresh Market, 20623 Torrence Chapel Road in Cornelius, on Thursday, March 22, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The casual evening full of art, food and fun will feature a silent auction and raffle and will include art and other interesting items. Hors d'oeuvres and wine-tastings will be provided. Tickets cost $30 each and can be purchased by calling 704-896-8823.
For more details about future events and general information about The Community Arts Project (formerly The Children's Arts Project & Creative Art Exchange) visit www.thecommunityartsproject.org.
Pancakes and a floor show
The Rotary Club of North Mecklenburg will hold its annual Pancake Breakfast and Lake Norman Talent Show Saturday, Feb. 11, from 8 a.m. to noon at Bethel Presbyterian Church, 19920 Bethel Church Road, in Cornelius. The club is looking to sign up performers, who are are urged to contact Cheri Thebeau at 704-895-5612 to register for the talent show.
Tickets cost $10, and all proceeds will benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters Big Day at the Lake and Seed Programs International, which provides seeds to help fight world hunger. For more information visit www.Northmeckrotary.org.
Bigger, better brewers bash back at Rural Hill
The damp, cool gloom of a Piedmont winter has settled in, but the amber essence, foamy temptation and rhythmic enticement of north Mecklenburg's newest rite of spring is just a few months away.
"Early Bird Special" tickets are available for just a few more days for the second annual North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival at Historic Rural Hill off Neck Road in Huntersville. The event will be held Saturday, May 12, from noon to 10 p.m. Those interested in securing tickets should visit www.NCBrewsMusic.com.
The NCBMF celebrates North Carolina's craft breweries and authentic music, and last year's inaugural event drew rave reviews to quickly become a favorite among festival goers. The 2012 NCBMF has already confirmed participation by multiple brewers including Huntersville's own Ass Clown Brewing as well as NoDa Brewing Company, Bird Song Brewing Company, Highland Brewing Company, Triple C Brewing Company, Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery, Four Friends Brewing, Lone Rider Brewing Company and Big Boss Brewing Company. Confirmations from many other breweries are expected in the coming weeks.
In addition, seven national musical acts are scheduled to perform on the NCBMF stage, including Billboard Bluegrass chart-toppers Steep Canyon Rangers. With smooth vocals, smart songwriting, ferocious instrumentals and jaw-dropping harmony, the Rangers are bringing Bluegrass to music lovers across the USA and around the world. In 2011, the band's collaborative record with comedian and actor Steve Martin, Red Bird Alert, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Bluegrass Chart and their solo record Deep in the Shade remained in the Bluegrass Top 10 for 18 weeks.
The NCBMF lineup also includes the distinctive blend of neo-folk, classic soul, and Americana jam of the Ryan Montbleau Band, guitar legend and acoustic Americana flat picker Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, quickly rising CMT stars The Black Lillies, the Los Angeles punk-bluegrass band Old Man Markley, Charleston-based Sol Driven Train (returning from last season), and BIG Something, winners of the Home Grown Music Network's 2010 "New Band of the Year" award.
Designated Driver or "Under 21" tickets will be available for those coming just to enjoy the music or to drive others home safely. On-site camping is available by reservation, which can be made on the festival Web site. Food and merchandise vendors will be on hand as well as other area non-profits to add to the festival experience.
The event is presented by Historic Rural Hill and sponsored by McIntosh Law Firm, Highland Brewing Company, Bojangles, Beer Connoisseur Magazine, TheFullPint.com, the Charlotte Beer Club, North Carolina Brewer's Guild, Mountain Khakis, Eagle's Nest Outfitters, Bubba's Barbecue, The Kilted Buffalo, Real Yellow Pages, Hauser Rental and Midas Spring Water.
Proceeds support the preservation of Historic Rural Hill, the 250-year-old former homestead of Major John and Violet Davidson. The 265-acre site is maintained and promoted by Rural Hill, the NCBMF has joined a list of annual events that includes the Rural Hill Scottish Festival and Loch Norman Highland Games, the Amazing Maize Maze and the Rural Hill Sheep Dog Trials. For more information about events or for financial support accepted securely online, visit www.ruralhill.net or call 704-875-3113.
Vision Van offers free eye exams
The North Carolina Lions Vision Van scheduled to make a stop in Huntersville on Wednesday, Feb. 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Solomon House at 200 S. Main St. The van will be parked at the agency, which adjoins the Huntersville Presbyterian Church on South Old Statesville Road.
The van is equipped to perform free vision screening for those ages 6 and older. Anyone younger than 18 should be accompanied by a responsible adult. The purpose of the screening is to detect at an early stage the need for a more complete eye exam. The screening includes visual acuity and a pressure check for the possibility of glaucoma. A typical exam should be completed in about 15 minutes.
The Vision Van was scheduled, and will be manned in part by members of the Huntersville Lions Club as a community service. For more information, call Lions Club President Jim Maxwell at 704-875-2455.
Church house blues at Lake Forest
Hope in a House of Blues, a Lake Forest Church tradition, will kick off Sunday, Jan. 29, at the church's Huntersville and Davidson locations. The four-week sermon series addressing hurt, hate, hope and healing with an inspiring, blues-based musical backdrop will continue each Sunday through Feb. 19.
Critically acclaimed musician and vocalist Mike Farris will be featured the first week of the series at the Huntersville campus at 8519 Gilead Road. Recipient of the Americana Music Association's "New & Emerging Artist of the Year" award in 2008 and winner of the Gospel Music Association's Dove Award for "Best Traditional Gospel Album of the Year" in 2010, Farris' vocals are a celebrated highlight of the Hope in a House of Blues series.
Kyle Dillard, LFC's worship arts director, says adding Farris to this year's program is a plus for the church and the community. "We are thrilled to have such an incredible talent join us to kick off Hope in a House of Blues," Dillard says.
Best-selling author Donald Miller will lead Davidson services at Davidson Elementary School, 635 South St. Miller's bestseller, Blue Like Jazz, tells the story of his experience at Reed College, voted at that time as "the most godless campus in the country." Since then, Miller has written other best sellers, including Searching for God Knows What and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, the story of his writing of the screenplay for the Blue Like Jazz movie.
During the second week of the series in Huntersville, on Sunday, Feb. 5, Larry McCray will be the featured guest. McCray's blues-rock guitar and warm, soulful vocals have drawn attention worldwide. In 2000, he was honored as the Orville Gibson Male Blues Guitarist of the Year and has opened shows for legends such as Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel and Buddy Guy. Billboard magazine has hailed McCray as "a deep-voiced player with strong original tunes."
The month of special activities will actually begin on Saturday, Jan. 28, with a concert by Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue, featuring the McCrary Sisters, at the Huntersville campus. The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Miller will speak during the intermission. General admission tickets cost $12 in advance. No tickets will be sold at the door. Tickets can be purchased at http://mikefarris.eventbrite.com.
Overall, Lake Forest representatives view this year's program as a rejuvenation and celebration of the church.
"Hope in a House of Blues 2012 has a very transformative feel," says the Rev. Mitch White, LFC's pastor of spiritual growth. "As a church, we have added another campus in Davidson, established a footing in an impoverished local neighborhood and are in the midst of an expansion at our Huntersville location. Though the actual series is only a month long, we are establishing ongoing counseling, leadership and spiritual growth opportunities which will allow us to extend the impact of Hope in a House of Blues well into the future through multiple venues."
Started in 1998 by the Rev. Mike Moses, LFC has grown to a weekly attendance of 1,500. Since its beginning, LFC has been known for reaching "people who've given up on church, but not on God." Sunday worship times in Huntersville are 8, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Worship times in Davidson are 9:30 and 11 a.m.
