Discover Statesville
Welcome to "Discover Statesville," the show that takes you on a captivating journey through the heart of one of North Carolina's most charming towns. Co-hosted by community advocates, Richard Griggs and Cindy Sutton, this weekly show brings you the pulse of Statesville, recording live at various spots throughout Statesville in partnership with Sow Media studios.
Join Richard and Cindy as they uncover the hidden gems and local treasures that make Statesville truly special. From the top-notch attractions and exciting events to the remarkable individuals who shape the community, "Discover Statesville" promises to leave no stone unturned.
Hungry for a culinary adventure? Tune in for their delightful restaurant reviews, where they'll guide you to the best places to eat in town. Whether you're a resident or a visitor, this podcast is your ultimate guide to all the things that make Statesville great.
You're invited to come along on this immersive journey, as "Discover Statesville" brings you closer to the heart of our vibrant town. Be prepared to be entertained, inspired, and enlightened each week, as Richard and Cindy share their passion for all things Statesville!
Discover Statesville
Statesville in Bloom: Crafts, Culture, and Craft Beer - April Event Run Down
Spring has truly sprung in Statesville, North Carolina. You can almost smell the fresh tulips and taste the locally crafted brews we're chatting about in our latest episode. We've got the scoop on the Howard Family Farms tulip experience that's captivating families and Instagram feeds alike—imagine wandering through rows of rainbow-colored blooms, the perfect backdrop for your spring memories. And if you fancy more than just a visual feast, join us at Fort Dobbs Historic Site's artisan market where your taste buds can revel in the freshest local produce and sweetest treats, happening every first and third Tuesday.
But wait, there's more to this spring celebration! We're raising our glasses to North Carolina Beer Month with Joe from Red Buffalo Brewing Company, who'll be popping in next week to chat about the exclusive pint glass event that craft beer aficionados won't want to miss. Culture vultures will find a nest at the Arts Council, boasting events from the Mitchell Community College student art show to an artist spotlight with the Insomniacs, and even a spoken word poetry night. And for those who prefer their heads in the stars, we've got the lowdown on the upcoming eclipse, with expert insights from our friends at Lake Norman State Park. So, tune in and let Richard and Cindy guide you through the vibrant tapestry of Statesville's spring delights—it's an episode blooming with reasons to love this season in our charming town.
Tune in now as Richard and I walk through why you should pick statesville this April.
Speaker 2:Welcome to discover statesville, the show that takes you on a captivating journey through the heart of one of North Carolina's most charming towns.
Speaker 1:Welcome back to discover states. While everyone we are so excited that spring has sprung I would say it's my favorite. My favorite season will spring and fall. I'd like to be too warm and I don't like to be too cold, but I love the winter. I love to wear bright colors.
Speaker 3:Well, yeah, it's very spring.
Speaker 1:I'm loving spring, and Just last week, one of the things I love most about statesville is all of the agriculture that we're surrounded with, and Just last week, howard family farms launched their tulip picking. Oh yeah, so that that is something that people should definitely be going out and doing. Howard family farms is in harmony and they have various you pick agriculture throughout the year, but going on now is tulip picking, so you're not gonna want to miss that out there with the guys at Howard family farm.
Speaker 3:Yeah, very cool, yeah gotta get up there with the family.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:So let's see, we'll kick off the month. I guess starting April, the 2nd Fort Dobbs Historic Site will be continuing their local artisan market. That's the first and third Tuesday and it's local produce, artist and desserts, all that kind of stuff. So that's been going on for I think.
Speaker 1:I think they started the season about a month ago and yeah really good time lots of, lots of great Producing we talked about that a little bit with Scott Douglas when he came and talked about Fort Dobbs, but I'm Excited to see that Continuing into April.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and then that same week on Thursday, the evening farmers market at Pecan Park kicks off on April the 4th, and that's a really great time as well, right here in downtown Statesville. So go check them out all things agriculture.
Speaker 1:See I told you, I just love, I love spring growing season. Statesville, north Carolina, was made for spring. That's that's what I know, and, speaking at agriculture, talk about hops a little bit. So Did you know that? Did you know I just came up with that on the spot I should open a marketing agency? Yeah, so on April 7th, did you know that it's North Carolina paint day?
Speaker 3:I did not know that.
Speaker 1:Never, would you ever, but the I'll put it in my calendar.
Speaker 1:North Carolina Brewer's Association is celebrating with a limited edition commemorative pint glass. I'm so excited that Joe Bondy Over at Red Buffalo Brewing Company is partnering with them this year to bring in this limited edition pint glass. It's really cool. You'll only be able to get it at least here in Statesville at Red Buffalo. So April 7th you're gonna want to save the date for that and Joe Next week is gonna be joining us on the podcast to take a deep, deep dive into that National pint day and all things. What day of the week is that? Red Buffalo? That is a Sunday.
Speaker 3:So following that weekend up the next week there's several things going on at the Arts Council. On April, the 10th, there'll be an artist reception for the Mitchell Community College student art show. A lot of talented artists there at Mitchell Community College. Those usually start at 530 and they'll just have a lot of art on display and refreshments and everything. So encourage you to come out. Really, you know, cool, free opportunity to see lots of great art. On the 13th, the insomniacs We'll be hosting an artist spotlight, basically sort of a songwriter showcase, but always a great time hip-hop, r&b those guys bring out a good crowd and are a lot of fun. And then on the 18th we will host a spoken word spotlight, which is basically a poetry night At the Arts Council. So lots of great opportunities to come out and get some culture that week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the Arts Council actually all the performing arts Organizations we have in states will are really going above and beyond. But Make sure you guys are following along with the Arts Council. They're doing some amazing things that that you should be participating if you're not. So we were talking right before we started recording that we have an eclipse coming up on April 8th and our friends over the Lake Norman State Park, which I say is in the states will. They're gonna be hosting an eclipse viewing party. So they're saying that you're gonna be able to see over 80% of the Sun being covered by the moon. That's on April 8th at 2 2 pm. So make plans for that Clips viewing party at late. Norman's State.
Speaker 3:Park. Yeah, it's cool. And if you haven't, you know now's the time to buy eclipse glasses. If you wait too much longer or they will be difficult to get. Yeah, that one that was maybe five years ago or whatever it was. It was tough to get glasses when everybody realized that it was happening.
Speaker 1:I have a silly picture of myself with some of those glasses. That was the thing to do was to take a selfie, and then you've got a really exciting thing coming up with recreation and parks. But first I just want to say that the annual wine walk downtown State's Whales Wine Walk is is coming back and this year they're doing it on April 13th. So they are moving it to a Saturday this year Allow people to come out and more engagement. So tickets are $25 is purchased in advance and $35 on the day of. So if you haven't purchased your wine walk tickets yet for downtown State's Whales, you want to do that April 13th.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's good time. It brings a lot of different people to downtown that you don't usually see in the area. So it's a good event. I'm sure I'll be pouring some. So following up that weekend.
Speaker 3:Into your own glass no, I'm not a wine guy. April the 20th, the city will host the annual Arbor Day celebration. This will be out at the State's Whales Soccer Complex. Starts at 10 am. Lots of things going on there. A bunch of kids activities. There will be inflatables. The city hosts a very large touch, a truck event so kids can come out and climb on all the different vehicles and equipment and everything like that. We're doing tree giveaways. This is a hosting an Arbor Day celebration as a function of the city of states will qualifying annually as a tree city. Usa, which we have for over 30 years now. That's crazy, so it's pretty cool, but just a really good time. Come out at Soccer Complex, we'll have food trucks and just all the things for a nice little Saturday.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Arbor Day celebration is something to look forward to every year Free events.
Speaker 3:man.
Speaker 1:But the fact that you guys, the city's been leaning into that for being a tree city for 30 years, is something to be proud of. So, heading back over to the IRL Arts Council, more stuff going on. There's roots in the round this guys are doing great thing on the 19th, followed up with a band show with Grassroots Entertainment the following day on the 20th, and then a featured act, daniel Rodriguez, is coming on the 25th. That's going to be a ticketed show.
Speaker 3:That would be one of the best part of the key concert series, so that will likely sell out. These guys sell out fast the key concert series does Sure and the Grassroots. The stuff that those guys are doing is really starting to gain momentum and they're getting a big crowd.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're doing a great job really branding their shows and getting the message out. So doing a great job, guys, keep it up. States will be proud of you. And then Richard, tell us a little bit about what's happening on the 26th. Oh yeah, 26th.
Speaker 3:So the Full Bloom Film Festival runs a monthly film series throughout the year at the IRL Arts Council and we really started doing that to sort of keep momentum up for the Full Bloom Film Festival and then not make it just an every September thing. And so as part of this film series we show a wide variety of films Oscar winners, cult classics, sort of everything in between. This April it's the 26th, right, yeah, april the 26th, we will be screening the Rocky Horror Picture Show. More details to come, but I mean we're anticipating it being the. I've never been to one of these, but my understanding is it can be a big time and things can get a little weird and stuff. So we're expecting like a crowd participation type event.
Speaker 1:So since August, when we have various guests on the podcast, we have talked several times about dressing up for different events. Is this going to be the event where we see Richard Greggs dressed up?
Speaker 3:I actually have another commitment that night. Come on, richard, I could pull that off, though.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I do. I think we need to.
Speaker 3:It's going to be a cool time. You know tickets, so once we start, I think, really putting details out, I think tickets will go pretty quick. So put that on your calendar.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. So leaning back into history a little bit, the folks over at Iardil Museums are continued to do great things and they are continuing their segment in April of the Living History Days out at the Gregory Creek Homestead. So be sure and head out to our calendar, get more information on that if you're interested in history. Even if you're not, it's a really cool thing. It's something definitely take the family to and really enjoy just getting outside and learning about what they're doing with Iardil Museums.
Speaker 3:Yeah, also, on April the 20th, the Performing Arts Live of Iardil will be hosting the Piano Men, which is a journey through the 70s with the music of Billy Joel and Elton John. So this is starring Jim Witter, 730 at Mac Gray Auditorium. Performing Arts Live brings a lot of great shows through the area and so, you know, go to their website. You can find out information about tickets. I imagine they will go quickly as well, but who doesn't like Billy Joel and Elton John?
Speaker 1:So that should be a big night. I've seen a lot about this. There's a lot of buzz, a lot of people buying tickets, so go out there now.
Speaker 3:It's like a three hour sing-along.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's going to be a great show, and so excited that it's here in Statesville thanks to Performing Arts Live, and then end of the month with one of my favorites. I love that downtown Statesville has expanded this into used to just being in October and it was so popular and it sold out every night that they did in October that they really leaned in. So start kicking off an April Haunted Statesville Ghost Tours happening monthly now, right, so April.
Speaker 3:This one starts on April 27th and you can get your tickets through downtownstatesvillecom. But yeah, really cool. I haven't done one in years, but I did one around Halloween one year and it's really neat.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I saw that the historic Sharp House players were having auditions, I think last week, or they were looking for more people to come out.
Speaker 3:So for tour guides. They're like to be ghosts. To tour maybe all the above, but I would have a mission to be a ghost.
Speaker 1:I haven't been in a really long time and the tour guides I've heard are just amazing. So the Haunted Statesville Ghost Tours is something that you don't want to miss. I was looking at the calendar this morning before we recorded the show and there literally is live music or something cool happening in our businesses from downtown to outside downtown Cedar Stomp here in Statesville, Red Buffalo Wine Maestro, the Watering Hole can't even name them all, but everyone has, from poker nights to live music, to karaoke, to bingo. I mean there is something going on at least six nights a week.
Speaker 1:So we couldn't possibly cover them all in the amount of time we have to do this rundown and we know we lose you guys after three minutes. Anyway, you'll never hear this, but we encourage you to go out to statesvillenccom slash calendar or just go to statesvillenccom and click on the community calendar. You can filter by performing arts. There's several different segments that you can filter by, because there's tons of, there's thousands of. We've got this fitness and activity center that does great classes.
Speaker 3:Yep stuff going on all the time.
Speaker 1:So if you're looking to get healthy, you should go out there and look at that. There's a senior living segment. The Idle Council on Aging does amazing things for older demographic. So there's never a shortage of things to do in statesville. And if you're a business in statesville, we encourage you and we're not showcasing your events. We just need to know about them and it's free. So reach out to us, discover at statesvillenccom and let us know.
Speaker 1:Get them on the calendar yeah, get them on the calendar, let us know, so we can help lift up what you're doing too, because statesville, north Carolina, is amazing and we encourage you to get out and discover it. So that's it. That's a lot for April.
Speaker 3:And we're excited. Plus all the yard work and everything, it's going to be busy.
Speaker 1:You don't have time for that, I know, do my own.
Speaker 3:It's got to get done.
Speaker 1:But thanks everyone, we appreciate you and we invite you to discoverstatesvillestatesflorenccom. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining Discover Statesville. You can email us at discover at statesvillenccom. Check us out on Facebook at Discover Statesville, nc Hashtag Discover Statesville and our website statesvillenccom. Catch us next week as we continue on our journey to uncover the hidden gems, culinary adventures, entertainment, and to be inspired and enlightened as we Discover Statesville.
