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's September Spectacular: Fairs, Films, and Festivals
What if your September could be filled with unforgettable experiences and unique events right in Statesville, North Carolina? Let this episode be your guide to the season's top happenings. From muscadine and scuppernong picking at local farms to the week-long Iredell County Agricultural Fair, there's plenty to do for families and friends. This month also brings the 9th Annual Full Bloom Film Festival, featuring a lineup of films for all movie lovers. Plus, Carolina Farm Trust returns with their Dinner on W. Broad farm-to-table dinner, making this month a treat for food enthusiasts.
But that's not all! We highlight Leslie Mendelson's upcoming concert at the Iredell Arts Council, the Love Valley Roubaix Gravel Bike Race, and a Project Food, Land, and People workshop at Lake Norman State Park. Dog lovers will enjoy Dog Day at the Pool, while history fans can look forward to the Iredell Museums' new "Museum Ologies" exhibit and Living History Day at Fort Dobbs. End your cultural journey with the Fall Art Crawl in downtown Statesville and a British high tea at the Historic Sharpe House. Tune in and make sure you don't miss these events and MORE this September!
Hello everyone. We're back with one of your favorite episodes the monthly event rundown and you're going to want to tune in to see why September is a favorite for Richard and I.
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 Statesville. Everybody, we're so excited to be here with our September events rundown. It's been a while since I've been. It's fall time. Yeah, I'm excited. We had a teaser fall at the end of last month and I'm hoping that continues. But you know why it's my favorite month, right? Do you remember from last year? No, I'm tingling with anticipation to learn again. I'm not a big wine drinker I was just saying that before we went on air but I love some muscadines and scuppernongs and it is muscadine picking season in.
Speaker 1:Statesville, north Carolina. It's worth a road trip, for we have four you pick farms Cowan Farm, greachy's Garden, hazy Red Vineyard and R&R Grapes. All offer muscadine and scuppernongs and we understand that those are going to be ready right now, this first week of September. So head out online or to our website, states1nccom, and go to YouPick Agriculture and be looking for some updates and get out and support local farmers. Very cool yeah.
Speaker 3:That's a big annual event. The Iredell County Agricultural Fair kicks off this week.
Speaker 1:Speaking of farmers. That's right.
Speaker 3:Down at the county fairgrounds which is down there in Troutman. So lots to do there. You can find information on y'all's website. But it's the fair, it's the county fair.
Speaker 1:Y'all's website. We're in this together, well, I know.
Speaker 3:But the kids want to go. You want to go, Go to the fair. Look at you know, do they do butter sculpting?
Speaker 1:Maybe I haven't seen it, but it's a week-long event, right yeah?
Speaker 3:it's huge.
Speaker 1:So 10 Good times for the whole family Looking forward to the county fair this year. We talked the past couple months about Equivation. They're an organization here in Statesville that has really started picking up and doing a lot of events for the community to enjoy. So two things in September they're doing. They're doing a dinner with donkeys.
Speaker 3:I like that they went super deliberate with that title. Yeah, dinner with donkeys. Dinner with donkeys. I like that. They went super deliberate with that title. Yeah, dinner with donkeys.
Speaker 1:Dinner with donkeys. I mean, you know what you're doing.
Speaker 3:That's exactly right.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So a casual, fun, open house style evening to learn more about Equivation if you do not know what that is and spend time with their sweet petite, their miniature therapy donkeys. Sweet petites, no-transcript Sweet Petites. So therapy donkeys out there. Yeah, kudos to their marketing team. Right, and then they're jumping straight in. That is September 5th, from 5 pm to 7 pm, and that is a ticketed event. So go out online on our website and look for information on dinner with donkeys. And then also at the end of the month, on September 21st, they're coming back with a farm-to-table dinner. A lot of that happening in September is going to be cool with Chef Jordan Rainbolt. So they're going to have a cause-focused dining experience, you know, with their ranch as a backdrop and again, just to get to know Equivation. So if that's something that interests you, we encourage you to go out and be a part of that. All right?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we encourage you to go out and be a part of that. All right. September 5th through the 7th is the 9th Annual Full Bloom Film Festival, located here in downtown Statesville.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and next week we're going to have Sydney Koppelmeyer, the marketing chair of the festival. That's right, she's going to be joining us. All the details, talk, all things About the Full Bloom Film Festival.
Speaker 3:But in the meantime, go to the Full Bloom Film Festival website. You can purchase tickets, anything from single session tickets up to VIP weekend passes. So schedules out, put it on your radar, be about it.
Speaker 1:I hear those VIP tickets are going fast, so this is your one week's notice to get on it.
Speaker 3:VIP pass is the way to go. That way you get to go to everything.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely to get on it. Vip pass is the way to go. Yeah, that way you get to go to everything. Yeah, absolutely. And then, if you, if you caught us, last week, we had the park ranger from Lake Norman state park on. She was talking about the swim beach. But in September, on September 6th, from 8 PM to 10 PM, they are having a star party. They're asking you to come out and enjoy the night Like you've never seen it before. So that should be an amazing night, spending some time with them out there at Lake Norman State Park Awesome.
Speaker 3:On September, the 7th, Iredell Museums and their downtown location will be hosting a STEM Saturday with some engineering challenges activities for kids. So come participate in that. That starts at noon on the 7th and then later on this month, on the 21st, they'll have a Living History Day out at the Gregory Creek Homestead, which is off of Museum Road. That's from 10 to 2. So you get to come out and learn about homestead living back in the day.
Speaker 1:Lucky to have an organization like Iredell Museum doing great programming here. And, richard, if you like dinner with donkeys, you're going to want to be at Cookies with Cookie, that's right.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So Allison.
Speaker 3:Woods.
Speaker 1:Have you heard of Cookie? I love Cookie the barn owl. So Allison Woods is teaming up with Historic Sharp House to host an afternoon of cookie decorating and spending some time with their own barn owl cookie. It's a fundraiser for Allison Woods, so that is September 7th from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Speaker 3:And that's here downtown. Yeah, that's at Sharp House downtown.
Speaker 1:Again, it's a ticketed event, so you know, if that's something that interests, you, jump on it.
Speaker 3:Homemade ice cream.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:I'm in, yeah, I'm in. Yeah, I'm in Also on September the 7th gosh, it's a busy weekend.
Speaker 1:It's rodeo night, something for everyone. Not all things appeal to everyone, that's right. No, it's diversity yeah.
Speaker 3:Saturday night, September. The 7th gates open at 4. The rodeo starts at 8 at the Diamond S Arena. So the youth rodeo starts at 5. Cowgirls Triathlon, shoot, dogging, ranch, bronc riding all the things that you expect out of a top-notch rodeo.
Speaker 1:Richard, you as a ranch bronc rider, I'm envisioning it.
Speaker 3:We need to look into that it sounds like a hospital bill waiting to happen.
Speaker 1:Our friends at Piedmont Healthcare should enjoy that.
Speaker 3:I'm on a first-name basis at the urgent care. So that's between me and one of my children.
Speaker 1:So I'm excited that we're going to be welcoming back Carolina Farm Trust for their second annual systems change conference, which is a regional resilience through regenerative agriculture. They really lean into regenerative agriculture through regenerative agriculture. They really lean into regenerative agriculture and they're a Charlotte-based organization but they choose Iredell County and to come here and partner with us in Statesville because of the great agricultural history and farms and stuff we have out here. So we're excited to welcome them back September 9th and 10th to our Statesville Civic Center. It's from 8.30 am to 5 pm. It is a ticketed conference but it is open to the public. So if agriculture and regenerative farming is something that interests you, we encourage you to look more into that.
Speaker 1:One of the things I really really love they did this last year and it was a sold out event and I imagine it's going to be a sold out event this year. And it was a sold-out event and I imagine it's going to be a sold-out event this year and it was great. It was great, but I do believe there are some tickets still available but is that? They partner with the community to host a dinner on Broad Street and they have announced an amazing lineup of chefs. They have different chefs that do the dessert and the main dishes and the appetizers and even some mixed drinks mixologists out there. So that is on September 10th from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm. Tickets are $95. But it's a farm-to-table feast hosted by Carolina Farm Trust right on Broad Street in front of Mitchell, the whole length of the block, almost two blocks, I guess City block.
Speaker 3:Yeah, great event.
Speaker 1:So dinner on Broad Street, don't miss it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, september 11th, the Iredell Arts Council will be hosting the Speedball Art Products Print Artist Show. So Speedball Art Products is one of the nation's largest art supply companies and they're located right here in Statesville. And so this is the third annual Speedball Art Products show showcasing local artists and diversity of mediums and printmaking techniques and just a really great, really great time. Lots of wonderful art. So come out to the Arts Council. They always have sort of a reception to celebrate these artists at the opening of a new gallery.
Speaker 1:Thank you, Speedball Art. Come out and see us on Court Street and the Art of Arts Council. So Theater Statesville is back with their next production, A Life in the Theater. It's a comedy play by Theater Statesville and they are going to be doing that at the ARS Black Box Theater. So that is the new American Renaissance venue where the newspaper used to be the Ricker Landmark newspaper used to be.
Speaker 1:So it's based on a Pulitzer Prize winning author by the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Glenn Gary, glenn Ross and Speed the Plow. So this takes us into winning author of Glen Gary, glen Ross and Speed the Plow. It takes us into the lives of two actors, john Young and Rising into the first flush of success, and the other, robert, older, anxious and beginning to wane. So it's a short series comedy, play and Theater. Statesville always does a good job, so we encourage you to get tickets for that, but it is. I didn't think. I don't think I said that is September. Kicks off September 12th with evening performances the 12th, 13th, 14th, 19th, 20th and 21st Gosh. It's a busy month and then they also are going to have a matinee on the 15th and the 22nd at 2.30.
Speaker 3:Outstanding. Yeah, lucky to have local theater organizations here in the. States. On Friday, september the 13th is the next installment of the Piedmont Healthcare Friday After 5 concert series featuring the Camel City Yacht Club, five veteran musicians bringing the finest smooth rock of the 70s and 80s and I got to say this part because it's listed here Harmonies check. Monster guitars check. Bathrobes check. So that didn't trigger your curiosity.
Speaker 1:You were in a bathrobe in a recent photo at the Arts Council, weren't you?
Speaker 3:We were screening the Big Lebowski, so I had dressed up as the dude for that purpose Camel City Yacht Club.
Speaker 3:But so always a great time at the Piedmont Healthcare Friday after 5. That has grown into being a pretty monstrous event here in downtown Statesville with great attendance. Yeah, also at that particular event is the Statesville Kids Biz Expo. The Chamber of Commerce puts on. The Chamber of Commerce puts on, and that's for young budding entrepreneurs so you can register. Actually, registration for participation is closed for this year, but it's an opportunity for kids to come out and maybe they want to sell big goods that they made, or maybe they make bracelets or any kind of business idea that these kids have. It's an opportunity for them to come out and set up and you've got a built-in audience of a whole bunch of people that can come by and check out your wares.
Speaker 1:Now I think this maybe I'm not sure about the concert, but definitely the Kids Expo this is a rescheduled event because we spoke about this some in our August event rundown and they got rained out.
Speaker 3:The weather's going to be fine for this day, though. It's going to be good.
Speaker 1:It's going to be great, it's going to be perfect. And then we'll be heading into the second Saturday sidewalk stroll, the second Saturday in downtown Statesville we had Tori with the Mercantile on Broad in last month for a great show, talking all about it. And so second Saturday every month, sidewalk Stroll in downtown Statesville. So dine, shop and stroll, and it's put out by the merchants themselves. They've come together and really getting out there and promoting themselves. And very cool collaborative event yeah, we love it. And very cool collaborative event yeah, we love it.
Speaker 3:On the 14th, the inaugural Downtown Harmonies Music Festival. This is hosted by the folks over at American Renaissance and I believe it's sort of a continuation of the event that they used to have up at Feathers Grove, but they're going to host this at their new gym and activity center right here in downtown Statesville. It's 12 to 6. Just a really great opportunity to enjoy downtown and come out and see some live music and celebrate with friends and family.
Speaker 1:I've missed their event out at Fiddler's Grove. I'm excited.
Speaker 3:It was always cool, yeah, so I'm sure they did a great job with that. I'm sure they'll do a great job with this, so check out Downtown Harmony's Music Festival.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Looking forward to that. And that's on September 14th, right, that's right. Also on September 14th, our friends over at Westside Twins. Have you heard of Westside Twins?
Speaker 3:I have. They're doing a bunch of cool stuff.
Speaker 1:They are. They brought that Wall of Death out when they grand opened it. It was really cool. But they're having their first annual cruise in right there at Westside Twins and that is also happening on September 14th there at 2313 West Front Street. But they say whether you roll on two wheels or four, this event is for you. So an afternoon filled with music, delicious food and good old-fashioned fellowship. Oh wow. It says they're going to be sharing a newly finished 58 English Ford Anglia. I'm going to say that wrong, but that sounds really cool.
Speaker 1:So bring your friends out. They're going to have music by Holt Up and Carter Librand. Did I say that right? Do you know, Carter? But it looks like all day music and fun and cruising at Westside Twins.
Speaker 3:Go check them out. Yeah, on September the 19th, the Iredell Arts Council will be hosting Leslie Mendelson, brooklyn-based singer-songwriter. We do a concert. The Iredell Arts Council does a concert series, part of their key concert series, in addition to working with the folks from Grassroots Entertainment Group and the Insomniacs organization, and every show that takes place at the arts council is worth coming to. It's a it's a really great venue. Um, great acoustics, great sound engineers making everything look and sound great in there. So, um, come and come and check out leslie mendelson, but I would jump on trying to get tickets sooner than later yeah, it really seems, like, richard, that there's something going on.
Speaker 1:I mean mean multiple nights at the Arts Council with that array of partners and group that you talked about and we've talked about this some.
Speaker 1:It's a featured event here in the greater Statesville area but the Love Valley Robe is back September 20th through 22nd Gravel Grinder Classic Bike Race. So they've added a hundred mile option but it's a bike race through Love Valley put on by actually a local, west Davidson, with First Flight Bicycles right here in downtown Statesville. So if you are a gravel bike rider and for some reason you do not know about the Love Valley Robe yet, sign up. Be sure you don't miss that September 20th or 22nd.
Speaker 3:Sexy gravel miles each day it says Wes.
Speaker 1:are you talking about you or the bicycling there?
Speaker 3:I don't know if it's optional Pain and suffering are mandatory. Yeah, but super cool, super cool event to have here. But super cool, super cool event to have here. We've got coming up on September 21st, the Project Food, land and People at Lake Norman State Park, which is an informal and formal educators workshop. So this is really pretty neat. This national environmental education curriculum is going to be taught to both formal and informal educators. So if you want to learn you know, if you're a teacher here in the area and you want to come and get some tips on some lesson plans that are relatable to these particular topics, you can come down and they're offering that information.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then we have at least my dog's favorite day of the year coming up.
Speaker 3:That's right. Dog day at the pool. Yeah, we got a lot of staff that this is their favorite day of the year too.
Speaker 1:Makes for some great pictures. It's a lot of fun.
Speaker 3:So we started this a number of years ago. Recreation and Parks Department hosts a Dog Day at the Pool. This year's event is on not listed here. It's late.
Speaker 2:September, it's probably that same day.
Speaker 1:It's probably the 21st as well.
Speaker 3:Yes, but so it's from 11 am to 2 pm. In some years we've offered two different sessions for small dogs and big dogs, but we've decided just to bring everybody in together, because most everybody comes to the big dog session even if they have a small dog. But it's $5 a dog.
Speaker 1:Small dogs want to be big dogs too, All small dogs think that, so it works out.
Speaker 3:So there are some parameters. We've got to provide proof of current rabies vaccination. No choke callers. No more than two dogs per person. Humans are not allowed to get in the water with the dogs. But it's a really great time and it's fun to watch dogs run around and play in the pool and we always get this question, but it is after the pool has closed for the season, so there's ample time to get the pool treated and ready for next year's swim season Is Merle a dog day at the pool, kind of guy Merle usually comes to dog day at the pool.
Speaker 3:Merle loves the water. He doesn't love other dogs, not in an aggressive manner. He just can't be bothered. He's just sort of like let me do my my thing I'm just here to swim. He prefers the lake water right, yeah, he likes to swim for exercise.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So back to Iredell Museums man, they've got a lot going on. In September they are opening a new exhibit called Museumologies. I hope I'm saying that right. Museumologies artifacts as a means of study. So a collection of artifacts at Iretl Museums. It's a hodgepodge of oddities and curiosities. So it says they're going to illustrate how museums have updated their methodology and practices through the years. So that's very interesting. So check out there. They're opening it on the 21st, but I'm assuming that's going to be their exhibit. It'll be open probably heading into October. So we're excited about that. Very cool.
Speaker 3:Also on the 21st is the Fall Art Crawl here in downtown Statesville. If you've never been to an art crawl, it's a really great event, pretty basic concept and they get a bunch of different artists that sign up, register to and different downtown businesses to host a couple of artists. So most of the downtown businesses and restaurants stay open. So it's just an opportunity to come downtown. It's real casual. You walk around, you go into the downtown locations, restaurants and retail shops and they'll all have an additional artist or two. So two birds, one stone. Just a really great night in downtown Statesville.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just a way to be creative. They've actually moved it to a.
Speaker 3:Saturday afternoon now, so it's two to six. It used to be a Friday evening thing, and they've changed the format.
Speaker 1:Is it not a fine art fall crawl this time? A fine art crawl this time.
Speaker 3:They are fine arts. You're not going to see as much like craft type things. They're all going to be fine arts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're going to focus more on the crafts in the spring. Correct, kind of change it up. You know good for them thinking outside the box. Then we're back at. So after our crawl in downtown Statesville, you can be a part of an authentic British high tea at the Sharp House. The Sharp House puts on some great tease and this won't be no different, but that will also be the 21st.
Speaker 1:Wow lot happening that's a full day um from 6 to 7 45 pm, so that um ticket, ticket of ticketed event, um only one seating at 6 pm.
Speaker 3:So don't miss that on that, that's right yeah, uh, also on the 21st at Matt Gray Auditorium. Performing Arts Live or no? This is Performing Arts Live. Iredell is presenting the Masters of Soul. They'll perform all your favorite hits. This is 7 pm. I imagine they'll have tickets for sale on their website, so jump on that.
Speaker 1:So our Iredell County Public Library, right here in downtown Statesville. They have a plethora of events, but one we wanted to make sure that to pull out that people don't miss out on is they're doing an Iredell History Teller Series with OC Stone Street. Oc does a great job at that. He's an author of several books, a contributor to our local newspapers, but this is known for his ability to bring Iredell history to life. So it's one of the first programs of a series and that will be kicking off on September 23rd from 6 pm to 7 pm. It's RSVP required, so check out if that's something that is of interest to you. Check out the Iredell County Public Library's website. Awesome Myrtle County Public Library's website.
Speaker 3:Awesome. Also on the 28th Fall Living History Day at Fort Dobbs Historic Site to experience a day in life at the garrison of Fort Dobbs.
Speaker 1:It's a big day for them. Tons of people come out for this.
Speaker 3:So yeah, just an opportunity to see what a glimpse of the life was like living back in the fort when it was there. That's 10 am to 4 pm on the 28th.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think I need one of these uniforms.
Speaker 3:And that's free.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a free event.
Speaker 3:They do accept donations. I should do an episode wearing one of those.
Speaker 1:You should do an episode, no, you should do an episode doing that you have the hair for it, the back-in-the-day hair, I'm thinking they had long hair. Um, and then, uh, wrapping up the month, uh, with the statesville pride parade and festival in downtown statesville. So that's from 12 pm to 4 pm um, fun filled day, celebrate diversity in our community. So, um, for vendor information, it says to contact Sherry Corsi, but you can go out and let's see Statesville Pride Parade on Facebook. But this is also on our website at stateswillnccom, if you'd like more information on that.
Speaker 3:And I think this is maybe their fourth, third or fourth year and, yeah, I think getting a little bit bigger every year. I went last year. It's a great event. It was a lot of fun, we had a great time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, great event. It was a lot of fun, we had a great time.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, so wrapping, wrapping up the month with that and and, as always, uh, the haunted statesville ghost tours are taking place, uh, every month now it's not just in october, um, so they'll do them the fourth saturday of the month. They'll do a couple of tours, um, and then, if you miss them in september, once we get into october, they'll offer, you know, a lot more options, um, since it's halloween. So Haunted Statesville Ghost Tour really cool, lots of great stories here in downtown.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I can't believe we had 13 pages just of featured events. But, folks, if you are still watching, we're 22 minutes in, they're still watching. Thank you so much for being here with us. But I want to say this doesn't even scratch the surface on the events and activities that are happening in Statesville, north Carolina. We really encourage you to go out to statesvillennccom. Click on the community calendar that is driven by Randy Marion Ford. We appreciate them working with us to support getting those events out to everyone. Thousands of events happening. There really is something for everyone. You do not have to.
Speaker 3:There's more to do than you have time to do.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 3:It's also high school football season, which is important to mention too. There are a bunch of high schools here in the area that you can go support every Friday night.
Speaker 1:Yeah, which is cool, get out and support your local teams. Yeah, which is cool Get out and support your local teams. Yeah, we need to lean into. We need to start leaning into that, because high school football is a huge thing for the community.
Speaker 3:I mean high school sports in general, but Friday night lights it's a big deal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, sports in general. Yep, Come out and see them live. Don't have to watch. But I'd like to give a special thanks to the board for the Statesville Convention Visitors Bureau for making it possible for us to do this for the community and to Richard for showing up every week to do this. We said it briefly, I think, in last month's episode, but we have surpassed a year and we are enjoying bringing this information to you guys very much. If you have recommendations, go to statesvillennccom and hit that contact us form and let us know your thoughts. We'd love to hear them. So Discover Statesville everybody. Stateswillnccom. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining Discover Statesville. You can email us at discover at stateswillnccom. Check us out on Facebook at Discover Statesville, nc. Hashtag Discoveratesville 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.
