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 2025 Highlights: Festivals, Events and More
Curious about what makes Statesville, North Carolina, full of vibrant events and festivals? Join us as we take you through the exciting event lineup planned for 2025. From the NC Gun Collectors Association Annual Gun Show in February to the sweet delights of the Downtown Statesville Chocolate Stroll, there's something for everyone. Get ready to channel your inner superhero at the Statesville Comic Con, and don't forget to mark your calendars for March's historical reenactments and ghostly tours that bring local lore to life. It's an episode packed with fun and informative insights that will make you want to pack your bags and head to Statesville!
Our journey doesn’t stop there. Imagine a summer brimming with music, fireworks, and the return of the Wild Goose Festival. As the year progresses, Statesville becomes a cultural hub with events like the Full Bloom Film Festival and the Love Valley Roubaix cycling event. Whether you're a local or planning a visit, our featured events will allow you to experience all that Statesville has to offer in 2025!
We're back and we hope you missed us as much as we missed you. Tune in now for the 2025 Annual Events Rundown.
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 3:Welcome back to Discover Statesville. We're excited to be back with you guys and we're going to, today, spend a little time running down the 2025 list of sort of the larger scale community events that happen here in Statesville.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the annual featured events we call them, so it has to happen every year. Yeah, and featured event?
Speaker 3:And admittedly not everything's going to be on here. That's right. We try to look at things that sort of are focused both on people you know, for our community as well, as that would also attract people from outside of our community to come hang out with us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely Can we say Happy New Year. It's still January.
Speaker 3:It is Happy New Year. Yeah, happy new year. Good to see you.
Speaker 1:Happy new year.
Speaker 3:Good to see you too, so starting things off, February 1st at the St Cecil Civic Center is the North Carolina Gun Collectors Association Annual Gun Show. That's February 1st and 2nd. That's an annual event. Draws a lot of people to the area.
Speaker 1:Thousands over the weekend, huge event.
Speaker 3:Admissions $10 or children 10 and under get in free.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, we appreciate them choosing the Statesville Civic Center and bringing all these people to Statesville. And then our friends from the Statesville Comic Con are back. You may recall we had them on the show last year and it was great fun. But make plans now to bring your cosplay, your A-game, snag, epic merchandise and all things. Statesville Comic Con that is going to be on February 8th, also at the Statesville Civic Center, from 10 am to 5 pm. Those tickets are only $5 for adults and you can find more information at statesvillecomiconcom.
Speaker 3:Yeah, February the 8th also, so same day that afternoon is the Downtown Statesville Chocolate Stroll. So this is a new one. This is participants will receive a chocolate passport.
Speaker 1:This is actually in its fourth year.
Speaker 3:What I've never heard of this before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, this is why we do this.
Speaker 3:This is why we do this, so you get a chocolate passport, you visit over 20 businesses to collect specialty chocolates. The event benefits Pharaoh's Parenting. Tickets are $10.
Speaker 1:And if you don't know much about Pharaoh's Parenting, they're a local nonprofit that aims to end child abuse in our community yeah, so this is a local group of people, a private group of people who put this together, so it's um, not actually down, it's in downtown statesville, but it's not done by downtown statesville development, but just a local group of passionate people and, yeah, it's in there I dig it now.
Speaker 1:I know I will likely be there because I enjoy chocolate, I will be there. I love chocolate. Up next after that. Do you know how many years it's been that the Statesville Wedding Expo? I think this is the 14th year.
Speaker 3:I don't know. I've never heard of the chocolate troll before you have heard of it. I've heard of the Wedding Expo.
Speaker 1:Wedding Expo? I hope, but that is February 16th, it brings a crowd. If it brings a crowd. If you have recently been engaged over the holidays, this is the perfect time to come out and meet all the vendors. You can find everything from your dress to your caterer, to your—.
Speaker 3:And you don't have to be engaged. Yeah, you don't have to be engaged, you could just be planning a wedding. You could just come dream, you could be single and just planning a wedding for some time.
Speaker 1:That's right, or?
Speaker 3:you may just be into weddings.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that is Statesville Wedding Expo. It's February 16th, from 1 to 5. And again at the Statesville Civic Center.
Speaker 3:Statesville Civic Center is hopping at the end of the year, yep Coming out strong.
Speaker 1:And they encourage you to pre-register. Skip the line and pre-register at civiccenterstatesvillencnet.
Speaker 3:And there's some giveaways and stuff. So even if your wedding is around the corner and you just still come out check it out, yeah, some great prizes.
Speaker 1:Yep, check it out.
Speaker 3:March, the 1st Defense of Fort Dobbs, tentatively scheduled from 10 am to 4 pm. This is a historic reenactment from February 27, 1760, when a large party of Cherokee engaged in combat with the garrison at Fort Dobbs. So it's a free event. Even if you've been to Fort Dobbs in recent years, it's worth going back. If you haven't been in several years, you really need to get out there because the fort has been reconstructed. Those folks out there do a great job with all different activities and living history.
Speaker 1:They've got exciting things happening.
Speaker 3:They're on this to be restarting their visitor center.
Speaker 1:So we're hoping to have Scott Douglas, their director, on in an upcoming show to tell you guys all about that Big draw for Statesville, north Carolina. Absolutely. And then back again. Our friends from the Statesville Coin and Currency Show invite you to come join them on March 15th from 10 to 5 and March 16th from 10 to 3. Another weekend show that draws thousands of people from all around coin collectors. So that will be again at the Statesville Civic Center. So check that out. Statesville Coin and Currency Show on March 15th through 16th.
Speaker 3:Also in March the Haunted Statesville Ghost Tours kick back off. So historically you know these take place in October, but the past year or two they've been running them from March through October and just a really cool experience. In downtown Statesville, you know, you get great tour guides that tell you all this folklore about these ghost tours that take place in Statesville Featured on Visit North Carolina now too. Big deal.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that they've expanded it and are kicking it off in March every year and it's not just a fall thing.
Speaker 3:And good for the whole family. I mean the kids will enjoy this too.
Speaker 1:They do a great job. So also in downtown Statesville, the Downtown Statesville Development Corporation is putting on the Spring Art Crawl, and that will be on March 22nd, from 2 to 6. So be sure to go to downtownstatesvillecom and check out more information about that.
Speaker 3:That's right, April 26th the annual Wine Walk. It's a premier event in downtown Statesville. Saturday, April 26th, 3 to 7,. You purchase a ticket. A lot of the downtown restaurants and shops and everything open up and do wine tastings in all the different establishments that participate.
Speaker 1:It's a great way both Art Crawl and Wine Walk a great way to support local merchants while enjoying a good time.
Speaker 3:And tickets are required for that event and it is very capable of selling out. Yeah, absolutely so, if you think you're planning on going go ahead and jump on it.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. We already have people booking hotels in town for one walk.
Speaker 3:That's good, because they can't stay with me.
Speaker 1:Come on, richard, then a crowd favorite. We always have people ask questions online through the Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau, but asking about Piedmont Healthcare Friday After 5. That's put on by Downtown Statesville Development and our local Chamber of Commerce. They come together to put together a great lineup of bands. I don't think we've seen that yet, but that will run again May through September. So put that on your radar to participate in the Piedmont Healthcare Friday After 5 again this year. That's right.
Speaker 3:Always a good time. Yeah, on Saturday, may the 17th, the Ardell Arts Council will host their third annual street concert event.
Speaker 1:Great event.
Speaker 3:Yeah, growing a little bit every year, and it has featured some great, I would say, sort of world music, and it will be no different this year featuring JA Lee, cicero and Carabao of world music. And it will be no different this year featuring JA Lee, sisaho and Caraba. Ja Lee is a. He's from Senegal and plays with a great sort of Afro beat band, so it's a. It's a free event. It's right there on Court Street, right in front of the Art of Arts Council. You know we'll They'll be providing more detailed information on start times and things as you get closer to the time. But, may 17th, don't leave town.
Speaker 1:And the Idle Arts Council has a new executive director. Right, that's right, yeah. So no stranger to our show, Sydney Koppelmeyer, who's been on to talk about Full Bloom Film Festival and several other things, has taken an opportunity, came available and she took on that role, so we look forward to having her on the show.
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:In the coming months to talk about all things.
Speaker 3:Idle Arts Council yeah and then just yeah, while we're talking about the annual calendar, you know we talk about featuring kind of one-off large-scale events. But you know, take the opportunity, when we talk about these organizations like the Idle Arts Council, look them up and see what their regular programming is, because there's something happening at the Arts Council pretty much every week, whether it's a concert series or a gallery opening or anything. As is the case with a lot of these organizations, they're doing more programming throughout the year than just these large-scale events.
Speaker 1:Doing great, great things and it's just going to get bigger and better. Right, that's right. And then something you and your team put on Richard Art in the Park.
Speaker 3:I think in partnership with— In partnership with the Art of Arts Council.
Speaker 1:Art of Arts Council speaking of which, so on Lakewood Drive, at Martin Luther King Park, a celebration of artistic expression. So a big outdoor art festival supporting local. Just come out with your day in the park with your family and friends.
Speaker 3:Bunch of artists, bunch of live music. Yeah, just a good day at the park.
Speaker 1:That's June 7th, that's right. That's Saturday. That is June 7th, that's right. That's Saturday. That is June 7th, from 11 to 3, art in the Park.
Speaker 3:You won't want to miss that, that's right June the 21st is the Statesville Juneteenth Statesville Celebration. This year is titled the Soul Summit. I love it and it's a great. It's a really, really cool, hugely diversely attended event right in downtown Statesville along West Broad Street, celebrating history, art and culture and community transformation. I think I saw on social media the other day our friend Tevin Carr was the new chair this year. Okay, so lots of great changes. It's a big-time event, so put that on your calendar as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, june 21st. Yeah, speaking of Tevin Carr and just music in general Make Music Day. I know he was participating last year but now they have a business in downtown Statesville. But Make Music Day. This is going to be the third Second.
Speaker 3:Third, third, this might be the second oh okay.
Speaker 1:I think I can't remember, yeah Well, the second annual Make Music Day. That's on June 21st, and that's a national event, it's a global event, global event, yeah, I actually think it was started in France or something. Oh, okay.
Speaker 3:And it's always the same day. So when Statesville participates, we are participating on this global scale with all these other countries and cities and stuff throughout.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, so pretty cool, yeah, cool. So the idea is for downtown Statesville just to transform into this musical expression, a musical expression from classical rap, percussion to piano, so a little bit of everything. They had a oh, what was that instrument called that the guy was playing out on the street last year. It looks like a big orb but he drew all kinds of people to him. You know what?
Speaker 3:I'm talking about Like a steel drum or something.
Speaker 1:It might have been just a steel drum. It seemed much more fancy to me than that.
Speaker 3:It can look very fancy.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was amazing. I love seeing the musicians out on the street like that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, very cool so that is June 21st. That's right, july the 3rd, the city will host the annual fireworks celebration. The city hosts this along in partnership with Country Boy Landscaping and Tim Johnson Landscaping. The fireworks are launched along the Signal Hill area and you know, and so the parking is all in that area, at the mall and all those shopping centers around there, the soccer complex and stuff. But launch time at 930 pm I can walk from my house and see it. Oh yeah.
Speaker 1:Good yeah, I don't have to fight for parking.
Speaker 3:And just go ahead and tell everybody your address, and then they'll meet over there. No, thanks.
Speaker 1:Our friends from Wild Goose Festival are going to be returning back to the Statesville area at Van Hoy Campground. They come from out of town and bring 3,000 people. Our hotels are always full For the Wild Goose Festival. It's a half-week long, august 28th through 31st. I want to say this is their fourth year. This is their fourth year in Statesville, north Carolina, so we are excited about that and welcome them back with open arms. But it's a faith, justice, music and art festival has a huge draw. Lots of people camp out there, but tickets are required and are already on sale. So don't miss the Wild Goose Festival if you haven't had a chance to experience that yet in the past several years.
Speaker 3:That's right. Yeah, in August the Civic Center once again will host the Iredell Statesville Coin Club Vendor Show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so they do that twice a year, kind of spring and fall.
Speaker 3:So ancient coins, currency, jewelry, all kinds of cool stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, spring and fall, so ancient coins, currency, jewelry, all kinds of cool stuff, yeah, and the county in general. In the fall the Iredell County Agricultural Fair will be back at the Iredell County Fairgrounds. So right there in Troutman it's just an annual fair, great family time, and that's August 29th through September 6th are the dates they've released for that, so get that on your calendar.
Speaker 3:County Fair.
Speaker 1:And Richard's favorite.
Speaker 3:That's right. This will be the, so the Idle Arts Council and the Full Bloom Film Festival Committee will host the 10th annual.
Speaker 1:Full Bloom Film Festival. I can't believe it's been 10 years.
Speaker 3:I know, tell me about it. That's September 11th through the 13th. This is an international film festival that takes place right here in downtown Statesville.
Speaker 1:That takes place right here in downtown Statesville Busting out the scenes last year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and we hear all the time well, statesville doesn't have a movie theater. Well, for the film festival we have at least four that we convert these different venues in downtown Statesville into movie theaters and showcase All kinds of great film. And it's just a really outstanding, amazing weekend. Tickets are going to be on sale soon, if they're not already. There's parties all weekend. You can get a VIP pass which gets you into every film and every party. There's nothing like it here in Statesville.
Speaker 1:It's becoming one of my favorites.
Speaker 3:It's very cool and we get a lot of filmmakers and people that come and attend from really all over the planet.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so at the beginning you kind of mentioned that we're featuring the annual kind of events, the bigger events here. But the Full Bloom Film Festival talking about not having a movie theater puts on movies throughout the year right Every month, every month at the Art of Arts Council at the old jail.
Speaker 3:Okay, and so we'll screen. I think in January we screened Moulin Rouge. In February we're screening the Princess Bride. That's our Valentine's Day romance, also your video. No, we pay for the rights.
Speaker 1:These are usually your DVDs, aren't they?
Speaker 3:No, no, no, Everything's above board. It's professional. It's professional, but it is cool and, yeah, those are always opportunities to come out and, like I said, just entertainment. Yeah, check out the film series. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And Statesville if you don't know this, if you haven't tuned in. Historically Statesville is known as a bicycling destination and we play host to several cycling events and one of those being the Love Valley Row Bay. So a local bike shop owner, wes Davidson from First Light Bikes, and a team of people they put together, featuring routes up to 100 miles, including the demanding Fox Mountain Hill climb, but the Love Valley Robe in Love Valley, and they announced their dates just last week. So September 26th through the 28th we welcome those riders back.
Speaker 1:They bring several hundred people from out of town and really from all over the place From all over, looking forward to experiencing North Carolina's toughest climbs, right in Love Valley, all right.
Speaker 3:On September the 20th will be the Fall Art Crawl, the counterpart to the Spring Art Crawl, virtually a very similar event. Lots of great artists showcased in lots of great downtown establishments.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Actually they've switched it up a little bit. I don't know if you noticed what they did this past year. Oh, I didn't. I don't know if they'll do it again this year, but they made one more of a fine arts event. So I think it was the fall one was more fine arts and spring was more crafts. But sorry if I said that wrong, Liz, I know we'll have you on the show to let everyone know exactly what it is, but they've kind of like upped the game and made it fine arts. So, yeah, that's September 20th. Looking forward to that. So the Pride Parade and Festival will be back in September. I don't know that they've set the date yet, but they will be back. So a celebration of love and diversity and community, Also through downtown Statesville, with a parade and event that ends. What did you say on Broad?
Speaker 1:Street yeah on Broad Street. So that will be back in September.
Speaker 3:Excellent. On October 4th, Purple Heart Homes will host the Take that Hill event at Southern Distilling Company out there on Jennings Road.
Speaker 3:This is their sixth annual event and you know, sort of like you're talking about, the Love Valley Road Bay draws a bunch of—the cycling community is large and so this brings a lot of people out for the event, especially, you know, since it's to benefit housing for disabled and aging veterans. So good time for a good cause and there's just a general celebration as well. You can attend this and not just be a writer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just community and enjoy Southern Distilling.
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Take that hill.
Speaker 1:The donkeys. Yeah, so October 4th. And can you believe it that this year is the 50th annual Carolina Balloon Fest, second largest balloon festival in the nation?
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, right here in Statesville, North Carolina. So always the third weekend in October, October 17th through the 19th. But I understand they're going to make sure this is a not-to-miss event, not-to-miss year.
Speaker 3:Hold out all the stops 50th annual.
Speaker 1:Don't miss it, yeah, outstanding 30th annual.
Speaker 3:Don't miss it. Yeah, outstanding. On October 18th and 19th we'll have the North Carolina Gun Collectors Association back at the Civic Center for another gun show.
Speaker 1:Another organization that does spring and fall.
Speaker 3:That's right.
Speaker 1:Brings thousands of people.
Speaker 3:It's not broke, that's right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's in high demand. And then our friends at Downtown Statesville Development and our local Chamber of Commerce are partnering up again for the Statesville Pumpkin Fest. This is going to be the 21st annual Statesville Pumpkin Fest Long, long time running event. Classic car cruisings, kids zones, the foods and lemonade. I always go for the big, the fresh squeezed lemonade, final case, all the things. Every day should be Statesville Pumpkin Fest Day in downtown Statesville, but it's November 1st from 10 to 5 and will be happening again this year.
Speaker 3:Yeah, Also on November 1st. I guess this is tentative. Or is the date tentative or the time tentative? They're both tentative.
Speaker 1:Let's go ahead and talk about November 1st and December 13th, because what's happening at Fort Dobbs and this is their annual events for military timeline in the winter at the Western Company. The reason this is tentative they have it on the calendar but they're having to close their parking lot to tours because they are building a full-blown visitor center. So I think their hope is that that will be all the way and they'll be able to have their annual events.
Speaker 3:Okay, so we wanted to mention them, but those are tentatives, so we have high hopes for you guys, fort Dobbs, that you'll be able to pull those off this year. If they happen, be there, yeah, yeah. And then in general in December, downtown Statesville kind of does a little bit of everything and they'll roll out, you know, a pretty robust calendar of different activities and amenities that are open during that time. So stay tuned for all that. But there'll be carriage rides, there'll be shopping strolls, there'll be trolleys, there'll be Santa Central at City Hall and all kinds of stuff spread out over the course of the month.
Speaker 1:The Christmas tree lighting, all the things.
Speaker 3:yeah, that's right and including one of the month the Christmas tree lighting, all the things. That's right and including. One of the events that also is hosted at the Civic Center is the annual Symphony Holiday Pops event, and that's going to be on December 11th.
Speaker 1:How many years has that been happening?
Speaker 3:I don't know A lot.
Speaker 1:Close to 20, probably.
Speaker 3:You might have to ask Kosti.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Kosti Kute, our remember the first time that I went. I'm not a big symphony guy, believe it or not, but I really enjoyed it. I mean, it's all the Christmas tunes that you know and stuff.
Speaker 1:It's a lot of fun.
Speaker 3:Yeah, whole family enjoys it.
Speaker 1:There is not a shortage of things happening in Statesville, North Carolina in 2025. And these are just the annual events.
Speaker 3:That we know about right now.
Speaker 1:That we know about right now More things will pop up, yeah, and since we're back after the holidays, we will kick back off with our February events rundown and kind of dig in and feature everything that's happening for the events each month.
Speaker 3:My birthday's in February, so be sure to talk about it, mine too. Should we have a birthday cake as we record? Maybe we should. Or Should we have a birthday cake as we record?
Speaker 1:Maybe we should, or a hat. Is that why we get along? Are you an Aquarius?
Speaker 3:No, I'm a Pisces.
Speaker 1:Oh well, see, there you have it, but we would like to thank the Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau for sponsoring the Discover Statesville podcast and making it possible for Richard and I to come on and share all these great things with you. It's very important for tourism for all these events to happen, and, whether you're local or whether you're perusing the Visit Statesville website, we just want to let you know that, no matter when you're planning to come for a visit, there's something to do, so we invite you to Discover Statesville Until next time. Thanks, everyone.
Speaker 2:Thank you for joining Discover Statesville. You can email us at discover at statesvillenccom. Check us out on Facebook at Discover Statesville. You can email us at discover at statesvillenccom. Check us out on Facebook at discoverstatesvillenc hashtag discoverstatesville 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.
