Festival of Lights -- Band Preview

Festival of Lights is a great downtown event -- something for everyone. The merchants are all decked out and many have open houses. Santa is at Hamburger Square Park -- waiting to talk to you. Marshmallows Roasting, an Indie Market to get some cool gifts. Plus over 20 bands are performing along Elm Street. We have some favorite bands who have been with us for years! It wouldn't be Festival of Lights without them. They include:

High Lonesome Strings Bluegrass Association -- a group of bluegrass musicians and fans who get together to celebrate Bluegrass music. If you can't wait until December 4th to hear them...take a listen to this clip on YouTube.



The Sinai Mountain Ramblers the only Klezmer band in Guilford County!

The NCA&T Fellowship Gospel Choir has been performing for years -- they bring a joyful sound to the Festival. Here is a clip from their performance last year.



So, even if you are saying bah-humbug to Santa, if you are wrinkling your nose at roasted marshmallows and you don't want to go into any of the downtown merchants .... you should at least stop by and take a listen to some of the fabulous music that will be offered on December 4th!
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First Friday in Downtown Greensboro

The First Friday of every month, Downtown Greensboro, Inc. (DGI) and the United Arts Council (UAC) cross promote downtown activities and special retail events. So, shops are open with an art exhibit, galleries have special viewings and open houses, restaurants may have a special musician playing. Its a great way to encourage people to come downtown and explore all that Greensboro has to offer. Here are a couple of highlights for the August 7th First Friday!

Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art
In partnership with DGI & with support from Face to Face and synerG, the gallery presents an August Art Oasis. The Greensboro Cultural Center will be transformed in to a mecca of music and art to include street art & pottery demonstrations, street belly dancing, hip hop dance and base line DJ music thumping through the atrium.

• Lyndon Street Artworks – 205 Lyndon St.
  Recycle! Renew! Reuse! Relive! @ Lyndon Street Artworks. Artists include: Julie McKnight - “Art is all around us, in bottles, in broken glass, in nails, in salvaged metal, in discarded household utensils.”; Karen Bjorn Dischell's oil painting; Susan Ridenour's tableware; Kris Hohn’s projects including drift wood, shells, bottle caps, and wire and a new collection of mini paintings; and Anne Marie Davis “Pears.” Also enjoy the Lyndon Street Movie Night double feature starting at 9pm- The Matisse Print. Movies not suitable for children. Then, stick around for our main feature, James Cameron's Undersea/Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller 'The Abyss - both free.
• Center City Park -200 N. Elm St.
  Join poet and host, Josephus III for Center City Poetry Experience, an open mic event at the Pavilion from 6-8pm.
• Mack and Mack - 220 S. Elm St.
  Drop-in throughout the evening to join in a Music Jam or to enjoy this organic listening experience. The two-hour jam session will end with a performance by F-Art Ensemble beginning at 7:30pm.

So come on out, enjoy mingling with a couple of thousand of your closest friends....meander along Elm Street to Lyndon Street, to Southside and South Elm. Eat, Drink, Enjoy the art, music, poetry and the ambiance and see what Greensboro has to offer! I guarantee it will be a good time!

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