RTP-area local music and culture

[Heather LaGarde <heather AT barnstarvintage.com>]

Only 2 more Saturdays in Saxapahaw left this year!
Next week it's the grand finale with The Kickin Grass Band!   ---   
and a hiatus till Oktoberfest October 20th -So come on out!
This week on the Haywagon Stage it's -
Tommy Edwards & Friends  August 18, 2007
Tommy Edwards was twice named World Champion Bluegrass Guitarist.  
Known for exceptional picking, singing and storytelling, he  
specializes in bluegrass as well as country and old-timey tunes. He  
has played with The Bluegrass Experience for more than 30 years, and  
more recently with Tommy Edwards and Friends and  Hot Tub of Grits.  
His friends this week will be John Worthington of the Shelbys  
(vocals, guitar, mandolin, harmonica) and LaNelle Davis founding  
member of Big Medicine and a member of the Shelbys (bass and vocals).  
Tommy will be playing banjo, guitar and mandolin and singing away on  
the haywagon stage playing a mixture of roots music featuring  
bluegrass, blues, country and who knows what all!  It's always so  
good when Tommy is in town.
At the Farmers' Market,  Lots of ready-to-eat delicious goods and  
we've got so much good food, drink and produce! Locally Lovingly  
Produced Wine from Benjamin Vineyards- - Flowers- Honey-,  heirloom  
pork, cheese, foccacia, cookies, breads, and treats, eggs, fresh  
veggies and produce and delicious jellies, chutneys, honey and more!  
The Barbecue Joint has set up shop and will be with us EVERY WEEK  
this summer selling a wide variety of dinners including vegetarian  
options AND this year we have FRONT PORCH CRAFTS - a growing artisan  
market with beautiful handcrafted items including  toys and crafts  
for kids, pottery, jewelry, wooden toys, birdhouses and furniture.

In the Kid's Area  CERES sets up exciting events and activities for  
children including the Famous Zipboat ( a kayak on a zipline - low to  
the ground) the Environmentally Engineered Slip-N-Slide, created in  
the shape of the Haw River this year complete with tributaries, a new  
children's musical village, face painting, children's arts & crafts.   
The weekly kid's parade is just wonderful as the kids travel across  
the hills humming tunes and laughing it up! Children's Activities  
made possible by www.Bioallies.com


Festivities take place in central Saxapahaw next to the Post Office  
and across from the Saxapahaw Rivermill every Saturday from 5pm-8pm  
through the end of August.  Admission is free though donations are  
appreciated, organizers pass around a "Swan Bucket" each week for the  
band.
The series is sponsored by the Saxapahaw Rivermill and by local  
businesses including Anderson Homes' Haw Village,  Open Eye Cafe,   
Fifth Season Gardening, Townsend Bertram and The Barbecue Joint.
Saturday events take place outside in downtown Saxapahaw next to the  
Post Office.  The Farmers Market and Children's Activities run from  
5-8 and bands play on the Haywagon Stage at the Meadow Amphitheater  
from 6-8.  For more information, a schedule of bands and farmers,  
directions, pictures and more please visit www.rivermillvillage.com  
or call 336 376 5694.  COME ON OVER TO SAXAPAHAW!

Coming Up Around Town:
Paperhand Puppet Intervention
presents
*"A SHOE FOR YOUR FOOT"*

An enchanted expedition in search of the forgotten gods of  
simplicity, and a delicate wiff of the fragrant weeds of unimportance.

Paperhand Puppet Intervention uses masks, stilts, dance, painted  
cardboard, giant puppets and shadows to illuminate ideas, create  
magic, and inspire people of all ages. Each production is set to live  
music that will sweep you away into worlds of delight. Fantastical  
creatures and mystical beasts will fill the stage, searching for the  
sacred in the ordinary and radiance in the common.

Performances @ The Forest Theatre:  http://www.paperhand.org

Aug. 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, & 31.
Sept. 1, 2, 3 (Labor day show)
Performances @ The Raleigh NC Museum of Art

Sept. 7 & 8.
All shows all ages 7:00 with a different pre-show each night at 6:20.
Bring a picnic, bring a friend, don't forget grandma & grandpa. Bring  
something soft for your butt!

Tickets (available only at the door)

Adults $10
Ages 4-12: $7
3 and under: Free

Benjamin Vineyards & Winery
September 8
Fall Paddle Dinner
This unique trip includes a guided paddle on the Haw River in the  
afternoon followed by a luxuriant five-course meal with wine pairing  
at Benjamin Vineyards (vegetarian meals available). For $75 you can  
see and taste the wonderful natural resources of the Haw River  
Valley! The river trip will be a 2-3 hour scenic canoe/kayak trip  
with a Haw River naturalist on a stretch of river enjoyable for  
paddlers of all skill levels. Boat rentals, as well as transportation  
and equipment, are included in the fee. Dinner, set in the winery at  
picturesque Benjamin Vineyards, will be a five course culinary  
delight accompanied by the fine wines of Andy Zeman.
To make reservations, please contact the Haw River Canoe & Kayak  
Company at 336-260-6465
If you're not a paddler, you can join us just for dinner--but please  
make reservations www.benjaminvineyards.com


River Landing Inn
NOW OPEN AND ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS!
Just down the road from Benjamin Vineyards on the picturesque Haw  
River in Saxapahaw,

A wonderful series of events is being planned for our community --  
including workshops on both Aromatherapy (Oct. 27) and Elegant Cookie  
Decorating (Dec. 1), just in time for the holidays. Here's a small  
sampling of things to come ...

August 12/13
9:00 pm to 7:00 am
Star Party
Innkeeper Matt Diehl invites you to join him at the River Landing  
Inn. BYOB and lawn chair and join us as we "camp out" in our  
wonderfully dark meadow for the best show of the year. The Perseid  
Meteor Shower will be making a spectacular appearance this year, with  
no "interference" from the moon. Weather permitting, optimum viewing  
will be from 2:00 am to just before dawn, on the morning of August  
13. We will end this event with a delicious group breakfast at 6:00  
am, for which reservations are requested.

August 19
1:00 to 4:00 pm
Lois Gibbs of Love Canal Fame to Speak
An afternoon of discussion, activism, music, and picnicking
Nationally-acclaimed environmental leader Lois Gibbs  
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lois_Gibbs will be in North Carolina to  
discuss the importance of community activism in fighting polluting  
industries. Lois is known as the "Mother of the Superfund" for her  
groundbreaking victory, relocating 900 families away from Love Canal.  
Ms. Gibbs’s activism, beginning in 1978, is credited with the  
establishment of the US EPA’s superfund project which helps  
identify, document and assist in cleaning up significant toxic and  
hazardous waste sites. Today, Ms. Gibbs heads the Center for Health,  
Environment and Justice www.chej.org/ in Falls Church, Virginia.
A coalition of local and statewide community organizations are  
providing free refreshments, along with the special speaker, Lois Gibbs.
In addition to Ms. Gibbs, leaders from local community-based  
organizations in Alamance, Orange, Guilford and Granville Counties  
who will be speaking about their current challenges fighting  
polluting industries include:
Martha Hamblin, GASP for Clean Air: Stericycle medical waste incinerator
Pat Dodson, Be Safe - Not Sorry: South Atlantic steel galvanizing  
plant and polluting industry ordnances
Nancy Holt, Neighbors Opposing Bio-Sludge (NO-BS): Health risks of  
land application of sewage sludge
Linda Moore, Watchdogs in the Southeast (WISE): Neighborhoods united  
to stop an asphalt plant
Mike Holland, Coalition for Environmental Responsibility & Education  
through Synergy (CERES): Protecting & preserving the quality of life  
in the Haw River Valley
Live Outdoor Music begins at 3:00 p.m.
Mebanesville will provide the musical sound track for an afternoon of  
information, discussion and networking about important environmental  
issues at the beautiful River Landing Inn in Saxapahaw, NC. Expect to  
enjoy a great Mebanesville mix of classic and contemporary songs of  
peace and justice, liberally sprinkled amidst lyrics and melodies  
evocative of summer and river life.
This event is cosponsored by BREDL, CHEJ, and BE SAFE, NOT SORRY
For more information about the event contact Sue Dayton/BREDL at  
336-525-2003 or sdayton AT swcp.com
Admission is free
River Landing Inn will offer rooms at a 10% discount for this event
www.zvents.com/events/show/66658757-Mebanesville-at-River-Landing-Inn

September 9
1:00 to 4:00 pm
2nd Sunday
On the second Sunday of each month innkeeper Matt Diehl invites you  
to join him at the River Landing Inn for a pleasurable afternoon  
celebrating art, music, wine, food, and fellowship. The Inn's gallery  
houses a new exhibit each month, featuring creations by local artists  
from the Alamance Artisans Guild. To learn more about the guild and  
its artists, please visit www.alamanceartisans.com. The award-winning  
fine wines of Benjamin Vineyard will be available for tasting and  
purchase. Delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian items from the  
grill will also be available for purchase. We will pass the hat to  
thank the band. 2nd Sunday admission is free.

For information, please contact innkeeper Matt Diehl
336-376-1502
matt AT riverlandinginn.com
River Landing Inn is located at 5942 Whitney Road in Saxapahaw
www.riverlandinginn.com


Haw River Canoe & Kayak Company

August 19
Swepsonville to Saxapahaw

August 25
Full Moon Paddle

September 1
Sunset Paddle

September 2
Haw River to Swepsonville

September 8
Canoe and Kayak Classes (see below)

September 8
Paddle Dinner

September 15
Stargazing Float

September 16
Swepsonville to Saxapahaw

September 22
Paddle & Potluck

September 29
Full Moon Paddle

September 29
Introductory Paddle, Haw River Upstream of Bynum

If you would like to arrange for boat rentals or shuttles,  
participate in a guided trip, reserve a seat in one of their courses,  
or if you have any questions about The Haw River Canoe & Kayak Co.,  
please call or write:
P.O. Box 22, Saxapahaw, North Carolina, 27340
336-260-6465
info AT hawrivercanoe.com
www.hawrivercanoe.com
Haw River Assembly Learning Celebration
September 29 - October 5 in Saxapahaw
Sign up today to volunteer with the HRA Learning Celebration! Come  
for a day or camp out with us for an entire week. No experience  
necessary -- they'll train you! The Learning Celebration is an  
amazing and wonderful endeavor to be a part of, and they invite you  
to join them this year:
Week 1: Bynum: Saturday, September 22 - Friday, September 28
Week 2: Saxapahaw: Saturday, September 29 - Friday, October 5
Week 3: Guilrock: Saturday, October 6 - Friday, October 12
This is a traveling environmental education program that journeys the  
entire 100-mile length of the Haw River. For three weeks in September  
and October a crew of educators, performers and river lovers brings a  
hands-on Learning Celebration to nearly 1,500 fourth graders from the  
six counties the river connects. Children take a field trip from  
school to discover the wonders of a river in their own backyard. They  
see turtles and snakes, learn about waste reduction and solar energy,  
visit with old-timers who can tell about working in the mills or  
catching catfish with their bare hands, and gather with performers  
who get everybody singing about rivers and reptiles and recycling and  
how together we can make a difference. The HRA needs day volunteers,  
week-long crew volunteers, volunteers to make lunch & dinner for crew  
members, people to lend their trucks and help with moves & all kinds  
of other support.
If you'd like more information contact Aakara at 919-542-5790 or  
aakarawater AT gmail.com or visit www.hawriver.org/index.php? 
topgroupid=&subgroupid=18&groupid=29&PHPSESSID=2e0ce5b281df32455a603c643 
67e7bd7

Visit the Mosaic Thrift Shop in Saxapahaw - open Saturdays with great  
finds for everyone and for a good cause - supporting programs for  
youth in our area! Located in the back of the Rec Center by the  
Bridge. and 
The Mosaic Rural Wellness Center

Middle School After School Program

4TH THROUGH 8TH GRADES

 Snacks, Homework Assistance Daily, Art, PE, Teambuilding  
Activities, Life Skill Activities

$45.00 per week, per child

(Inquire about discounted rates for siblings and scholarships)

Call: 336-376-1306

Contact: Jennifer Hamilton, Youth Program Director

The Mosaic Center is located in Rivermill Village, Saxapahaw NC