Here are some things NCMS employees, members, and the general public are talking about this week!

Festival Season Has Begun!

NC Azalea Festival – Wilmington

The North Carolina Azalea Festival celebration features concerts, a street fair, big-name entertainment, a parade and more. The festivities kick off Thursday, April 13 with Carly Pearce performing waterfront at Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park. The DGX Street Fair provides an array of shopping and food experiences with more than 250 vendors, as well as a Children’s Area with hands-on activities for the little ones to enjoy. On Saturday, the North Carolina Azalea Festival Parade takes place downtown followed by the free Tunes & Blooms Music Festival at Greenfield Lake Amphitheater. The evening finale is a fireworks display over the Cape Fear River. As the festival gets closer, look for more exciting entertainment announcements! Attend the North Carolina Azalea Festival and make it a coastal getaway to Wilmington and Island Beaches.

www.wilmingtonandbeaches.com

Piratefest – Greenville

Swashbucklers of all ages will converge on the banks of the T-ARRRGH River, a pirate’s paradise located in Uptown Greenville! Returning for its 16th year to the Greenville Town Common and river district, festivities will include fine arts and crafts for sale, live music stages, BMX shows, beer and wine gardens, sword fighting, pirate encampments, roving pirate bands, mermaids, and more! This festival culminates in a headlining concert featuring country music duo Maddie & Tae!

There will be plenty of piratical happenings for the whole family!

Greenville as the home of the East Carolina University Pirates and heart of Pirate Nation, really embodies and embraces the pirate history and culture of our region. Many current and former ECU students, families, and pirate lovers from all over the country make their way to this all day festival to enjoy live music stages during the day, and the headlining concert at sunset on the river.

www.piratefestnc.com

Riverrun International Film Festival – Winston-Salem

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, RiverRun is one of the fastest-growing regional film festivals in the U.S., and a premier film festival in the Southeast. This Academy Award-qualifying film festival showcases a variety of narrative, documentary, student, animated, and short films from all genres. In 2019, USA Today’s 10Best digital platform highlighted the RiverRun International Film Festival as one of, “10 Amazing Film Festivals Worth Traveling For.”

www.visitwinstonsalem.com

Ready for some Sondheim?

Into The Woods – Charlotte

Direct from Broadway, the critically acclaimed and much beloved production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Tony®-winning triumph is coming to Charlotte with its Broadway stars to boot. Into the Woods features Montego Gloveras The Witch, Stephanie J. Block as The Baker’s Wife, Sebastian Arcelus as The Baker, and Gavin Creel as Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf – all reprising their Broadway roles – in a production called “radiant” (Variety), “enchanting” (The Wall Street Journal), and “a priceless revival with a perfect cast” (The Washington Post). Directed by Lear deBessonet (Hercules), this theatrical event honors Sondheim’s legendary memory and his Broadway masterpiece like never before.

“Should you go? Of course you should!” (The New York Times).

www.blumenthalarts.org