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"Col. Ambrose Mills" and The Revolutionary War

Feb 2 2:30 PM

Listening to history retold by an actual participant makes that event come to life.  Join Col. Ambrose Mills, loyal subject of King George III on Tuesday, February 2nd at 2:30 pm at the Museum in Columbus.  Col. Mills will give an accounting of his involvement in the Revolutionary War.

Although he was born in Derbyshire, England in 1722, he grew up in what is now known as the United States of America.  His family first came to Maryland, then Virginia, then to South Carolina and eventually to what we now call Polk County.

William Ambrose Mills III will recreate the story of his illustrious ancestor.  Come and enjoy. All are welcome.

Lapidary & Jewelry Show at Tryon Arts & Crafts

Feb 5 5:00 PM

You are invited to the opening reception of our Lapidary & Jewelry Show at the Tryon Arts & Crafts Gallery.  Come and meet the artists, see the beautiful pieces on display and for sale, and enjoy the refreshments.  The show begins February 5 and runs through February 28.  For more information call us at 828-859-8323.

The Green River Boys at Shaffer's Roadside Grill

Feb 5 6:00 PM

The popular Green River Boys perform blue grass gospel music starting at 6:00 p.m. For more information call 828-749-1800 or visit them on-line at www.greenriverboys.com

Literary Open Stage at Upstairs Artspace

Feb 5 7:00 PM
Location: Upstairs Artspace

Upstairs Artspace presents Literary Open Stage, Friday, February 5 at 7 pm, to allow local creative talent to share their work with you.   Relax, read and listen or bring your work to share.  Registration begins at 6:30 p.m.  For more information call 828-859-2828. 

RESCHEDULED Runt of the Litter at Tryon Fine Arts Center

Feb 5 8:00 PM

RESCHEDULED FOR MARCH 26, 8 PM

The Tryon Fine Arts Center (TFAC) presents the dramatic play “Runt of the Litter” starring Bo Eason, former NFL star player on Friday, February 5 at 8:00pm at TFAC’s newly renovated theater just in time for the Super Bowl.  Eason’s one-man show will inspire the audience to make their dreams a reality.  “Runt of the Litter” is an unforgettable story that proves with enough determination,  nothing can prevail over the human spirit.  The show is generously sponsored by The North Carolina Arts Council and Watson Flooring and Appliances.

Eason gives a sexy, tough, charismatic performance of size and scope. The show cuts across all demographics and has an across-the-board appeal for everyone, from sports enthusiasts to hardcore theatre goers.

“Runt of the Litter” has the perfect message for children young and old and looks at what happens to two brothers in a family of over-achievers when their parents assure their oldest son he is destined for football stardom, while their youngest son appears too small to compete. A line in the family sand is drawn that colors the rest of their lives.

Runt of the Litter is, in fact, a semi-autobiographical account of Bo Eason's life and career as a safety for the Houston Oilers in the 1980s. His determination and killer instincts on the playing field remain the stuff of legend. His brother, Tony Eason was the quarterback who led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in 1986. Though resolutely American in its themes (the competitiveness and violence of sports, sibling rivalry, underdog makes good), it also contains elements of ritual theater and blood sacrifice that give the material a mythic resonance and power.  

Directed by Larry Moss, “Runt of the Litter” is soon to be a major motion picture.

"One of the most powerful plays about sports in the last decade.... closer to Death of a Salesman than it is to Rocky...a tale of modern gladiators, obsession, testosterone, and revenge." - The New York Times

Tickets for this electrifying performance are $20 for adults and $10 for students.

FENCE Hunter Pace

Feb 7 10:00 AM

Field Hunter: to be ridden at a good, but safe, hunting pace. Trail Rider/Hilltopper: to be ridden at a more moderate pace. First through Sixth ribbons, each division. Points toward the Western Carolina Hunter Pace Series. 

Rain date is February 14.  For more information call FENCE at 828-859-9012.

POSTPONED UNTIL SPRING Gospel Concert at Tryon Fine Arts Center

Feb 7 2:00 PM

EVENT POSTPONED UNTIL SPRING.

Come and experience an afternoon of some of the best Gospel Music in Western North Carolina.  Hear favorites from The Green River Boys, Polk Baptist Assocation, St. Luke CME All Male Choir, Servants Call and Warren Landrum.  This event is free to the public, so don't miss it.

Chocolate Wine Flight with Cupid at Saluda Inn & Wine Cellar

Feb 11 6:30 PM

Spend a delectable evening with us tasting 6 wines paired with special selections of chocolate--Thursday, Friday or Saturday.  Enjoy wonderful live music on Thursday and Friday evening.  Call today for your reservations 828-749-9698 or email vine2wine@charter.net.

Jon Shain at The Purple Onion

Feb 11 9:00 PM

Jon Shain is a veteran singer-songwriter who's been turning heads for years with his words, his fiery acoustic guitar work, and his evolved musical style - combining improvised piedmont blues with bluegrass, swing, and ragtime. Shain’s latest CD, Times Right Now, was self-produced along with Jackson Hall and Scottsburg Jonze and mixed by Chris Stamey. The album, released in November 2009, is already being hailed as the best recording of Shain’s career.


Hear Jon live in the intimate setting of The Purple Onion.  It will remind you of one more reason it's great to live in a small town. 

Valentine Party at Saluda Mountain Jamboree

Feb 13 8:00 PM

February 13th will be this years Valentine Party with the band "Sound Factory" providing the music and the entertainment for the dance.   A great way to spend Saturday evening with your Sweetheart and friends.   There will be punch, cake and other treats,  plus, lots of Valentine decor to set the mood for the weekend.  Admission will be $10.00.   Make your reservations early!!
 
Check our events schedule at Saluda Mountain Jamboree.

Jacob Johnson at The Purple Onion

Feb 13 8:00 PM

Jacob Johnson has a diverse and electric sound. Hang out with us as this amazing singer/songwriter plays Indie/Acoustic/Blues at the cafe.  Call us for more information 828-749-1179.

Valentine's Day Buffet and Wine & Cheese Reception at The 1903 Mimosa Inn & Tavern

Feb 14 2:00 PM

Come and join the Mimosa Inn on Valentine's Day for a Wine & Cheese Reception starting at 2:00 pm followed by a Full Buffet at 3:00 pm.  Weather permitting Wine & Cheese will be served on the front verandah.  For more information please visit our web site at www.carolina-foothills.com or call us at 828-859-7688.

FENCE Family Concert

Feb 14 3:00 PM

It's Valentine's Day!  What better reason to share your love of music and family.  Join us as Joe and Kathleen Erwin and soprano Patti Peake offer us another wonderful performance in the FENCE Family Concert series.  Please note the TIME CHANGE for this event.  The event will begin at 3:00 pm instead of 4:00 pm.

For more information call 828-859-9021.

Phil & Gaye Johnson at Lanier Library Brown Bag Lunch

Feb 16 12:00 PM
Location: Lanier Library

Polk County's well-known acoustic musician duo, Phil & Gaye Johnson will talk about their lives as musicians and perform some of their own compositions and traditional songs at Lanier Library on Tuesday, February 16.  The program is free to the public.  Everyone is welcome.  The program is part of the library's Brown Bag Lunch series held on the third Tuesday of every month.


For more information contact Lanier Library at 828-859-9535.

Meet the Artist - Verlie Murphy - at Saluda Inn & Wine Cellar

Feb 18 7:00 PM

Saluda Inn & Wine Cellar is pleased to feature local artist Verlie Murphy.  You too will be in awe of Verlie's work which demonstrates her immense talent expressed through a variety of media. 

While you are here, allow us to introduce you to some new wines as you explore the exhibit.  The Wine Cellar serves 20+ wines by the glass, local beers, non-alcohol drinks and hot beverage services.  A great place to start - spend - or end the evening. 

Brian McGee & Hollow Speed at The Purple Onion

Feb 18 7:30 PM

Brian McGee and the Hollow Speed play their own original array of incredible songs and music based on oldtime, blues and Americana music.  This is just one more example of the fantastic sounds that you can experience at the cafe.  Come join us.

The Green River Boys at Shaffer's Roadside Grill

Feb 19 6:00 PM

The popular Green River Boys perform blue grass gospel music starting at 6:00 p.m. For more information call 828-749-1800 or visit them on-line at www.greenriverboys.com

The Sound of Music at Tryon Fine Arts Center

Feb 19 8:00 PM

Don't miss the warmth, charm and delightful music of this classic story.  The Sound of Music is a Tryon Little Theatre production.   Tickets go on sale Feb. 5 at 10am-1pm, Mon-Sat at the TLT Workshop, 516 S. Trade St. Tryon, NC 28782   (828) 859-2466 www.tltinfo.org.  Adults $20 Students 18 and under $10.  

Johnny Rawls Performs at Elmo's Pub & Grill

Feb 19 9:00 PM

Enjoy dinner and a show at Elmo's Pub & Grill tonight, as blues artist Johnny Rawls performs for us.  Prime Rib dinner is available beginning at 6 pm.  Also, take advantage of our dinner special 2 for $20.  Elmo's is smoke free.  Come out for the great food, music and lots of fun.  For more information call us at 828-859-9615.

Tours of Eunice Waymon-Nina Simone Birthplace in Tryon

Feb 20 11:00 AM

Born in Tryon in 1933, Eunice Waymon - Nina Simone, High Priestess of Soul would have celebrated her 77th birthday on February 21, 2010.  This weekend several events are planned in honor her honor.  Check our online calendar on Sunday, February 21, for more information.

The Sound of Music at Tryon Fine Arts Center

Feb 21 3:00 PM

Don't miss the warmth, charm and delightful music of this classic story.  The Sound of Music is a Tryon Little Theatre production.  Tickets go on sale Feb. 5 at 10am-1pm, Mon-Sat at the TLT Workshop, 516 S. Trade St. Tryon, NC 28782   (828) 859-2466 www.tltinfo.org.  Adults $20 Students 18 and under $10.

Dedication of Nina Simone Bronze Statue

Feb 21 3:00 PM

Join us in downtown Tryon for a celebration of the life of the famed High Priestess of Soul, Nina Simone, on what would have been her 77th birthday.  Simone was born in Tryon where the development of her extraordinary musical talent was supported by her mother and members of the community. 

The celebration includes the dedication of an eight-foot, bronze-cast sculpture by Philadelphia artist Zenos Frudakis plus a concert with music by local and international performers.  The concert will be held at Polk County High School beginning at 4:00 pm.  Admission is by donation.  Click here for concert details.

Directions to Nina Simone Plaza

I-26 to exit 67 - Highway 108 Columbus/Tryon.  Travel west on Hwy 108 for approximately 4 miles into downtown Tryon.  The park is across the street from Upstairs Artspace.

For more information contact the Eunice Waymon-Nina Simone Memorial Project at 828-859-6484.

Tribute to Nina Simone at Polk County High School

Feb 21 4:00 PM

A special musical tribute to Nina Simone is scheduled immediately following the dedication of a bronze statue in her honor in downtown Tryon at The Nina Simone Plaza, 54 N. Trade St.  (Click here for details.) Pam Stone will be the MC.  Donations at the door.

Performers will include:

  • Simone
  • Stephen Marley
  • David Nathan
  • Kwame Dawes
  • Cathy Smith Bowers
  • Polk County High School Cadets
  • Daryle Ryce
  • Jim Peterman

Pam Stone will be the MC.  Donations at the door.

Astronomy Program at FENCE

Feb 21 6:00 PM

Come to Hawk's Ridge behind the FENCE Center and gaze up at the evening sky to see Venus at its brightest.  This event begins at sunset and is free to the public.  Call FENCE at 828-859-9021 for more information.

The Purple Onion's Sunday Concert Series

Feb 21 7:00 PM

Beaucoup Blue is the Americana Philadelphia based duo of David and Adrian Mowry. Father and son have been performing their roots based music nationally and internationally as a duo, quartet and on occasion quintet. Bridging many gaps in American music, their soulful traditional and contemporary styles mesh into an innovative and authentic sound. Although blues is a staple in their repertoire, they base their love in music from Folk, Soul, R&B, Jazz, Country and Bluegrass. All these interests and influences come out in their original song-writing in a unique way. A handsome range of instruments like six and twelve string guitars, slide guitar, round neck resonator guitar, combined with two soulful voices, encompasses a rich and honest feel, noticeably influenced by familial ties. 

Don’t miss Beaucoup Blue in concert at the Café.  For more information, call us at 828-749-1179.



Princess Noire: Nina Simone Biography Book Signing by Nadine Cohadas

Feb 23 6:00 PM

Come and meet the author of a wonderful new book on Tryon's own Nina Simone.  The book signing is sponsored by Friends of the Polk County Library and will be held on Tuesday, February 23, 6 pm in the Auditorium of Isothermal Community College.

From the author of the acclaimed Dinah Washington biography Queen comes this complete account of the triumphs and difficulties of the brilliant and high-tempered Nina Simone. Her distinctive voice and music occupy a singular place in the canon of American song.

Tapping into newly unearthed material--including stories of family and career--Nadine Cohodas gives us a luminous portrait of the singer who was born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, North Carolina, in 1933, one of eight children in a proud black family. We see her as a prodigiously talented child who is trained in classical piano through the charitable auspices of a local white woman. We witness her devastating disappointment when she is rejected by the Curtis Institute of Music--a dream deferred that would forever shape her self-image as well as her music. Yet by 1959--now calling herself Nina Simone--she had sung New York City's venerable Town Hall and was on her way.

As we watch Simone's exciting rise to stardom, Cohodas expertly weaves in the central factors of her life and career: her unique and provocative relationship with her audiences (she would "shush" them angrily; as a classically trained musician, she didn't believe in cabaret chat); her involvement in and contributions to the civil rights movement; her two marriages, including one of brief family contentment with police detective Andy Stroud, with whom she had her daughter, Lisa; the alienation from the United States that drove her to live abroad. Alongside these threads runs a darker one: Nina's increasing and sometimes baffling outbursts of rage and pain and her lifelong struggle to overcome a deep sense of personal injustice, which persisted even as she won international renown.

Princess Noire is a fascinating story, well told and thoroughly documented with intimate photos--a treatment that captures the passions of Nina's life.

(Source:  ebookstore.sony.com)

Fayssoux McLean & Brandon Turner at The Purple Onion

Feb 25 7:30 PM

Fayssouz McLean and Brandon Turner bring us another intimate evening of warm soothing voices and music at the Cafe.  Don't miss it.  For more information call us at 828-749-1179.

Menage at The Purple Onion

Feb 26 7:30 PM


We're glad to have this group back for another fantastic performance at the cafe.  Join us!

The Sound of Music at Tryon Fine Arts Center

Feb 26 8:00 PM

Don't miss the warmth, charm and delightful music of this classic story.  The Sound of Music is a Tryon Little Theatre production.  Tickets go on sale Feb. 5 at 10am-1pm, Mon-Sat at the TLT Workshop, 516 S. Trade St. Tryon, NC 28782   (828) 859-2466 www.tltinfo.org.  Adults $20 Students 18 and under $10.  

Paul Cataldo at Saluda Inn & Wine Cellar

Feb 26 8:00 PM

Paul Cataldo sings blues and country.  Come join us for a wonderfully warm evening.  The Wine Cellar serves 20+ wines by the glass, local beers, non-alcohol drinks and hot beverage services.  Call us for more information at 828-749-9698 or visit us onliine at vine2wine@charter.net

Evolution of Southern Folk Art at Upstairs Artspace

Feb 27 5:00 PM
Location: Upstairs Artspace

You are cordially invited to the Opening Reception of our latest exhibit, The Evolution of Southern Folk Art beginning at 5 pm on Saturday, February 27 at Upstairs Artspace.  The exhibit, Looking Back, Walking Forward is a collection of 200 works by historically famous and youthfully inventive Southern folk artists, including many whose work are part of national and international museum collections.  Call us at 828-859-2828 for more information.

Taylor Moore & the Bordeaux Brothers

Feb 27 8:00 PM

Expect good vibes and great music from Taylor and his band.  Join us tonight at the cafe!
 

For more information call us aat 828-749-1179.

The Sound of Music at Tryon Fine Arts Center

Feb 28 3:00 PM

Don't miss the warmth, charm and delightful music of this classic story.  The Sound of Music is a Tryon Little Theatre production.  Tickets go on sale Feb. 5 at 10am-1pm, Mon-Sat at the TLT Workshop, 516 S. Trade St. Tryon, NC 28782   (828) 859-2466 www.tltinfo.org.  Adults $20 Students 18 and under $10.  

FENCE Armchair Traveler Visits The Lucayan National Park

Feb 28 4:00 PM

ARMCHAIR TRAVELER TAKES A JOURNEY TO LUCAYAN NATIONAL PARK

South Carolina Master Naturalist and Executive Director of FENCE Melissa LeRoy will take FENCE Armchair Travelers on a canoeing tour of the Lucayan National Park on Sunday, February 28, at 4 pm.

Established in 1970 and named after the original inhabitants of the Bahamas, the Lucayan National Park encompasses forty acres permanantly protected by the Bahamian government.   The Park includes one of the longest known underwater cave systems in the world, with more than six miles of caves, caverns, and tunnels charted.  Aboveground, the Park exhibits all the Bahamian vegetative zones.  An extensive trail and boardwalk system allows visitors to explore this feature.  Epiphytic bromeliads and orchids begin blooming along this trail in late spring to early summer, while bonsai-like ming trees delight visitors year round.  The spectacular Gold Rock Creek Beach features one of the highest coastal dunes on the island, richly vegetated with cocoplum, sabal palm, cinnecord, sea grape, casuarina, and other tropical trees. The Park protects a portion of Gold Rock Creek that supports a productive mangrove ecosystem.  From the boardwalk, one may observe saltwater fishes, wading birds, and waterfowl among the stilt-like roots.

In addition to her “dream job” at FENCE, Melissa Le Roy is an adjunct professor with Duke University currently teaching in the Nonprofit Management continuing studies program.  She is also the author of the semi-monthly article Nonprofit Leadership in the Tryon Daily Bulletin.

The FENCE Armchair Traveler series is offered free of charge with the support of the Kirby Endowment Fund at the Polk County Community Foundation.  For more information call FENCE at 828-859-9021.

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