Pine Pitch

By Marissa Dotson

July Fourth Celebrations

Celebrate July 4 this year with food, music, games, and fireworks at one of the following locations.

Aberdeen Lake Park - Festivities include games, prizes, food, live music and fireworks. 944-1115.

Carthage Parade - Enjoy a traditional parade with floats, cars, color guard, music and food beginning at 11 a.m. Monroe Street, Downtown Carthage. 947-3367.

Village of Pinehurst - The annual
pet parade will return to the Village
at 9 a.m. followed by the community parade at 10 a.m. The community parade will feature the Kazoo Band, Golf Cart Brigade, Fire Trucks and Uncle Sam. 295-7462.

Moore County Concert Band - The Cardinal Ballroom, Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst Resort, starting at 5 p.m. Free of charge. 295-6811.

Pinehurst Fireworks - Begins at 5 p.m. and includes entertainment, food, and fireworks at 9 p.m. Entrance and parking are free, with food available for purchase. Located at the Fair Barn, Pinehurst Harness Track. 295 2817.

Summer on the Porch in July

The Grass Cats will be performing July 6 at the Postmaster’s House in Aberdeen as part of the Rooster’s Wife Music Series. Their shows feature lively foot-stomping fiddle and banjo music, bluegrass classics, tight vocal harmonies, a capella gospel quartets and chart-topping original songs. The Cats also enjoy playing their own versions of classic songs from various artists such as Eric Clapton, Duke Ellington, and Johnny Cash. Opening for the Grass Cats will be fiddle and guitar duet Bill and Libby Hicks. The Hickses will take stage at 6:15 p.m. with the Grass Cats following at 7 p.m.

?Headlining at the Postmaster’s House July 20 in Aberdeen is woman-trio Cowboy Envy. The members include DeDe Vogt, Kathleen Hatfield, and Berne Poliakoff, all of which refer to their alias names “Too Short,” “Buffalo K,” and “Frenchy.” Opening for Cowboy Envy is the Carolina Circus Clowns. The performers, Steve and Elizabeth, have been involved with major tours such as the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus, and with Kinoshita Circus in Japan. The show includes comedy, magic, juggling, accordion music, slapstick, and a finale trick with their two Jack Russell Terriers, Grock and Lucy.

For the concert series the gates open at 5:30; the music starts at 6:15. Tickets are $9 per adult, and children under 12 are admitted free. Bring a chair or blanket, and be ready to have a great time. Bring your own picnic, order a boxed dinner from Southern Lights (944-1102) to be delivered to the Postmaster’s House, or Dog Nation will be selling hotdogs on the grounds. More information can be found at www.theroosterswife.org.

Tour and Tea

The Village of Pinehurst offers their Tour & Tea social every second Friday of the month. This month’s gathering will be held on July 11. Enjoy a tour through the Village hearing stories of Pinehurst’s history with high tea following. The one-hour walk will begin at the Carolina Hotel and will travel through the Holly Inn and Tufts Archives. The afternoon light meal will include your choice of tea with nibbles like smoked salmon, cucumber sandwiches, scones, and chocolate covered strawberries, just to name a few. The soiree starts at 10 a.m. and will continue until noon. Tour & Tea is open to all ages with the walking level easy for everyone. The cost is $25 per person with space limited. To schedule reservations call 235-8415.

Sunrise Blues Crawl

Join in on the 7th Annual Sunrise Blues Crawl in downtown Southern Pines on July 12. A BBQ dinner will start things off with Otis Taylor following at 8 p.m. Afterwards make your way through Southern Pines by stopping at all the downtown juke joints to enjoy music from seven other performing groups and artists. This year’s downtown juke joints: Flynne’s Coffee Bar with Wicker and Jones from 8 p.m. - 12 midnight. The Wine Cellar & Tasting Room with Owen Poteat from 8 p.m. - 12 midnight. The Bell Tree with Valentino and the Piedmont Sheiks 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. The Jefferson Inn with Elliott and the Untouchables 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. Neville’s Club with Chickenhead Blues Band 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. O’Donnell’s Pub with WSNB 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. Cafe Iano with the King Bees 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.

Tickets can be purchased at The Sunrise Theater office or The Country Bookshop with prices varying. A ticket for the Otis Taylor concert and admission to all downtown juke joints is $40, $25 for the Otis Taylor concert only, and $20 for a wristband for admission to the downtown venues only. For more information on this yearly event, call the Sunrise office at 692-8501 or www.sunrisetheater.com.

Jazzy Fridays

The Jim Morgan Jazz Group will be performing at Cypress Bend Vineyards & Winery July 11 and 25. The Jazz group plays at Cypress Bend every other Friday of the month from 7-10 p.m. Catered hors d’oeuvres will accompany the live music with a $5 per person admission. The Vineyards are located on Riverton Road in Wagram. Call 235-8415 for more information.

Sandhills Photography Club Exhibit

Formed in 1983, the Sandhills Photography Club has exhibited their work at various local venues. In July they will be featured by the Arts Council of Moore County at the Campbell House Gallery in Southern Pines. The show will open July 3, with an opening reception July 11 from 6 to 8 p.m., and will run through July 25. For more information about the exhibit call 692-4356 and for more information on the club contact Bill Matthews at 949-2714. The gallery is located at 482 East Connecticut Avenue in Southern Pines.

53rd Annual Farmers Day Festival

Thousands of people gather in Robbins each year to enjoy music, carnival rides, fireworks, and keep the Hussey family tradition of leading the parade. The event will take place July 31 through August 2. Thursday’s hours are 6 to 9 p.m., Friday is 6 p.m. to midnight, and Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight. The festival is known for having one of the largest horse parades on the East Coast, with many more festivities to engage in. Entertainment includes country, bluegrass, gospel and beach music, rodeos, a mule show, arts & crafts, and an antique tractor show. The festival is free with food available to buy from vendors on site and is located on Middleton Street, downtown Robbins. For details call 464-1290 or
e-mail contact@robbinsfarmersday.com.

Farmers Market Produce

Look for the freshly picked crops for the month of July at farmers markets surrounding the area. The in-season organics include: blackberries, blueberries, peaches, sweet corn, cantaloupes and other melons, cucumbers, watermelons, squash, tomatoes, beans, field peas, herbs (Basil, Oregano, Rosemary, Dill), flowers, and okra. The markets will display at four different locations. Visit the market at FirstHealth Fitness Center on Mondays from 3 to 6:30 p.m. The Morganton Road Armory Sports Complex is scheduled for Thursdays from 9 a.m to 2 p.m. Robbins Railroad Depot will host from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Fridays, and Saturdays from 8 a.m to noon will be in Downtown Southern Pines. For more information contact Harry Webster at 947-3752.

On Film

By Ryan Tuck

Young @ Art

There’s a lot at the movie houses these days – superheroes; stylish gals gabbing about sex; torturous, masked home invaders; that Harrison Ford guy.

But no movie captured my interest recently quite like a poignant little documentary from director Stephen Walker.

Young @ Heart chronicles a New England-based chorus of senior citizens who perform contemporary and classic rock and pop songs. The median age of its members is 81.

“Fix You” by Coldplay, “Schizophrenia” by Sonic Youth, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” by the Clash — these aren’t your grandparents’ choir selections.

And that gimmick is enough to make Young @ Heart entertaining.

Fortunately, the movie offers a lot more.

At times humorous, at other times tragic, the documentary studies the people behind the music — this group of unique people who bond over music and their mutual commitment to remain … young at heart.

The direction, at times, is a bit careless, but the filmmakers address the real-life challenges of this uniquely challenged choir in a way that is emotionally resonant and yet not preachy. Really, they just have to sit back and let these folks win over the audience.

If you’re in the mood to laugh, sometimes through tears, this movie is for you. More importantly, if you need a reminder to enjoy every moment of this life, then spend an hour and a half with the Young @ Heart chorus.

Now playing at select theaters and coming soon to video.

Ryan Tuck, former on-line editor for The Pilot, now lives and works in Wilmington.