Conductors of Magic
The Sandhills Central Model Railroad club presents its annual Train Show on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Founded in 1979, the Club is located in the Aberdeen Train Depot, where an HO model railroad features a beautifully constructed re-creation of the town of Aberdeen and surrounding areas. The layout depicts portions of Main, South, and Poplar Streets, U.S. 1 and Hwy. 5, and billboards modeled in detail. Admission: $5; free for children. The Historic Aberdeen Train Depot and Museum, 100 E. Main St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-1115 or explorepinehurst.com.
Fare-Thee-Well
On Thanksgiving Day, 1976, Canadian-American rock group The Band performed a farewell concert that featured more than a dozen special guests, including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Ringo Starr, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Neil Diamond and Eric Clapton. The performance, which was filmed by Martin Scorsese for a documentary called The Last Waltz, will show for free at the Sunrise Theater this Thanksgiving night (Thursday, Nov. 24), at 7:30 p.m. Rolling Stone magazine called it the “Greatest Concert Movie of All Time.” Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8501 or sunrisetheater.com.
Destination: Music
Best thing about a Rooster’s Wife show at Poplar Knight Spot? There isn’t a bad seat in the house. You’ll just want to make sure you snag one. Here’s what’s hot at the Spot this month:
Nov. 4 – Martin Grosswendt and Susanne Salem-Schatz deliver country blues with bottleneck and finger-busting guitar, powerful vocals, soul and wry humor. Tickets: $10. You can also catch them on Thursday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m., at the Cameo Arthouse Theater, 225 Hay Street, Fayetteville. Tickets: $12.
Nov. 6 – Southern Pines native Sam Lewis comes home from Nashville with a full band and a new record to share his folksy roots and soulful persona with friends new and old. Tickets: $15.
Nov. 11 – Cicada Rhythm. Chilling harmonies and unbridled enthusiasm redefine so-called folk music. Tickets: $10.
Nov. 13 – Joe Walsh delivers his newest project, “Borderland,” for this CD release celebration. The Matt Flinner Trio splits the show. Talk about modern mandolin mayhem — and all things stringed. Tickets: $15.
Nov. 20 – Jordan Tice is a singular voice on the American roots music scene. Stray Local opens. Tickets: $15.
Doors open at 6 p.m. All shows start at 6:46 p.m. The Rooster’s Wife, 114 Knight St., Aberdeen. Info: (910) 944-7502 or www.theroosterswife.org.
Art that Pops
New work by collage and assemblage artist Louis St. Lewis will be on display at Broadhurst Gallery on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 5 p.m. Hailed as a “cunning pirate of art history,” St. Lewis is a bold and witty artist and designer whose brilliant manipulations of appropriated art grace the collections of French fashion designer Christian LaCroix, former Vogue editor André Leon Talley, The Prince of Kuwait, and Oprah Winfrey. Born in nearby Albemarle, he now divides his time between Raleigh, Paris and New Orleans. Don’t miss his “Collecting Art” talk, during which he just might explain what he means when he says artists are “social court jesters.” Broadhurst Gallery, 2212 Midland Road, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 295-4817 or www.broadhurstgallery.com.
If These Trees Could Talk
On Saturday, Nov. 5, learn about our region’s first and biggest industry — naval stores — during this fascinating excursion back in time. “Tar, Pitch and Turpentine” will be presented hourly from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. by filmmaker, historian and writer Bryan Avery. Watch Avery extract resin from a tree, light fires to distill turpentine from gum, and more. Bring a blanket or chair for the outdoor demos, and since they’re open, don’t miss the chance to tour the property’s two house-museums. Free admission. Bryant House and McLendon Cabin, 3361 Mount Carmel Road, Carthage. Info: (910) 692-2051 or explorepinehurst.com.
Enchanted Forest
The 20th annual Sandhills Children’s Center Festival of Trees will take place from Wednesday, Nov. 16, through Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Over 200 decorated trees, wreaths, gift baskets and gingerbread houses will be featured in a winter wonderland complete with live entertainment, silent auction and a Festival Marketplace. Three words: lights, children, magic. Admission by any monetary donation at the door. Proceeds benefit Sandhills Children’s Center. Carolina Hotel, 80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst. Info: (910) 692-3323 or sandhillschildrenscenter.org/trees.
Made With Love
The Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival, to be held Saturday, Nov. 19, and Sunday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., celebrates the craft heritage of Seagrove, the Randolph County gem that is home to the largest concentration of working potters in the United States. In addition to pottery — both functional and sculptural— the festival features food vendors and live music, educational activities for children and adults, and demos by blacksmiths, basket makers, woodcarvers, weavers, and potters. Admission: $5. Seagrove Elementary School, 528 Old Plank Road, Seagrove. Info: (336) 873-7887 or discoverseagrove.com.
Boot Stomping Music
The Hackensaw Boys inject traditional Appalachian and Delta music with a heavy dose of contemporary, good-times-roll kind of spit and vinegar. If the sound of that makes you feel like putting on your dancing boots, mark your calendar for Friday, Nov. 18, 7:30 p.m. Known for their spirited and rowdy live shows, the Hackensaw Boys will perform old favorites and tunes from their latest album at the Sunrise Theater. Produced by Larry Campbell — the multi-instrumentalist wizard who has lent his talents to the likes of Bob Dylan and Levon Helm — “Charismo” has a casual, porch-front aesthetic that’s sharpened around the edges, focusing on the simple beauty of Hackensaw’s melodies and the earnestness in their delivery. Tickets: $20 (general admission); $30 (VIP). Sunrise Theater, 250 NW Broad St., Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-8501 or sunrisetheater.com.
Walk in the Woods
You’ve heard of Eat, Pray, Love? Why not Hike, Pray, Eat? On Thanksgiving Day, meet at the Weymouth Woods Visitor Center for a 10 a.m. discovery hike sure to help you work up an appetite for the afternoon feast. Weymouth Woods Sandhills Nature Preserve is an enchanted window to the longleaf pine forests that once covered millions of acres in the southeastern U.S. The lanky pines – some of them hundreds of years old – tower over expanses of wiregrass and rare and intriguing species, including the red-cockaded woodpecker, pine barrens tree frog, bog spicebush, and fox squirrel. Who knows what else you’ll discover? Wear comfortable shoes and bring bottled water for this ranger-led two-mile hike. Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve, 1024 Fort Bragg Road, Southern Pines. Info: (910) 692-2167 or www.ncparks.gov/weymouth-woods-sandhills-nature-preserve.
