FREE Summer Reading Programs in the Piedmont Triad

Growing up, my Dad would repeatedly tell us, "Readers are leaders!"  Everyone I've known for any length of time has heard me say it and now my own children say it, too!  Summer Reading programs are a fun way to keep your kids excited about reading all year long.

You can access an awesome list of FREE summer reading programs here.  This includes programs that will reward kids with free prizes such as books, pizza, even tickets to a theme park!

One of your best resources for a good summer reading program is at the local public library!  Find more information about your county's summer reading program below!






Alamance County
Learn more about Alamance reading programs on their website here.



Caswell County 
Learn more about Caswell reading programs on their website here


Davie County
Learn more about Davie reading programs on their website here

Davidson County
Learn more about Davidson reading programs on their website here



Forsyth County
Learn more about Forsyth reading programs on their website here




Guilford County
Learn more about Guilford reading programs on their website here


Montgomery County
Learn more about Montgomery reading programs on their website here


Randolph County
Learn more about Randolph reading programs on their website here


Rockingham County
Learn more about Rockingham kids reading programs on their website here
Learn more about Rockingham teens reading programs on their website here

Stokes County
Learn more about Stokes reading programs on their website here


Surry County
Learn more about Surry reading programs on their website here


Yadkin County
No information

View our calendar filled with more events in the Piedmont Triad Here.

Week of June 13, 2016 FREE Family Fun in the Piedmont Triad!

Planning your week? 

Here are a few highlights for family fun in the Piedmont Triad!

FREE - no admission charge but there may be items and/or food/drinks for sale

$ cost of admission under $20 for a family of four
$$ cost of admission over $20 for a family of four

Monday, June 13

GSO  6:00pm-7:00pm  FREE Fitness by the Fountain at Center City

Wednesday, June 15

GSO  12:00pm-1:30pm   FREE   Lunchtime Music Downtown Greensboro

GSO  5:00pm-7:00pm     FREE   Family Night ArtQuest at Greenhill

GSO  6:00pm-7:00pm     FREE   Fitness by the Fountain at Center City  

Thursday, June 16

W-S   4:00pm-4:30pm     FREE    Art in the Overlook Gallery

W-S   5:30pm-7:30 pm    FREE    Thursday Night in Old Salem

GSO   5:30pm-9:00pm    FREE    Greensboro: The City Market

GSO   6:00pm-7:00pm    FREE    "Murals" City Market

Friday, June 17

WS    4:00pm-7:00pm      $            Family Friday Night at SciWorks

HP     6:00pm-8:00pm    FREE      The Ignite High Point Whistle Stop Concert Series

WS    6:00pm-9:00pm    FREE      Live Jazz Outdoors DTWS   

Saturday, June 18

Rural Hall   10:00am-3:00pm       Junkies Vintage Boutique's Spring Junk Revival Flea Market

Colfax   11:00am-4:00pm   FREE    Wingfest 2016 by The Arc of High Point

WS     12:30pm-3:00pm   FREE    Saturday ART Jam

WS    7:00pm-10:00pm   FREE    Summer on Liberty

Sunday, June 19

FATHER'S DAY

GSO   5:00pm-7:00pm     FREE     Music Series at Barber Park

Details are on our calendar.  If you have questions about an event, please contact the sponsor directly.  All information is correct and accurate at the time of it's posting.

The Rusty Bumper - A Review

The Rusty Bumper is in the perfect location for an ice cream shop, right in the heart of the Arts District, across the corner from the Piedmont Craftsman and near other local galleries, shops and restaurants.

We were there for the ice cream and it was delish!  The cashier was very friendly and the service was good.  I heard her having a knowledgeable conversation about different loft condos in the downtown area.

I love the atmosphere of the Rusty Bumper!  Purposely old fashioned with a checkered floor tin roof, old LP covers and posters from Street Scene, a festival that took place in downtown Winston-Salem in the 80s. Good people watching windows facing both Sixth and Trade.

Downtown Jazz Season Begins in Winston-Salem

FREE Live music is abundant in downtown Winston-Salem!
The season has begun for the Downtown Jazz series!

Downtown Jazz concerts begin at 6pm Saturday nights and last until 9pm.  


Brian Simpson & Elan Trotman headlined last night's show with opening performer Reggie Buie.

Bring a lawnchair.  There are food trucks on site!

June 10:   Brian Simpson & Elan Trotman
Opening performer – Reggie Buie


June 24:  Matt Marshak
Opening performer – Titus Gant


July 8: Eric Darius
Opening performer – Saundra Crenshaw

July 22: Urban Jazz Coalition & Will Donoto
Opening performer – Will Donato


August 12:  Dee Lucas
Opening performer – Vince Crenshaw


August 26:  Joey Sommerville
Opening performer – Galvin Crisp

Details of this and other FREE family events are on our calendar.  If you have questions about an event, please contact the sponsor directly.  All information is accurate at the time of it's posting.

Visit DowntownWS here

Photo Credit: Dave Hampton

Kabobs on Fourth - A Review

Persion Food is the specialty.  Order and pay at the counter.  Service at Kabobs on Fourth is friendly and welcoming. The food is delicious! I ordered the Veggie Kabob.  It's got zucchini, mushroom, onions, green pepper & tomato, marinated with house seasoning.  I chose rice as my side and salad also came with it.  I assumed the kabob would be skewered, mine was not.  The plate was well presented and the food was good so we were happy.

Kabobs resembles any downtown diner.  It is friendly, comfortable and well located in the center of Downtown Winston-Salem.  Suitable for couples and small groups or families.  There's a big table in the back but most seat four.

Price is reasonable.  My plate was $10 plus $1 for the rice instead of naan.

We were there on a Saturday night at 6:30.  We were able to order immediately and sit, our food took 15-20 minutes.

For menu and directions, click here to visit Kabobs on Fourth website

Week of June 6, 2016 FREE Family Fun in the Piedmont Triad!

Planning your week? 

Here are a few highlights for family fun in the Piedmont Triad!

FREE - no admission charge but there may be items and/or food/drinks for sale
$ cost of admission under $20 for a family of four
$$ cost of admission over $20 for a family of four

Monday, June 6
GSO 6-8pm  FREE Fitness by the Fountain at Center City

Tuesday, June 7
WS 7pm  $$ All You Can Eat at the Winston-Salem Dash. Pay regular price for game and eat FREE
WS 7:30pm FREE Concert at Old Salem

Wednesday, June 8
GSO 12-3pm FREE Lunchtime Music Center City Park Downtown Greensboro
GSO 5-7pm FREE Family Night ArtQuest at Greenhill
GSO 6pm FREE Fitness by the Fountain at Center City

Thursday, June 9 
WS 3:30-4:30pm FREE Art in the Overlook Gallery
WS 5:30-7:30pm FREE Thursday Night Music in Old Salem
WS 6-8:30 pm FREE Concert Band Family Evenings at Bethabara

Friday, June 10
WS 11am-11pm $ Twin City Rib Fest Adults $7, Children 12 and under FREE
HP 6-8pm FREE The Ignite High Point Whistle Stop Concert Series
WS 6-9pm FREE Live Jazz Outdoors DTWS

Saturday, June 11
Pinnacle 11am-3pm FREE Baa, Moo, & Cock-A-Doodle-Do! at Horne Creek Farm
WS 11am-11pm $ Twin City Rib Fest Adults $7, Children 12 and under FREE

Sunday, June 12
WS 11am-11pm $ Twin City Rib Fest Adults $7, Children 12 and under FREE
GSO 5-7pm FREE Music Series at Barber Park
WS 3-6pm FREE Second Sundays on 4th


Details are on our calendar.  If you have questions about an event, please contact the sponsor directly.  All information is correct and accurate at the time of it's posting.

Camel City BBQ Factory: A Review

This was our first visit to Camel City BBQ Factory, we will be back.

The atmosphere at Camel City BBQ is welcoming for all ages. There were lots of families and adult groups, there is a bar, lots of TVs, and a great game room. This place is just plain fun for both kids and adults... and the food is great. There are big windows in the dining area and because the restaurant sits on the second floor there are good views of downtown.

We were there at 6:30 on a Friday night and our party of five was immediately seated. The dining area is upstairs, and there is outside seating available. It was rather loud, but the place was full and it was bearable. There were games to play, both video and game boards, available while you waited at your table.

The food was very good and the service was good. I had the pulled pork plate. Cole slaw (red or white) and hush puppies are included and I selected sweet potato fries as my side. The white cole slaw tasted just like my mom's, which is rare to find. The pork was delicious. The hush puppies and sweet potato fries were good but average. Meals are served on a recyclable plate with plastic utensils. We got forks and spoons but could have used a knife, especially for the child's chicken tender.

After dinner we went into the game room. There is an arcade with Donkey Kong and other 80s games. Pin ball, skee ball, pool tables, darts. It was fun and we spent another half hour or so playing after dinner.

It did feel like the place could a bit of touching up. The space is nice but it is an old building and the ladies restroom in the arcade could use patching and repair. The toilet was broken when I used it. The restaurant has concrete floors and they were "sticky" in the dining area. None of this detracted from the food or the atmosphere; all in all Camel City BBQ is a great place for a date, family dining, meeting friends, there's even space for private parties.

A huge plus for me is it's location downtown. One block over from the Arts District, Camel City is also diagonal from Artivity on the Green, one of our favorite places to go downtown. (Prime time to visit Artivity is sunset; stay until it's dark for the best experience.) There is shopping on Sixth Street and beyond, easy to walk.

Parking is easy. They have their own parking lot and parking is free on the street in the evening. Camel City BBQ is a good addition to Winston-Salem's downtown.


First Published on tripadvisor
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g49680-d8645849-r377661183-Camel_City_BBQ_Factory-Winston_Salem_North_Carolina.html#

Free Concert Series at Barber Park

Free Concert Series at Barber Park

Greensboro

Starting May 1, 2016

Music Starts at 6pm

Info from the facebook event:  Join us each week at Barber Park, starting May 1 through July 9, for a great night of FREE, live music at the Levitt AMP Greensboro Music Series! This series features a diverse lineup of outstanding artists in genres ranging from blues, spoken word, Latin, soul, funk, rock 'n roll, and more. There will be something for everyone to enjoy!

The Levitt AMP Greensboro Music Series will kickoff on May 1 with Greensboro's own Gate City Divas and The Bailey Heavenly Sounds from Greensboro's United House of Prayer. The grounds at Barber Park open at 5 pm, and the music starts at 6 pm.

About the Gate City Divas: The Gate City Divas’ debut record, Goin’ to Town, hit the Greensboro music scene in March 2016, and its fifteen original hits—filthy with funk, R&B, and blues—were quickly met with high praise, both on the streets and in the press. The project is a celebration of these women and their common—but diverse—musical backgrounds, their shared and singular voices as songwriters, and their eight hearts overflowing for their community.

About the Bailey Heavenly Sounds from Greensboro's United House of Prayer:the Bailey Heavenly Sounds Shout Band from Greensboro’s United House of Prayer for All People (UHOPFAP) will kick off our entire Levitt AMP Greensboro Music Series in a big way! We dare you to keep still when the tuba, baritone, and all those trombones start swinging! (Hint: It’s impossible!)

The Levitt AMP Greensboro Music Series is supported in part by the Mortimer & Mimi Levitt Foundation, a private family foundation that empowers towns and cities across America to transform neglected public spaces into thriving destinations through the power of free, live music. In 2016, more than 450 free Levitt concerts will take place in 21 towns and cities, all featuring a rich array of music genres and high caliber talent. Learn more at levitt.org.

View our calendar filled with more events in the Piedmont Triad Here.

Really Really Free Market

Really Really Free Market

Saturday April 30

10am - 1pm

Free clothing, books, toys & household items, More

Lunch Provided by Food Not Bombs at 11am

More information on the facebook page here

View our calendar filled with more events in the Piedmont Triad Here.

Free Outdoor Showing of Willy Wonka April 28 in Winston-Salem

B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair) Event

April 28, 2016

Sundown

Free Outdoor Showing of the Original 1971

Willy Wonka

Marketplace Cinemas

2095 Peters Creek Parkway

Winston-Salem

Weather Permitting

More information on the facebook page here.  

Burlington Writers Club

Burlington Writers Club

April 9, 2016  

10:00am – Noon

Visitors Welcome

The April Burlington Writers Club guest speakers are ‘The Story Sisters’, a group of local authors consisting of Doris Caruso, Janet Sady, Elizabeth Solazzo, Sally Svee and Brenda Wilson. They will present a program on writing, publishing and marketing your work and how working with a group of like minded authors can benefit the group as a whole. The program will include opportunities to write and read your work.

All Visitors Welcome

Alamance Arts (Captain White House)

213 S Main Street, Graham, NC

Call 336-578-2496, aejwrite@aol.com,

Or 336-578-8072, Elizabeth.Solazzo@gmail.com

  burlingtonwritersclub.org

Delicious ~~ At the Seafood Shack, Walkertown

First time at the Seafood Shack, although I live very close and the parking lot is always full enough to know I should stop in. I'm glad we did! The food and service are awesome. Huge portions. I had the broiled platter and it was amazing. Enough of everything to share around. The place was busy but our wait for a family of four was 5-10 minutes. Fried pickles are also good (the ranch dressing tastes homemade.) And everyone was smiling and friendly.

Pros: The food was amazing (really!), there was a lot of it (we'll be able to get at least another meal with leftovers) and the staff was nice.

Cons: A little expensive for my budget with a family of four.
Time Visited: 7:30pm on a Saturday night

Update:  Since this review was first published in June 2014, we've eaten at the Seafood Shack several times.  The food is always consistent, plentiful and delicious and the service is always superb.  We love it there.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g49634-d1370482-r212549483-Walkertown_Seafood_Shack-Walkertown_North_Carolina.html#

Urban Green Space Oasis in Downtown Winston-Salem

By Jessica Thomas Lewis
This review was first posted on tripadvisor.


Downtown Winston-Salem has another great place to hang out. Bailey Park, located on Patterson Avenue between Fourth and Fifth Street is located in the Innovation Quarter. We found this park to have soft, luscious green grass in an urban green space oasis. 



Bailey Park is 1.6 acres of publicly available space. There is a large grassy area with fun mural on the wall that acts as the base to the stage and patio area. 

Bailey Park has a covered stage, restroom facilities, and food truck court, in addition to the big grassy area. There are brightly colored tables and chairs in the stage area. A few tables have large umbrellas. There is a comfortable decline on the lawn and the kids rolled down a few times. There is also flat area.

Parking seems easy, with lots of spots directly in front. There is additional street parking and there are parking decks close by. There is a bike rack. 

There is still a lot of renovation taking place around Bailey Park. It is within walking distance of the Arts District with retail and restaurants very close by. The park is 5 minutes from both Business 40 and 52.

This park is great to bring a blanket and a book, a soccer ball or frisbee, or a picnic lunch. This is a wonderful space in our up and coming downtown.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g49680-d8026744-r269605624-Bailey_Park-Winston_Salem_North_Carolina.html#