Free Family Events in the Piedmont Triad

Today is the start of the Arts on Sunday Festival in downtown Winston-Salem.  Every Sunday in September, enjoy arts, crafts, and music on N Liberty St in downtown Winston-Salem.

Later this evening, you can enjoy concert band music by the Winston-Salem Community Band Concert or jazz at LeBauer Park.

Next Saturday, September 8, there are twelve free family events listed on our calendar!  NC Folkfest is a weekend of fun in Greensboro, the 14th Festival of Books & Authors takes place throughout downtown Winston-Salem, the 3rd Annual Hi-Fest will be at the Mendenhall Transportation Terminal in High Point, and Kernersville is celebrating the Annual End of Summer Fest.

These events and many others for you to enjoy with your family without spending a penny.  Of course, most of these events will have food and other items for sale, but you can have a lot of fun for free!

 

The Piedmont Triad in the News!

 








Support a New Local Business!

Community Children's Parade for Pre-School Age and Younger

Saturday, June 29th ...

 ... is the annual community children's parade.  Miss Mary's Children's Parade was designed to provide a patriotic opportunity for pre-school and younger grade school children to participate in a holiday parade.  While Kernersville has an exceptional, historic July 4th parade, the length of the route is a little long for younger children.  Mary Mullinax developed a children's parade in the courtyard of town hall specifically for younger children.

As you can tell from the pictures below, children are encouraged to dress up and red, white and blue.  Patriotic music will be playing and the children can march, walk or ride around the town hall courtyard, following behind the 4th of July Parade Queen.

The children's parade is hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Kernersville.  It starts at 9 AM and is free to the public.

Parents are welcome to parade around with their children, or just get out their camera for some memorable pictures.

information provided by the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce

Free Healthy Active Adults Day in Kernersville

The Kernersville Chamber of Commerce and the Y are hosting a Healthy Active Adults Celebration on Monday, April 15, 2013 from 9am-1pm.  

There will be free health screenings, food samples and entertainment.  Bring your old medications for disposal.  

FREE!

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Free events! Alamance County, Forsyth County, Surry County, and more!

More free events in the Piedmont Triad!

Go to our calendar for locations, times and contact information.

Alamance County
Mon-Fri Feb 4-April 1
FREE Mebane: EXHIBIT AT MEBANE ARTS CENTER
Enjoy an exhibit with works from Nancy Garrett and Loretta Partin. Both artists enjoy working with acrylics. Nancy loves to build texture. She leans more toward abstracts and organic shapes. Loretta also works with texture and enjoys the variety of way acrylics are forgiving allowing for blending and paint over.   http://www.cityofmebane.com


Feb. 23
FREE Elon:  UNDERMANNED STRING BAND
Undermanned String Band, staring Chip Newton, Carey Harwood, and Ryan Dickey, will perform arrangements of ragtime, New Orleans jazz, and early swing tunes with their own special twist.  http://www.artsalamance.com

Forsyth County
Thursdays, Feb. 7-March 7
FREE Kville: Lunch and Learn with Toby Bost at PJC Botanical Garden
Bring your lunch.  The Garden will provide drinks.

February 7th - Introduction to Vegetable Gardening
February 14th - Management and Cultural Practices of Vegetable Gard- ening
February 21st - 4 Seasons of Vegetable Gardening
February 28th - Organic Practices and Pest Management
March 7th - Waterwise Land-scapes

Feb. 26
FREE WS: FORSYTH AUDUBON CHAPTER MEETING
The Forsyth Audubon Chapter meeting will feature Walker Golder, Deputy Director of Audubon North Carolina, with a program about his organization's coastal sanctuaries for nesting colonial water birds. Free and open to the public. Historic Bethabara Park Visitor's Center, Socializing at 7 p.m. and program at 7:30.   http://www.forsythaudubon.org

March 16
FREE WS: WINSTON-SALEM SYMPHONY: CONCERT FOR COMMUNITY
Featuring the Winston-Salem Symphony side-by-side with the Winston-Salem Symphony Youth Symphony and the winners of the Peter Perret Youth Talent Search. A free concert of magnificent music! Conducted by Robert Moody, Music Director, and Matthew Troy, Associate Conductor.   http://www.wssymphony.org

March 17
FREE WS: TROMBONE STUDIO RECITAL
Watson Hall.   The trombone studio, under direction of John Ilika, will present ensembles and soloists that feature the talents of our trombonists at UNCSA. Trombones play every style, every dynamic to the extreme. FREE  http://www.uncsa.edu/performances/

Surry County
Thursdays
FREE Dobson: Open Mic Night at The Coffee Bean Music Hall
Open mic for any and all who want to come out play. If you're not a musician don’t worry you can still come out and listen and hang out. There will be no cover charge for admission. We will be serving our full menu of beer, wine, and coffee. Sign up for your three song or 15 minute slot at the bar. Performers will play in order of sign up. Please, no obscenity. All ages welcome.

Outside the Piedmont Triad
Feb. 15
FREE Southern Pines: CHINA NATIONAL ORCHESTRA & RALEIGH SYMPHONY

Enjoy a unique concert experience, featuring the world's best orchestra in traditional Chinese music on stage with one of North Carolina's best orchestras in...China National Orchestra and the Raleigh Symphony in a joint concert. This concert is free thanks to our sponsors: Town of Aberdeen, Harris Blake, Moore County Chamber of Commerce, Moore County Schools, Village of Pinehurst, Town of Southern Pines, Art Swanson, and Thermal Metal Treating, Inc..  Admission is FREE, but tickets are required.
Free tickets are available for pickup at the Arts Council offices (Campbell House, 482 E. Conn. Ave., So. Pines). To receive your tickets by mail, mail your request with a self-addressed, stamped envelope to ACMC, P.O. Box 405, Southern Pines, NC 28388. Seating is limited, so requests will be filled on a “first-come-first-serve” basis. Please use all tickets you request. http://www.mooreart.org/programs/performing/chinaorchestra/

Free events! Kernersville, Rockwell and Lexington, NC

We've just added these free events to our calendar!  Go to our calendar for locations, times and contact information.

Feb. 12
FREE KVILLE: Vintage Jane Red Hot Valentine Party
You've seen those cute little Valentine conversation hearts: BE MINE. LOVE U. UR CUTE. STAY TRUE. BE SWEET. Vintage Jane has a message for you: BE HERE. BE HOT!  Great tunes. Yummy food. Delightful beverages. Lovely gift with purchase!  Come dressed for photo ops with some Steaming Hot Queens! We know you Jane's love a good challenge: Bring the most girlfriends with you and WIN! Don't miss it! Please register so we can look forward to seeing you!   

Feb. 17
FREE ROCKWELL: Open House at Suzie's Pride Big Cat Sanctuary
Suzie's Pride Inc. is a Sanctuary and Rescue for big cats. We are a no-kill, no-breed facility for unwanted, abused and neglected big cats from private owners, commercial entities, zoos and other sanctuaries. We provide cats with a place to live out their days in a compassionate respectful environment; we give them proper care enabling them to have a good quality of life.  Come join them for their monthly open house event!  (Located outside of the Piedmont Triad, about an hour from Winston-Salem)

Feb. 18
FREE HP:  Piedmont-Triad Elected Officials Reception.
Please join the Greensboro Partnership, High Point Chamber of Commerce, and the Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce for the 2013 Piedmont-Triad Elected Officials Reception to honor our Federal, State, and Local Elected Officials.  Wine, Beer & heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served.  Attendance is free, but you MUST register for the event.  


April 26-27
FREE Lexington: BBQ Capital Cook-Off
Sponsored by Uptown Lexington, Inc., a North Carolina Main Street Program. Proceeds from the event are reinvested into uptown Lexington.  Up to 72 Competiting Teams...BBQ Vendors...LIVE Music...GREAT Food...Kids Activities...and more!  http://www.uptownlexington.com/Events/bbqcookoff.asp

June 1
FREE Lexington: Summer Stroll 

In the Square: Gates of Redemption, Classic Cars, Miss Charlotte, uptown's mascot,
Art Activities with Arts United for Davidson County on W 2nd Ave. Come Shag with the Lexington Shag Club. From 6-8 pm, cars line the four quadrants of the squares on Main Street in uptown Lexington. You can enjoy looking over all the makes and models of classic cars brought in by folks around the region. Get inspired or solve a technical issue as you chat with the proud owners. Cruise Ins are held inconjunction with Summer Strolls.

June 22
FREE LEX: Summer Solstice Stroll

In the Square: South of Normal playing classic and alternative rock, Classic Cars
Miss Charlotte, uptown's mascot, Art Activities with Arts United for Davidson County,
on W. 2nd Ave. Come Shag with the Lexington Shag Club. From 6-8 pm, cars line the four quadrants of the squares on Main Street in uptown Lexington. You can enjoy looking over all the makes and models of classic cars brought in by folks around the region. Get inspired or solve a technical issue as you chat with the proud owners. Cruise Ins are held inconjunction with Summer Strolls.

July 13
FREE LEX: Lucky Friday Stroll
In the Square: JJ Blue playing originals to blues, to country to jazz, Classic Cars, Miss Charlotte, uptown's mascot, Art Activities with Arts United for Davidson County on W 2nd Ave. Kids activities. From 6-8 pm, cars line the four quadrants of the squares on Main Street in uptown Lexington. You can enjoy looking over all the makes and models of classic cars brought in by folks around the region. Get inspired or solve a technical issue as you chat with the proud owners. Cruise Ins are held inconjunction with Summer Strolls. 

Aug 3

FREE LEX: Back to School Stroll

In the Square: The Loose Cannons - an Armed Forces Rock Band from Fort Bragg!
Classic Cars, Miss Charlotte, uptown's mascot, Art Activities with Arts United for Davidson County on W. 2nd Ave. Kids Activities. From 6-8 pm, cars line the four quadrants of the squares on Main Street in uptown Lexington. You can enjoy looking over all the makes and models of classic cars brought in by folks around the region. Get inspired or solve a technical issue as you chat with the proud owners. Cruise Ins are held inconjunction with Summer Strolls.

Let's Hear it for K'ville!

As a big fan of K'ville (aka K-vegas), this is pretty awesome.

Free Women's Health, Beauty and Wellness Fair at Eclection in Kernersville

January 12, 2013 

Join Eclection in Kernersville for a day of learning how to look and feel better!  Take a yoga class, 
get a mini-massage, learn about meditation,
organic skin care and more!  
This is a free event!

Please call Eclection at 336-497-4822 to register for sessions and classes below,

 some have limited room.

"HA" Yoga

These effective exercises help release and alleviate tension in all its forms, allowing your vital energy to freely flow so that you can be in harmony with yourself and your environment. These free mini-treatments are done fully clothed.

12:00 noon

Mini - Polarity Therapy Sessions with Frances

Sign up now for your Sessions with Frances - done fully clothed polarity therapy can be as effective as a deep massage and the effects are longer lasting.

Please register for the one of the following 30 minute sessions:

10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 1:30 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, 3:30 pm

Meditation Snacks and Yoga with Sheila Taylor from Pure Wellness Center

Please register for the one of the following 30 minute sessions:

10:30 am, 1:30 pm

Balance Your Emotions and Heal Your Relationships with Alexander Tuttle from Pure Wellness Center  

at 11:30 am

Integrative Health Coaching Mini Sessions with Angela Savitri from Capri Health

10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30

Australian Bush Flower Essences Consultations with Mignon Zimmerman

What are Australian Bush Flower Essences, what they do for you and how to incorporate them into your daily schedule.

10:00, 10:30, 11:00, 11:30, 1:00, 1:30, 2:00, 2:30, 3:00, 3:30

Organic Skincare based on Chinese Medicine with Angela Wilson from Pure Wellness Center

What Is Your Skin Telling you? 

1:00 pm

Why do people that workout don't lose weight with Allen Branch from Fitness One - 

Check here for schedule

Putting Fitness and Exercise into Your Life with Allen Branch from Fitness One - 

Check here for schedule

How to Find the Fragrance that Expresses Who You Are with Stephanie Terrell from Simply Caotic

What to Look for in Natural Lotions and Which is Best for You with Stephanie Terrell from Simply Caotic

Kernersville Wedding Fair 2013

There will be a Wedding Fair at the beautiful 

Paul J. Ciener Botanical Gardens 

in Kernersville on January 5, 2013 from 11am-3pm.  

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Kernersville Christmas Parade 2012: Highlights and Video

Kernersville's Christmas Parade was Sunday, December 2. According to the Chamber of Commerce, this is the largest Christmas Parade in the Triad! With more than 1,500 participants and lasting more than two hours, we find this very easy to believe. The parade travels down Mountain Street in Downtown Kernersville, starting at Highway 66 and finishing at Kernersville Elementary School. If you are planning to attend a parade in Kernersville, we would recommend three things. First, get there early. Second, bring a chair. Third, bring a bag, because there is a lot of candy thrown to the children watching and you'll want to have a way to carry your stash back home. This year's highlights included the bands from East Forsyth, Glenn and Northwest Guilford High Schools. Oak Ridge Military Academy marched. Here are some highlights from the Kernersville Parade. Enjoy!

P.S.  If you'd like to see Kernersville's Christmas Tree Lighting, go here!

P.P.S.  We'd appreciate it if you can help us caption those photos that don't have one.  Thanks!

Grand Marshall Mayor Dana Caudill Jones rode in a horse drawn carriage

 

Oak Ridge Military Academy

Winston Wings

Northwest Guilford High School

Keller Williams Realty

Drama Kids

Jots of Circus Daze

SonShyne of Circus Daze

The sign on the back of the wagon read, "Pulled Pork"

Blinkie Lights: A Local Tradition Born in Kernersville

Anyone who has driven through Kernersville at Christmastime has seen the Blinkie Lights.  These large, transparent bulbs blink slowly and randomly in a magically mesmerizing fashion.   Once unique to Kernersville, they can now be found across North Carolina and the nation.  Did you know that they were created by local resident Robert Briles?  He originally created them for his own yard, and then began giving them to friends.  In 2009, he was asked to decorate Kernersville's Downtown Main Street, and it has since become a popular way to decorate throughout the town.

Mr. Briles has also designed a new contraption to help people safely decorate tall trees, a spool attached to a threaded pole.   Blinkie Lights can be purchased and the pole can be rented from Farmers Hardware in Kernersville.  They can also be purchased online here.

Piney Grove School at Christmastime

Piney Grove School in Kernersville, North Carolina is a one-room schoolhouse where the children were educated from 1870-1898.  The Town of Kernersville decorates the school, which stands at the entrance to Fourth of July Park, with festive wreaths each Christmas season.  

Now available as a greeting card from local photographer Jessica st Lewis, you can customize this card with your own printed greeting, or leave the inside blank and hand write a note before mailing.

Piney Grove School at Christmastime Greeting Cards by soulenergy

Christmas Tree Lighting 2012 in Kernersville, NC

In so many ways, Kernersville NC is the Heart of the Triad.  Nestled between Winston-Salem and Greensboro, Kernersville is a town that's easy to just drive through.  But trust us, it's worth it to take the exit off the highway into town.  With a thriving downtown and all the stores you'd expect to find in a larger city, Kernersville is a place that makes you feel at home.

This year's Annual Christmas Tree Lighting took place on Friday, December 1, 2012.

Hundreds of people congregated at Harmon Park for the Tree Lighting, which began with caroling by local performers East Forsyth Madrigals.  Krispy Kreme doughnuts and hot chocolate were supplied by Pierce Jefferson.  Children laughed and played on the playground of the park while waiting for Santa's big visit.  

In Kernersville, Santa arrives by fire truck.  This year, he was preceded by the Glenn High School Marching Band!  As everyone gathered around the dark Christmas tree, the pounding beat of percussion increased the excitement of the waiting crowd.

In November, Kernersville unexpectedly lost Fire Chief Walt Summerville.  In memory of Fire Chief Summerville, a fire helmet was placed on the tree.

After Santa lit the Christmas Tree, he and Mrs. Claus went around to each child and said hello.  Most children also had their photo taken with them. The Grinch was there, as well as Teddy the Police Bear.  (That may not be Teddy's official name.  That is what we call him, though!)

Kernersville continues to celebrate the season.  December 13 is Senior-Holly Day.  From 10am-2pm you can enjoy lunch and a brief worship service.

December 15 is Mom's Morning Out.  From 10am-noon you will receive free childcare for downtown shopping.

On December 21, there will be a Candlelight Tour from 6-8pm.

All of these events are taking place in Downtown Kernersville.  There are many great shops in Downtown!  Check out Discover Kernersville for a listing of stores downtown. It appears that this listing has not been updated; I can also recommend eclection and of course, the Holiday House on Mountain Street (between Main and Cherry).

Enjoy Kernersville NC. Discover the Heart of the Triad!

Shop Local Saturday (and an open letter to the local businesses of the Piedmont Triad)

An open letter to the local businesses of the Piedmont Triad: 

I'm the founder of Piedmont Triad Living, a blog that shares free and low cost family events in the Piedmont Triad.  I am also a big supporter of shopping local! 

This week I am launching a brand new website!  I am offering FREE button ads to the first 8 local businesses in 

EACH Piedmont Triad county to respond. The first four businesses in each county to respond will have a 250x250 ad on their community page, the next four will receive a 125x125 ad.  All businesses will also receive a 250x250 button on the "shop local" page.  (For a total of TWO FREE ADS on the website.)  The free ads will show for a minimum of two weeks. This offer is open to all independent, locally owned businesses, artists, crafters, farms, independent consultants, realtors, etc in Alamance, Caswell, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties.

If you're interested, send your square photo/logo to me at piedmonttriad(at)live.com.   The ads will link directly to your website, so be sure to include the web address you'd like to link to, as well as the county your business is located.  Email me if you have questions, or you can reach me by phone at 336-577-7785. Please help me get the word out and share with anyone you think may be interested in this free advertising! 

I am really excited to expand my Piedmont Triad living repertoire to include a website!  The facebook page has a reach of 96,000+ people, and the blog is averaging over 1200 views a month.  My audience was built with no advertising, just sharing.  Our motto is "Piedmont Triad Living: living, laughing, loving, playing and shopping local... on a budget!"  It is my goal to make Piedmont Triad Living the first resource for families looking for thing to do and ways to keep their shopping money within our community. Please help me get the word out and share our new website, as well as the blog and facebook page.  The website is http://www.PiedmontTriadLiving.com.  There you'll find links to our blog and facebook page.  You can share, tweet, pin and google+ to your hearts desire!

These FREE ad spaces are going fast, send us your photo today! 


All the best,

Jessica Lewis, Founder
Piedmont Triad Living

_______________________________________________________________________

Also giving a shout out to Downtown Kernersville, for yet another fun and exciting Halloween Trick-or-Treat Event!

We picked up a few flyers from local businesses along the way...

L.A.Crochet (AND Kville Chief of Police Goes DOWN!)

The Fall Festival Benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was two weeks ago, on October 13, 2012.  In addition to more than 30 vendors, there were bouncy houses, a petting zoo, a balloon artist and a DUNK TANK!  Kernersville, NC Chief of Police K.W. Gamble goes down twice in this quick video.

.

While we're talking about the Fall Festival, let me introduce you to the crafter that was next to me, Lou Ann Webber of L.A. Crochet.  

I love love love her "bag bags",  plastic grocery bags upcycled in to crocheted totes.  They are strong and stretchy, and Lou Ann makes them small to large; some small enough to be a wallet or purse, some large enough to be a shopping or beach tote! 

 Because it was just a couple of weeks before Halloween, she had several pumpkin themed bags, so cute!

Lou Ann can be found at local craft fairs, but her website is her main selling place, so stop there first!  She's a local crafter living in Kernersville, keep an eye out for her and see her bags for yourself!

Flashback Friday: Oct 19-Oct 25

The Week in Review

 Friday, October 12-Thursday, October 18 

Piedmont Triad Living.

Thursday, Oct. 25


I'm so excited!  We introduced our new website, your most complete source for loving the Piedmont Triad on a budget.  This will be your go-to for living, laughing, loving, playing and shopping locally!


This amazing photo was captured just outside of Downtown Winston-Salem.  Find out what it is and where I saw it here.

Wednesday, Oct. 24

Not sure of your voter registration status?  Check it here!


Traffic accidents had major thoroughfares closed for hours, causing headaches for those of us travelling the highways.  Check our blog to find out how to avoid congestion, construction, and adverse weather.  

Tuesday, Oct 23

This week's Treasury features Surry County artists.


Food Allergy Families of the Triad shared a cool website with great ideas of healthy Halloween lunch ideas!

Saturday, Oct. 20

The annual Fall Festival in Walkertown took place last weekend, and we met several really awesome and creative local people.  Read more about our experience here.

The Orionid Meteor Showers passed through our skies on Saturday!  We went out just after midnight for about thirty minutes and saw three quick streaks.  If you missed them, this chart is borrowed from the Farmers Almanac website. Click on the chart to go to their website, with more information. 

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/meteor-showers/

Friday, Oct.19

The Triad's Give A Kid A Coat campaign kicked-off.  You can drop off coats and jackets at any A Cleaner World location.


The Kernersville Chamber of Commerce brought together local companies for their annual Business Showcase.  See a listing of participating companies here.