This summer’s third “Sensational 2nd Saturday” weekend will sandwich a birthday party between two jazz performances, with lots of community activities rounding out the two-day celebration.
Be the Moon — a jazz trio — will kick off the weekend with a performance Friday night at The Red Room. Pulling from a wide variety of musical genres, the group writes Americana/Folk-Rock that brings to mind Tom Petty, Wilco, John Prine, Whiskeytown and Ryan Adams. The 6:30 p.m. performance will be presented by the Community Council for the Arts. Light hors d’oeuvres by The Folded Napkin and a cash bar will be offered at this free concert. The music will continue from 9:30 to 11:55 p.m. as part of The Red Room’s typical weekend venue.
On Saturday, The CSS Neuse State Historic Site and Governor Caswell Memorial will host a birthday celebration for Gov. Richard Caswell from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. This is the final installment of this summer’s three-part 2nd Saturday program, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.
The birthday theme will help celebrate the birth of North Carolina’s first state governor and Revolutionary War hero. Talks at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. will highlight Caswell’s life and career, and attendees can enjoy cake and ice cream at noon, games, crafts and costumed interpreters. The site gift shop and exhibits featuring Caswell’s life and career will be open.
On Sunday, Tacha Coleman-Parr, noted jazz festival headliner, will end 2nd Saturdays for August with a Sunday afternoon concert in the library’s Schechter Auditorium. The Kinston native — who graduated in the 1980s from Kinston High School — will be the guest artist vocalist for Summer Serenade. Offering a selection of jazz standards, ballads and originals, she will be backed by the jazz sounds of the Eric Xavier Jazztet (Eric Xavier Dawson is also from Kinston) and accompanied for a couple of numbers by Antuan Hawkins, children’s librarian and performing artist.
Saturday will be packed full of family activities, including a complimentary breakfast at the Lenoir County Farmer’s Market; CSS Neuse, Harmony Hall and Mother Earth Brewing tours; open shops and restaurants of downtown merchants; bluegrass at Lenoir Community College; and water fun at the Woodmen Community Center’s Lions Water Adventure.
For a complete schedule of 2nd Saturday events across the state, go to www.ncculture.com.
Breakout
2nd Saturday Weekend
Friday
6:30 to 8:30 and 9:30 to 11:55 p.m., Be the Moon, The Red Room, 220 N. Herritage St.
Saturday
9 a.m., breakfast, Lenoir County Farmer’s Market, Herritage and Caswell streets
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Birthday party, Gov. Caswell Historic Site, 2612 W. Vernon Ave.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m., CSS Neuse II tours, Gordon and Caswell streets
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Historic Harmony Hall tours of house, gardens, one-room schoolhouse, 109 E. King St.
11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Lions Water Adventure, 2602 W. Vernon Ave.
Noon to 7 p.m., Mother Earth Brewing hourly tours, 311 N. Herritage St.
7 to 11 p.m., Bluegrass jam sessions, Lenoir Community College gym, 231 N.C. 58 S.
Sunday
12:30 to 5:30 p.m., Lions Water Adventure
3 p.m., Summer Serenade jazz, library’s Schechter Auditorium, 510 N. Queen St.