2013 North Charleston Arts Festival Gala Set for April 26

Spring is in the air and the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival is preparing to bloom! In anticipation and celebration of the annual event, the City of North Charleston will host the Arts Festival Gala on Friday, April 26, from 6:00pm to midnight at Montague Terrace at the North Charleston Coliseum. Tickets for the black-tie optional affair are $75 and can be purchased until Tuesday, April 23, by calling Pam Smith at 843-740-5847.

North Charleston POPS (photo by Robert McDaniel)

The 2013 Arts Festival Gala begins with an outdoor reception “under the oaks” from 6:00-7:30pm featuring light refreshments, musical entertainment by the Leonard School of Music Jazz Ensemble, and a live plein air painting demonstration by local artist Deborah Meyer. The garden party will move indoors to Montague Terrace at 7:30pm for dinner service and an unforgettable evening concert by the North Charleston POPS. This full-scale professional orchestra performs a variety of upbeat musical selections that include light classical, film music, Broadway, rock 'n roll, country, and more. Following the concert, guests can dance the night away to music by the 17 South Band. With three horn arrangements, the group delivers a huge and classy sound ranging from Motown and R&B covers to classic beach music and Top 40 hits. The evening’s line-up is sure to entertain and makes for an exciting kick-off to the nine days of arts and cultural programs and activities offered during the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival, taking place May 3-11.

Montague Terrace at the North Charleston Coliseum is located at 5001 Coliseum Drive in North Charleston. Ticket price includes parking. For more information about the Arts Festival Gala, contact Sheri Pearson at 843-740-2538. For more information about the 2013 North Charleston Arts Festival, including the full schedule of events, visit NorthCharlestonArtsFest.com.

USAF Heritage of America Band to Present Free Concert in North Charleston

Performance presented in Honor of Armed Forces Day

The United States Air Force Heritage of America Concert Band, from Langley AFB, VA, will recognize Armed Forces Day with a memorable evening of musical entertainment at the Sterett Hall Auditorium on the former Charleston Naval Base on Saturday, May 21, 2011, at 7:00 pm. The 90 minute concert will feature the full 50-piece orchestra and includes John Philip Sousa’s military and patriotic marches as well as heritage themed musical selections.

The Concert Band is the largest musical component of the USAF Heritage of America Band. Formed in 1941, the band entertains one million people each year in over 500 performances. They have performed for several Presidents of the United States, the President of France, and the Queen of England. Additionally, the band has been presented numerous mayoral proclamations and has earned the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, the Air Force Organizational Excellence Award, and the Colonel George S. Howard Citation of Musical Excellence Award.

TICKET INFORMATION
The Armed Forces Day concert is free, but advance tickets are required. Tickets may be obtained by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Tickets, City of North Charleston Cultural Arts Department, PO Box 190016, North Charleston, SC, 29419-9016. Please limit 6 tickets per mail-in request. Tickets are also available for pick up Monday through Friday, 8:30 am-4:30 pm, from the North Charleston Cultural Arts Dept. office on the 2nd floor of North Charleston City Hall, located at 2500 City Hall Lane, North Charleston, SC 29406. Unclaimed seats will be available to non-ticket holders 15 minutes prior to concert time.

For more information, contact the North Charleston Cultural Arts Department at (843) 740.5854 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.org.