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    The Greatest Show On Earth

     

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    by STORMIE MCGEE

     

    Step right up! Its almost time… the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey will present their big top family production  that has been touring the nation for more than 100 years. And on Thursday, Feb. 28, the Crown Coliseum will come alive when the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, “the Greatest Show on Earth,” comes to Fayetteville.Starting out as a small circus, in no way distinct from a throng of small shows that traveled regionally by wagon, the seven Ringling brothers quickly transformed their traveling act into one of the largest and best-run circuses in the country. With John and Charles at the helm, they gave their tour the official title: “Ringling Brothers United Monster Shows,Great Double Circus, Royal European Menagerie, Museum, Caravan, and Congress of Trained Animals.” The Ringling Brothers distinguished their circus from the others by being honest and fair in their attitude toward the public; never allowing ticket sellers to short change customers or gambling on their lots. Their success resulted from a reputation of clean dealing and good value. It wasn’t long before they were able to begin touring the country by railroad.In 1907 the brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey circus and ran the two circuses separately until they merged them into one unit in 1919 when they also moved the winter quarters to Bridgeport, Conn. Today the circus travels around the world bringing joy to the faces of children of all ages. When the circus makes its stop in Fayetteville, it will bring its Gold Show to the stage. This intimate, interactive event brings you so up-close and personal to the live action that you’ll experience a day at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey you never imagined possible! Audiences are just a few feet away from six white Bengal tigers. The aerialists walk, fl y and jump through the air on a high wire, while the Wheel of Steel act leaves you questioning the forces of gravity. The circus also offers an all access pre-show to meet the animals and performers, teach circus tricks and give audience members a taste of the circus before the show even starts! Join the circus for a special opening night performance on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the pre-show are $12.50. This price is not valid on VIP fl oor seats and cannot be combined with any other offer. Tickets to the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus are on sale now and can be purchased at www. ticketmaster.com. The Crown Center box offi ce also offers tickets by phone at 223-2900. For fl oor seats, tickets are $33.50, lower bowl tickets are $19.50 and upper bowl seats are $15.50. On opening night, Feb. 28 all tickets (except VIP fl oor seats) to the 7 p.m. performance are $12.50 at the door. There will be a 7 p.m. show on Friday, Feb. 29; a 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. show on Saturday, Mar. 1; and a 2 p.m. show on Sunday as well.

  • STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART:

    FOURTH FRIDAY HIGHLIGHTS HEALTH

     

    Plan to spend plenty of time this Fourth Friday at The Arts Council of {mosimage}Fayetteville/CumberlandCounty, 301 Hay St., as it partners with Cape Fear Valley’s Heart & Vascular Center on February 22 from 6:30-9 p.m. Health experts from Cape Fear Valley’s Cardiac Diagnostics, Cardiac Cath Lab and Cardiac Rehab will be on hand to talk about maintaining a healthy heart through brief seminars, educational booths and interactive displays. Just outside the building will be tours of an emergency medical services vehicle. Along with free refreshments at the Arts Council, enjoy the sounds of the faculty jazz ensemble from Fayetteville State University and the continuation of Perspectives. An art exhibition featuring the works of four local artists,Perspectiveswill be on display through March 15. Just across the street in the Rainbow Room at 223 Hay St., the Heart and Vascular Center will also be offering free blood pressure, blood sugar and sleep apnea screenings. They will also make available baseline EKG readings by LifeLink and coupons for cholesterol testing. This month’s Fourth Friday is an excellent opportunity to enjoy great art, music, and food while at the same time learning more about the importance of taking care of your heart. As always, the rest of downtown Fayetteville welcomes art lovers of all kinds with their own special presentations.

    February Fourth Friday Venues

    1. Art & Soul – View the latest works of artist Becky Lee. Lee, a painter and teacher, has been at the forefront of the Fayetteville art scene for a number of years. Her recent works will be on display at Art & Soul, including landscapes she has completed. Refreshments will be served

    2. Cape Fear Studios – The collective works of talented local artist Leslie Pearson will be on disply. Pearson, a former soldier and art teacher, has had a number of shows in Fayetteville in recent months. Her work focuses on women’s issues and their search for freedom.

    3. The Cotton Exchange – Live jazz music on the indoor stage. Refreshments.

    4. Cumberland County Headquarters Library – Celebrate Black History Month with the music of the Heritage Restoration Chorale, an ecumenical group of singers from the Fayetteville-Cumberland County area. They have received critical acclaim for their love of music and dedication to the preservation of the Negro Spiritual and other music of the Black experience. Refreshments.

    5. Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum. Exhibits and artifacts of transportation from days gone by. 7-9 p.m.

    6. Fascinate-U – Make Crazy Birds using construction paper, feathers, and wiggly eyes. All materials are provided Refreshments will be served.

    7. Loafi ng Artist Studio – View the display of new “Musselflies,” hand painted and crafted by Harold Grace

    8. Market House Exhibit – View an exhibit honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

    9. Olde Town Gallery – See the works of John Furches, a watercolorist from Elkin, NC. Join us for a demonstration of an etching. 6:00-9:00 pm

    10. Rude Awakening – View the metalwork of David McCune.

    11. sfL+a Architects – Art by Carla Rokes - Color & Design. Music by Jeremy Gilchrist. Refreshments.

    12. White Trash – Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander. The Arts Council’s grants, programs and services are funded in part by contributions from businesses and individuals, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the North Carolina Arts Council, with funding from the State of North Carolina.

     

  • SPRING FESTIVAL BRINGS OUT THE CRAFTSMEN

     

    by STORMIE MCGEE

    There’s something a little different about the 33rd Annual Craftsmen’s Spring Festival. Not to be mistaken with the Craftsmen’s Christmas Festival, the spring edition “…connects the Craftsmen’s Festival with a small antiques and collectibles show,” explained Quincy Scarborough, the event’s coordinator. “We’re going to have at least 25 booths [of antiques and collectibles], maybe more, and we’ll have about 80 booths of arts and crafts.” The Eastern {mosimage}Carolina Craftsmen’s Spring Festival — which will open Sat., March 8 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sun., March 9 from noon to 5 p.m. — is a regional arts and crafts show that is designed to showcase the talents of the region’s many local craftsmen. More than 100 selected craftsmen, artists and collectors from the east coast have reserved booths for this festival. “About a third of the show is going to be new craftsmen and women who’ve never been with us before,” said Scarborough. He says that this is due to burnout that occurs after years of demonstrating your wares on the road. “But we’ll have a little of everything,” he laughed, “We’ve got several artists coming in who’ve been with me for years. One craftsman, by the name of James Parker — retired military — who did our very first show 33 years ago is still with us.” To {mosimage}Scarborough, what makes the Craftsmen’s Festival so unique is that “everything you buy is handmade by the person you’re buying it from, which makes it a little more valuable… and if you ask, they’ll tell you how it’s made.” The hands-on involvement is what makes these events so exciting to shoppers. At the festival, many of the artists and craftsmen will be demonstrating their specialty, and all will be displaying their latest creations and selling their work. There will be a veritable cornucopia of traditional crafts, decorations, home furnishings, antiques and collectibles; and with the exception of the antiques and collectibles, all items sold are handmade by each craftsman participating. The antiques and collectibles show will delight nostalgic shoppers with old furniture, gold and silver, porcelain dolls, rare books, primitives and much more. These items are great gifts for home decorators and treasure hunters alike. So whether you’ve got a weekend to bask in handmade goods and historic relics or you’re just looking for something to do, there is something at the Craftsman’s Festival to interest almost everyone. The 33rd Annual Craftsmen’s Spring Festival, combined with the Fayetteville Antiques and Collectibles Show, is one of the city’s top spring attractions. New exhibitors, new ideas and great original craftsmanship makes the Spring Festival a great family event where you can see original arts and crafts, great gifts, jewelry, collectibles, investments and bargains. “I guarantee you will enjoy this show,” said Scarborough. The Craftsmen’s Festival is open to the public. The daily admission for the two-day cultural and shopping experience is $5.50 for adults, free for children,and free for handicapped visitors. Everyone is welcome to come out and shop from thousands of unique and original handcrafted item and artworks, many of which are designed specifi cally as spring gifts.

  • The Fayetteville Ladies Power Luncheon will hold its quarterly event on May 12 at the Holiday Inn I-95 to provide local women an opportunity to network with other successful women in the community.

    “The FLPL mission is to ‘Inspire, Educate, Empower and Celebrate’ the women in our community,” said  Keri Dickson, the new director of FLPL.  Dickson is also the Marketing and Development Manager for F&B Publications, the parent company of Up & Coming Weekly.

    Although she is new to the director role, Dickson has been involved in FLPL for years and was serving on its advisory board when asked to become the director.  

    Since 2011, the FLPL has provided local women an opportunity to join and participate in a collaborative effort to support one another in building business, personal and professional relationships – all while contributing  to many local non-profit organizations.

    Luncheons are held quarterly with a dedicated goal to motivate and empower women from all walks of life.  Women meet to listen and learn from an inspirational keynote speaker while networking with peers, meeting new friends and shopping.

    As the FLPL continues to inspire, motivate and recognize successful women in the community, Dickson said her goal as the director will be to expand attendance.  She hopes to attract more women from all over the Cape Fear region and eventually have to move the lunch to a larger venue.  Currently 150 to 200 women attend the luncheons.

    “We want to get more attention for the event so more ladies can attend, be educated and inspired by speakers like Lorna Ricotta,” Dickson said.

    Lorna Ricotta will be the speaker at the upcoming luncheon.  Ricotta currently serves as the executive director for the Fayetteville Technical Community College Foundation.  She is also an accomplished singer, small business owner, community advocate, higher education administrator and a former Miss North Carolina.

    “Lorna brings a wealth of information and experience to share with women at our luncheon,” Dickson said.

    More attendees means more money raised for local non-profit organizations, Dickson said.  This year, FLPL organizers are focusing on the Cumberland County Literacy, Education and Character development program by supporting the Kidsville News and Literacy and Education Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit.

    “Our Truman Table recognizes educators in our community,” Dickson said.  Truman the Dragon represents Kidsville News!, a child literacy magazine.

    While the $35 ticket price to attend covers the cost of the meal, Dickson said FLPL relies on sponsors.  

    “If we didn’t have local business owners like Biz Card Express of Fayetteville, the UPS Store, Premier Cardiovascular, Omni Plaza, Bragg Mutual Credit Union, and Only NDoor willing to support, it wouldn’t be such a nice event,” she said.

    “Sponsors give up the ability to make it more affordable for more women to attend, and allows us to make it a better event for all,” she said.

    The next quarterly Fayetteville Ladies Power Luncheon will be held May 12 from 10:00 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Holiday Inn I-95, Exit 49.  In addition to the guest speaker, the event will also feature a Shopportunity Expo filled with local merchants, vendors and businesses. Vendors include business, clothing, jewelry, women’s health and fitness, beauty products and more.  Grapes & Hops of Fayetteville will provide a wine bar and tasting area as well. 

    For more information on registering as an attendee, sponsor or vendor, visit the website at FayettevilleLadiesPowerLunch.com.


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