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Tuesday, 18 July 2023
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Written by Katrina Wilson
Blessed -N- Blessings Gospel Concert is Friday, July 21 at 7 p.m. at Fayetteville State University’s Seabrook Auditorium.
Apostle Alber “Trevy” Treadwell, emcee and promoter of the event, said concert attendees will experience “a hand-clapping, toe-tapping, exciting good time in the Lord.”
Treadwell said the event is two-fold. The first is because it celebrates Treadwell’s several decades of preaching.
Secondly, it is to be a blessing in the community.
Treadwell’s ministry, Treadwell Evangelistic Empowerment Ministries Inc. is uniting with Church of the Living God Religious Education Center’s Pastor Dr. Calvin Vanbeverhoudt.
He and Vanbeverhoudt have known each other for years and this is the first gospel concert event they’ve done together.
It was a vision Vanbeverhoudt had to bring people together after the pandemic and bring them into an atmosphere of praise and worship.
Treadwell said this event benefits the community because a good portion of the proceeds that are raised from ticket sales will go back to Fayetteville community nonprofits.
They chose to have the concert at FSU because it allows them to encourage the community, give back to education and the community as a whole, he said.
“We believe Jesus plus education equals success,” Treadwell said. “We couldn’t have found a better way to give back to Fayetteville State [than] by hosting an event there. Why not pour back into education by hosting the event?”
Led by the spirit of the Lord
Treadwell said that music is soothing and provides encouragement to the soul.
“Whether you’re a fan of secular or gospel music, some form of music has lifted your spirits or has encouraged a person to go one more mile,” he said.
“We just want to be obedient to the voice of the Lord and He gets the full glory out of
the event.”
The concert will also include music by Minister Jarell Smalls & Company and the Rev. Luther Barnes & The Sunset Jubilaires. Gospel comedian Elder Willie Brown will be in attendance.
Also scheduled is youth group Today’s Youth Giving God Praise. The group empowers the youth, Treadwell said. He said he witnessed performances they had where there was not a dry eye in the place because of how they minister.
“We want to take gospel music to heal the hurting hearts that are here in the community and surrounding community,” Treadwell said.
Treadwell said to make the concert more affordable for attendees, when purchasing tickets, use CHURCHY on Eventbrite to receive $10 off a ticket.
VIP tickets are $45 in advance or $55 at the door on the day of the concert. General Admission tickets are $35 in advance and $45 at the door. There are no cash sales, only debit and credit card only.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. on July 21 and the concert is set to begin at 7 p.m.
To purchase tickets visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blessed-n-blessings-gospel-concert-2023-tickets-624124572397.
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Tuesday, 18 July 2023
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Written by Katrina Wilson
An all-female country and “new” grass band, moonshine, cocktails and a unique NASCAR exhibit are a few of the many options to experience at Cape Fear Botanical Garden’s Sunset Series event on July 21.
According to Beth Hess, Marketing and Sponsorship Consultant at Cape Fear Botanical Garden, the Sunset Series allows attendees to enjoy the long stretches of daylight during the summer. It even invites people to experience the garden during hours when they are usually closed.
The Sunset Series has been a part of summers at Cape Fear Botanical Garden since late 2020.
“We have one featured night in June, July and August. At times it has included murder mystery events, performing arts and concerts,” Hess said.
The July 21 event is bee-themed and is from 6 to 9 p.m. It’s for more than just nature lovers.
Attendees of the event will be able to purchase from different food trucks on site, Bees & Boards Charcuterie Co., cocktails and moonshine.
“Bees & Boards will be there because of the bee theme and because charcuterie is yummy and great to share with your ‘honey,’” Hess said.
Admission for CFBG members and children age 5 and under is free.
For non-members, children ages 6 to 12 entry is $5; 13+ entry is $10; military with ID is $9; adults 65 and older is $9.
Riggsbee Road
The concert for July 21 will be performed by Riggsbee Road, a music group from Raleigh.
Hess said that Riggsbee Road was chosen for more than its talent and because of its ties to North Carolina.
“They have their big banjo sound and harmonies reminiscent of early roots of our region's music. They also continue to perform songs with strong storytelling — from all time periods and genres — that bring back that feeling of rocking on a porch at sunset listening to great stories from neighbors and friends,” Hess said.
The band was created in 2020 amid the COVID pandemic. They started as a band of five and grew to seven.
Riggsbee Road got its name because of a walk in the cemetery and a romance story almost a century old.
Shelley Kelly, lead vocalist in the group, described how it happened.
“A few months into the project, we needed a name, so we all started brainstorming. We had a long list of ideas, but nothing that really stuck,” Kelly said.
She and her husband walked through the Oakwood Cemetery in downtown Raleigh — an old, historic landmark in the historic Oakwood neighborhood.
“As we walked, we looked at the names on tombstones for inspiration. We saw Riggsbee and we both thought it sounded like a bluegrass band,” she said. She added it to the list and presented it to the band and they were warm to it.
A few weeks later, it was Valentine’s Day 2021, and an article popped up in her newsfeed about a woman who met and fell in love with her husband at a soda shop on the first floor of the Hudson Belk Building in downtown Raleigh.
Kelly thought it was interesting because she met her husband in the same building on the first floor.
“The building is called the Hudson today, converted to condos, and is where I lived when I met my husband in 2016,” she said. “The article listed her last name as Riggsbee and continued to tell the story of how the couple married, built a house in 1928, had a family and were buried at Oakwood Cemetery!”
As coincidences go, dots connected for Kelly.
“My husband and I got married and bought a house near downtown that was built in 1928! My husband is also the person who encouraged me to start the dream project,” she said.
Kelly said the women in the band said Riggsbee had to be the name of the group and they just added “Road” to the end.
Riggsbee Road covers pop, country and classic tunes. As Kelly said, “We cover from Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Bon Jovi to The Judds. From Harry Styles to Meghan Trainor.”
She said that Bluegrass music is one of the first styles of music played in North Carolina.
She said it has an earthy, rooted, wholesome feel — especially because she and the other members have gospel and Christian roots.
“Our audience tells us they can’t guess what’s coming next when we perform,” Kelly said. “We keep them on their toes.”
Horticulture, Hooch & Outlaws
“For 2023, we themed the Sunset Series events to coordinate with our Special Exhibit: Horticulture, Hooch & Outlaws in Fast Cars,” Hess said.
The tour is self-guided with informational panels, memorabilia and more looks at the botanical roots of racing in the south.
“From the grains used to make the moonshine all the way to the ways NASCAR is looking at biofuels today,” she said.
The exhibit is on loan from Hortication, a horticulturally based education company that develops traveling exhibits for gardens. For more information, visit https://hortication.com/exhibits/horticulture-hooch-and-outlaws-in-fast-cars/.
The exhibit at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden runs through Aug. 20.
The final Sunset of the season is scheduled for Aug. 18. The theme includes lines, such as race-inspired games with finish lines, country music line dancing and more.
Cape Fear Botanical Garden
“We are located two miles from downtown Fayetteville,” Hess said. “Right in the middle of business, we are peace, beauty, relaxation and education.”
Cape Fear Botanical Garden was founded in 1989. It sits on 80 acres of land and is open 360 days a year.
For more information, visit https://www.capefearbg.org/.
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