HOP into Spring Festivities! [ Feature ]

BY KIMBERLY BROUILLETTE

Spring is coming soon and with it, there’s going to be a great deal of fun, festivals and entertainment happening in and around Cabarrus County. We’ve compiled a great assortment of events in approximate calendar order that will give you plenty to do and enjoy with your friends and family members. Also, don’t forget to check out our calendar of events on cabarrusmagazine.com for additional things to do that may be added after this issue is released. Make plans now and have a great time!

12th Annual Harrisburg 5K, Fun Run and Health Expo

March 28th, 8 a.m.

The Harrisburg YMCA, Harrisburg Parks & Recreation and the Southwest Cabarrus Rotary are partnering to present the 12th Annual Harrisburg 5K, Fun Run and Health Expo, and are offering the 10K run for the third year in a row. The Harrisburg Health Expo, held in Veteran’s Park behind Harrisburg Town Hall, offers a wide variety of health and wellness information from local hospitals, doctors, massage therapists, nutritionists, gyms and other health-related organizations. There are also free children’s activities for kids to enjoy after the races. For more information or to sign up to participate, visit their website at runsignup.com/Race/NC/Harrisburg/ Harrisburg5K.

Harrisburg’s Bar Ba Brew

March 28th, 12 p.m.-6 p.m.

Stick around after the races for the Harrisburg “Bar Ba Brew,” which will be held from 12-6 p.m on Professional Blvd. This event has been organized to raise money for the NorthEast Foundation Jeff Gordon Children’s Center. Adult tickets can be pre-purchased through Eventbrite.com for $20.00, or $30.00 at the door, however kids 12 years and under are free. See the Facebook event page for additional information. Come out and help a wonderful cause while having a great time!

Cabarrus Brewing Company’s “Hoppy 4th Beerthday to Us!”

March 13th-15th

Cabarrus Brewing Company’s “Hoppy 4th Beerthday to Us!” will be filled with fun times, great music and delicious beer. On Friday, they’ll begin the celebration by releasing their new Irish Cream Coffee Blonde at 4 p.m. and their 2020 Live Music Season Kickoff from 7-10 p.m. The 2020 CabCo Food Truck Friday Season Kickoff will run from 6-10 p.m. On Saturday, the first 50 people who come through the doors will receive free t-shirts. Live music will begin with Province of Thieves from 2-5 p.m., while Barnes & the Heart will play from 7-10 p.m. Brew-Grass Sunday will continue the event with a good ol’ fashioned pickin’ session out on the patio (weather permitting) when special guests Crystal Fountains plays from 2-5 p.m. The weekend celebration will wind down at 7 p.m. Due to the anticipated crowds, drink tokens will be sold for beers at $6 each, or 4 for $22. Visit cabarrusbrewing.com or their Facebook events pages for more details.

6th Annual Spring at the Farm Antiques Festival

April 4th, 8 a.m.-4 p.m

The 6th Annual Spring at the Farm Antiques Festival will be hosted by Ruffin’s Roost in Mt. Pleasant. You won’t want to miss the opportunity to shop from over 50 vendors selling vintage garden, architectural, primitive, mid-century, antiques, upcycled clothing and jewelry, retro, industrial, handmade soaps and candles and many more incredible items. Stroll through the historic farm and listen to live bluegrass music. Amazing BBQ will be prepared by the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department. For more information, see the Facebook event page or call 980-622-0015.

N.C Transportation Museum’s Easter Bunny Express

April 4th-5th & 10th-11th

The Easter Bunny rides the rails at the N.C. Transportation Museum, April 4 & 5.

Phot Courtesy: N.C. Transportation Museum

For those with children, the N.C Transportation Museum in Spencer will be hosting their annual Easter Bunny Express. You’re invited to ride the rails with the Easter bunny as he gives out treats and takes photos. Enjoy plenty of fun activities scheduled for each day, including face painting, crafts, balloon artists, inflatables and much more! Easter egg hunts will be held on April 10th and 11th only. Steam locomotive caboose rides will be available on April 11th only. For ticket prices, train ride times and more information, visit www.nctrans.org/Events/Easter.aspx.

15th Annual Spring Plant & Herb Festival

April 18th, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Those with green thumbs will enjoy the 15th Annual Spring Plant & Herb Festival being hosted by the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Cabarrus County at the Cabarrus Arena & Events Center. Everyone can get in with free admission to see over 70 vendors, who’ll be onsite with a huge selection of plants, garden art and food available for purchase. Visit mastergardenerscabarrus.org for more information.

Cabarrus Brewing Company’s 3rd Annual CBC Spring Fest Vendor Market

April 18th, 12 p.m.-7 p.m.

Over 100 vendors and small businesses will be onsite for the 3rd Annual CBC Spring Fest Vendor Market. Come by and enjoy supporting local businesses by shopping handmade crafts, jewelry, artists, services and much more. For vendor information, please email lorimerthornton@gmail.com. Visit cabarrusbrewing.com or their Facebook events pages for more details.

The Loch Norman Highland Games

April 17th-19th

The Loch Norman Highland Games in Huntersville is celebrating their 27th anniversary. This family-friendly event is presented by Historic Rural Hill. Come and experience all the fun with Highland dancing, bagpipe bands, Celtic rock, traditional performers, and Scottish country dancing. Some of the most popular highlights are the Highland athletic competitions, kilted running events and historic reenactments. Shoot long bows and blowguns, or throw a battle axe and so much more! Plenty of Scottish clan societies and merchants will be onsite. Enjoy savory hearth cooking, as well as N.C. beer, wine and whiskey tastings. For tickets or more information, visit lochnorman.com.

26 Acres Brewing Company’s April Market

April 25th, 1 p.m.-6 p.m.

The April Market will be hosted by 26 Acres Brewing Company in Concord, where over 20 local artists and vendors will be featured at this indoor and pet-friendly market. For more information, check out their Facebook event page, or call 980-277-2337.

Rocky River Vineyard’s Annual Spring Festival

April 25th, 12 p.m.-6 p.m.

Rocky River Vineyard’s Annual Spring Festival in Midland will have music, food trucks, lots of local craft vendors, wine slushies, VIP Tables, dancing, desserts and much more! For more information, check out their Facebook event page, or call 704-781-5035.

Jiggy with the Piggy

April 29th-May 3rd

The largest festival being held in Cabarrus County this spring will be Jiggy with the Piggy, hosted by the City of Kannapolis. According to Annette Privette, Director of Communications & Marketing, the festival was recently being named

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The annual "Jiggy with the Piggy" festival in Kannapolis has become a regional favorite spring event.

Phot Courtesy: City of Kannapolis

as a “Top 20 Event by the Southeast Tourism Society,” and has earned respect among the barbecue circuit with over 50 teams having already registered in the BBQ Challenge Competition for this year. The BBQ teams will come from across the U.S. and will compete for top bragging rights and prize money. This is one of the largest sanctioned events by the Kansas City Barbeque Society.

Most of the events throughout the Jiggy with the Piggy festival are free to the public, and include live concerts, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers’ baseball games and a free Toy Story 4 movie viewing at Veteran’s Park. This 5-day festival has something going on for the entire family every day, plus more than 100 arts and crafts vendors. Of course, there will be plenty of great barbecue and other food available for purchase, with proceeds going to benefit a large variety of local non-profit organizations. Note that no pets are allowed, except for official service dogs. Since this is a family-friendly event, no smoking is allowed.

The highlighted evening of Jiggy with the Piggy will take place on Friday, May 1st. At 5 p.m., the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers will play against the Lexington Legends in

The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers will play a game in their brand new stadium during the "Jiggy with the Piggy" festival.

Photo Courtesy: The Kannapolis Cannon Ballers

their brand new baseball stadium. From 6-8 p.m., the People’s Choice Wing Tasting Competition will take place, where festival attendees can purchase blocks of (10) samples for $10 (while supplies last). At 8:30 p.m., the signature free concert will be Grammy Nominated and Multi-Platinum Artist Sammy Kershaw, followed by a professional fireworks display. There isn’t space in this article to list all of the fun things to do at the festival, so to see a full list of events, visit kannapolisnc.gov/ Community/Jiggy-With-the-Piggy/ Schedule-of-Events.

Jiggy with the Piggy 5K race

April 29th, 6:30 p.m.

Run Kannapolis hosts several 5K runs throughout the year, including the "Jiggy with the Piggy 5K".

photo Courtesy: City of Kannapolis

As one of the first events of the festival, the Jiggy with the Piggy 5K race will begin on Wednesday, April 29th at 6:30 p.m., and is sponsored by Atrium Health. Runners and walkers of all ages and abilities are invited to participate. There is a $15 registration fee for participants. For more information about race registration, email Laura Evans at levans@kannapolisnc.gov, or visit runkannapolis.com.

Downtown Concord’s “Spring into Arts” Festival

May 9th, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

As usual, the “Spring into the Arts” Festival will be held on Union Street in Concord. According to Holly Sloop, associate director with Downtown Concord and Development Corp., this annual festival is a way to celebrate visual and performing arts in Downtown Concord and will have approximately 80 arts and craft vendors of primarily handmade and locally sourced items. Local shops, wineries, breweries and restaurants will be open, plus additional food trucks on site.

The "Spring into Arts" Festival is always a favorite event for families and art lovers alike to enjoy great music, art and food in downtown Concord.

Photo Courtesy: Concord Downtown Development Corporation

For the first time, there will be two concert stages where live music will be played throughout the day. The north stage will be located in front of the Concord Library, and the south stage in front of the Cabarrus County courthouse. Kid’s activity events and crafts will take place at the library, with additional interactive crafts and games organized by the Concord Parks and Recreation Department. Another new addition to the festival will be inflatables for kids to play on. All events are open to the public and free. For general festival information or for vendor registration, visit the event page at concorddowntown.com.

Gold Rush Art and Craft Festival

May 9th, 10 a.m-5 p.m.

The Gold Rush Art and Craft Festival will be hosted in the quaint and unique Village of Historic Gold Hill and sponsored by the Gold Hill Merchants’ Association. Local artists will be located all around the village with its nine shops and Mama T’s Restaurant. For more information on this event or vendor registration, go to goldhillnc.com for details and application.