1) Miller, Koontz and Shagdaron Perform Feb. 17
Clarinetist Douglas Miller, violist Eric Koontz and pianist Bair Shagdaron are the featured musicians during the Feb. 17 Faculty Performance Series in Appalachian State University’s Hayes School of Music. Their performance, “Fantasy Music for Clarinet, Viola, and Piano,” begins at 8 p.m. in Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall. Admission is free. The program is comprised of Josef Holbrooke’s “Nocturne, Op. 57, No.1” based on Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Fairy-land,” Schumann’s “Fairy Tales, Op. 132,” Libby Larsen’s “Black Birds, Red Hills” inspired by paintings by Georgia O’Keefe and Jean Françaix’s “Trio pour Clarinette, Alto et Piano.”
2) Tweetsie Railroad’s Season Passes Now Available
Before you hop aboard for the 2014 season, make sure to purchase your Tweetsie Railroad Golden Rail Season Passes. Pass holders will enjoy a full season of adventure from Wild West train journeys, amusement rides, live entertainment and the animals in the Deer Park, as well as free admission to all special events throughout the season, free parking on July 4th and discounts at other North Carolina family attractions. Golden Rail Season Passes are now available at a special rate of $80 for adults and $55 for children ages 3 through 12. After April 27, rates increase to $90 for adults and $65 for children. Children 2 and under are admitted free. Tweetsie will open its gates for its 57th season on April 11; the season will run through November 2. A 2014 Golden Rail Season Pass is the best and most economical way to experience all Tweetsie has to offer. This year¹s lineup of special events will include the return of many family favorites, like the July 4th Fireworks Extravaganza, Day Out With Thomas, SpongeBob SquarePants, K-9s in Flight Frisbee® Dogs and Tweetsie¹s Ghost Train® Halloween Festival. North Carolina¹s first theme park is also proud to announce two new additions to its entertainment lineup: four-time Grammy Award winner David Holt will treat guests to a one-day only solo performance in May; and the Cartoon Network¹s Scooby-Doo and Shaggy will greet guests for one special weekend in July. The entire family is in for a great time all season long aboard Tweetsie Railroad¹s historic steam-powered locomotives. Explore Tweetsie’s own Western town, tap your toes to live entertainment at the Tweetsie Palace, or take a turn on one of the many exciting rides. Journey high above the park via the chair lift to Miner¹s Mountain where you can pan for gold and meet the animals at the Deer Park Zoo. Don¹t miss out this limited-time only pricing: visit Tweetsie.com to purchase and print season passes at home. Guests looking to renew last year¹s season pass without waiting in line for a new card can easily do so by visiting Tweetsie¹s website or calling 1-877-TWEETSIE. Tweetsie Railroad will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays starting April 11, including Memorial Day Monday, and seven days a week from May 30 through August 17. The park returns to the weekend schedule from August 18 through November 2, including Labor Day Monday. The 2014 season ends Sunday, November 2. The park¹s regular hours are 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., but will be open until 9:00 p.m. on July 4 for the Fireworks Extravaganza and July 5, 12, 19 and 26 for Cool Summer Nights. Daily admission to Tweetsie Railroad is $39 for adults and $26 for children ages 3 through 12. Children 2 and under are admitted free. The Ghost Train® Halloween Festival will take place Friday and Saturday nights September 26 through November 1 from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with an admission price of $31 for adults and children. Tickets and Golden Rail Season Passes are available at Tweetsie.com.
3) Women’s Center Presents The Vagina Monologues
The Vagina Monologues is a benefit performance, put on by ASU’s Women’s Center, and a keystone event for the V-Day movement. V-Day is a global activist movement to end the violence experienced by women and girls around the world.The Vagina Monologues is a program made up of several monologues performed by a number of women touching on a wide array of aspects of the feminine experience such as sex, love, rape, mutilation, masturbation, orgasm and the various names for the vagina. This event is celebrated to promote creativity, increase awareness of women’s issues, and benefit women’s centers and shelters. This year all the proceeds will be donated to Oasis, a local non-profit organization serving survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Watauga and surrounding counties. The Vagina Monologues will be performed in the Parkway Ballroom of the Student Union this year on February 12th, 13th, and 14th. Come on out and show your support!