magazine

Eastern

New Bern

Neuse River Day

Celebrate the Neuse River and all its tributaries on Saturday, May 31, at Union Point Park. The free event features kayak and canoe races, arts and crafts, food vendors, and, of course, the Great Rubber Duck Race. "Adopt" a duck, watch it race down the river, and claim a prize if it reaches the finish line first (or at all!). Create your own canoe entirely out of cardboard in the Cardboard Box Canoe Race. The Neuse River Foundation, whose mission is to protect and preserve the Neuse River Basin, sponsors the all-day event.

For additional information or to register for the races, call (252) 637-7972 or click here.

Central and Western

Three venues will transport audiences to decades long past except in our memories.

"Ain't Misbehavin'," showing May 29 through June 22 at Temple Theatre in Sanford, celebrates the dynamic style of 1930s ragtime great Fats Waller. Fans will get lost in the rhythm of timeless hits like "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter," "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," and "Honeysuckle Rose." Tickets are available through the Temple Theatre Box Office at 120 Carthage Street, by calling (919) 774-4155, or by clicking here. Temple Theatre is equipped with an assisted-listening system and is accessible to people with disabilities.

For music lovers who feel more at home in the 1950s, the Campbellton Landing Amphitheatre in Fayetteville brings "Buddy — The Buddy Holly Story" to its riverside stage from May 9 through May 25. The original "jukebox musical" borrows well-known melodies from rock 'n' roll's early years to offer an authentic, energetic retelling of Holly's rise to stardom and tragic death at age 22. Tickets and information are available at (910) 323-4233. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Even the 1970s had its own musical magic, and "8-Track: The Sounds of the 70s" recognizes the era that gave us leisure suits, macramé, smiley faces, and "Look, Boss! De plane, de plane!" Running May 23 through June 8 at Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock, "8-Track" features a quartet of singers recreating the high-energy music that rang our bells and spread Saturday night fever.

Tickets and information are available at (828) 295-9627 or by clicking here.