May 31, 2012

Pops-at-the-Post ~ Saturday June 2nd ~ A Completely Free Community Event


Pops-at-the Post, featuring the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony, is an annual outdoor concert at sundown ~ A completely free community event!

Where: The Salisbury Post loading dock, 131 W. Innes Street, Salisbury, NC. View Map
When: Pops-at-the-Post is hosted annually at 8 p.m. the first Saturday of June.

What makes Rowan County, North Carolina special? Many fun events and festivals allow visitors to experience the community throughout the year. From "Friday Night Out", "Brick Street Live concert series", "Art on Easy Street", Faith's "Fourth of July Festival," "October Tour", "Rowan Jazz & Blues Festival", "Pops-at-the-Post,"  and more, the festivals of Rowan County bring visitors from near and far. Festivals in Rowan County have become synonymous with the celebration of the arts, entertainment, history, community, and family.

A festival that has become tradition in Rowan County is "Pops-at-the-Post." In the heart of Salisbury, NC, nearly 4,000 people come annually to the parking lots behind The Salisbury Post Loading Dock in Downtown Salisbury. At sunset, the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony Orchestra, with conductor David Hagy, provide a free concert to the community. Food vendors offer barbeque, Cheerwine, pizza, and ice cream. Many families and neighborhood groups tailgate in the parking lots, spending quality time together.  Some concertgoers go all-out, bringing tables clothed in fine linens, candelabras, vases of flowers, and arrays of appetizers. Others bring their camp chairs or picnic blanket and take advantage of the food and drink provided by vendors. Concert attendees get a handheld fan with the program printed on the back at the Salisbury Symphony’s tent in the First Bank parking lot. Free Cheerwine will be offered again this year! Look for the Cheerwine trailer in the front corner of the First Bank parking lot.
 
Pops-at-the-Post is a completely free annual community event, featuring a performance by the Salisbury-Rowan Symphony.  Pops-at-the-Post is typically a two-hour concert, with a 15-minute intermission, and two planned encores.

The Salisbury-Rowan Symphony hosted the first Pops-at-the-Post in 2005 as part of the Salisbury Post's centennial celebrations at the Salisbury Post loading dock near the intersection of Church Street and W. Innes Street in downtown Salisbury, North Carolina. So many people came out to see this special performance of the Salisbury Symphony that Pops-at-the Post has turned into an annual community event. Generous sponsors and donors have contributed to keep Pops-at-the-Post a completely free community event. Festivities go on all day, with a pre-concert warm-up from 5 to 7 p.m. by the Salisbury Swing Band.

So again, this Saturday, The Salisbury Post will host the annual Pops-at-the-Post outdoor symphony concert showcasing The Salisbury Symphony. With the weather forecast showing temperatures in the mid-80s by concert time and no rain in sight, Maestro David Hagy will raise the baton for the sunset concert — approximately 8PM on Saturday June 2nd, 2012.

The program features a mix of traditional patriotic music as well as contemporary favorites, and takes place outside of the loading dock of the Salisbury Post.  Several thousand area residents enjoy the concert each year, held the first Saturday evening in June.  This year’s program includes:  “Star-Spangled Banner” John Stafford Smith; “1712” Overture P.D.Q. Bach (Peter Schikele); “Saints” anonymous, W.C. Handy, arranged by Bruce Healey; “Selections From Huck Finn” Billy Burke.

Also “My Heart Will Go On” from Titantic James Horner; “Midway March” from Midway John Williams; “Beach Boys Medley Brian Wilson & Mike Love,arranged by Calvin Cluster; “Music From To Kill A Mockingbird” Elmer Bernstein
“You Can’t Stop The Beat” from Hairspray Marc Shaiman; “Olympic Fanfare And Theme” John Williams; “Lean On Me” & “We Shall Overcome”, Bil Withers and Charles Tindley; “1812” Overture Peter Tchaikovsky; “The Salisbury Post March” John Philip Sousa; and “Stars and Stripes Forever” March John Philip Sousa.

Hagy remembers walking from the Post, Salisbury NC's local newspaper publisher, to the Wrenn House to see where an orchestra might be able to set up for an outdoor concert. As the group chatted as they walked out the door through the loading dock, Hagy noticed the sound echoing back. “Wait a minute”, he thought, “The acoustics are amazing!”

In that moment, the unlikely idea of a concert on a loading dock was born. The loading dock venue has better acoustics than even Tanglewood,and is perfect for the orchestra. The three-foot awning on the front and sides bounces the music from the front of the orchestra to the back. The brass can hear the strings, and that’s so unusual. This was an incredible find!

Pops-a-the-Post was honored earlier this year with an award from the N.C. Main Street Program that awards organizations recognized for excellence in downtown revitalization efforts in categories such as promotion, organization, design and economic restructuring. Pops-at-the-Post received the award for Best Downtown Special Event. The successful Main Street program has proven that revitalizing our downtown areas can help grow local small businesses, attract new investments and create jobs.

Ample parking for the Pops-at-the-Post event is available throughout the Downtown Salisbury area. Vendors will set up along Fisher Street this year by 4 p.m. There is limited handicapped parking in the Post courtyard. A drop-off area is also available at the First Bank lot. Drivers may enter the lot from Innes Street and exit to the right onto Jackson Street.

There are 400 reserved seats available for event sponsors, symphony season ticket holders ,and disabled concert-goers. Any remaining reserved seats become open to the public on a first-come-first-serve basis after 7 p.m.

Tailgate parking opens at 1 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis in the Post employee and First Bank parking lots. The lots close by 7 p.m. or as soon as they are full. You can reserve a tailgating spot so you don’t have to park so early with a $50 donation to Pops-at-the-Post.  To reserve a spot, contact Phillip Winters at the Post, 704-797-4205, or pwinters@salisburypost.com.

Overwhelmingly positive community reaction to the first concert, which celebrated the Salisbury Post’s 100th anniversary, turned the potential for Pops-at-the-Post to become an annual event to a reality. Now, Pops-at-the-Post is a 501(c)(3) organization, which allows for tax-deductible donations.

Want to donate? Supporters can donate to the event online through the Pops-at-the-Post Causes page on Facebook. Or mail donations to: Pops-at-the-Post, P.O. Box 4639, Salisbury, NC 28145

For more information:

The annual Pops-at-the-Post outdoor symphony concert at dusk is just one more reason to make Salisbury, North Carolina your home.  With its incredible selection of historic homes, and vibrant downtown, and its array of community events, Salisbury is the place to be!

So here is your weekend itinerary for June 1-3rd:

317 S. Shaver Street c. 1900 - $89,900
Friday: Contact Greg Rapp (704.213.6846) for information on homes for sale in Salisbury
Saturday: Attend the Pops-at-the-Post concert
Sunday: Visit the homes of your choice with Realtor Greg Rapp.   

It’ll be a weekend you won’t regret! You can make Salisbury NC your home!


Greg Rapp ~ Wallace Realty ~ 704.213.6846

May 22, 2012

Railroading ~ Day Trip to Salisbury NC! Why Choose Salisbury.

On a first trip to Salisbury via Amtrak, Tam Richert stepped through the 1908 Salisbury Depot and headed first to the Visitor’s Center (204 E. Innes Street , left out of the station and right on Innes), and then up Innes to Main Street and Tastebuds Coffee and Tea (106-A N. Main St). This organic coffee shop has just the right balance of friendly advice, wood, and upholstery to sit a spell, sip, and strategize. The article, published May 21, 2012 in the Cary Citizen, details her 3-hour day trip to Salisbury North Carolina, and why people love visiting and living in Salisbury so much ~ the small town charm, lovely people, and historic preservation ethic.

To read about Tam's day-trip to Salisbury, follow this link:

The Wiley~Lash House c. 1909 - Historic Home for Sale!

If you are considering moving, and like the idea of a small town steeped in history and charm, contact  
Greg Rapp
Wallace Realty
704.213.6846
to take a peek at the wonderful homes and culture that is Salisbury.

May 16, 2012

Why We Love Old Houses

Each historic home has its own story. Stepping into each old house is like opening a new book.

"Why I Love Old Houses", and article written by Scott Austin Sidler and reprinted on Preservation Nation, the official blog of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, tells one person's journey through restoring older homes, and leaving his mark along with the artists and craftsman of the past whose work we respect so greatly.

http://blog.preservationnation.org/2012/05/11/why-i-love-old-houses/

To see the old houses we love in Salisbury, North Carolina, contact Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846. Leave your mark with the artists and craftsman of past eras ~ Salisbury is rich with homes from the past!

May 02, 2012

Retro-Ranch Style Home for sale at 1217 FORESTDALE DRIVE ~ $129,900


Nestled into a wooded site, this 1956 Ranch~Style house at 1217 Forestdale Drive in Salisbury NC is the perfect contemporary home for a growing family.  The brick veneer exterior blends the house with the shadowed tree trunks of the surrounding woods and large windows and sliding glass doors optimize views to the surrounding landscape. A large screened in porch overlooks the nearly half-acre naturalized back yard with mature landscaping.

Just a few doors down from the newest section of the Salisbury Greenway, 1217 Forestdale Drive is perfectly located for strolling, walking dogs, exercising, or relaxing.

One-story Ranch~Style home designs are so simplistic that some critics say they have no style. But there's more than meets the eye to the classic suburban Ranch~Style house.

1950's era homes are the new historic architecture. People forget that historic doesn't just mean 100+ years old! For anyone over 40, the 1950's Ranch~Style home represents a familiar, if bygone era, where hoards of kids trawled the streets and sitcom families lived in homes just like theirs.

As with all 20th century American architecture, the Ranch style is eclectic.  The typical Ranch~Style home is a single story  structure that at first glance, may appear bereft of style, but that first impression can be deceptive. 1950’s ranch homes ranged from an unadorned box to various L- or U-shaped configurations, often long and horizontal with an asymmetrical facade. Distinctive features found homes of the 1950s and 60s included Formica kitchens, sliding glass doors and large, casement-style windows.

The interior of a Ranch~Style home is generally open with living room, dining areas, and family rooms blending into one another. Kitchens are often adjacent to the family room (where Mom, Dad, and the kids while watching “Ozzie and Harriet” or “Bonanza” could enjoy many a TV dinner served on a tray). Sliding glass doors open onto decks and patios for summertime patio living.

This sprawling, 3-bedroom, circa 1956 Ranch~Style home at 1217 Forestdale features extremely spacious living areas, such as the long, combination living room/dining room off the kitchen ~ over 27 feet long!  This wonderful family and entertaining has one of the homes two fireplaces.  The other is in a large, 23’ x 14’ den that features sliding glass doors.  This room additionally has the potential to be converted into a fourth bedroom.  The 15.5x9.5’ kitchen includes a breakfast room area and the convenient location for the washer dryer hookup. 

A feature unique to a home of this era is the original vintage pink-tile bathroom!  Pink bathrooms were common in homes built in mid-century America, but by the 1970s they were considered as saccharine as a package of Sweet’N Low. But within the last 5-7 years, pink bathrooms are back into vogue. While pink bathrooms started appearing as early as the 1930s, many credit Mamie Eisenhower with popularizing them in the 1950s. Pastel pink or “Mamie pink” soon became the era’s iconic bathroom color.

Ceramic tile work done before the 1970s was usually of very high quality, according to architects and architectural historians. The tiles themselves were often more substantial and less prone to crack and the so-called mud job, or the way tiles are set in place, was more careful and adhesive. The tiles back then were laid in real mortar, which is why so many of the pink and other wild-colored bathrooms survived.  It’s unclear what is driving the recent rethinking of pink, but one factor could be the high visibility of mid-century design due in part to the popularity of “Mad Men” (the Drapers’ downstairs powder room was pink) and Atomic Ranch, the retro architecture magazine.  And since pink bathrooms are associated with a time of prosperity, perhaps there is also an element of nostalgia for rosier times. Just "Google" 1950's pink tile bathroom to see the momentum this style has!  There are even 'Save the Pink Bathroom' websites!

Some of the additional features of 1217 Forestdale are the new laminate floors that gleam throughout the hall, combo living/dining and two bedrooms.  The home has a small 143 square-foot foot utility basement and utility room. The roof and HVAC systems at 1217 Forestdale are only 6 years old!  This retro- Ranch home, with its architectural style growing in popularity, and all its features is for sale now at $129,900.

Ranch~Style homes are gaining popularity for their ability to integrate Universal design concepts (Universal design is an approach to design that works to ensure products and buildings can be used by virtually everyone) and accessibility into its single-story floor plans, which is becoming extremely popular ~ and everyone loves the retro look and enjoys a relaxed and spacious home for their families. To get started relaxing in your own circa 1950's Ranch~Style home in Salisbury NC, call Greg Rapp at 704.213.6846.