FanFare: Big Tops and Summer Pops

June 12, 2025

of Note Phil Vavra

Skip the same old golf and grill gadgets for dad this Father’s Day and take him out for some live music. There’s a lot to choose from, including another performance of the Summer Pops for your pops. Let’s FanFare!

Circus Music

Women’s Chorus of Charlotte is presenting Circusat the Galilee Center (3601 Central Avenue, Charlotte) with a cappella arrangements of Emeli Sandé’s “Circus,” Kate Miller-Heidke’s “Zero Gravity” (from Eurovision 2019), songs from The Greatest Showman, and more. The two-night celebration will make you feel like you’re under the big top with acrobats, clowns, fortune tellers, and even a ringmaster. June 13-14.

CSO on the Road

The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra* is rolling out its mobile stage again this week. All month long, the CSO Roadshow will pull up to various locations for lively and free performances the whole family will love. Here’s where they’ll be over the next several days:

• Friday, June 13^th
  7 p.m. – 8 p.m. 
  Novant Health Michael Jordan Family Medical Clinic, North End (Charlotte)
• Tuesday, June 17^th
  7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
  Cole Auditorium, Hamlet, North Carolina
• Thursday, June 19^th
  7 PM – 8 PM 
  Stratford Richardson YMCA, Charlotte

Dizzy in the High Country

The jazz tradition of the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band lives on thanks to Gillespie alumnus, executive director and producer, bassist John Lee. The band will be swinging into the Appalachian Theater (559 W. King Street, Boone) this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. as part of the High Country Jazz Festival, which also includes performances by Catherine Russell and Noel & Maria. June 13-15.

Pops on Broadway

The 2025 Charlotte Symphony Orchestra* Summer Pops series continues this Sunday with the Best of Broadway. Symphony Park (4400 Sharon Road, Charlotte) will be transformed into the Great White Way as the CSO performs iconic pieces from memorable musicals, including Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, and a medley of beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein tunes. Gates open at 5 p.m., Tim Scott Jr. plays at 7 p.m., and the Symphony goes on at 8:15 p.m. Food trucks will also be on site. Tickets for adults (youth) are $15 ($5) in advance, $20 ($7) at the gate. Kids under 13 get in free. June 15.

Modern Masterpieces

If you want to see the world’s great works of art, you could book a flight to New York City, Paris, London, or Florence. Then again, you can simply drive over to Salisbury, North Carolina. Waterworks Visual Arts Center* (123 E. Liberty Street, Salisbury) has an amazing exhibition of original pieces by Renoir, Picasso, Monet, Chagall, Kandinsky, and de Kooning. You can view the never before seen private “Modern Masterpieces” collection of the late Julian and Josie Robertson through August 30^th.

Father’s Day Weekend Festivals

• Fire Truck Festival 2025: Meet firefighters from across North Carolina, see the Jaws of Life demonstration, and vote for your favorite fire truck at the North Carolina Transportation Museum (1 Samuel Spencer Drive, Spencer). There’s also a Lil’ Firefighter Costume Contest, afternoon parade, and train rides throughout the day. June 14.
• Arts by the Sea: The annual festival in historic Swansboro, North Carolina, features pottery, jewelry, paintings, carvings, photography, sculpture, stained glass, as well as local food, wine tastings, stories, and children’s entertainment, and more. June 14.
• Mayberry Cool Cars & Rods Cruise-In: Vintage car lovers pull into downtown Mount Airy, North Carolina on the third Sunday of each month from May through October to enjoy music from the ‘50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s, and see classic rides on both sides of Main Street. June 15.

And then there’s this…

The 11^th annual Buck Creek Streak 5K will be held on Saturday at Carolina Foothills Resort in Chesnee, South Carolina. That’s a nudist resort, which means the race is clothing optional. And I thought “flopping” was only a problem in soccer. June 14.

I’ll share more of what’s happening across the Carolinas with you next week. Don’t forget that you can find plenty of fun and engaging activities every day on the WDAV Events Calendar.

*Disclosure: Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and Waterworks Visual Arts Center are WDAV underwriters.