Community Theatre of Greensboro
The Community Theatre of Greensboro has been in existence for more than 50 years. The company performs at the Carolina Theatre and other venues in Greensboro. The group also provides enrichment programs for local schools. 336.333.7470. www.ctgso.com.

Green Hill Center for North Carolina Art
This visual art center displays contemporary North Carolina art in more than 7,000 square feet of gallery space. ArtQuest, a hands-on gallery for children that offers interactive exhibits, is also part of the Green Hill Center. 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. 336.333.7460. www.greenhillcenter.org.

Greensboro Ballet
Greensboro Ballet is a professional company that performs several productions during the year including a holiday performance of “The Nutcracker.” Shows take place at the Carolina Theatre and War Memorial Auditorium. Greensboro Ballet also provides educational outreach programs as well as the School of Greensboro Ballet for ballet students. 336.333.7480.
www.greensboroballet.com.

Greensboro Center for Creative Arts
This visual arts school offers programs in pottery, sculpture, painting, drawing and weaving for children and adults and also provides outreach programs for the community. 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. 336.333.7475.

Greensboro Cultural Center at Festival Park
Housing visual and performing arts organizations, art galleries, a restaurant and an outdoor amphitheater, the Greensboro Cultural Center hosts various musical and theatrical performances in addition to receptions and dinners. 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. 336.373.2712.
www.greensboro-nc.gov.

Greensboro Opera Company
Established in 1980, the Greensboro Opera Company provides quality musical productions as well as education for the community. The company performs at War Memorial Auditorium for a fall and winter production and also offers a summer opera camp. In the past, the Greensboro Opera Company has featured the well-known operas of “Barber of Seville,” “Madame Butterfly” and “Faust.” 336.273.9472. www.greensboroopera.org.

Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
Led by world-renowned violinist and conductor Dmitry Sitkovetsky, the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra performs at War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro, featuring Masterworks and Pops concerts and a chamber series. 336.335.5456. www.greensborosymphony.org.

Guilford Native American Art Gallery
The only museum of its kind in the southeast, the Guilford Native American Art Gallery displays art from local, regional and international Native American artists. 200 N. Davie St., Greensboro. 336.273.6605. www.guilfordnative.org/pages/gnnagallery.html.

Little Theatre of Winston-Salem
Established in 1935, the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem moved to its current location on Coliseum Drive in 1957. The group typically presents six main stage performances each year, two of which are musicals, and also offers acting classes for children and adults. 610 Coliseum Drive, Winston-Salem. 336.748.0857. www.littletheatreonline.com.

Mattye Reed African Heritage Center Gallery
As part of N.C. A&T University, the Mattye Reed African Heritage Center seeks to educate the greater community about the culture and history of African societies. Exhibits feature more than 6,000 artifacts from diverse African cultures and include sculptures, masks, musical instruments and textiles. Dudley Building, N.C. A&T, Dudley St., Greensboro. 336.334.7108. www.ncat.edu/~museum/collect.html.

Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts
Part historical museum, part art gallery, the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts includes 24 period rooms and seven galleries of furniture, paintings, ceramics and metalware from Maryland, Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee that date from before 1820. The museum is part of Old Salem. 900 Old Salem Road, Winston-Salem. 336.721.7363. www.oldsalem.org/about/mesda.htm.

North Carolina Pottery Center
Located in Seagrove, the North Carolina Pottery Center captures the history and heritage of pottery-making in the Carolinas. The center includes a collection of North Carolina pottery and artifacts. 250 East Ave., Seagrove. 336.873.8430. www.ncpotterycenter.com.

North Carolina School of the Arts
As the only state-sponsored art school in the nation, the North Carolina School of the Arts offers programs and productions in visual art, dance, theater, film and music. 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem. 336.770.3399. www.ncarts.edu.

Piedmont Opera Theatre
Beyond providing quality musical productions for it’s audiences, the Piedmont Opera Theatre also seeks to educate the community. The group performs at the Stevens Center at the North Carolina School of the Arts. 405 W. 4th St., Winston-Salem. 336.724.3202. www.piedmontopera.org.

Reynolda House, Museum of American Art
The former home of tobacco entrepreneur R.J. Reynolds has been developed into a museum that features American art spanning the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. A new educational and exhibition wing opened in 2005. 2250 Reynolda Road, Winston-Salem. 336.758.5150.
www.reynoldahouse.org.

Sawtooth Center for Visual Art
Appealing to a variety of students from all skill levels, the Sawtooth Center offers educational programs and courses in addition to 26,000 square feet of galleries. 226 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem. 336.723.7395. www.sawtooth.org.

Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art
The center opened in 1956 to foster the local arts community and features a range of contemporary art exhibits. 750 Marguerite Drive, Winston-Salem. 336.725.1904. www.secca.org.

Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra
Led by conductor and musical directory Robert Moody, the Winston-Salem Symphony Orchestra performs about 60 concerts per year in addition to 350 educational performances. Most concerts take place at Stevens Center in downtown Winston-Salem and in Tanglewood Park. 336.725.1035. www.wssymphony.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIEDMONT OPERA THEATRE

Special Events
March
RiverRun International Film Festival
March brings independent, international and student filmmakers to Winston-Salem to screen their films at the North Carolina School of the Arts and other venues in Winston-Salem. More than 130 films from 20 different countries are featured at the festival, which also includes workshops and seminars. 336.721.1945. www.riverrunfilm.com.

April
International Home Furnishings Market
Hailed as the greatest single economic event in North Carolina, the International Home Furnishing Market in High Point establishes the city as the “Furniture Capital of the World.” Held for a week in April and October, the market draws furniture manufacturers, retailers and marketers from all 50 states and from 110 countries throughout the world.
The event is so big, in fact, that it doubles the population of High Point and fills hotels throughout the Triad during its two weeklong runs. 336.888.3700. www.highpointmarket.org.

MerleFest
Held the last weekend of April, this festival brings bluegrass, country and Americana artists to the campus of Wilkes Community College for a four-day celebration of music. MerleFest also includes arts and crafts, workshops for voice and instruments, songwriting and performance contests, kids activities and plenty of food. 800-343-6263. www.merlefest.org.

May
Spring Folly
Named for the famous Körner’s Folly in Kernersville, Spring Folly is held on the first full weekend in May and features musical entertainment, arts and crafts, amusement rides, food, a car show and a 5K race. 336.993.4521. www.kernersvillenc.com.

Downtown Summer Music Series
In Winston-Salem, the Downtown Summer Music Series presents live music downtown every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from May to August. With an array of musical genres including pop, jazz, rock and alternative, the concerts include food and beverages. Located in the Arts District of Winston-Salem, visitors can also see artists and galleries in the area. 336.354.1500.

June
North Carolina Wine Festival
Held each June, the North Carolina Wine Festival at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons showcases local wines ranging from every shade of red to white. A variety of music, from bluegrass to rock to jazz, a crafts area and an abundance of food are also a part of the festival. 336.733.5825. www.ncwinefestival.com.

Eastern Music Festival
The Eastern Music Festival at Guilford College in Greensboro runs for five weeks in June and July and features some of the best musical artists and conductors in the nation. Ranging from classical music to popular, the festival includes more than 70 concerts. 336.333.2605. www.easternmusicfestival.org.

August
National Black Theatre Festival
Founded in 1989, the National Black Theatre Festival’s first chairperson was writer Maya Angelou. Held biennially in August, the festival attracts more than 50,000 over its six-day run and includes theatrical performances, film, poetry, workshops and seminars. 336.723.2266. www.nbtf.org.

Wyndham Championship
Golf fans will appreciate a long-standing tradition in Greensboro – the Wyndham Championship at Forest Oaks Country Club in Greensboro. Held annually since 1938, the Wyndham Championship is the oldest on the PGA Tour. 336.379.1570. www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

September
North Carolina Shakespeare Festival
The North Carolina Shakespeare Festival in High Point is an annual event running in the fall and features classic dramatic plays, particularly by Shakespeare. Operating on a million-dollar budget, the festival covers 20 weeks and performs to more than 50,000 people. The festival also presents “A Christmas Carol” in December, staging the play in Winston-Salem and High Point. 336.841.2273. www.ncshakes.org.

Everybody’s Day Festival
As the oldest festival in the state, Thomasville’s Everybody’s Day Festival has been an annual event since 1908. Attracting more than 70,000 people, the festival is held the last Saturday in September and features more than 200 arts and crafts vendors from across the Southeast. The festival also includes music, dancers, a golf tournament and a children’s area with games and rides. 336.475.6134. www.everybodysday.com.

Fiesta Hispanic Festival
The largest one-day street festival in the Triad celebrates Hispanic culture with music, food from more than a dozen Latino countries, free lessons in tango and salsa dancing, a children’s area, arts and crafts, and a beer garden. In its 16th year, the festival brings more than 20,000 people to downtown Winston-Salem each September. 336.775.4578. www.hlpt.org.

Burlington Carousel Festival
Each September, more than 50,000 people gather to Burlington City Park for live music, crafts, food and, of course, the fully-restored historic Dentzel Carousel. 336.222.5000. www.ci.burlington.nc.us.

October
Barbecue Festival
Called the “Barbecue Capital of the World,” Lexington attracts crowds of 120,000 to its Barbecue Festival at the end of October. Since 1983, the festival has featured mouth-watering barbecue as well as entertainment, a pig sand sculpture, racing pigs and a car show. Held on an eight-block stretch of Main Street, the festival also features experts demonstrating their own barbecue techniques. 336.956.1880. www.barbecuefestival.com.

November
Seagrove Pottery Festival
Well-known for its nearly 300-year tradition of pottery, the small town of Seagrove is home to the Seagrove Pottery Festival in November where more than 70 local potters, artists and craftspeople showcase their work for buyers and collectors. The 26-year-old festival also has potters demonstrating various stages of pottery production including turning and throwing. 336.873.7304. www.seagrovepotteries.com.

Festival of Lights
The Festival of Lights in Tanglewood Park runs from November to January and is the largest drive-through holiday light show in the Southeast. Sixty animated displays and more than a million lights illuminate the park throughout the Christmas season. www.forsyth.cc.

CHARLOTTE OBSERVER FILE PHOTO