Special to Iredell Free News
Iredell County native and “America’s Got Talent” contestant Ulysses Long will headline the 41st Annual Hiddenite Celebration of the Arts.
The event is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, September 24, at The Lucas Mansion Lawn on Hiddenite Church Road in Alexander County.
Long will perform on the Gazebo Stage at 3 p.m.
A vocalist and pianist, Long reached the quarterfinals of “America’s Got Talent” in 2012 with a strong performance of “Secret Agent Man.” He was one of the top 48 acts in Season 7 of the NBC talent competition series. Earlier this year, he appeared on a Season 2 episode of the Fox series “I Can See Your Voice.”
Long has been performing all his life and has also been an extra in three films: “The Color Purple,” “Eddie” and “Best Friends for Life.”
Festival Details
The Historic James Paul Lucas Mansion is the hub for the Hiddenite Arts and Heritage Center and the nucleus of the festival. The Center’s street festival of unique, family friendly arts and cultural heritage activities for all ages has featured diversely talented artists, crafters, and performers since 1981 with four performance stages. There will be plenty of food trucks and food vendors to enjoy many treats and foods throughout the day as you enjoy music, entertainment, or as you shop from any of our local arts vendors. There will be a handicapped zone for parking and also a Greenway Shuttle available from designated parking areas.
The Celebration will feature many attractions, including The FolkLife Pavilion at the circa 1900 log corn crib and log cabin with folklife and folk arts demonstrations presented throughout the day. The Children’s Art In Action area, located on the lawn beside The Lucas Mansion, will
feature the App State GeoBago and Art Bus with make-and-take crafts and hands-on activities.
The popular Appalachian State Steely Pan Band will perform at the Hiddenite Baptist Church stage. Gospel performances will take place on the front porch of Hiddenite Methodist Church.
The Hiddenite Center’s Educational Complex will be the site for “Stitch in Time” Vintage Quilt Exhibit and a cooling station to wind down, cool down, and experience the beauty of vintage quilts exhibit and on loan from the Wilkes Heritage Museum, in Wilkesboro, and learn about
the stories they tell. The estimated ages of the selected quilts date from the early 1800s through the 1990s.
This event is supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources, with generous funding from the Eileen and R. Y. Sharpe Family Foundation, The Winston Salem Foundation, the Sharpe Chair of Fine and Applied Arts, Alexander County government, the Town of Taylorsville, South Arts, the Unifour Foundation, and the Friends of the Center membership program. The Hiddenite Arts & Heritage Center’s Lucas Mansion and Educational Complex are wheelchair accessible.
Vendor Registration
Registration is still open to vendors interested in showcasing talents, fine arts and crafts. Applications may be accessed online at hiddenitearts.org, email at info@hiddenitearts.org, or by calling 828-632-6966. Cost for a 10-by-10 vendor space is $50. More information and
details can be found on the application. Public information booths available for non-profit organizations, businesses, and individuals at $25 each.