SALISBURY — Cheerwine, the iconic 106-year-old cherry soda, and its hometown of Salisbury will host the annual Cheerwine Festival on Saturday, May 20, from noon to 10 p.m.

The festival will feature live entertainment from local and national bands, Cheerwine-inspired food and drinks, arts and crafts, and kids activities. The full musical lineup and additional details will be released in the coming weeks.

“We can’t wait for everyone to join us in celebrating the unique flavors, sights and sounds of the Carolinas this May,” says Joy Ritchie Harper, vice president of marketing for Cheerwine and fifth-generation founding family member. “Last year we hosted 60,000 people and hope to welcome even more this spring for our best event yet.”

Cheerwine and Salisbury first hosted the festival in 2017 in conjunction with the soft drink’s 100th anniversary. Since the inaugural event, the festival has welcomed tens of thousands of attendees annually and boosted the city’s economy by millions of dollars.

“We’re thrilled to welcome guests from across the country to the seat of Rowan County and the birthplace of the South’s favorite cherry soda,” says Karen Alexander, mayor of Salisbury. “Our beautiful historic downtown provides the perfect backdrop for all the incredible programming throughout the day, and attendees will see firsthand why this has become one of the most popular festivals in the South.”

Vendor applications for food, beverages and crafts are now open at cheerwinefest.com. Merchants have between now and Feb. 10 to submit their application.

For more information on the festival, go to cheerwine.com/festival/. Fans can also find details as they are announced by searching the hashtag #CheerwineFest on social media.