Staff report

GOLD HILL — If you’re looking for a day of family fun, entertainment, food and local craft beer in a picturesque rural setting, head to historic Gold Hill on Saturday for the Rowan Arts & Ag Beer Festival.

Live “newgrass” music, food trucks, arts vendors, kids’ activities, and award-winning local craft brews and wines will be on tap from 3 to 8 p.m. The festival, which is free and open to the public, is a celebration of N.C. Beer Month and the kickoff for the Rowan Arts & Ag series, which continues through November with a variety of activities throughout the county.

“Rowan County is unique in its mix of arts, culture and agriculture,” said James Meacham, executive director of the Rowan County Tourism Development Authority.

“In addition to live theater, a symphony, galleries, music, museums, restaurants and shopping, the county enjoys a rich heritage of working farms and rural living. The Arts & Ag Festival gives visitors and residents alike opportunities to explore and celebrate the best of both worlds,” Meacham said.

In honor of N.C. Beer Month, the Gold Hill festival will feature Rowan’s original breweries, New Sarum Brewing Co. and Morgan Ridge Railwalk Brewery & Eatery. For those who aren’t beer fans, Rowan County wineries also will be represented.

Live music will be featured on two stages, with Lauren Light Duo performing on the main stage at Gold Hill Mines Historic Park Amphitheater from 3 to 4 p.m., followed by Lilly Brothers from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Sassafras from 6 to 8 p.m.

Between main stage performances, Gold Hill Village will have music on a second stage behind Gold Hill Village Shops, with a lineup including The Trailblazers from 4 to 4:45 p.m.; Coddle Creek from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m.; and Lonesome Creek from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. Bring your own lawn chair or blanket.

Twenty artists and artisans will exhibit and sell handmade jewelry, hairpins and bows, wooden spoons, decorative wreaths, mosaic glass, honey and honey products, pottery, photography, watercolor paintings, and wearable mixed-media art.

Village Shops will feature a variety of products, from bakery items and hand-dipped ice cream to handmade jewelry, home decor, pottery and original art.

Shops include Back Home in Gold Hill; Bakery, Baskets & Gifts; Buckle & Bell; E.H. Montgomery General Store; Feelin’ Station Artisan Studio; JJ’s Local Farm Fresh Produce; Mauney’s 1840 Store; Mauney’s Little House Antiques & Accessories; Morgan Ridge Vineyards at the Village; River Pines Pottery; Southern Belles and Pearls/Key Kabin; and Rosie’s “New Shop.”

The family-friendly festival also offers kids’ activities including bounce houses, a stilt walker, a balloon artist and giant bubbles.

The Rowan Arts & Ag family weekends are designed to celebrate arts and agriculture together and help people get to know Rowan County, its artists and its farms.

The Arts & Ag schedule includes tours and activities across the county, as well as partnerships with existing events. Find out more at www.visitsalisburync.com and www.rowanartsandag.com.