Battle of the Bands
Tamarac Marina and Maner Promotions present Thunder at the Rock Battle of the Bands 2009 this Saturday at Tamarac Marina Backfield Stage on High Rock Lake.
The battle will be from 6 p.m.-1 a.m. with gates open at 3 p.m. Wristbands are $15 at the gate, and IDs will be checked. No coolers or pets are allowed.
There are 11 bands scheduled to compete. Local bands participating include Diesel, beyond the Fade and 4given Souls, all from the China Grove area, and Salisbury bands Urban Detoxx and Yadkin River Theory.
Immediately following the battle, The Motherlode will perform. A portion of the proceeds will go to Rowan Helping Ministries in Salisbury,
For more information, visit www.bobs2009.webs.com or call 704-213-1622.

OctoberTour Night Out Friday
Salisbury’s downtown merchants invite everyone to OctoberTour Night Out this Friday, 5-9 p.m. The free event features live music, activities for kids, late night shopping and delicious downtown dining.
Featured entertainers will be local favorites Divided by Four, playing on East Fisher Street. Comprised of Gerald Knox, Nate Thompson, Alan Wyrick, Roland Reid, Isaac Jerome Heggins and Kevin Leichman, Divided by Four performs a unique brand of blues, Motown, R&B, disco and rock with hits from the 70s through the 90s.
Also live downtown will be Midlife Crisis at The Blue Vine and Urban Detoxx in front of Okey Dokey & Co. If you like your rhythm more participatory, bring your own percussion and join the drum circle at Looking Glass Artist Collective at 5 p.m., then stick around to meet the Rowan Blues and Jazz Festival musicians at 8.
As always, there will be free trolley rides, moon bounces; face painting at Okey Dokey & Co.; games and contests at Just The Thing; carriage rides; artist and author receptions at Fine Frame Gallery, Literary Bookpost, and Southern Spirit Gallery; Classic Car Show in the Farmers Market lot; and gifts, refreshments, and specials at downtown businesses.
Before the Night Out event, at 4 p.m., the City of Salisbury Public Art Committee invites the public to come to the Yadkin House, on the corner of Council and Depot Streets, at 4 p.m. for the dedication of the Sparks Circus History and Art Trail marker. The circus-themed event will include popcorn, peanuts, and the festive music of a calliope.
For more information, call Downtown Salisbury, Inc. at 704-637-7814 or visit www.downtownsalisburync.com.

Jazz and poetry
The Rowan Arts Council presents their final Jazzy Art and Poetry event of the year 5-7 p.m. today in the gallery at the RAC office, 413 N. Lee Street in the Rail Walk Studios and Gallery.
The featured poet will be “RL tha Gifted 1” spoken word artist and motivational speaker.
Born in Philadelphia but raised mostly in Brooklyn, RL began writing at the age of 13. He became well-known through open mics and poetry slams. He went on to host “Big Mouth Bout, a one-on-one slam featuring top poets in the NYC area.
In 2005 RL began to host his own spoken word night out of the Iimani Cafe in Brooklyn.
RL mixes strong Christian belief with a love of the arts, and credits Langston Hughes and Kool Breeze as influences.
Jimmy and Lesley Alson will be providing original, soft jazz during the event.
For information contact jalston13@carolina.rr.com.
Poetry Day
Poetry Day returns to the Catawba College this Saturday as adult and student poets read winning poems from the 2009 contests which appear in the anthology Bay Leaves.
The program will start at 10:10 a.m. (with registration beginning at 9:20 a.m.) in the Peeler-Crystal Lounge, and will feature winning poets reading their work. This year’s poetry contests yielded 40 awards, with winners representing 21 North Carolina cities.
The event is open to the public and free, other than the luncheon which costs $15.
After the 12:30 p.m. luncheon for winners and their guests, the public program will resume at 1:30 p.m. with a performance of ballads sung by Chambergrass (www.chambergrass.com), which is Kim Terpening, banjoist, and David Schwartz, bassist, and recitation by Poetry Out Loud winners (www.poetryoutloud.org). The day’s events will adjourn by 2:30 p.m.
Information about the contests is available at http://www.oldmp.com/poetrycouncilofnc.

Irish poet’s visit
SPENCER ó On Saturday, Oct. 10, the Green Goat Gallery will host a reception for Irish poet Ann Leahy from 7 to 8:30 p.m. She will read from her collected works beginning at 7:30 p.m. The public is invited.
Leahy’s debut poetry collection, “The Woman Who Lived her Life Backwards,” published in 2008 by Arlen House, won the prestigious Patrick Kavanagh Award. Individual poems from the collection have also been recognized in a series of literary awards in Ireland and the UK, including the Poetry on the Wall Competition, the Clogh Writers’ Award, the Gerard Manley Hopkins award, and The New Writer award. In addition, her poems have been commended twice in the British National Poetry Competition and have been short-listed for a Hennessy Award (Ireland) and for the Hamish Canham Prize (UK).
Her poems have been published widely in magazines and anthologies in Ireland and internationally and have been broadcast on national radio.
For more information, call the Green Goat Gallery at 704-639-0606.

Storytelling at the mill
CHINA GROVE ó In its glory, the China Grove Roller Mill could grind 400 pounds of flour every 22 minutes. Farmers came from as far away as Charlotte and Harrisburg to get their grain milled.
At the Roller Mill Histories and Mysteries Storytelling Open House this Sunday, these are just a few of the interesting things you can learn about a local landmark.
From 2-4 p.m. at the China Grove Roller Mill, at 308 N. Main Street in China Grove, the whole family can enjoy a free and entertaining afternoon of “Histories and Mysteries” storytelling and refreshments.
Tours of the four story building and the original mill equipment will be offered throughout the afternoon.
This event is sponsored by the China Grove Historical Society and the Rowan Public Library.
For more information, call the library at 704-216-7728.

Moore featured
WINSTON-SALEM ó Associated Artists of Winston Salem will host the Cultural Crossroads National Juried Exhibition Oct. 8 to Nov.20 at 301 W. 4th St. in Winston-Salem. An opening reception will be held 5-7 p.m. this evening.
Don Moore of Salisbury has had three works accepted for the exhibition which includes 80 works by 40 artists from 10 states and one foreign country (Suriname).

Koskela reception
Fine Frame Gallery at 105 S. Main St. presents “The World of Kenneth Koskela” paintings and watercolors Oct. 9 through Nov. 14.
An opening reception for the artist will be held 6-9 p.m. Friday.
For more information, call 704-647-0340.