The town of Cornelius Parks, Arts, Recreation & Culture department will host its annual Cornelius Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 20, off West Catawba Ave.

The event, organized with the help of Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists, runs from 10 am to noon. Read the full story

Dozens of Cornelius residents came to Town Hall on Saturday, Feb. 23, for the 2nd annual  “Celebrate Smithville” festival, hosted by Smithville CommUNITY Coalition and Cornelius Parks, Arts, Recreation & Culture.

There was food, dance and music, including performances by the Calvin Edwards Trio Jazz Band and local choral groups. Children’s crafts also were offered, and some residents also worked on a community quilt. Read the full story

A long line of children and parents stretched into the gallery Friday morning at the Cornelius Arts Center, where Santa Claus was settled into a rocking chair and taking children onto his knee. For some it was the first time, and their faces showed a mix of fear and hope. For others, big smiles were visible as they place their orders with the man in red. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
CorneliusNews.net

Friday night’s clear, 58-degree weather was perfect for a night out in downtown Cornelius. Hundreds of people – from families with strollers to seniors holding hands to groups of teens – joining in on the first ‘Tawba Walk Art Crawl.

The art walk, in the area around Town Hall, Catawba Avenue and the Oak Street Mill, included live music, food vendors, and art and crafts exhibits. Shops stayed up late, inviting shoppers to browse.

Organizers hope events like the ‘Tawba Walk can become a regular thing in down Cornelius, which they say is ripe for an artsy scene.

“Everything in this downtown area is a lot less chained-based and it really has a small town community feel,” said Katie Dixon, owner of Kadi Fit studio and one of the organizers.

She says there are plenty of examples to use as models. “It seems like over the past few years that … in neighborhoods like a NoDa (in Charlotte) or like in downtown Mooresville, even just around the U.S., that art districts are becoming really popular, and people are migrating towards them. And we think this would just be a perfect fit for a place like that.”

Case Warnemunde and his Bella Love group led organizing for the event, pulling in Kadi Fit and other businesses, and the town of Cornelius’s Parks, Arts, Recreation & Culture Department.

RELATED COVERAGE

Oct. 17, 2012, ‘Tawba Walk aims to stir up a downtown arts scene” – We talked to Case Warnemunde and Katie Dixon before Friday’s event for more of the back story.

Hundreds of music lovers spread out their blankets and enjoyed the annual Beach Bash in the Park Saturday night at Bailey Road Park. The Big Time Party Band entertained concert-goers for a couple of hours, under a partial moon after sunset. There were arts & crafts, face painting, and balloon making for kids, a Bruster’s Ice Cream truck, and treats from Heart 2 Heart Bakery & Cafe.

 

It was hot, really hot, but that didn’t keep the crowd away from Saturday night’s “Celebrate America” Symphony in the Park concert and fireworks at Bailey Road Park. Hundreds brought blankets, chairs, and coolers to enjoy the festivities, which were part of the Cornelius Parks, Arts, Recreation & Culture Concerts in the Park series. Read the full story

Thursday night’s Taste of Art fundraiser at The Fresh Market off Torrence Chapel Road was a feast for wine-lovers and diners – and a major annual fundraiser for the Community Arts Project.

On Friday afternoon, the arts project reported that the event attracted about 200 people – a cross-section of patrons from Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville and beyond who paid $30 a head to join the fun. A silent auction and prize drawing for a Fresh Market gift card also helped fill the coffers. Read the full story

 

By CHRISTINA RITCHIE ROGERS
CorneliusNews.net

More than 200 turned out to ‘Celebrate Smithville’ at Cornelius Town Hall Saturday. The Smithville Community Coalition partnered with the Cornelius PARC department to host the event as a way to raise awareness of the community and the coalition’s efforts to revitalize it.

For many of the Smithville residents, the event was a trip down memory lane, as different performers, readers, authors and artists shared stories of growing up in one of Cornelius’ oldest neighborhoods. And for residents of other Cornelius neighborhoods, the celebration was a chance to learn some town history, enjoy great music and art and meet new people. Read the full story