Special Events
Winston-Salem has great events year-round. Check out the list below to see what major festival or event might be happening while you're here.
For a complete listing of events, check out our events calendar, click here.
Music Academy of the American South
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is hosting the second annual Music Academy of the American South (MAAS) June 14 through June 16, 2013. MAAS celebrates the music of the American South through dynamic performances and workshops by noted musicians and takes place on the UNCSA campus at 1533 South Main Street and at nearby Old Salem Museums & Gardens in Winston-Salem, N.C.
About The Music Academy of the American South (MAAS)
MAAS is unique among…
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The Nutcracker: December 7-15
For over 47 years the immensely popular Tchaikovsky Nutcracker ballet music is performed every year by the UNCSA Nutcracker Orchestra in downtown Winston-Salem. 2013 will mark the second year of production under the leadership of Susan Jaffe, the new dean of the UNCSA School of Dance. Jaffe is widely regarded as one of the priemere ballerinas in America.
This production is a collaborative effort of three UNCSA schools - Dance, Design & Production, and Music.
2013 Tentative…
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Dixie Classic Fair - October 4-13
Celebrating 131 year, the Dixie Classic Fair is the second largest agricultural Fair in North Carolina, with attendance averaging 325,000 visitors each year. Owned and operated by the City of Winston-Salem, after being donated to the City by the Winston-Salem Foundation in December 1969, the 10-day annual Fair features a world-class carnival with numerous rides and games, nationally known musical entertainment, delicious food and beverage, and exhibits for livestock, poultry, fine arts and…
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Rock the Block Remix, Saturday September 21
Rock the Bock Remix is coming to downtown from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. September 21.
This year, food vendors – and a limited number of non-food vendors – will be clustered around the music stages, leaving Fourth, Fifth, Cherry and Marshall streets open to traffic.
New this year is the College Quad at Civic Plaza, with entertainment that is being booked by the Arts Council in conjunction with Winston-Salem State University, Wake Forest University, Salem College and the UNC School of…
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Winston-Salem Air Show - September 21-22
In 1911, crowds gathered for the first Winston-Salem Air Show and gazed in awe as Lincoln Beachey, then the world’s greatest exhibition flyer, who commanded the sky with his signature “loop the loop” act in a rickety wood and canvas biplane. A century later, the Winston-Salem Air Show celebrates more than 100 years of taking to the skies and spectators will be no less amazed at the dazzling lineup of military and civilian aircraft performing feats of…
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Winston-Salem Open - August 18-24
The Winston-Salem Open, an ATP World Tour 250 event with a total purse of $625,000, will take place from August 18-24, 2013, with qualifying set for August 17. The tournament will be the final men’s event of the Emirates Airline US Open Series and takes place the week before the US Open. Three top-ranked players have committed to the 2013 Winston-Salem Open. Triad native John Isner, winner of the 2011 and 2012 Winston-Salem Opens, will return for a third year to defend his title. …
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National Black Theatre Festival - July 29 - August 3
Every odd year the National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF) transforms Winston-Salem into a mega-performing arts centre with over 100 performances in a number of the city’s venues. Theatre workshops, films, seminars, a teen poetry slam and a star-studded celebrity gala all work together to accomplish the goal of making the National Black Theatre Festivals one of the best theater festivals in the country. The history of celebrity appearances and performances at the National Black Theatre…
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Twin City Ribfest - June 6-9, 2013
The ninth annual Texas Pete Twin City RibFest will return to its downtown roots in 2012. The event originated in downtown Winston-Salem in 2005 and moved to the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds in 2009 where it was held for three years. The Texas Pete Twin City RibFest now partners with the Winston-Salem Journal to relocate the event to the Winston-Salem Journal’s corporate parking lots on the corner of West Fifth Street and North Marshall Street. The ninth annual Texas Pete Twin City RibFest…
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The Annual North Carolina Wine Festival - May 25, 2013
The largest wine festival in North Carolina takes place just outside of Winston-Salem at Tanglewood Park.
Your ticket provides you tasting from all wineries, artist and crafter displays, great food choices and kusic all day featuring The Chairmen of the Board, The Band of Oz and The Plaids! You may also purchase by the glass and the case and stock up on all the North Caroilna wines that you love!
To learn more, visit www.ncwinefestival.com.
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The 15th Annual RiverRun International Film Festival
Mark your calendars for the 15th annual RiverRun International Film Festival, April 12-21, 2013. This year's festival will screen 143 films, which includes 66 features and 77 shorts from 35 countries..
On April 12, for the first time, the Festival will open with not one, but two films. The first, BLANCANIEVES, is a twist on the Snow White fairy tale set in 1920s Seville and centered on a female bullfighter. The second opening night film is CASTING BY about the history and…
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Six Days in November - Nov. 14-19
The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County created the Annual Six Days in November Festival the week before Thanksgiving.
The crown jewel of the festival - Piedmont Craftsmen’s Fair - begins with gala activities Friday night and then opens to the public Saturday and Sunday, presenting work by premier fine craft artists of the Southeast and numerous workshops and presentation and annually contains a spectacular light show produced by faculty and students at the…
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Piedmont Craftsmen’s Fair - November 16-17, 2013
More than 120 of the finest artisans from across the southeastern United States will fill the booths at Piedmont Craftsmen’s 50th Fair in Winston-Salem, the third weekend in November. The Fair, which presents a broad sampling of the finest work available in artist-designed handmade home goods, wearables, jewelry, furniture and decorative items, is the keystone event in “Six Days in November,” a week-long celebration of art and culture in Winston-Salem.
To…
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Salute The North Carolina Wine Celebration - June 1, 2013
Salute! The North Carolina Wine Celebration has become the premier downtown festival in the state that exclusively features North Carolina wine. The Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership has produced the festival in order to meet several objectives, including: to provide entertainment options for visitors in the downtown core; to establish downtown Winston-Salem as the “hub” of the Yadkin Valley Wine region for leisure travelers; and to place increased focus on the burgeoning…
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Festival of Lights: Nov. 16 - Jan. 1
Tanglewood Festival of Lights
Entering its 21st season, the Festival of Lights at Tanglewood Park is open nightly from 6-11 p.m. starting Nov. 16 - Jan. 1.
This season visitors can experience new and interactive musical displays composed by the UNC School of the Arts Music Technology students. Also, to make the show more eco-friendly and brighter, all new displays and a majority of the old displays feature the low-energy LED lights. Visitors can tune their radios to 99.5 FM WMAG…
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