2012 Concerts in the Park

CCCRA is once again sponsoring a series of free concerts on selected Friday evenings during 2012. The concerts will take place at 7 PM outdoors in the pocket park on Hayesville's town square. Here is the tentative schedule:
April 27: Cornbread Ted and the Butterbeans
May 25: Susan Riley and the Junction Band
June 29: Paul Constantine
July 20: My Highway
July 27: Irons in the Fire
August 24: Steve Phillips and the Midnight Express
August 31: Lee Holland
September 28: Gnarly Fingers
This schedule is subject to change. For up-to-date information, consult the calendar section of this site.

CCCRA Annual Meeting to Be Held October 27

The Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CCCRA) will hold its annual meeting at 6 PM on October 27, 2011, at Hayesville’s Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Everyone is invited. Dr. Jane Eastman, director of Cherokee studies at Western Carolina University, will talk about the various Cherokee archeological sites around Hayesville. These sites can help Clay County expand its appeal to potential tourists and thereby boost its economy. CCCRA will discuss its plans for the coming year. The meeting will follow a potluck dinner. Note that this year’s meeting is in a different location from last year’s meeting. The address of Good Shepherd church is 495 Herbert Hills Road. It is located half a mile east of Hayesville, on the south side of Route 64.

Cherokee Heritage Festival Planned October 15

Plans are underway for the first annual Cherokee Heritage Festival to be held Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM at the Cherokee Homestead Exhibit in Hayesville. Demonstrations and information will be shared by:

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- Cherokee basket weaver Emma Garrett

- Southeastern potter Tammy Beane

- Cherokee artist and historian Davy Arch

- Local resident and native lore expert Darry Wood

- Cherokee educator and storyteller Diamond Brown

- Cherokee trading trails expert Lamar Marshall

- Hiawassee Valley town settlements expert T. J. Holland

These experts will be demonstrating their skills and knowledge throughout the day and offering their handiwork for sale. On the day of the event, the Clay County Historical Museum will be open, and food will be available. As this event is being publicized throughout our region and beyond, we expect a large number of visitors.

Other Happenings at the Exhibit: Our own artist and retired educator Reba Beck has spent countless hours painting basket weave patterns on the concrete slab near the corn crib. Additional medallions created by local blacksmith Joe Miller have been added. You’ll want to stop by the exhibit to see these wonderful works of art created by local talent!

We’re gearing up for the student field trip experiences at the exhibit, which will be scheduled during the latter part of September and early October. Fourth and eighth grade students in North Carolina, and second and eighth graders in Georgia are invited to attend. The curriculum and activities are written, and materials are available to use with the students. If you’re interested in providing these experiences for our children, please contact Sandy Nicolette at 389-3045.

Live Acoustic Performance on the Square in Hayesville September 16

The Hayesville town square will be the scene of another concert on Friday September 16. Paul J. Constantine, singer, songwriter, and guitarist, will play. The concert will run from 7 to 9 pm. Bring your chairs, and enjoy a fun-filled evening. The concert itself is free; however, donations are welcome.

If the weather is bad, the concert will move indoors to the Gathering Place room of the Hayesville First United Methodist Church right off the square. Take your chairs with you to the church.

As a professional musician, Paul has performed around the country both as a solo performer and as a member of various musical groups. Paul specializes in music tinged with country, soul, and R&B. He plays some classic rock and oldies and draws on many styles from the 50's to the present.

Paul grew up in New Jersey. An avid electronics experimenter, he first became involved in music when he built a custom amplifier for a friend who owned an electric guitar but could not play it. Acquiring his first guitar in his early teens, Paul performed for friends at parties and barbeques. Early musical influences included country & western, doo wop, R&B, soul, jazz, folk, and rock & roll.

After a tour in the United States Army, Paul returned to New Jersey and joined a group of friends in his first band as the lead singer and bass player. Musical performance became more than a hobby. Paul played acoustic guitar, acoustic bass, and electric bass in both solo and group settings. Touring the United States throughout most of the 70's and early 80's, Paul met his wife, Dawn, in Tampa, Florida. A musical hiatus followed for the next 25 years while they raised a family of five daughters.

Paul moved to the mountains of North Carolina in 2005 and reconnected with his musical past. He now performs as a solo entertainer, occasionally teaming up with other various local performers in the southeast. Paul has many neighbors and friends in Hayesville.

Concert on the Square August 26

The Hayesville town square will be the scene of another concert on Friday August 26. Lee Holland, jazz vocalist and composer, will sing with the Charles Milne combo. The concert will run from 7 to 9 pm. Bring your chairs and enjoy a fun-filled evening. The concert itself is free. However, donations are welcome.

If the weather is bad, the concert will move indoors to the Gathering Place room of the Hayesville First United Methodist Church right off the square. Take your chairs with you to the church.

Jazz vocalist Lee Holland is now a permanent resident of Hayesville but still performs in Palm Beach, Florida. She delights audiences with her stylized renditions of jazz favorites from Cole Porter to George Gershwin to Billie Holiday that showcase Ms. Holland’s impressive vocal range.

Accompanying Ms. Holland at the August 26 concert are Charles Milne on piano and Louis Ferkovics on drums. Milne, a resident of Warne, performs weekends with his Providence Jazz Trio at Café Portofino in Hiawassee. He also serves as Music Director at St. William Church in Murphy. Hungarian/French Canadian percussionist, Louie Ferkovics, a Murphy resident, has enjoyed an extensive career as a jazz drummer backing such musicians as pianist Dick Hyman and multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan. Since moving to North Carolina, he’s been a regular at the Grove Park Inn’s international jazz fest in Asheville.

The Clay County Communities Revitalization Association (CCCRA) is a sponsor of the Hayesville concert.

Providence Jazz Duo Will Play uly 29

The Hayesville town square will be the scene of another concert on Friday July 29. The Providence Jazz Duo will play. The concert will run from 7 to 9 pm. Bring your chairs, and enjoy a fun-filled evening. The concert itself is free; however, donations are welcome.

If the weather is bad, the concert will move indoors to the Gathering Place room of the Hayesville First United Methodist Church right off the square. Take your chairs with you to the church.

The light jazz duo of Charles Milne on vocals and keyboards with Louie Ferkovics on percussion gives new meaning to the term ‘eclectic.’ Their repertoire touches every decade since the 1920s, from jazz standards to 50’s doo-wop to contemporary ballads, with an occasional hint of country. Whatever the vintage of song material, their music is accessible and inviting.

Hungarian/French-Canadian percussionist Ferkovics served as a jazz drummer with such notables as Dick Hyman, Buddy DeFranco, Chuck Hedges, and Ira Sullivan. He also recorded with the Allman Brothers, performed at the White House, and has been a regular at The Grove Park Inn’s International Jazz Fest in Asheville.

Milne played on the professional R&B circuit, providing back-up support for such groups as Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, and Little Anthony & the Imperials. He now serves as music director at St. William Church in Murphy and accompanist at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hayesville. He also has a full calendar of public and private appearances.

The duo can be heard at dinner clubs and music fests throughout the region.

The Clay County Communities Revitalization Association is a sponsor of Hayesville concerts on the square.

Steven Philips and Midnight Express to Perform on Hayesville Square June 24

The Hayesville town square will be the scene of another concert on Friday June 24. Steven Philips and his band, Midnight Express, will play. The concert will run from 7 to 9 pm. Bring your chairs, and enjoy a fun-filled evening. The concert itself is free; however, donations are welcome. Philips and Midnight Express performed in Hayesville’s pocket park last year.

If the weather is bad, the concert will move indoors to the Gathering Place room of the Hayesville First United Methodist Church right off the square. Take your chairs with you to the church.

With his country roots and southern style, Steven Phillips appeals to all ages.
Backed up by Midnight Express, a band containing some of the best talent to be found in the region, you are sure to enjoy a large variety of Steven's own originals, blended in with some of the finest musical talent in country music history.

With its entertaining style, Steven Phillips’ Midnight Express band has become the most requested band for Enchanted Music on the Square. It opened for Earl Thomas Conley and Gene Watson at the Georgia Mountain Fair and also for Lee Greenwood at the Smoky Mountain `Center for Performing Arts. In addition, it performed at Brasstown Valley Resort, played a street dance for the Last Kiss of Summer, and celebrated Labor Day with the first annual Fire on the Water at the Ridges Resort and Marina. Philips has also kicked off the Moonshine Cruize-in and provided entertainment for the Gold Rush in Dahlonega.

The Clay County Communities Revitalization Association is a sponsor of Hayesville concerts on the square.