Sand in the Streets

Sand in the Streets has been a long-standing tradition of Eastern North Carolina. It was recently renamed to Kinston North Carolina Summerfest. The series of events is held by Pride of Kinston, a nonprofit aimed at revitalizing the historic downtown area of the town. Kinston NC Summerfest is held every year around the Fourth of July, and runs between July and August. It is held weekly in those two months. Unless specified, the performances happen every Thursday.

The events showcase a diverse set of musical talent available in North Carolina. It is held in Pearson Park and is free to attend.

Musical Guests

Kinston NC Summerfest has seen many local greats. The performances are usually varied to ensure there is something for everyone. Many of the artists who perform are homegrown and known to the community. Some of those who have performed in previous events include:

• Pizazz: These are a multi-genre act. They perform all manner of music, including country, funk, rock and beach songs. Pizazz have performed at the events more than 5 times and are a crowd favorite.

• Big Joe Maher & the Dynaflows: This is a band led by Joseph W. Maher aka Big Joe. Joe is an American singer, songwriter and electric blues drummer. The band mainly plays blues and has collaborated with many local greats. Some of their collaborators are; Jimmy Witherspoon, Nappy Brown and Bob Margolin.

• Liquid Pleasure: This band has grown into a multi-cultural icon. They perform an incredible dance and show circuit that attracts many. They play a variety of music and have worked with legends like Aretha Franklin and Hootie and the Blowfish.

• TrainWreck: Formed in 2002, this band is an American southern and comedy rock band. The original band members were; Reed on vocals, Kevin Weisman on drums and Gass on guitar. Their genre is mainly heavy metal and different types of rock. They play comedy rock, hard rock and Southern rock.

Event Activities

In addition to the musical guests, Sand in the Streets offers many other activities for attendees. These include;

• Fireworks: These are scheduled to follow the bands' sets. They can be viewed from Pearson Park and are launched at the Neuseway Nature Park.

• Food: There are many restaurants in the area that serve incredible local delicacies.

• Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks: These are often made locally at the breweries. A great example of providers are Grove Winery and Southern Pines Brewing Company.

Pride of Kinston Downtown Revitalization

This non-profit organization is focused on seeing Kinston downtown grow. Its efforts are tailored towards the growth and revitalization of the downtown. The organization is led by a Director, whose name is Leon Steele. Recent events have seen Steele consider public input on who is placed in the entertainment lineup. Leon Steele is assisted by Debra Oliver. She is the assistant director of the organization.

Funding is received in part from the downtown Municipal Services District. This is made possible by a property tax that was instituted by the City of Kinston. The organization gets a percentage of the property value each year.

Some of the activities of the organization include;

• Organizing events. This helps to attract people from the community and visitors alike.
• Marketing downtown Kinston to everyone in Eastern North Carolina. This is done by emphasizing downtown as the perfect location to find fun in music and food.
• Supporting downtown business. This is done by façade grants. The organization has a connection to various programs in North Carolina and National Main Street.
• Managing the Kinston Enterprise Center. This is a one of a kind office building. It is located in a rehabilitated Sears store that was downtown.
• Advocating for the historic preservation and beautification of the commercial district.
• Utilizing the Community Economic Development and Place making methods in all the organization’s efforts.

Pearson Park

The Kinston NC Summerfest has been held in the same location since it began. Pearson has hosted all the events for years and will continue to do so. It is located on Gordon Street in Kinston.

Pearson Park is part of the Pearson Park Trail. The trail runs parallel to the Neuse River. It starts at the southern end of Pollock Street and ends at South Heritage Street.

The park has numerous facilities for family-friendly fun. Some of the utilities available include;

• Three covered picnic eating spots
• A four-piece swing set
• Walking up a platform with a three-section slide
• A large 14-foot-high dragline with a rope ladder & slide
• A nylon rope climbing structure
• Parking lot

Pearson Park has a raised square covered platform that can be used for different types of entertainment functions. Nearby is a six-cornered picnic area. The park is well kept up. The park is within 75 yards of the replica CSS Neuse ironclad. Also on the trail headed south is the Lenoir County Farmers Market, Tiffany West Park, Walk of Honor Memorial & an unnamed art metal exhibit. The nearest restaurant is the Chef & The Farmer, across South Heritage Street.

During my visit to both, Pearson, the Dragline Playground only saw one mother & two children in the playground & one woman on the trail. The time was about 3:45 on a Tuesday.  – Jack L via Tripadvisor

Southern Pines Brewing Company

Southern Pines is a brewing company in Moore County. The company is one of the recurring sponsors of the Sand in the Streets event. It is a veteran owned business with the founders having served in the United States Army. The brothers in arms are John, Micah and Jason. All three of them were Green Berets. Theirs is the only brewery with a taproom in Southern Pines.

Pride of Kinston holds the Kinston NC Summerfest to promote the rich community of downtown Kinston. It is a great way to boost growth and enhance the knowledge of locals about hidden gems in their backyards. The Summerfest involves incredible musical acts and wonderful experiences for the whole family.

Author: ENC Explorer

After getting accepted to ECU, I started looking for things to do in and around Greenville, NC. However, my searches kept taking me to places in South Carolina! There must be things to do around ECU, so I started asking other students. They kept telling me to graduate and move away! This inspired me to begin exploring eastern North Carolina and build this website as a showcase of the places to go, sights to see, and things to do all over eastern NC. I have fallen in love with this region and started taking up roots here. After graduating, I didn't move away - I bought a house here and continue to explore eastern North Carolina.