'Dirty Dancing' evolves into Lake Lure Dance Festival

News-Topic, Lenoir, N.C.
·2 min read
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Jun. 27—LAKE LURE — Tuesday, the Chamber of Hickory Nut Gorge announced the expansion of what was previously known as the "Dirty Dancing Festival" to the new Lake Lure Dance Festival. The inaugural Lake Lure Dance Festival continues to honor Patrick Swayze, star of several movies including "Dirty Dancing," which was partially filmed in Lake Lure. The expanded Festival offers a new way for Patrick Swayze fans to celebrate his legacy while offering some new dance moves and themes to the fundraiser.

"This year's Festival not only honors Patrick, his time in Lake Lure, and a dedication to eliminating Pancreatic Cancer, it offers an opportunity to take the love of dance into other styles and cultures," said Laura Doster, events director at the Chamber of Hickory Nut Gorge. "The theme for this year is "Cool Dips & Hot Salsa" to allow a blend of the music and themes of previous dance festivals in Lake Lure while broadening the scope to include the allure of something new and spicy. We're turning up the heat to encourage people who aren't familiar with our past festivals to come and see what the Lake Lure Dance Festival has to offer. And at the same time, we're supporting PanCAN in honor of Patrick Swayze and the legacy he left in this area."

The Festival will highlight previous Festival favorites such as:

— Music and dance popular with Swayze fans;

— Games and competitions synonymous with previous Lake Lure dance festivals;

— A portion of proceeds benefit PanCAN to fight pancreatic cancer; and

— Salsa dance music, performances, and lessons as the special musical highlight for this year's festival.

Tickets for the Festival are available now, with advanced tickets at $39/adult, $15/child, and a highly limited number of VIP Tickets for $75/each available in packages of two due to limited parking space.

The Lake Lure Dance Festival will be Sept. 16 at Morse Park, Lake Lure. Gates open at 10 a.m.

For more information on the 2023 Lake Lure Dance Festival visit LakeLureDanceFestival.com.