Main Street offers stroll downtown
Oct. 30—LUMBERTON — The arts and downtown Lumberton will converge for the city's inaugural Main Street Stroll on Thursday.
The premiere event takes pedestrians on a walking tour through downtown Lumberton, stopping at its many landmarks, while bringing them in contact with the talents Robeson County has to offer.
The Main Street Stroll, set to kick off the holiday season at 5:30 p.m. and last until 7 p.m., will feature musical artists showcasing various genres of music while bringing the people taking part in the tour in contact with locally produced works of art.
"The purpose of it is to encourage both performing art and visual art," said Brianna Goodwin, director of the Robeson County Arts Council, which is partnering with the Main Street Lumberton for the Stroll.
The idea was conceived by Dencie Lambdin, chair of Mainstreet Advisory Board Lumberton, a nonprofit organization geared toward organization, promotion, design and economic development to implement a downtown revitalization initiative.
"I have visited other communities across the state some as small as Lumberton and some larger than Lumberton and they do something like this," Lambdin said. "We wanted to start something to bring people downtown."
Money raised during the Stroll will benefit Friends of Main Street Lumberton.
Lambdin's goal is to start the stroll out on a smaller scale and expand on the concept in the future.
"We want this to be special," she said.
Stops during the Stroll include the Adelio's Italian Restaurant, located at 11 W. Third St., just east of the Downtown Plaza, Goodwin said. There, Lumbee songwriter and vocalist Charly Lowery will perform some of her works.
Lowery has performed throughout North Carolina, first putting her name on the map after becoming a semifinalist on American Idol. She has since released well-received songs like "Backbone" and "Brown Skin."
In addition to Lowery's musical selection, participants can view art on display by the Robeson County Community Art Guild, a nonprofit organization geared toward exposing Robeson County artists to the local community.
As strollers progress they will come into contact with guitarist Morris Cardenas at the newly renovated Inner Peace Center for the Arts, located at 302 N. Chestnut St. Stroll participants will be allowed to engage with the gallery's artists and paint musical notes or handprints onto the next mural to be revealed as part of the gallery's Mural Project.
Throughout the year the Center will showcase various murals that could tell the community's story, create a unique experience downtown, increase appreciation for the arts and artists, and increase the overall attractiveness of the building's exterior wall on Third Street.
Carolina Civic Center Historic Theater, located at 315 N. Chestnut St., will feature artwork sponsored by the Robeson County Arts Council and a performance by Kendric Singletary, singer and vocal coach who has performed several times on the Downtown Plaza stage. Singletary is well-known for his original productions at the Civic Center, where he serves as the theater's resident artist.
As always, the Happenings on Elm wine bar will showcase the works of local artist. During the intimate setting, Goodwin will perform a selection of songs to the crowd. Happenings on Elm is located at 605 N. Elm St.
"The locations that we chose were already set up to show art of Robeson County artist," Lambdin said.
Participants can pick up their $5 ticket at the main site, which will be located at the Carolina Civic Center. The ticket pays for admission into all the site. Tickets are now on sale at the Civic Center.
