The Extraordinaries, a popular musical group hailing from Hickory, N.C., will take the festival’s main stage Friday evening, rendering a command performance of their appearance four years earlier.
“The Azalea Festival committee is thrilled that the Extraordinaries has committed to return to Pickens this year,” Russ Gantt, director of the festival, said. “They performed in 2006, and were incredible.
“Everyone in attendance enjoyed their music, and their wide repertoire of music,” he said.
Consisting of eight talented musicians and vocalists, The Extraordinaries perform songs popular during the 1960s and 1970s, as well as classic rock, the mellow sounds of rhythm and blues, and the always-requested beach music.
“Most local folks who enjoy great performances by great bands are familiar with the incredible music of The Extraordinaries, and are excited over their appearance during the 2010 Pickens Azalea Festival,” Gantt said. “And for those who have not enjoyed the opportunity to hear this group, we are hoping they will also turn out Friday evening for a night of an unforgettable musical performance.”
Friday’s venue will begin at 7 p.m. starting with the festival’s annual Cruise-In. Classic cars, trucks and other vehicles, restored to their original beauty, will fill the downtown streets of Pickens, offering visitors a chance to revisit their past, while introducing their children and grandchildren to the glory days of automobiles, Gantt said.
“Each year, the Cruise-In grows, both in the number of vehicles on display and the number of people enjoying viewing the cars and talking to the owners,” he said.
Starting early on Saturday, April 17, the Azalea Festival 5K walk/run, an annual event, will leave Pickens High School at 8:30 a.m. with participants traveling a designated route planned by its sponsors - the Pickens Women’s Association.
The festival will then kick off its twenty-sixth year, starting at 10 am with a breathing-taking demonstration by the Clemson Sky Diving team.
Local and area artist will line the city’s streets, offering their skills and talents to the public for sales and viewing, Gantt said.
“This is yet another area in which the festival is growing,” Gantt said. “It is exciting to see just how many talented artists are planning to participate in this year’s event.”
The Pickens County Meals on Wheels will be raising funds toward continuing to fill the need of supplying a warm and healthy meal to elderly county residents who not only need that prepared dinner, but who also crave the kind words that accompany it. Their third annual chili cook-off will allow patrons of the festival to support this well-deserving and much-needed organization while enjoying a cup of steaming chili prepared in varying degrees of temperatures – from mild to ear-sweating, tongue-torture hot.
Other civic and non-profit agencies will also be offering various types of nourishment, ranging from delicious hot dogs and hamburgers to sweet funnel cakes.
“No one will be hungry during the festival,” Gantt said. “There will be food filling everyone’s taste.”
Helicopter rides will be available at the Bruce Field Stadium, allowing interested patrons the chance to see Pickens through a bird’s view, and a horse-drawn carriage will give everyone a quite tour of the beauty of the city’s historical district.
And for NASCAR fans, the GM Goodwrench Monte Carlo, once driven by the late Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time Winston Cup Champion, will be on display for Saturday’s festival, and wanna-be race drivers can have the chance of feeling the speed of the track behind the wheel of the Richard Childress Race car simulator, offered that day from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Throughout Saturday, three stages will be offering various forms of entertainment, ranging from musical performances, to magic acts.
For additional festival information, booth applications or entertainment participation, visit the festival’s web site at www.pickensazaleafestival.org or contact the Pickens Azalea Festival Committee at infor@pickensazaleafestival.org.
“A lot of work and planning by the dedicated Azalea Festival Committee has gone into this year’s event,” Gantt said. “It is going to be the best yet, and we hope no one misses the 2010 Pickens Azalea Festival.”
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