Six Days in November

Six Days in November begins on Tuesday! Last November, glancing out my bedroom window, I was shocked by a huge light and image display being projected on the west side of the Pepper Building at Fourth and Liberty Street. I had seen past light shows on the front of the Millennium Center at Fifth Street from my living room window, but nothing like this! Six Days in November: – November 16-21, apparently hasn't been well published in the past if I didn't have a clue until it smacked me in the face. According to an article in the Winston-Salem Journal the new coordinator, Scott Sanders, agreed discovering as he began his work that "The recognition was there for some, for most, it drew kind of a blank stare."

Winston-Salem will offer arts and cultural activity as part of Six Days in November a celebration of being North Carolina’s center of crafts, arts, and innovation. There will be more than 165 arts, cultural and cutting-edge technology opportunities in the week before Thanksgiving. Sponsored this year by SunTrust Bank, the event has grown from being focused on the annual Piedmont Craftsmen Fair and a light show produced by UNC School of the Arts faculty and students to a citywide festival involving about 40 arts and technology organizations.

“Winston-Salem – City of Arts and Innovation – in a course of just three years has developed the state’s premier pre-holiday event,” said Scott Sanders, Six Days coordinator. “Piedmont Craftsmen Fair, which is approaching its 50th anniversary, continues to be the crown jewel.  It attracts master craftsmen from throughout the Southeast and is a Mecca for crafts devotees, collectors and holiday shoppers. In addition, there is everything from symphony – Haydn’s Creation – to a concert by country music icon Alan Jackson, a spectacular five-night downtown light show, art exhibitions, film, jazz, theater, food events and a mini medical school.”

Six Days in November is a joint presentation of The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, Visit Winston-Salem, Piedmont Craftsmen’s Fair and area arts and cultural organizations. For detailed listing of all events, visit www.thecityofthearts.com. For more detailed information about the event see the article in Sundays Winston-Salem Journal "Plenty in the Mix for Six Days.

Visit Our Salem

I am always amazed that the folk who know the least about a place are often the ones who live there. Such a shame. It's not only visitors who should visit our Salem. If you are here for your first visit or have been here for your life time take a little time, learn about and enjoy our city. First, do a little research by going to the Visit Winston-Salem Website. While you are there check out the Official Visitor and Relocation Guide a perfect place to begin your research. Its a good idea to begin your visit at the Winston-Salem Visitors center located at 200 Brookstown Avenue in the Historic Cotton Mill Complex. Here you will find information and gracious hosts to answer your questions, give directions and ideas for your visit.

Official Visitors and Relocation Guide

Take a deep breath when you arrive in Winston-Salem because your first visit is going to leave you breathless. You'll quickly discover there is more here than meets the eye. Our arts community is renowned the world over and innovation is one of our hallmarks whether it's in science, education, business or the arts. Sure we're a charming Southern town, but we also have a hip urban feel echoed by our flourishing downtown and a growing scientific and business community. To say that Winston-Salem has something for everyone would definitely be an understatement.

Were you aware that our Salem is home of the largest research park in the United States, known internationally for its cutting edge research and technology or that our Bowman Gray Stadium was home to some of the earliest NASCAR heroes?

A few outstanding places of interest:

• Old Salem Museums and Gardens (don't miss Moravian Cookies and Sugar Cake)
• Historic Bethabara Park also Bethania
• Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art
• Renolda House Museum of American Art
• Renolda Gardens
• Renolda Village
• Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts
• Sawtooth School for Visual Art
• Delta Arts Center
• Diggs Gallery
• University of North Carolina School of the Arts
• Wake Forest University
• Winston-Salem State University
• Salem College
• BB&T Ballpark
• SciWorks
• The Children's Museum of Winston-Salem
• Winston Cup Museum  
• Hanes Mall 
• Thruway Shopping Center

Home to Festivals and Special Events:

• Bowman Gray Racing
• Easter Sunrise Service
• Riverrun International Film Festival
• Texas Pete Twin City Ribfest
• Heavy Rebel Weekender
• National Black Theatre Festival
• Carolina Summer Music Festial
• Winston-Salem Air Show
• Rock the Block
• Dixie Classic Fair

Companies that call our Salem Home:

• Reynolds/American (formerly R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company)
• T.W. Garner Garner Food Company (Texas Pete)
• Krispy Kreme
• Quality Oil Company
• A.T. Williams Oil Company
• ISP Sports
• BB&T
• Dewey's Bakery
• HanesBrands
• Lowes Foods
• Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice

Why wait any longer? Visit our Salem Today!