Spring is blossoming all over Sanford and Lee County! Celebrate a fresh, new season with plans to attend a number of awesome upcoming events. Let’s start with two of the most highly anticipated happenings this year.
Broadway Our Way
April 16
The town of Broadway absolutely comes alive in the springtime. Broadway Our Way celebrates that reawakening with loads of energy and excitement. Come out to enjoy food trucks, vendors, crafters, classic cars and activities for kids of all ages.
Groove to Toe-Tappin’ Music
With two stages in the mix, Broadway Our Way will get you into a groove with some of the best local bands and acts around. As a key event of Bluegrass 365, the energetic rhythms of bluegrass will dance through the streets courtesy of performers like Sweet Potato Pie and Nu-Blu. For tunes more on the beachy side, make your way to the Main Stage to catch Band of Oz. Last, but certainly not least, there’s hometown celebrity and songwriter Britton Buchanan performing hits from his debut album, Something You Can Break, and more.
Celebrate Easter with an Egg-citing Family Hunt
This year, Broadway Our Way happens to fall on Easter weekend. To celebrate, the festival is arranging three Easter egg hunts throughout the day. Get the whole family involved to seek and find as many eggs and other goodies as you can.
Even More Fun for the Kiddos!
You’ll have no problem keeping your little ones entertained for the day. Broadway has plenty of activities made just for them. Enjoy face-painting, fairy hairdos and special appearances by their favorite princesses and superheroes.
Strawberry Jammin’
May 6 – 7
Dive into everything strawberry! From the berries themselves to all the delicious ways you can prepare them. This year’s Strawberry Jammin’ boasts two days of fun and excitement in honor of the fruit that’s dear to many of our hearts and taste buds!
A Jammin’ Concert
The Downtown Alive! Concert Series kicks off the festivities on Friday night at The Depot. Make your way over with a couple of lawn chairs to settle in and jam out to the musical stylings of the Blackwater Band. These local performers, now in their eleventh year as a group, specialize in Top 40, Blues, Funk and Country. In addition, the band puts on a great live show and turns every event into a party experience!
A Jammin’ Cocktail Crawl
While you’re enjoying the concert, be sure to grab a map for the Strawberry Jammin’ Cocktail Crawl. Throughout the rest of Friday evening, make your way around to participating downtown restaurants and bars. Each stop will offer delicious strawberry-themed food and drinks to help you savor the flavor of spring.
A Jammin’ Farmers’ Market
Your Saturday morning destination is the Sanford Farmer’s Market. Here you’ll find a number of activities in full swing from canning and preserving demonstrations to cooking presentations. Meander around to a number of vendor booths to snag fresh produce, jellies, jams and much more. You’ll also meet local farmers who will invite you out to their fields to experience the fun of harvesting delicious berries yourself. Lastly, round out your afternoon by heading into downtown and enjoying a food stroll to 10 different restaurants serving up strawberry inspired deliciousness!
More Spring Events
Downtown Alive! Spring Concert Series
April 22, 29 & May 6, 20
Music fans will certainly want to have Sanford on their travel list when the Downtown Alive! Concert Series starts up this spring. Downtown Sanford practically sizzles with excitement, music, food trucks and fun for the whole family. Free concerts will take place on select Saturdays in April and May and spotlight local performers like the band Nu-Blu, The Gregg Gelb Orchestra, Blackwater Band and more.
Southern Side By Side
April 21 – 24
Fancy yourself a pretty good marksmen? Sharpen up your skills and compete for bragging rights and a shiny silver trophy at Southern Side by Side. Held annually at Deep River Sporting Clays and Shooting School, this championship and exhibition boasts educational opportunities, camaraderie and a wide range of exhibitors and vendors. What’s more, competitors and spectators from around the globe flock to this event for the rare opportunity to meet, greet and compete together!
Sanford Farmers’ Market
Returns April 24
Spring and warmer weather signals the return of the Sanford Farmers’ Market. Shop locally grown produce from farmers living and growing their produce within 50 miles of Sanford. Get your taste buds a tingling with fresh bread, juicy berries, delicious jams, savory salsas and more! The market stays open until October and runs every Saturday from 9 am to noon.
Wampus Cat Music Festival
New Dates: August 5 – 7
Sadly, this this three-day immersive festival, named after the North Carolina folktale of the Wampus Cat, has been rescheduled due to inclement weather. Good news, it leaves more time for planning an even more thrilling experience for all music fans! Presented in part by Indie On Air (Carolina Indie Fest) and Gross Farms, Wampus Cat Music Festival packs a ton of live music on three stages. Jam out to performances of multiple genres represented by well-known national acts and the hottest up and coming independent artists. Festival goers can also enjoy camping, food and merchandise vendors, drum circles, costume contests and so much more. Tickets are on sale now, so get ‘em while you can!
And that’s not all!
Springtime is also the perfect time to enjoy the great outdoors! Check out our hiking, biking and canoe trails as well as our many parks, nature preserves, waterways and golf courses.
