What’s going on in 2016?

Here in Calhoun County, we love to spend time together as a community. To make that possible, we offer many different events and venues. There are college sporting events at Jacksonville State University, marathons, concerts, plays, dances, weekly wine tastings, and many festivals.

Plays & Concerts & Festivals:

January 22^nd, The Oxford Performing Arts Center will be presenting The Donoho Schools production of Disney’s The Lion King at 7:00 p.m. For more information, go to www.oxfordpac.org.

January 30^th, at 7:30 p.m. Oxford Performing Arts Center is hosting Dailey and Vincent for a Bluegrass concert. CMT called Dailey and Vincent “The Rockstars of Bluegrass,” the duo has 13 International Bluegrass Music Awards, and they have also been nominated for 3 GRAMMY Awards.

Love Southern Gospel music? Head over to Oxford Performing Arts Center February 5^th, at 7:00 p.m. to hear The Booth Brothers. Ronnie, Michael, and Paul believe that Southern Gospel Music touches the soul and offers hope and encouragement.

February 13^th, the Foothills Piano Festival starts at 10:00 a.m. at Mason Hall Performance Center at Jacksonville State University. The JSU Music Department has many talented musicians that work closely with their faculty to create a variety of ensembles that anyone will enjoy.

February 18^th-21^st and 25^th-28^th, JSU Drama Department presents “Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson” musical. For tickets and more information, go to www.jsu.edu/drama or call (256) 782-5648.

February 18^th-21^st, Community Actors’ Studio Theatre presents “The Miracle Worker,” the true story of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan. For more information, go to www.castalabama.com.

February 24^th, JSU is hosting the Wind Ensemble & Symphonic Band Concert at Mason Hall Performance Center at 8:00 p.m. JSU is home of the Marching Southerners, which performed in Queen Elizabeth I’s New Year’s Day Parade in 2012.

March 4^th-5^th, JSU Flute Festival starts at 2:00 p.m. at Mason Hall Performance Center. Contact JLBenson@jsu.edu for more information. This year the Marching Southerners will be traveling to Hawaii for the 75^th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor.

March 17^th-26^th, Community Actors’ Studio Theatre presents “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.” Go to www.castalabama.com for more information. Vanya and his stepsister Sonia have lived their entire lives in their family's farmhouse. While they cared for their ailing parents, their sister Masha has been gallivanting around the world as a successful actress and movie star, leaving Vanya and Sonia trapped and regretful. Their soothsayer/cleaning woman, Cassandra, keeps warning them about terrible things in the future, which include a sudden visit from Masha and her twenty-something boy toy Spike.

March 18^th, the Foothills Piano Festival starts at 7:30 p.m. at Mason Hall Performance Center at Jacksonville State University. This presentation shows how music has inspired art and art has inspired music.

March 29^th, JSU hosts the Steel Band & Latin Ensemble in Concert at Mason Hall Performance Center at 7:30 p.m. Contact Dr. Thomas McCutchen at tmccutchen@jsu.edu or Dr. Andy Nevala at anevala@jsu.edu. The JSU Community Band uses flexible instrumentation, and has both music and non-music major students.

April 2^nd-3^rd, the Noble Street Festival will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the Anniston Downtown District. Come watch the world-class pro bicycle race, listen to great live music, let your kids enjoy the day in the KidZone, and run for a cause in the Mellow Mushroom Mad Dash and YMCA 5K.

April 7^th, Band-O-Rama starts at 7:00 p.m. at the Oxford Performing Arts Center. Contact Clint Gillespie at cgillesp@jsu.edu for more information. This year Band-O-Rama is called “Kaleidoscope Festival of Arts”, and has many performances from students and non-students.

April 8^th, the 5^th Annual JSU Jazz Festival begins at 8:00 a.m. at Mason Hall, Theron Montgomery Building (TMB) Auditorium, and Leone Cole Auditorium on JSU’s campus. Contact Dr. Andy Nevala at anevala@jsu.edu for more information. High school and college groups from around the area will be at the JSU campus for a non-competitive educational and musical experience, to help them grow the jazz community.

April 9^th, Knox Concert Series presents The Midtown Men at the Anniston Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, contact Mandi King at mandiking@cableone.net. The Midtown Men are reuniting the four stars of Broadway’s Jersey Boys and bringing back to life the greatest hits of the Sixties.

April 14^th, JSU is hosting Encore! Spring Concert at 7:30 p.m. at Mason Hall Performing Center. Contact Dr. Renee Baptiste at baptiste@jsu.edu for more information. Encore! Acts as ambassadors for JSU. They are available to perform for school and community events. They are JSU’s own Glee show.

“You can’t stop the beat” of this fantastic musical. Community Actors’ Studio Theatre presents “Hairspray” April 21^st-May 1^st. Go to www.castalabama.com for more information.

July 1^st-3^rd, Talladega Superspeedway hosts Dega Jam. Come and enjoy great music from great artist like Eric Church, Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Kid Rock, Hank Williams, Jr., Martina McBride, Kip Moore, and many more. Tickets range from $179-$999. For more information go to www.degajam.com. 

Guest Blogger: Brittany Noell, JSU Student 2016