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Kevin Summers has accomplished a lot in the past few months. He’s opened not one, but two successful restaurants. He’s held one grand slam Halloween event, and now he’s pulling out all the stops to open the 2009 season at the Sol Rose Amphitheatre in a style that he thinks would make Rose proud.
“I think Sol Rose would be very pleased with our plans for the season. I’ve talked to people who knew him well, and knew what he was doing down here and they say he would be really happy to see what we are doing,” said Summers.
Hoping to kick the concert season off in style, Summers and friends are hoping to start an annual tradition with the first annual Shamrockin’ St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Campbellton Landing on Saturday, March 14.
“I really wanted to have a fun first event to kick of the season,” said Summers. “From what I understand there hasn’t been a big St. Paddy’s Day celebration in town since Bennigan’s closed. So we’re hoping to take advantage of the first taste of spring fever that everybody’s getting, incorporate it with good food, music and Guinness and have a great party.”
{mosimage} The idea for Shamrockin! came from within the Up & Coming Weekly family. Kidsville News! Editor Joy Kirkpatrick first suggested the idea for the event to Summers long before Christmas. After discussions with Up & Coming Weekly’s Publisher Bill Bowman, the event started coming together.
“This is the kind of event our community wants and needs. Up & Coming Weekly is proud to be a part of,” said Bowman. “This music, food and fun ‘gathering at the river’ is the type of entertainment venue that uplifts the entire Cumberland County community. We are proud to be the host sponsor for the event along with our friends Healy Wholesale and Pepsi. We are also excited about the valuable media partnership that has been formed by Kevin and Campbellton Landing with Q-98 and Rock 103, which will really help to bring this event to life. Fayetteville and Cumberland County deserves this concert. When business works together we can do some really great things in the community. We will support this effort throughout the year.”
While this event is open only those who are 21 or older, Summers said that wouldn’t always be the case.
“We have 15 to 20 events planned for the season, with an eye to eventually having 25 to 30 events each year, and most of those events will be family events,” he said. “But this one is not.”
Shamrockin’ will feature the music of The Breakfast Club, a perennial favorite at Fayetteville After Five. For those not in the know, The Breakfast Club is the longest established ‘80s music tribute band in the United States. The band, formed in 1993, plays some of the greatest songs of the ‘80s and usually has the crowd on its feet.
Performing with The Breakfast Club will be a local favorite DL Token. It wouldn’t be a St. Patrick’s Day party without some Irish music, so Summers has managed to lure Paddy Gibney away from Paddy’s for a set.
“It’s going to be an absolute blast,” said Summers. “We’re going to have a lot of different food, beer, wine, a margarita station, a Red Bull and vodka station — a little something for everyone’s taste.”
The food will be typical outdoor stadium fare — ranging from hamburgers and hot dogs and other nibbles. If you want a little more for dinner, Locks Creek and The Riverside Grill will be open so you can grab a bit before or during the event.
Summers hopes people will get in the spirit of the day and wear green, after all, on St. Patrick’s Day everybody’s got a little Irish in them.
With the hopeful success of the event, Summers is already looking at upcoming events. In May, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre will take over the amphitheatre for its annual River Show. This is the 25th anniversary of the River Show and the CFRT is pulling out all of the stops. Encore will be a look back at all of the shows that have made the event so successful. The event is slated for May 15-24.
In the coming months you can expect to see some other great events like a beach music festival, a wine event, a world beer festival, concerts by some up and coming acts and some concerts by some acts that are in their second run.
“Look for the kind of performances that you could expect to see in an intimate venue designed for 2-3,000 people,” said Summers.
But while you’re thinking about the upcoming events, don’t forget Shamrockin’. The event will kick off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, and run until 11 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at Lock’s Creek or The Riverside Grill or online at Campbelltonlanding.com. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the gate. There is a 10 percent military discount; however, those tickets can only be purchased at Locks Creek or The Riverside Grill. For more information, check out the ad on the back page of this edition or visit www.campbelltonlanding.com.
Shamrockin' at Campbellton Landing
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