Don’t miss second symphony performance

Who says lightning doesn’t strike twice?

The North Carolina Symphony is returning to the Washington waterfront June 9.

The symphony’s performance last year at Festival Park, highlighting the 300^th-anniversary celebration of Beaufort County, was a major draw for the area.

The orchestra, one of our state’s cultural icons, was in top form. Set in the beautiful surroundings of the Pamlico River and the downtown Washington waterfront, the performance dazzled.

Hopefully, you didn’t miss it. If you did, don’t fret, you’ve got a second chance.

Thanks to sponsorship from PotashCorp-Aurora, the North Carolina Symphony will spellbind us again in a special concert downtown in conjunction with the Washington Summer Festival. And best of all, it’s free of charge.

The symphony show, capping the three-day Summer Festival, begins at 7:30 p.m. June 9 at Festival Park.

Several other events planned around the free concert are also worth mention.

A reception from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the North Carolina Estuarium offers great food and drink and the opportunity to meet the conductor. The $40-per-person ticket also guarantees a premium seat in the reserved area during the concert. Tickets are limited and may be reserved through the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce. A portion of the proceeds from the reception will benefit Beaufort County Schools’ music programs.

Great for the kids (and the kid inside us all), the symphony’s Instrument Zoo is another free event prior to the show. Starting at 6 p.m. at Festival Park, children and adults may try out orchestra instruments.

Leading up to the concert, the Chamber of Commerce is collecting new and used instruments from the community for Beaufort County Schools’ music programs. If you have a used instrument you’d like to see put to good use, please consider donating it. It may make the difference for a child interested in participating in band, but without the resources to purchase or rent equipment.

For more information about the concert or Summer Festival, visit the chamber’s website, www.wbcchamber.com.

Ashley Vansant is publisher of the Washington Daily News. He can be reached at ashley.vansant@thewashingtondailynews.com.