Rockingham residents have a world of choices - from bugs to badonkadonk

Enjoy a fun summer weekend with the family without leaving town or spending a lot of money by listening to music at one of the free concerts or festivals in the Rockingham County area.

Summer Concert in the Park

The featured group for this weekend's Concert in the Park is the Uturn Band. The Rockingham County-based Christian group will perform from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at the Eden Kiwanis Amphitheater at Freedom Park.

The Uturn Band doesn't fit into a musical category, said Jack French, who plays lead guitar and sings.

"We mix it up quite a bit. Most listeners would like something we do," French said. "We've got a lot of old rock influences. We cover some '70s rock, '80s rock, a little bit of soft rock. Some of the stuff has a little bit of a country twist."

"I think it reflects the music that we all grew up with. We grew up listening to bands like Journey and Foreigner, and I think that influence comes out in our music," said Bill Powell, drummer and vocalist. In recent years, Powell has grown to love gospel music.

"We hope people will see that we can have a good time and still worship the Lord while we're having fun," Powell said.

French said the Uturn Band's goal is to uplift Christians and spread the message of God's love.

"God's love is available to everyone who seeks it. It doesn't matter where you've been or what you've done in your life - the not-so-good things. He can fix that for you if you put your faith in him," French said.

Heart & Soul Fest

The Heart & Soul Fest will bring music, fun and games Saturday to Peter Hill Park in the Blue Creek section of Eden.

"It's an event that we have to try to bring the community together," said Marsha McDaniel, a Blue Creek resident.

McDaniel's nephew Keith Williams started the event two years ago.

Busta Brown of 97.1 QMG will host the event, which will feature gospel music and performances from 1 to 4 p.m. and old-school music and performances from 5 to 8 p.m. Other activities include a horseshoe tournament, a 3-point shooting contest and kids' carnival all day.

Music in the Park

The Mayodan Preservation League will sponsor Music in the Park on Saturday at the gazebo at 500 W. Main St. in Mayodan. The Almost Country band will perform. Bring a lawn chair or blanket. Hot dogs, chips and drinks will be available from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. Call 548-2241.

Crosswalk Cafe

The Crosswalk Cafe in the old sanctuary of the Church of God of Prophecy at 13811 old N.C. 87 in Eden on Saturday will feature "The Jason Tuggle Band" of High Point and "In His Name" of Winston-Salem. Crosswalk Cafe opens at 7 p.m. Admission is free.

RCC Graduation

Rockingham Community College's summer graduation is 7 p.m. Friday in the Apple Amphitheater behind the college's Whitcomb Student Center. About 90 students will graduate. Graham Pervier, president of the Rockingham County Partnership for Economic & Tourism Development, is the guest speaker. Pervier will talk about the uncommon motivation of community college students that distinguishes them from other students and the importance of the qualifications they bring to the workforce. Pervier said the No. 1 factor that draws new companies to an area is a qualified workforce.

Historical Society meeting

The Rockingham County Historical Society will hold its quarterly meeting at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Wentworth United Methodist Church. The meeting will feature a presentation on the prehistory of Native Americans in North Carolina. The focus of the presentation will be the Saura Indians of the Dan River Basin as revealed through archaeological investigations ranging from 1938 to the present.

The guest speaker is historical society officer Rich Seybert, who has an undergraduate degree in archaeology from Wake Forest and a master's in biological anthropology from Arizona State. He has participated in numerous archaeological excavations and has performed forensic skeletal analysis of Paleo Indians from Florida and late prehistoric populations in the American Southwest. Call 349-9363.

Trace performs

Country music star Trace Adkins will perform Saturday at the Carrington Pavilion in Danville, Va. His hits include "You're Gonna Miss This" and "Ladies Love Country Boys." The Lost Trailers, which just released "Holler Back," will open.

Some $25 tickets were available Wednesday evening. To buy tickets, visit the Danville Welcome Center before 5:30 p.m. Friday at 645 River Park Drive or call (434) 793-4636. To get to the Carrington Pavilion from Reidsville, follow U.S. 29 North/U.S. 58 East (Danville Expressway). Take the Goodyear Boulevard exit, turn left onto Goodyear and right onto Industrial Avenue, which becomes Craghead Street. Turn right at the Crossing of the Dan.

Staff writer Miranda Baines can be reached at mbaines@reidsvillereview.com or 349-4331, ext. 35.