While Western North Carolina continues its recovery in the wake of Hurricane Helene, the City of Hendersonville and Friends of Downtown Hendersonville are dedicated to fostering community through music, highlighting the region’s rich culture and resilient spirit.
The final Rhythm & Brews concert of the season, presented by Horizon Heating & Air, will take place on Thursday, October 17, bringing an evening of Bluegrass and Americana to South Main Street. Headlining the event is Western North Carolina’s own Darren Nicholson, with The Wilder Flower as the opening act. This night promises to be a memorable celebration of music, community, and the togetherness that defines the people of Henderson County and Western North Carolina. Proceeds from the October show will be designated to business recovery efforts in Downtown Hendersonville.
Headliner: Darren Nicholson, has played mountain music since his youth in Western North Carolina, is a high-caliber musician with substantial contributions to such acts as Alecia Nugent and Balsam Range.
Since going solo, Nicholson has persistently and earnestly invested in his shows, making each one a tailored experience. They are genuine, entertaining, and an extended handshake to the community. A native of Haywood County, North Carolina, Darren and his entire band have been on the ground serving their communities in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Opening Act: The Wilder Flower blends Folk, Americana, Bluegrass, and Old-time influence into something new and fluid. They thrive vocally on three-part harmonies, whether a two-chord old-time ballad, or a modern, minor-filled melody, and instrumentally feature bluegrass banjo tunes, fiddle and clawhammer string-band songs, flatpicking guitar, and everything in between.
Opening acts will kick off each evening at 5:30 p.m. followed by the headliner performance from around 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.
R&B is a free outdoor concert series that takes place June – October annually. The event includes Henderson County craft beverages, food trucks and kids’ activities. Contributing to the presentation of this concert series are Norm’s Minit Mart, We Sell WNC, Parks Ford, Van Winkle Law Firm, BGW CPA, The Salty Landing, Rock Creek Containers, Yoga and Massage and Joyce Windows, Sunrooms & Baths. Rhythm & Brews and the Friends of Downtown Hendersonville have also received generous support from the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority.
For the youngest in the family, the Hendersonville Honeycrisps & the Hendersonville Toy Company Kid Zone will provide kid-friendly fun. Meanwhile, adults can enjoy downtown Hendersonville’s first fully integrated beer, cider and wine garden featuring locally crafted drinks from Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Bold Rock Hard Cider, Guidon Brewing Co., Oklawaha Brewing Co., Dry Falls Brewery, Saint Paul Mountain Vineyards, and Flat Rock Cider Company.
Come hungry! There will be an assortment of some of Hendersonville’s best food trucks and food vendors, including Daddy D’s on Wheels, Heidi Ho on the Go, Carolina Ace BBQ, Flat Rock Wood Fired Pizzas, The Underground Baking Bretzel Bus, Baabal’s Ice Cream and The Porkskins Crew.
Please leave your pets and coolers at home. Chairs are allowed on the Wells Fargo side of the event near the Kids Zone. There are several free and paid parking options available near the show, with the closest paid parking in the private lot at Barnwell and Main (access only from King Street), and free on-street parking outside of Church and King Streets.
All net proceeds from the event benefit the Friends of Downtown Hendersonville 501c3 nonprofit, whose mission is to collaborate to preserve and enhance the vitality of Downtown Hendersonville’s districts. In recent years, the Friends of Downtown Hendersonville has supported downtown businesses with over $40,000 in direct business support through the façade and pivot grant programs.
Rhythm & Brews Concert Series was started in 2013 by Friends of Downtown Hendersonville, a 501c3 nonprofit operated by the Downtown Division of the City of Hendersonville Community Development Department. For more information, visit downtownhendersonville.org.
