Saluda Tailgate Market continues at West Main Street public parking lot on Fridays, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Fresh local offerings: rain or shine.
Many Saluda shops will stay open Friday nights with the first “Friday Night Live” scheduled for Friday, Aug. 31. You can do the Tailgate Market and then stroll downtown to visit restaurants and shops. There’s top-notch live music, art, food, people, dogs, and so many wonderful things in this little town.
Art Scene: Honking Tonkers Gallery at 78 E. Main will show work by Saluda artists Beverly Pickard, Arline Boyce, and have a showcase of Bill Ryan’s work; reception Aug. 31 from 6 – 9 p.m.
Saluda School is back in session. Please be careful when you see kids and the rumbling yellow dragons out on the roads. And don’t even think about zinging around a school bus in a no-passing zone.
Mark your calendar for the annual Charlie Ward Memorial Pig-Out on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 5 – 7 p.m. in the Pavilion at McCreery Park. If you’d like to volunteer or make a donation, contact Terry Baisden at 828- 749-3789.
James Blanton and Gary Corn will host a benefit for me at their historic Mill Farm Inn on Sept. 8 from 5 – 8 p.m. to help raise funds for eye surgery again; N.C. Services for the Blind helped with the last procedure; now there’s more to go, just call me a poster child for health-care reform. Neighbor Joni Rauschenbach who owns Saluda Inn Wine Cellar and Joni’s wine shop  is planning on having bottles of wine at the event labeled with one of my paintings. Also, donations can be made directly through Macon Bank, P.O. Box 98, Saluda, N.C. 28773, earmarked with my name and “eye surgery fund”. More information is available on Facebook, Saluda Lifestyles, and more. Art I’ve created over the past year is “art from a different point of view,” so I’ve tried to keep humor intact. This brings to mind  the Beatles song “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends.”
Please remember Angie Blackwell’s mom in your hearts. Angie is branch manager of our downtown Macon Bank, and not only did I get welcomed into her office and raid her candy bowl, we had a ‘real’ visit and shared our love of Saluda and friendly faces.
Thank you for reading this column, dear readers! Your comments are always valued, and it’s an honor to hear from many of you: even places like Wisconsin and Washington. If you have something to add, you can call me at 828-749-1153, email at bbardos@gmail.com; find me on Facebook; my website is bonniebardos.com