&bsp;It is official, we&squo;ve hit the festival season! To celebrate the Tryon Little Theatre opens the final show of their season with the delightful comedy You Can&squo;t Take it With You by Kaufman and Hart. I snuck a couple peeks at rehearsal and was amazed at the array of delightfully fun characters filling the stage with their antics. Sara Penrod is elegant as the young Alice in a family full of odd ball characters that will surely have the audience laughing out loud at their idiosyncrasies. Catch this festive frolic at Tryon Fine Arts Center tonight through Saturday at 8 p.m. or Sunday at 3 p.m.

While the adults light up the theatre, youthful actors age 8-21 are encouraged to visit Tryon Little Theatre workshop this weekend for the Summer Youth Theatre auditions. Director Marianne Carruth is looking for 8-12 years olds to fill the roles in &dquo;The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.&dquo; Show up at the workshop &dquo;ready to move&dquo; either Friday, May 16 3:30‐5 p.m. or Sunday May 18 3:30‐5 p.m. Callbacks will follow the Sunday open auditions. Director Chris Tinkler needs 13-21 year olds to pull off a variety of shapes and sizes of singing and dancing &dquo;Cats.&dquo; Bring sheet music to sing and wear clothes and shoes you can move in without anything flying off (i.e. no flip-flops) to the workshop either Friday, May 16 5:30‐8 p.m. or Saturday May 17 10-1. Callbacks will be Sunday evening 6-8 p.m.

Local businesses add festivity to the summer nightlife in the area with new live music for a variety of tastes. Try something different tonight like the light jazzy rock from the flute and guitar duo Not Even Brothers on the back porch at Persimmons Bistro in Landrum. Dine under the stars enjoying fine entr´es crafted by Steve Landon and delicious desserts and pastries from Allyson Landon. This perfectly matched team of chefs invites you to share an evening of fine food and music to help you unwind into the weekend. Don&squo;t forget to take a moment to enjoy work from the local artists now on display in their dining room. Not Even Brothers brings to life folk rock from the 1960s every other Thursday at 8 p.m. through the summer alternating weeks with the Dixie Rhythm Aces on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. spicing up your week with acoustic traditional jazz tunes from the 1930s. Discover sample menus and their events schedule at www.persimmonsbistro.com.

You&squo;ve heard of Elmo&squo;s in Tryon, but have you visited Elmo&squo;s Too in Columbus yet? Take a moment to check out the newest place in town Friday night at 8:30 p.m. when it gets grooving with the sweet smooth blues of Red Dog and the Dog Fight Blues Band. These hard working musicians have blended up a special brew of fine blues to get you dancing the night away.

Friday night take a drive up the Saluda grade to Melrose Station and visit the Gallery at Bear Creek where Mawbear welcomes you to an evening of comedy and music on the porch. Take your mind off the week by touring the gallery full of eclectic art in various mediums and then grab a seat for the show. Evangepastomedian Ronnie Wyatt will start people off laughing at 6 p.m. followed by the R&B and gospel music mixed with stories from David Foraker.

Gas prices got you down? If you can only make one trip this weekend, save up your pennies for the fifth annual Saluda Arts & Music Festival.

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. over 60 artists with work ranging from folk art to internationally acclaimed fine art will display their talented creations from the school to the bridge along US 176. Under the pavilion at McCreery Park a lovely line up of musicians will keep the town sounding festive. Starting at 10 a.m. the Polk County High School Percussion Ensemble will get things moving followed by some of the best local music to keep things jumping including the Polk County Middle School Jazz Ensemble, The Lone Derangers, Aaron Burdett, Phil and Gaye Johnson, Stereofidelics, and Front Porch Blues Band. As the day winds down, duck into the Purple Onion to catch Michael Reno-Hall at 8 p.m., or pull out your dancing shoes for Sound Factory at Saluda Mountain Jamboree.

As you head down the hill stop by to catch the opening of the &dquo;Profound&dquo; photography from Glenn Kavanagh at the Gallery at Bear Creek at 5 p.m. Or, stop by during the day for live music and hot dogs (free to the first 300 patrons during the noon hour) at this lovely restful spot.

Be sure to mark your calendar now for Veteran&squo;s Park in Columbus next Saturday night at 8 p.m. to catch the acclaimed bluesman and storyteller Roy Bookbinder.