Top of the Grade Concert Series Returns!
The Top of the Grade Concert series returns this summer on the Ella Grace Mintz Stage in McCreery Park on the third Friday evening of the month.
Mark your calendars for evenings of great fun and music with your neighbors. The shows start at 7 pm and wrap up as the sun sets over the railroad tracks at 9 pm.
Friday, June 16th – The series starts with The Sufi Brothers. The Sufi Brothers are Aaron “Woody” Wood on vocals and guitar and Jason Krekel on vocals, mandolin, guitar, and fiddle. These Asheville musicians play an improvised set that starts with a tribute to country roots, blues, gospel, and folk, then travels a path unknown guided by an openness and sensitivity to each other and the universe. They let their incredible talent and a higher power determine the course the music takes. They played at the 2022 Saluda Arts Festival and folks asked to have them back, so they will open the 2023 Top of the Grade Concert Series.
Friday, July 21st – We follow that up with Dulci Ellenberger. Ellenberger never fails to disappoint with her fun stage presence and terrific vocals. She will be playing her originals and classic covers by artists like Aretha Franklin and Carole King with a full band.
Friday, August 18th – We wrap up the season with Tryon cover band The Trophy Husbands. Get ready for an evening of folk rock and Americana classics.
If you would like to be a sponsor for the concert series, please contact Lynn Casey at
caseysaluda@gmail.com. The levels of sponsorships are platinum for $500, gold for $250 and silver for $100.
Attendees should bring their own chairs or blankets. Food, soft drinks, beer and wine, and coolers are allowed. No food will be available at the park, but all of Saluda’s restaurants will be open, serving everything from hamburgers and pizzas to gourmet meals. Events are rain or shine so bring an umbrella if rain is in the forecast. In some cases, rain events may move to the park’s Pavilion.
When: 7-9 p.m.
Where: The Ella Grace Mintz Stage in McCreery Park, downtown Saluda
How much: Free and open to the public
The Top of the Grade Concert series is overseen by the Saluda Downtown Foundation, Inc. with support from the City of Saluda. The Saluda Downtown Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the arts, beautification, historic preservation, cultural development, and economic development in downtown Saluda.
