Have the time of your life and experience timeless songs, dirty dancing, lake lifts, and more during the 9th annual Lake Lure Dirty Dance Festival, taking place this Friday and Saturday.
In honor of its namesake film, the Dirty Dancing Festival, in the picturesque mountain town of Lake Lure, N.C., showcases bands playing beach and soul music, fun competitions, watermelon races and amazing dance performances. This year, the festival is adding more entertainment to an already packed schedule of Dirty Dancing fanfare. Visit the official schedule for additional information.
Start the festivities on Friday, August 24 with the Lakeside screening of Dirty Dancing. Bring your blankets and chairs to cuddle up and watch Dirty Dancing amidst the backdrop of majestic Hickory Nut Gorge! Vendors selling food, beverages, alcohol and merchandise will be open. Gates open for ticket holders at 5:00 pm; the park opens to the general public for the free Lakeside film screening at 7:30 pm. The movie begins at approximately 9:30 pm.
Continue the fun on Saturday, August 25 with an all-day, family-friendly event with live bands, dance performances and lessons, watermelon races and games presented by PanCAN, a shag contest, and of course the iconic Lake Lift Competition! Admission includes all entertainment, games, dance lessons, and competitions. Plus, you can come and go throughout the day with your admission wristband!
Author Sue Tabashnik joins the Dirty Dancing Festival for a two-day Meet & Greet! Meet the award-winning writer behind the Dirty Dancing tribute books and the Patrick Swayze legacy tribute book. Book signings and sales will occur during the festival. And don’t miss Sue’s special stage appearance on Friday night before the Lakeside screening of the movie!
Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children. However, the Lakeside film screening of Dirty Dancing on Friday, August 24 is absolutely free to attend.
The Dirty Dancing Festival was founded in 2010 in the beautiful town of Lake Lure, North Carolina, where much of the classic film Dirty Dancing was filmed. The festival has grown in numbers and fame ever since and aims to not only be a large scale fundraising event in the future, but also a weekend celebration of dancing, music and our all-time favorite movie! Visit the Dirty Dancing Festival website for additional information.