From Staff Reports

BREVARD — The Brevard Music Center will launch Brevard Music Center @ The Drive-In Movies, which it is touting as “an exciting summer drive-in movie series brought to you by Ingles Markets, presenting sponsor, on the Music Center campus.”

The series will debut with “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” at 9 p.m. May 30. The remainder of the eight-film series was not available by presstime May 13, but will be announced online “soon” at brevardmusic.org, a BMC press release stated.

The films will be presented on weekends at 9 p.m. on a 30-foot screen in the parking lot adjacent to BMC’s Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium at 349 Andante Lane in Brevard. 

BMC is also collaborating with the following community partners for Brevard Music Center @ The Drive-In Movies series: The Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County, Rise and Shine Freedom School, SAFE, Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas, Sharing House, Meals on Wheels, and Bread of Life. 

Volunteers from these participating nonprofit organizations will be giving each car a free bag of popcorn and candy along with literature about their missions in the community. Brevard’s Co-Ed Cinema is providing the popcorn, and Ingles will provide free candy to patrons.

Drive-in enthusiasts will be treated to movies on a special screen coordinated and constructed by PLATT. Audio will occur via FM transmission to the moviegoer’s car radio. To minimize physical interactions, tickets can only be purchased ahead of time at brevardmusic.org and a limit of 80 cars per showing will be allowed.

 “Our Brevard Music Center @ The Drive-In Movies series will offer something for movie buffs of all ages, including iconic musicals and old classics, as well as family-friendly, adventure and action films,” the BMC press release stated.

From Staff Reports

LAKE LURE — The Town of Lake Lure on May 9 reopened its parks, including the beach at Lake Lure, which is limited to foot traffic only, with no swimming or gatherings permitted.

Other reopened recreational venues in Lake Lure include Morse Park, the Flowering Bridge and Pool Creek Park. Also, boat rentals and tours were allowed to resume on May 9, with various restrictions.

The reopenings follow the closing of the venues after the governor’s March 27 statewide directive in response coronavirus pandemic.

In addition, as per the governor’s May 8 order for Phase 1 of the reopening of the state, Lake Lure churches are now allowed to hold outside services using public address speakers and equipment, provided they apply for an entertainment permit. Also, churches are allowed to hold drive-in services, with distancing requirements between vehicles, and with the occupants be allowed to roll down their windows to hear the service. In addition, services and assemblies of 10 or fewer people gathered within churches may meet — again with social distancing requirements.

What’s more, Lake Lure’s residential vacation rentals were permitted to resume operations on May 16, with all units required to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected  — and capacity limits strictly imposed.

Meanwhile, the adjoining Village of Chimney Rock announced that, beginning May 9, Chimney Rock State park reopened on a restricted schedule, with capacity and other limits because of pandemic concerns.

Also, a village offical noted that the following Chimney Rock food and beverage establishments have confirmed their reopening with various limits (most notably takeout-only service):

Burnshirt Vineyards Bistro & Tasting Room, Coffee on the Rocks, Geneva Riverside Tiki Bar, Hickory Nut Gorge Brewery, Old Rock Café, Riverwatch Bar & Grill and Village SCOOP.

Also, Chimney Rock retail establishments that have confirmed their May 8 reopenings include:

April’s Boutique, Babba O’Leary’s General Store, Chimney Rock Gem Mine, Chimney Sweeps & Mountain Traders, and Gale’s Chimney Rock Shop.

Lodging operations in Chimney Rock that confirmed reopenings (again, with restrictions) as of May 8 were:

 Esmeralda Inn (although the restaurant remains closed) and Hickory Nut Falls Family Campground.