LAURINBURG — It was a perfect storm … great weather, great evens and great crowds all weekend long.

From Friday’s Hasty Realty Laurinburg After 5 and the Scotland County Parks and Recreation drive-in movie night to Sunday’s jazz concert and everything in between, the crowds came out to enjoy all the events.

The ACE Party Band kicked off the first Hasty Realty/Laurinburg After 5 on Friday night with a large crowd gathering downtown to enjoy the evening. At the Morgan Complex, around 50 cars enjoyed the showing of Black Panther.

On Saturday the farmers market kicked off with a steady crowd throughout the three-hour event. Multiple vendors selling everything from honey to plants to crafts in the McDuffie Square while multiple downtown vendors added to the market by placing items outside their businesses.

“It was a really good turnout, with a lot of people coming into our downtown,” said Laurinburg Downtown Development Coordinator Daniel Walters. “We’re very happy and satisfied with the farmers market and we’re looking forward to having more downtown. We’ll be having another one on June 19 and there’s nothing but big things to come for downtown in the future.”

Saturday evening, ENCORE! Theatre presented its “Radio in the Garden,” which was a collaboration of skits from its Backroom Radio Hour performances. The crowd gathered at the Art Garden in downtown to watch the performance which featured skits along with a musical performance by Gary Gallman.

Ending the weekend of events was the jazz concert in Hammond Park, which attracted more than 100 people. The Jazz Revolution band played a two-hour set under the shelter at the park.

“The concert went really well,” said Terry Gallman. “Everyone brought chairs or blankets and sat under the trees to enjoy the music. We had people walking over from their houses and bringing their pets and their families.”

Gallman added the event was a success and one of the big questions that were asked throughout the evening was if there would be another concert event.

“We would love to be able to hold another jazz concert, however, we don’t think it would be free and instead there would have to be a charge to get in,” Gallman said. “The Arts Council just isn’t able to sustain having events like that but we were able to because we had paid the deposit back in 2019 for a 2020 event that got canceled and had CARES Act money to help be able to put on this particular event.”

Reach Katelin Gandee at kgandee@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com. To support The Laurinburg Exchange, subscribe here: https://laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com/subscribe