HICKORY — The Sails Original Music Series, presented by Protection Products, Inc., returns this spring and fall with free original-music concerts under The Sails on the Square, the City of Hickory said April 15, 2026.
Shows start at 7 p.m. Friday evenings in May, June, and September. One date changes venue: N-Spire Band plays at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at Samuel William Davis, Sr. Multipurpose Field in Taft Broome Park as part of Festival on the Field, with vendors and food trucks from 4 p.m.
Communications and Marketing Manager Dana Kaminske said the series is in its 15th year and “consistently attracts large audiences, supports our local economy, and contributes to a lively, welcoming atmosphere.” Coordinator Bob Sinclair said, “Every season gets bigger, bolder, and better.”
The city listed the lineup: The Get Right Band on May 1; Florencia & the Feeling on May 8; Flow Tribe on May 15; Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light, 2025 Telluride Bluegrass Band Champions, on May 22; Magnolia Boulevard on May 29; Tyler Ramsey Trio on June 5; Dulci on June 12; Chatham County Line on June 19; Pretty Little Goat on June 26; New Translations on Sept. 4; Mellow Swells on Sept. 11; Pressing Strings on Sept. 18; and N-Spire Band on Sept. 26.
Supporting sponsors listed: Bob Sinclair Music, Larry’s Music & Sound, Pfahlert Creative Labs, Olde Hickory Brewery, and Crowne Plaza. Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged. ABC-permitted Downtown Social District businesses may sell alcohol in marked cups on Union Square and other public areas inside the district. No outside alcohol. Map: www.hickorync.gov/downtown-social-district. Series: www.hickorync.gov/SailsMusic.
The April 15 notice does not list a seating cap or a rain location for Union Square dates; the Friday shows are described as free.
Official release from City of Hickory, April 15, 2026. https://www.hickorync.gov/sails-original-music-series-returns-2026
