By: Travis Archie and Jennifer Ortiz
When questioning social activities in Shelby, N.C., Derek Soots, a sophomore at Gardner-Webb said, “What activity is there? There is a mall and Cookout.” This is a common response among the students at Gardner-Webb; not many students see Shelby as a hotspot to socialize with friends on the weekend. Many students stay on campus or go to Gaffney and Charlotte.
Shelby is definitely a small town; but, with this comes some advantages. There are spots in Shelby that offer you and your peers a place to socialize, eat and explore for very cheap prices.
1. Fright Night Costume Crawl
Friday, October 24th, Uptown Shelby will host a Fright Night Costume Crawl for the entire community. Dress up with a group of your friends and come out and explore the spooky Shelby area. Armbands cost $1 and will get you “Killer deals around Uptown” according to their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/events/1472867022985677/?ref=22).
2. Sunset Drive-In—3935 W. Dixon Blvd.
For only $10 per car, the Sunset Drive-In offers movies every Friday and Saturday night. They show two feature films each night; this weekend they will show Fury and Annabelle. The gates open at 7pm, and the first movie will start at 7:30 or as soon as it gets dark. The Sunset Drive-In accepts cash only. To keep up with the movies they show, check out their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/sunsetdrivein2
3. Don Gibson Theater—318 Washington St.
The Don Gibson Theater is not just a venue for up and coming musicians and performers of all types; each Thursday, the venue hosts a “Throwback Thursday” movie night at 7pm for just $2. Next Thursday, October 30, they will be showing Nightmare on Elm Street. For more information on upcoming events check out the Don Gibson Theater website: http://www.dongibsontheater.com/events/
4. Earl Scruggs Center—103 S. Lafayette St.
The Earl Scruggs Center features many exhibits on the music and life of banjo master and Shelby native, Earl Scruggs. Admission is only $8 with your student ID. On November 1st The Earl Scruggs Center will host the 5th annual Rhythm and Roots Run & Walk which was featured on Runner’s World as 1 of 18 5ks that are “awesomely unique”. For more information on how you can get involved, visit their website here: http://earlscruggscenter.org/events/
5. Cleveland County Arts Council—111 S Washington St.
The Cleveland County Arts Council offers many opportunities to feed your artsy side. From now until November 13, you can check out one of their exhibits from 5:30 to 7:30 featuring handcrafted musical instruments such as guitars, ukuleles, cigar box fiddles, etc. They will also have live performances by some local musicians. As the holiday seasons approach, you can check out some handcrafted gifts made by local and regional artists. For more information, you can check out their site: http://www.ccartscouncil.org/index.html
6. Lily Bean’s Micro Roasted Coffee House—108 E. Warren St.
Lily Bean’s Micro Roasted Coffee House offers frozen beverages, hot chocolate, hot tea and coffee, as well as a wide selection of baked goods. You can even pre-order your drink on their site (https://squareup.com/market/lilybeans-coffee) and pick it up in 15 minutes! They recently celebrated their 3rd year in business in the Uptown Shelby area. Their hours of operation are weekdays: 6:30-9pm; Sat: 8am-10pm; Sun: 8am-6pm.
7. Pleasant City Wood Fired Grille—233 S. Lafayette St.
On Thursday nights Pleasant City offers half priced pizzas after 5pm. As an alternative to caf food and on-campus restaurants, Pleasant City offers pizza, sandwiches, pasta and more. Check out their menu here: http://www.pleasantcitywoodfiredgrille.com/
8. Newts—116 E Warren St.
Newt’s has some of the best burgers in town with prices that are college budget friendly. They offer $6 specials on select burgers on most days and $5 burgers on Wednesdays. Newt’s also hosts trivia nights and open mic nights. To stay informed on the burger of the day check out their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/NewtsAModernBurgerJoint/timeline.
9. Smoke on the Square—5 E Marion St.
Smoke on the Square provides “soulful southern fare with flare…serving low country cuisine and steaks,” according to their website. They have $0.35 wings on Thursday evenings and they offer many lunch specials that can be found on their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smoke-On-The-Square/258133117801.
All photos by Elizabeth Banfield.