Summer Concert Series Returns to Yadkin Valley: North Tower Band at Blackmon Amphitheatre

Music and wine have always made sense together out here. As announced on Eventbrite, the Surry Arts Council is bringing back their Summer Concert Series with North Tower Band taking the stage at Blackmon Amphitheatre on Saturday, June 20, 2026. If you've been looking for a reason to get out to the valley this summer, this is a good one.

Blackmon Amphitheatre is an intimate outdoor setting that fits this region well. No corporate festival vibes, no massive crowds. Just a good band, warm June air, and the kind of evening that's hard to replicate anywhere else.

Build a Full Day Around It

The concert is the anchor, but the day is yours to build. Just minutes from the amphitheatre, Surry Cellars offers something genuinely different from your typical winery visit. It's connected to the viticulture program at Surry Community College in Dobson, which means the wines you're tasting were made by students learning the craft hands-on. That context changes how you experience a glass.

I'll be honest: I think this kind of place deserves more attention than it gets. The academic setting keeps things low-key and unhurried, which is exactly the pace you want before a concert. Roll in, taste some wines, learn a little, and leave feeling good about where you spent your afternoon.

One note: the Eventbrite listing includes specific award claims and pricing details I'm not going to repeat here without a direct source to back them up. What I can tell you is that Surry Cellars produces a range of styles, from dry reds and whites to semi-dry and sweet options, including Muscadine wines that are a genuine part of this region's identity. Their Seyval Blanc is worth asking about.

What You'll Find at Surry Cellars

The campus setting gives you vineyard views and rolling Piedmont countryside without the crowds you might find at some of the better-known valley stops. It's picnic-friendly, so pack something light if you want to eat on the grounds before heading out for the evening.

Plan for an hour or two here. That's enough time to work through a tasting, ask some questions, and not feel rushed. The staff tend to be knowledgeable in the way you'd expect from a place built around education, so if you're new to North Carolina wines or just curious about how things are made, this is a good room to ask questions in.

Check their current hours before you go. They're typically open on Fridays but closed Mondays. Verify the schedule directly on their website before you make the drive.

Why This Kind of Day Works

Yadkin Valley doesn't always get the recognition it deserves on the national wine stage, and that's part of what I built ValleySomm to help fix. Days like June 20 are a reminder of what this region actually offers: real winemaking, real community programming, and scenery that holds up against any wine country in the country.

The proximity of a place like Surry Cellars to a venue like Blackmon Amphitheatre is one of the quiet advantages of smaller wine regions. You're not spending half your day in traffic. You're not navigating tourist infrastructure. You pull off the road, you're there.

If you've been to the Summer Concert Series before, you already know the Surry Arts Council puts together quality programming. If this is your first time, the North Tower Band on a June Saturday night is a fine introduction.

Explore More of Yadkin Valley Wine Country

A June Saturday show is the kind of evening that earns a full weekend, and the lodging guide covers the spots worth knowing about near Dobson. The reservation guide is the right read for any other tasting rooms you're adding to the day, and the Charlotte day-trip guide maps a workable route up if you're coming from the south.

Use the ValleySomm trip planner to build a full day or weekend around the event.

Plan Your Visit

Ready to put the day together? Head over to ValleySomm's trip planner and I'll help you build an itinerary around the concert, Surry Cellars, and whatever else fits your schedule. Takes about two minutes and you'll leave with a plan that actually makes sense for the valley.