Hickory – The City of Hickory’s Sails Original Music Series, presented by Protection Products, Inc., returns this fall with a full month of free outdoor concerts featuring exceptional original music every weekend in September. This popular series brings nationally and internationally touring artists to downtown Hickory for an unforgettable community experience.
Performances on Friday, Sept. 4, 11, and 18 will begin at 7 p.m. on Union Square in downtown Hickory.
Music fans will enjoy a special change of venue on Saturday, Sept. 26, with a Festival on the Field beginning at 4 p.m., followed by a Sails Original Music Series concert at 5 p.m. at the Samuel William Davis Sr. Multipurpose Field in Taft Broome Park.
This year’s fall lineup includes:
Friday, Sept. 4 – New Translations
New Translations is like Musical Red Bull! Energetic, non-stop fun from the first note to the last. We are so fortunate to have our New Translations friends back for the Sails Original Music Series. IYKYK…
Friday, Sept. 11 – Mellow Swells
Let’s welcome these guys back to Hickory! Great rhythm and atmosphere from this band celebrating their new release ‘Take Me With You.’
Friday, Sept. 18 – Pressing Strings
This trio from Annapolis, MD is wildly talented and broadly influenced – with intimate ballads, upbeat anthems, roots rock, Americana, and modern jam-band fun.
Saturday, Sept. 26 – N-Spire Band
Wrapping up the 2026 season, N-Spire will bring it with R&B, Jazz, Funk, Pop, Old School, Go-Go, and more. Expect horns, big voices, passion, creativity, and soul.
In addition to outstanding music, art and performance will come together in a new way this September. Passions Alive, a project led by Bob Sinclair and supported by a grant through Arts Culture Catawba, will feature local visual artists creating live paintings during each concert. As artists capture the energy of the music in real time, audiences will experience a vibrant fusion of sound and art that enhances this year’s series. At the end of the season, the finished paintings will be auctioned to support future Passions Alive performances and participating artists. For more information about Passions Alive, contact Bob Sinclair at bobsinclairmusic@gmail.com.
Started in 2012, the City of Hickory’s Sails Original Music Series spotlights original, well‑crafted live music at The Sails on the Square. The series, produced by Bob Sinclair Music, is made possible through generous support from presenting sponsor Protection Products, Inc., as well as Larry’s Music & Sound, Pfahlert Creative Labs, Olde Hickory Brewery, and Crowne Plaza.
Bring a chair, enjoy downtown dining, and experience some of the best original music around—live under the Sails all September long.
For more information about the Sails Original Music Series and upcoming bands, please visit www.HickoryNC.gov/SailsMusic and follow the Sails Original Music Series Facebook page, www.facebook.com/SailsMusic.
Photo: Union Square in downtown Hickory is filled with music fans during a Sails Original Music Series concert. Photo by Blue Yonder.
