Cheerwine, the iconic 105-year-old soft drink, and its hometown of Salisbury will welcome two of the country’s favorite rock bands to the Hotwire Communication Stage as this year’s headliners.
Blues Traveler, the Grammy-winning quintet, is best known for their Top 40 singles "Run-Around,” "Hook,” and "But Anyway,” as well as their improvisational live shows. The Grammy-nominated Spin Doctors rose to fame for their 5x platinum album Pocket Full of Kryptonite and hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong.”
The two headlining acts will be joined by Lauren Light Trio, Tsunami Wave Riders and 9daytrip.
“We’re beyond grateful to the fans who travel from near and far to celebrate at the Cheerwine Festival with us,” says Joy Ritchie Harper, vice-president of marketing for Cheerwine and fifth-generation founding family member. “And we’d like to thank them by hosting two incredible headlining acts in our hometown. On top of that, we’re thrilled to welcome an incredible array of local vendors and brands from around the South to help us celebrate uniquely regional sights, sounds and tastes.”
This year’s outdoor celebration is scheduled for Saturday, May 21, from noon to 10 p.m., against the backdrop of Salisbury’s historic downtown.
In addition to exciting live musical performances from national, regional and local acts, festival goers will:
- Taste scrumptious Cheerwine-inspired food, including BBQ, desserts and more, from 35 Carolinian vendors.
- Enjoy Cheerwine-infused craft beer from a number of regional breweries, such as New Sarum Brewing Company and Cabarrus Brewing Company.
- Explore the soft drink’s rich tradition at the Rowan Museum’s Cheerwine exhibit, which catalogs the company’s long, storied history with rare memorabilia.
- Pop in the Food Lion “Carolina Brands” experience and sample unique regional flavors from favorites, including Cackalacky.
- Play at the F&M Bank Kids Zone, which includes activities and entertainment for kiddos.
- Take an F&M Bank trolley tour through historic downtown Salisbury, which will highlight a number of interesting Cheerwine sites.
- Shop for arts and crafts, including unique Cheerwine merchandise, at over 45 vendor booths.
“We love welcoming tens of thousands of people for the festival who in turn also get to see all our amazing city has to offer,” says Salisbury Mayor Karen Alexander. “Our residents and business owners always look forward to hosting visitors at our annual event, and 2022’s festival is poised to be the best one yet.”
For more information, visit https://cheerwinefest.com. Fans can also find details by visiting the Cheerwine Festival Facebook event page and searching the hashtag #CheerwineFest on social media.
About the Bands
● Blues Traveler - More than 30 years ago, the four original members of Blues Traveler—John Popper, Chandler Kinchla, Brendan Hill, and the late Bobby Sheehan—gathered in their drummer’s parent’s basement in Princeton, NJ, to jam. From these high school sessions emerged a band that would go on to release 13 studio albums and counting, four of which have gone gold, three platinum, and one six-times platinum- selling more than 10 million combined units worldwide. Over an illustrious career Blues Traveler has played over 2,000 live shows in front of more than 30 million people, and, in “Run-Around,” had the longest-charting radio single in Billboard history, which earned them a Grammy® for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals.
● Spin Doctors - The American rock quartet from New York City has been entertaining fans with its unique blend of funk, blues and progressive rock for over 30 years. Best known for their early 1990s hits "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong,” which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and No. 17, respectively, the Spin Doctors have released six studio albums, three live albums, four compilation albums and 12 singles.
● 9daytrip - This homegrown Carolina band blends soulful blues, country, rock, roots and psychedelic jam to produce an Americana sound all their own.
● Tsunami Wave Riders - Originally from Hawaii and now based in Charlotte, the group blends traditional island instruments, like Caribbean steel drums, Hawaiian ukulele and lap-steel guitar, with popular dance rhythms to keep audiences in the island state of mind all day and night.
● Lauren Light Trio - A pop singer-songwriter, Light is a force to be reckoned with. The Berklee grad has played 800+ shows in over 30 states across the U.S. On stage, she artfully crafts the perfect blend of pop and soulful vocals.
Created in 1917 by L.D. Peeler, Cheerwine is a one-of-a-kind soft drink with a unique cherry flavor. It is an iconic brand from Salisbury, North Carolina. Owned by the Carolina Beverage Corporation, the 105-year-old company is still privately owned and managed by the same founding family, five generations of whom have worked there. Cliff Ritchie leads Cheerwine as president and CEO. Available in supermarkets, restaurants, mass merchandisers and convenience stores in select states nationwide and cheerwine.com. For more information, follow Cheerwine on Facebook at facebook.com/cheerwine or on Twitter and Instagram @drinkcheerwine.