Mint Hill Madness

MINT HILL, NC - Mint Hill Madness 2021 was a roaring success!  COVID-related cancellations and postponements meant that Mint Hill hadn’t seen a party this size in two years, but this year’s Mint Hill Madness was definitely worth the wait. Mint Hill Madness kicked off on Thursday night with All You Can Ride night sponsored by Mint Hill Orthodontics. Photo by Mary Beth Foster. The festival opened at 3:00 pm on Thursday, October 21, with “All You Can Ride” night sponsored by Mint Hill Orthodontics.  With the purchase of a $25 wristband, carnival-goers enjoyed unlimited access to all the rides all night long!  New additions to this year’s carnival included more mechanical rides, midway games, and axe throwing.  Thirsty Horses kicked off a weekend of stellar entertainment on the Nov...

MINT HILL, NC - Mint Hill Madness ended with a bang on Saturday night! Eagles tribute band On the Border. Photo by Mary Beth Foster. As the sun set, On the Border rocked the Novant Health Main Stage with a 2-hour journey through the Eagles songbook.  Known as the “Ultimate Eagles Tribute Band,” On the Border delighted the crowd with authentic renditions of all the Eagles hits from ballads like “Desperado” and “Lyin’ Eyes” to rockin’ hits like “Life in the Fastlane” and “Heartache Tonight.” Shortly after 9:00, Mayor Brad Simmons took the stage with Mayor Pro-Tem Dale Dalton and Commissioners Mike Cochrane, Tony Long, and Patrick Holton.  “Welcome back, Mint Hill!” he began, a nod to the fact that it’s been nearly two years since Mint Hill has been able to gather for a festiva...

Jake Haldenvang took the Main Stage at 4:00 on Saturday at Mint Hill Madness.  Front man of Halden Vang, the young blues-rock guitarist, vocalist and song writer recently appeared on NBC’s “The Voice,” where he earned a spot on Team Gwen. It’s Haldenvang’s stint on TV that drew in Kathy and her family.  “We came to see the band!” said Kathy.  “We saw him on the voice.”  Andre came to support his cousin who plays Bass with Haldenvang.  Others set up on the lawn were staking out a prime viewing space early for the fireworks. Haldenvang kicked off what promises to be a stellar last night of entertainment at Mint Hill Madness.  Charlotte-based DJ A-Rod will entertain the crowd from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm with his energizing multi-genre mix of music.  At 7:3...

MINT HILL, NC - Thirty-four contestants competed in the Miss Mint Hill Scholarship Pageant at Veterans Park on Saturday, October 23.  Open to girls ages 1-20 who live within a 75-mile radius of Mint Hill, the pageant’s purpose is two-fold. “We want to help to provide scholarship money to Miss Mint Hill as well as creating a court of young people to help serve the Mint Hill Community throughout the next year,” said Pageant Director Julie Greg. “Pageants in general are a great way to build self cofidence and interview and public speaking skills.” Contestants in all seven age groups from Baby Miss (ages 1-2) to Miss Mint Hill (high school seniors through 20 years old) took part in three required competitions: Photogenic, Robinson Orthodontics Best Smile, and Beauty.  Additiona...

MINT HILL, NC - If you just haven’t found the time to get your COVID-19 vaccine or flu shot yet, Novant Health is making it easy: stop by their booth at Mint Hill Madness (located just inside the entrance) to get one or both! From 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, Novant Health is offering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for ages 12 and up.  The COVID-19 vaccine is free; ID and insurance are not required.  Please wear a mask (one will be provided if you do not have one), and be prepared to remain at the site for 15 minutes after getting vaccinated.  Walk ins are welcome.  Novant is also offering flu shots, and RN Kiley Como ensures that it’s perfectly fine to knock both out at once. “Novant Health is out here providing COVID shots - both first and second doses as well as boosters,...

MINT HILL, NC - 209 runners set off from Veterans Park at 8:00 Saturday morning for the 23rd annual Mint Hill Lions Club 5k. Established in 1917, the “Lions of Business” have a long tradition of assisting the visually impaired.  At a time when many viewed the blind as incapable of being educated, supporting themselves or living independently, the Lions created jobs for the blind and provided vision screenings in schools.  In 1925, Helen Keller solidified that mission when she address 7500 Lions gathered for their annual convention at Cedar Point, appealing to them to act as “Knights of the Blind.”  One of 48,000 Lions Clubs worldwide, the Mint Hill Lions Club continues this tradition of providing for the needs of the visually impaired and the community at large through...

MINT HILL, NC - Four-piece jazz fusion and contemporary pop band Sounds Downrange took the Novant Health Main Stage on Friday afternoon. A quartet from the 2nd Marine Division Band out of Camp Lejeune, Sounds Downrange features Ronald Joseph on keys, Corporal Spencer Walgren on saxophone, Corporal  Payton Johnson on drums, and Lance Corporal Aden Fruhling on guitar.  The foursome plays primarily jazz standards with a bit of contemporary Top 40 radio mixed in. Test your strength with a pull up or push up challenge with the Marines! Photo by Mary Beth Foster. “They’re going to be performing all of this afternoon through the early evening as well as tomorrow,” said Staff Sergeant Mardia Timoney, 6th Marine Corp District Musician Technical Assistant, on Friday afternoon.&nb...

MINT HILL, NC - It’s 3:00 pm on Friday, October 22, and the second day of Mint Hill Madness is underway! Today is your last chance to see the Novant Health Critical Care Helicopter, a flying critical care unit integral both for transporting patients to Novant hospitals and completing inter-hospital transfers.  “We're the helicopter service for Novant; we do a lot of transports from hospital to hospital in their system,” said Flight Nurse and Paramedic Doug Helms.  “We’re also available for emergency calls outside of the facility, car wrecks and that sort of thing.” People tend to associate transporting patients by air with trauma cases, but the Critical Care Helicopter is so much more than a “Sky Ambulance.”  Medical Helicopters can improve outcomes for all sorts of no...

MINT HILL, NC - Mint Hill Events and Chick-Fil-A kicked off “Spirit Night” tonight at Mint Hill Madness! Children in spirit wear at the carnival. Photo by Mary Beth Foster. Students from area elementary and middle schools visited the Mint Hill Madness information booth on Thursday night to pick up vouchers for a treat from Chick-Fil-A and enter their school for a chance to win a sweet prize package courtesy of Mint Hill Events and Chick-Fil-A. So far, Bain and Lebanon Road have been popular, and the booth saw more students from elementary than middle schools.  Spirit Night continues through the close of the festival tonight, and everyone is encouraged to participate!  All Mint Hill elementary and middle schools are eligible.  Wear something that displays your schoo...