Sails Original Music Series

The 2026 Sails Original Music Series, presented by Protection Products, Inc., returns to the heart of downtown Hickory this spring and fall, presenting free concerts of live original music under The Sails on the Square. Performances will begin at 7 p.m., Friday evenings in May, June, and September. Now for the bands…check out this incredible lineup of diverse music!

Septembers Music Lineup:

Sept 4 – Miss Tess
Nashville chanteuse Miss Tess swings, swaggers, seduces, and soothes in that old school country rock way. Everybody loves Tess.

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.’

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.

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.
*As part of the Festival on the Field event, the performance is at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Samuel William Davis, Sr. Multipurpose Field in Taft Broome Park. Vendors and food trucks start at 4 p.m.
We hope to see you there!

Supporting sponsors of the series include Bob Sinclair Music, Larry’s Music & Sound, Pfahlert Creative Labs, Olde Hickory Brewery, and Crowne Plaza.

In addition to the seating available at Union Square, audience members are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. A variety of close-by bars and restaurants offer food and beverages.

ABC permitted businesses within the Hickory Downtown Social District will sell beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages in specially marked cups that may be consumed on Union Square, sidewalks, and other public areas within the designated boundaries of the social district. No outside alcohol may be brought into the social district. To review additional restrictions and a detailed map of the social district’s coverage area, visit www.hickorync.gov/downtown-social-district.

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.