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🧵 In Today’s Edition

1. Welcome (Back) the Eastern Festival of Music
2. Giving Cranberries a Chance for Thanksgiving
3. The Weekender
4. What We’re Reading

Eastern Music Festival Returns — With a New Name


The Eastern Music Festival is back, but this time, as the Eastern Festival of Music. While the organization is brand new, the inner workings—including the music director, most of the musicians, and the model—will stay the same. 

Read the full story here.

— Sayaka Matsuoka

Thanks for reading The Thread, a 3x week newsletter written by Greensboro editor Joe Killian and reporters Sayaka Matsuoka and Gale Melcher. Reach us with tips or ideas at greensboro@theassemblync.com.

Giving Cranberries a Chance for Thanksgiving

Six more sleeps until America gathers around tables for one of its most polarizing holidays.

And on some of those tables, the most divisive dish is a scarlet, jammy, sugar-laden plate of cranberries. A delight to some, a horror to others.

While some prefer the wibbly-wobbly obelisk of sucrose as a guest at their table, others make the sauce from scratch. Cranberries are naturally bursting with pectin, if cooking without a ton of added ingredients is your jam.

I don’t have a preference between the two because cranberries, in any form or fashion, are not welcome on my plate.

Read the full story here.

-Gale Melcher

The Weekender


With less than a week until Thanksgiving, there’s a lot of holiday-themed events on the calendar this weekend. But don’t worry! We’ve also got meditative practices, inclusive sports opportunities, and a new bookstore opening on the list.

FRIDAY, Nov. 21

A Magical Cirque Christmas @ Tanger Center
7:30 p.m.

Get into the Christmas spirit early at this spectacular event featuring dazzling circus acts and festival musical talent singing holiday songs. Tickets on sale here.

SATURDAY, Nov. 22

2025 Greensboro Half Marathon, 5K, and 1 Mile @ 600 Battleground Avenue
8 a.m.

There’s still time to sign up for one of the largest races in the city! Three different lengths offer a range of abilities from a half-marathon to a 5K to one mile. Even if you’re not running, be sure to look out for traffic diversions and slowdowns in this part of town. Learn more here.

Free Class – Intro to Qigong @ The Marshall Muse Gallery
9:30 a.m.

This free class will offer attendees an introduction to qigong, a mindful, Chinese movement practice. Similar to tai chi, qigong is a meditative system that coordinates body posture, movement, and breathing. Learn more here.

Handmade Goods and Vendor Market @ 5945 N. Church Street
10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Hosted by Gospel Baptist Church, this market will feature dozens of handmade goods and vendors just in time to get a start on holiday shopping. Learn more here.

Adaptive Sports Expo @ Leonard J. Kaplan Center for Wellness
10 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Greensboro Parks and Recreation’s Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation program is partnering with UNCG to host this adaptive sports expo. This event will include rock climbing, mountain biking, volleyball, goal ball, bocce ball, tennis, basketball, rugby, and more. For more information, contact Greensboro Parks and Recreation AIR at 336-373-2626 or AIR@greensboro-nc.gov. 

Strike Out Hunger – Community Food Drive @ Spare Time Greensboro
11 a.m.-11 p.m.

This local bowling alley is finding a way to give back and make it easier to have fun this holiday season. Anyone who brings a non-perishable food item through Dec. 22 will receive a $10 play card to use at the alley. Learn more about the food drive, including a list of accepted donations here.

Fall Festival @ Griffin Center Park and Recreation Center
12-3 p.m.

Gather the family and head to the Griffin Recreation Center for a free fall festival complete with free food, games, and music. Learn more here.

Chili Cook Off @ 426 W. Market Street
1-3 p.m.

The weather is getting cooler, which means it’s time for chili! Got a recipe that you think makes for a winning bowl? Enter your chili at this cookoff and get a chance to try others! Learn more here.

Friendsgiving Bar Crawl @ 2109 New Garden Rd.
5:30-11:30 p.m.

Spend the afternoon participating in this community bar crawl that features three different bars—Lockwood Tavern, Craft City Sip-In, and Tailgators—in northwest Greensboro. Tickets on sale here.

SUNDAY, Nov. 23

Merry Market at The Farm @ Summerfield Farms
1-6 p.m.

Here’s another opportunity to get your shopping on this weekend. Join others at Summerfield Farms for a market featuring local vendors, wine tastings, and a food truck. Tickets on sale here.

The Second Hand Book Grand Opening Celebration @ 908 Spring Garden Street
1:30-3:30 p.m.

If you’ve been craving a used bookstore since the closure of McKay’s, check out The Second Hand Book, which celebrates its grand opening this weekend! This small, one-woman bookstore is just getting its start and could use all the support it can get! Live music will start at 2 p.m.

Pupsgiving @ Doggos Dog Park and Pub
5:30-8 p.m.

Don’t forget about your pooch this holiday season! Bring your furry child to this dog-specific Thanksgiving celebration that will feature a traditional holiday meal and a complimentary drink from the bar. Tickets on sale here.

—Sayaka Matsuoka

What We’re Reading

Fallout: This week, Border Patrol agents descended on North Carolina cities in an immigration enforcement action, claiming to detain individuals who are in the country without documentation. Charlotte officials and Homeland Security disagree about whether they are leaving the state this week. A spokesperson told NC Local on Thursday that more than 370 people were arrested in five days. but provide little information on who they detained, where they are held, or what crimes were charged.

Belles of Liberty: But Linda Beatrice Brown, a Bennett College alumna, wants people to know that there were hundreds of young women who participated in the sit-ins, too. She was one of them. Her book, Belles of Liberty: Gender, Bennett College, and the Civil Rights Movement in Greensboro, North Carolina, was recently reissued. WFDD has more.

Honoring a Legend: The Greensboro City Council recently passed a resolution honoring the life of legendary comic book artist Murphy Anderson, who grew up in Greensboro in the 1930s and lived in the city from 1949 until 1959. Yes! Weekly has the story.

Joe Killian is The Assembly's Greensboro editor. He joined us from NC Newsline, where he was senior investigative reporter. He spent a decade at The News & Record covering cops and courts, higher education, and government.

Sayaka Matsuoka is a Greensboro-based reporter for The Assembly. She was formerly the managing editor for Triad City Beat, an alt-weekly based in Greensboro. She has reported for INDY Week, The Bitter Southerner, and Nerdist, and is the editorial/diversity chair for AAN Publishers.

Gale is a Report for America corps member and Greensboro-based reporter for The Assembly. She previously covered local government and community issues for Triad City Beat. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from N.C. State University.