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May 5th Celebration to Usher in First “Saturday Night Lights” Event of the Season at TIEC

Mill Spring, NC – April 29, 2016 – Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC) will begin the first week of international competition of the 2016 season on Wednesday, May 4, and host a week of activities and entertainment for competitors and spectators. Visitors to the facility can enjoy a fun-filled week as the venue welcomes the start of another exciting season of “Saturday Night Lights” events featuring the $127,000 Asheville Regional Airport Grand Prix CSI 3* on Saturday, May 7.

A day of celebration will commence on Thursday, May 5, with the official Grand Opening of new Mexican-themed restaurant, The Siesta Cantina, and The General Store, both recently opened on-site at TIEC. The day will also welcome the first Farmers Market presented in partnership with Growing Rural Opportunities (GRO).

The Grand Opening for The General Store will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 5, and continue through 12:00 p.m. featuring local product sampling and a formal ribbon cutting ceremony. The Grand Opening of The General Store will run in conjunction with the inaugural Farmers Market. Through a newly introduced partnership with GRO, all produce available is sourced within a 25-mile radius of TIEC, with only farmer grown food products offered for purchase. If interested in participating in future Farmers Market events at TIEC, please visit http://growrural.org.

Later in the afternoon, TIEC will welcome its seventh on-site restaurant, as The Siesta Cantina will now offer authentic Mexican cuisine throughout the season. The Grand Opening will begin at 6:00 p.m. and continue through 9:00 p.m., presenting special dish tastings soon to become the dining hot spot for visitors and competitors alike. Accompanying the opening of The Siesta Cantina, “Buck Off for Charity” will also begin at 6:00 p.m., as contestants will have the opportunity to ride a mechanical horse to raise money for the Great Charity Challenge of the Carolinas, to be hosted at TIEC on Friday, July 1. The event and all activities throughout the day are open and free to the general public.

The 70th Annual Block House Steeplechase at Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (FENCE) hosted by Tryon Riding and Hunt Club (TRHC) will bring enthusiasm and excitement to the foothills region before the start of the $127,000 Asheville Regional Airport Grand Prix CSI 3* at TIEC following later in the evening. TIEC is the proud Premier Race Sponsor for the event. For more information on the Block House Steeple Chase, please visit http://www.blockhouseraces.com.

The tremendously popular “Saturday Night Lights” series offers visitors and spectators an evening of heart pounding action and entertainment, as grand prix show jumping highlights a week of equestrian competition in the George Morris Arena, with accompanying family activities and live performances free to the general public. The $127,000 Asheville Regional Airport Grand Prix CSI 3* will be the first event to take center stage on a Saturday evening under the lights at the venue in 2016, beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 7. Gates will open at 5:00 p.m. while a special screening of the derby will be aired on the jumbotron at race post time.

Project X will play a live selection of music throughout the evening on the first “Saturday Night Lights” of the season, while a Derby Hat contest and parade will begin at 6:00 p.m., with cash prizes being awarded to the Most Unique, Most Outrageous, and Most Exquisite hats. Other family activities will include pony rides, face painting, carousel rides, and live performers.

For more information on TIEC and the May 5th Celebration, please visit www.tryon.com.

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