This was a party where people knew themselves. There was no searching or seeking, playing with their hair, or pursing their lips, it was just a place where everyone could have a feel-good time and celebrate this iconic movie.
Lake Lure’s Dirty Dancing Festival is held every year in August in Lake Lure. It takes place in the Hickory Nut Gorge, on the spot where the actual movie was filmed.
The basketball courts make way for a huge stage where dance lessons take place, and the grassy lawn becomes an outdoor cinema.
Activites you can expect on the day are watermelon-carrying races, amateur shag competitions, Kellerman’s Festival Talent Show, a lakeside film screening (of course) and finally, the annual Lake Lift competition.
The highlight of the festival was to watch the lift competition in the lake, just around the corner from where Baby and Johnny practiced in real life.
The participants were focused and determined to stay up in the air the longest and win that coveted crown. We even had a marriage proposal and everyone cheered and were so happy he did not lose the ring to the sucking mud underneath.