Haw River Ballroom

This venue rocks! We went to go to see Smallpools here and had no idea what to expect. It’s truly in the middle of nowhere, but only 40 min or so from Apex. The only places on the road to get there are tiny diners and churches, but lo and behold, right on the river, is this perfect venue for a concert or anything else (like a wedding reception or dance)! The first floor is pretty spacious for a fairly small concert, but they also have a second and third floor, both with balconies to step outside when the action gets a little warm inside. They have two bars, one of which is also a coffee bar. We’d probably give this 4.5 stars due to not having any liquor, but that was our only complaint! Bathrooms are super clean and available and we never felt crowded at any point. Although we were right in the middle of things on the first floor, it was good to know that we could go watch with a great view from the seating up above for a more relaxing experience.
We both agreed that this is the best concert venue we’d been to in the Triangle area! Next time one of our bands plays here, there’s no doubt we’ll be back.

This is a truly unique concert venue. The sound/​acoustics and beer selection are both excellent, but it can be tough to get a good view of the stage because the hall is long and narrow. I recommend visiting Saxapahaw in the daytime first before venturing out here at night, to have a better sense of your bearings. It’s really out in the middle of nowhere. I usually park in the overflow lot, which is not really a lot — it’s more of a field — and I use the flashlight on my phone to guide me on the short walk to and from the venue. The field can get muddy so dress appropriately.
On my last visit (to see The War on Drugs) the venue offered free coffee to everyone after the show. That was a really nice touch that I appreciated greatly.

SUPER neat venue! This place has über-​cool ambience in an old mill location and has been well renovated into a great concert space. For us, the only drawback is that it’s a pretty long haul from cary/​raleigh, but we’ll be going back for sure.
We went for a Lucinda Williams concert– and while that was a bust because it took her over an hr to come out after the opening act– the venue itself deserves props for it’s beverage offerings, neat space, outside options, etc. Parking was fine for us and just a short walk. Some folks were complaining about the lack of space to sit, but that wasn’t a problem for me personally. Ic an see how this venue is pretty popular for private events like weddings as well.
Will be back for upcoming Sarah Jarosz concert soon.

Always amazing even when it’s not a big event.
Coffee, beer, music and the sunset.
I would love to see more safety included in offsite parking.

This was a terrific venue for a concert. It’s great to be able to look out over the river on the balcony.
As for parking: They had a sign «public parking» leading us right to the grassy field for free parking which was only a short walk from the venue. It had been raining terribly that day, so cars and shoes got red clay on them, and it was very dark getting to that parking lot after the concert.
For sound: I was excited someone else here said it the music was not loud enough. I was right up front at the concert and felt it was loud, but I guess if you want it quieter you can head toward the back. 15% of children in our country already have permanent hearing damage– anything above 85 decibels can lead to long-​term hearing– so I really hope the venue and concertgoers take precautions.

The ambience of this place is the stuff of dreams. The authentic [vintage] décor makes it exude a sense of elegance and history. The entrance on the ground floor features colored lighting under a grate, creating a grand entrance for anyone and everyone. From the top, walking down the staircase, every event feels like a party in your honor. There is a wide variety of lighting options that can cater to any event. Honestly, there’s no place I’d rather be.

Saw Fitz and the Tantrums at this venue last month and it was a great standing room only venue. The acoustics were just right and I loved that there was a bar both upstairs and downstairs. Parking could be better, but I think the locals are used to shows so no one is whizzing down the highway at night if it obvious a show is happening.

This is a really nice small venue to watch a show. Great setting by the river. We bought our tickets online for the Robert Randolph & Family Band concert and we picked them up at WILL call. The entrance to the ballroom is to the right of the building at the lower level, you will walk through a small concourse and you will see the entrance. We were in line about 10 minutes before the doors opened and picking up our tickets was not a problem. I parked off the road next to the lofts which is less than a couple of hundred yards from the entrance. There were people tailgating in the lot of the gas station which was cool. Great show, friendly staff. We would definitely make the two and half hour trip here to watch another show.

Really great venue for live music! Not too big and not too small. Great acoustics and books awesome bands. They need to work out the bar situation (more bartenders, please!).

Beautiful venue space in the heart of Saxapahaw
Love the transformation of the old mill into a fun mix of restaurants, condos and ballroom. The ballroom is a great space to enjoy live music. Checked out Haw River Ballroom for a concert and enjoyed listening to music in a unique space, but there were some miscues. First, when you purchase tickets more than likely you’d lean towards picking up your tickets at will-​call to avoid the $ 12 charge to have tickets mailed to you. When you (and everyone else going to the concert) arrive before the show, you’ll find that will-​call is only a couple of windows and there is very little space b/​w will call and the outside doors. So in December, when you’re waiting in a huddled mass of people waiting to get to the will call window, you’re battling with little space and open doors welcoming the cold air in. The pick up for will call is paper based (read: archaic), but it doesn’t take too long to get tickets, however everyone in your party has to show their ID to a will call attendant to get their hand stamped to purchase alcohol. So in the mess of just picking up tickets, you’ll find people coming back and forth to get stamps. There has to be a better system for this. After you get through that madness, a fun turnstile clocks you in as you enter the ballroom — there’s a beer stand, restrooms and a fun lighted entry. There are more drink stations in the main ball room, some chairs along the sides of the ballroom and two upper galleries to enjoy the show. However, at a capacity show, the ballroom was beyond a reasonably comfortable capacity. There was hardly anywhere to move, all the stairs were filled with people and it seemed it was an obvious fire hazard, even moving around during breaks was treacherous, when it’s dark the stairs get a bit dangerous. That aside, if you go for a smaller show you’ll enjoy yourself — the acoustics are great, and the venue is beautiful. I’d recommend coming early to any show as parking near the ballroom fills out quickly — I came several hours before the show and was able to find one of the last spots near the general store, however it looks like they’ve opened up a field within walking distance for additional parking.
Overall it was a fun, unique experience. But a venue that I won’t be able to enjoy too often — the drive combined with the crowds takes away a bit of the charm that Saxapahaw is known for.

I fell in love with the Haw River Ballroom at first sight when I was at the grand opening Love Language/​Old Ceremony show, and have only fallen more deeply in love since then. In short, this is simply an amazing concert venue.
Located in beautiful and rustic Saxapahaw (a destination where every time I go, I think «Why don’t I come to Saxapahaw more often?»), this elegantly converted cotton mill fits the town perfectly. You can plainly see that a lot of love was put into the restoration of this venue. The venue itself is pretty large with high ceilings and good acoustics. The main ballroom floor area is downstairs, while there is a very cool largeish balcony up top where Cup 22 (the venue’s café) serves up coffee drinks, tea, and some small snacks. This upstairs balcony offers some seating should you prefer to sit for the show, and it also opens up onto a deck from which you can enjoy a drink and the music out in the beauty of Saxapahaw.
More points are earned for the fact that they serve up a variety of local beer drafts (ie, Fullsteam, Natty Greene’s and Foothills) and even offer some free coffee (while it lasts) for the ride home after a show. Talk about knowing the way to my heart!
The only real downside (as mentioned in other reviews) is that parking can be an adventure or a nightmare if you’re coming to a packed show. Hey, little ol’ Saxapahaw can only offer so much parking, right? If you can’t find parking in the lot or out front, however, you can simply park by the canoe launch, in the lot of a neighboring business (I think that’s ok), or in a grassy field a little down the road where everyone seems to go.
In short, this is a fantastic music venue that is likely to surprise and charm you. Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) remarked at his solo show that Haw River Ballroom does indeed «meet my criteria for niceness» (said in response after everyone in Carrboro he ran into apparently told him that the Haw River Ballroom was quite «nice»). If it’s good enough for Mr. Gibbard, it is good enough for this guy!

Excellent venue! Only thing that keeps it from being five stars is the fact that it’s a half hour from anywhere and parking is limited.
If you DO get good parking (think at least 15 min before doors open and you MIGHT get lucky), feel free to tailgate. I don’t know if this is actually kosher, but my buddy and I didn’t get any hassle. (If this review causes some sort of crackdown, my deep, deep regrets.) There is also one of those ubiquitous food trucks the Triangle is famous for, which also stays until the show ends. You can of course go into the café/​bar early and down some suds/​grounds, but expect to pay concert-​going prices.
The space inside is mid-​sized to small, I’m not sure it holds more than 700 people. There tends to be a bottleneck after the entrance, where the sound deck guy, the beer line, the merchandise stand, and the bathrooms are all located. Also, it’s where random people choose to stand and talk. Some sort of human traffic flow consultant needs to get on that, if only for the sake of the beer and merchandise stands to make more $$$, right? (And to make things smoother for the concert-​goer, who wants an experience where she wants to come back again and again, no?)
There is also an upstairs café/​bar area that is OPEN to EVERYONE! You may need to get a table for first-​come, first served second floor seating if you don’t prefer to stand bobbing your head behind those three tall guys who seem to ALWAYS find a way to stand in front of YOU and only YOU at every concert you go to and it’s not like you’re short or anything don’t they have common courtesy to stand further back? Anyway, the second floor seems to be open to the public, which is sweet. One potential downside of this is that people also tend to stand on the staircase, which might be a case for Fire Marshall Stan Saxapahaw.
Another downside is, and I can’t believe I’m saying this: the sound level is perhaps not loud enough. I’m cringing a little inside, because I’d prefer sound to be quieter than loud for my old ears, and I’m thinking of the workplace safety of the staff yada yada. Good news is the venue is not as ear-​piercingly-​dangerously loud as the Cat’s Cradle.
Nice venue. Carpool. Butter up your DD friends. Enjoy.

Simple but elegant restoration! The acoustics are good. Saw a show that was awesome – size of the ballroom is perfect. Small enough to have an intimate musical experience but large enough to not feel packed in! The first floor offers the stage, bar (beer and wine) with some seating flanking the stage. The second story loft offers seating with a view of the stage and access to a deck with an awesome view. Beer, wine, coffee and tea are offered upstairs. The hall can also be rented for weddings which I imagine would be beautiful! It’s about a 40 min drive from Greensboro and well worth it! Go see a show!

For those of us living in the GSO area, not too bad a drive and a really great venue. The acoustics were very good with pretty much a wide open, up close and personal stage with some minimal seating on the peripherals. Would definitely suggest subscribing to their calendar of events, finding a show, and just making it out there to see for yourself!

First, this place is beautifully restored and renovated. The main floor is the main concert hall /​dance floor or event space. The second floor is a little coffee shop that serves coffee, tea, beer, wine and various snacks. The back of the 2^nd floor are full windows that open up to a deck where not only can you catch the sun set into the haw river, but also there is a 2^nd outdoor stage below so you can order a drink and step out on the balcony to enjoy said drink, catch the sunset, and listen to some music. A staircase takes you up one more level where there is additional tables and seating.
My only gripe was not so much of the ballroom but the festival we happened to attend. Facebook stayed the last band would be performing indoors on the main stage at 8:30. We found a spot and ordered a drink. And waited. And waited. I found a flier for the event at the bar and it too said the band would be starting at 8:15. I re-​checked Facebook to confirm I hadn’t misread. I didn’t. However the band didn’t start until 10pm. I know this isn’t late, but when you plan your night around scheduled times it can really throw thing off.
None the less, great venue and I will be back soon, most likely to see the midtown dickens upcoming show.

If you haven’t been to a show here yet you’ve missed out on a really cool scene. The converted dye house from the old cotton mill has amazing acoustics and is the perfect size. Its pretty much standing only but the large wooden and brick room are not too huge. Generally they have Fullsteam beer on tap among others and have been attracting some surprisingly famous acts. I’ve been to 3 or 4 shows already and the sound system is really great. There are also a few tables high up and away from the stage that have a cool view. Parking can be difficult, but you can park downhill at the canoe/​kayak launch parking lot and walk up.

This is a pretty stellar venue. I saw «The Tallest Man on Earth» here a few weeks ago and I am not sure if the acoustics are just amazing or they just worked that well for him. Because he sounded phenomenal, just like he does on the LP. The venue is three stories and there was plenty of vantage points to see the stage. Even though it was a sold out show. I wish I had ordered a coffee from the café, lets face it TMOE is not a show you get hammered and rock out at, but ill save that for the next show. It is in a beautiful location too. Tucked away in the middle of nowhere, its almost like you are in the mountains.

I went here for the first time a couple of weekends ago to see Sarah Jarosz (who was AMAZING). The venue itself was equally amazing. We got there right in time for the show (missed the opener) and therefor at first thought parking was going to be issue. However, after circling the parking lot and deciding to park on the street we noticed additional parking signs that led us to a large field across the street where we were able to park for free.
Unlike many other music venues the Haw River Ballroom seems like it is meant to host family friendly shows. All acts must end by 11pm, and although there is alcohol the crowd wasn’t extremely rambunctious (this may also be because of who they were there to see, Sarah Jarosz, who is a very soulful, folky, and adorable acoustic musician). There were handful of kids dancing away and the atmosphere was similar to being at a music festival.
The building itself is a former cotton mill. The industrial feel creates a great ambiance, and for those who would rather not stand in the crowd right by the stage there are two additional levels (kind of like balconies) that offer a good view and have tables and chairs to sit at.
I also HAVE to give them extreme props for running the building, at least in part (not sure what the actual percent of production vs. overall use is), on both solar and geothermal energy. Overall, the business model is awesome. You can go to a concert, relax, enjoy the music, and not feel like you’re in an overcrowded bar or dance club. Seeing as they host concerts with a lot of my favorite types of music, I see myself braving the lengthy drive from Raleigh quite often.