PotashCorp-Aurora and Arts of the Pamlico are teaming up to present a night of free entertainment at the Turnage Theatre.

The double-billed show on Oct. 2 features Greenville’s Emerald City Big Band and the Donald Thompson Band, a combination of swing music, blues and classic rock ‘n’ roll.

The theater’s doors open at 6 p.m., seating starts at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 7:30 p.m., as 20 big band musicians take the stage to present classics from the 1940s and 1950s, including works by Count Basie, Glen Miller and Duke Ellington, with some Latin jazz, Dixieland and rock thrown into the set list. Emerald City Big Band last performed in Washington when it opened for the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra at its 2014 performance on the Washington waterfront, another event sponsored by PotashCorp.

Following intermission, the Donald Thompson Band, known for colorful stage attire and band members’ vintage look, will wrap up the performance.

For Arts of the Pamlico Executive Director Joey Toler, the concert is just one event by which the nonprofit is reaching out to a greater audience and expanding its mission of inclusiveness.

“This concert helps us to introduce a new audience to the theater, while allowing us to offer quality entertainment for free, which is something we strive to do as often as possible,” Toler said.

Toler said the concert is a gift to the community from PotashCorp, the phosphate mining company located in Aurora, which allows Arts of the Pamlico to offer the show for free. No tickets are necessary; seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, Toler said.

Ray McKeithan, PotashCorp’s manager of public affairs, said events like the upcoming free concert and back-to-back summer symphony performances on the waterfront in 2013 and 2014 help PotashCorp fulfill its community goals.

“One, the Arts of the Pamlico and the Turnage Theatre are one of our community investment priorities, and two, we support free concerts in the community. This night of great music supports both objectives,” McKeithan said. “We are hoping for a full house to promote awareness of Arts of the Pamlico, its mission, and its future.”

For more information about this and other events offered by AOP, visit the website at www.artsofthepamlico.org, email info@artsofthepamlico.org or call 252-946-2504. The Turnage Theatre is located at 150 W. Main St., Washington.