Ocrafolk Fest Starts Friday!
The weekend is presented by Ocracoke Alive, and celebrates music, storytelling, and artisans from the N.C. coastal region and beyond. Festival goers will enjoy live music and storytelling by local and regional bands. Wander the festival grounds and find delicious food options from island restaurants, an amazing selections of artisans' booths showcasing fine arts and crafts, and booths representing Ocracoke's many non-profits organizations that keep the island functioning.
The Festival Info Booth (located in front of Books to Be Red on School Road) will open at Noon on Friday – so stop by and find out what you don't want to miss! This is also the place to find out the rain plan, if one needs to be put in place. (It looks like a 50/50 chance at this point....) Rain or shine – the show will go on! But the locations of events might change. Stay tuned to the Current for updates!
The weekend event kicks off Friday afternoon with Storytelling at Deepwater Theater featuring Donald Davis's workshop students.
The evening's events move down to the grounds of the Ocracoke Preservation Society, which hosts a Fish Fry from 5–7pm. Enjoy freshly-caught local fish from the Pony Island Restaurant and get serenaded by The Joyful Band of Singers, followed by an art auction at 7 p.m. across the street at the Berkley Manor. Mahalo Jazz 2 (a duo on piano and upright bass), will play from 6–7pm at the auction. Listen to the music and/or check out the art: a preview of live auction items is open from 4:30–6:30pm; there's a silent auction at the same time, too!
Festival favorites Craicdown will host a World Music Jam from 9–10pm on the Live Oak Stage at Books to Be Red on School Road. At 10pm, head over to the Ocracoke Community Center to hear the Donald Thompson Blues Band.
Saturday starts early, with programming beginning at 9am! There's something for everyone all day in the Books to Be Red/School Road/Howard Street area (three stages! a family area! artisan booths! food! fun!) right up until 6pm. After that, the festival scatters – you might find yourself at a Saturday night event at the Community Square (Square dance, puppet parade, Skipjack Wilma Lee open house, Kaira Ba) or Community Store (bluegrass jam with the Outliers), at the Community Center (Los Taracos de Michoacan music and Mexican food!), in Deepwater Theater (Donald Davis), or back at the Live Oak stage for Ocrachicks! Jacob Johnson ends the day's festivities with a concert at Deepwater from 11pm-Midnight. (It'll be worth staying up, I promise.)
Sunday brings the best of the fest: the annual Gospel Sing at 9:15am, and more music, storytelling, artists, culminating in the All-Star Jam Finale at 3pm.
A complete schedule of Saturday and Sunday events can be found at www.ocrafolkfestival.org. Or just pick up one of the handy schedules available around the village or at the Info Booth.
New performers this year include The Yes Team, Blue Eyed Bettys, Vistor & Penny, Kaira Ba, Mahalo Kazz 2, and Los Tarascos de Michoacan.
They join the ranks of returning favorites: festival hosts Molasses Creek, storyteller Donald Davis, Mipso, The Donals Thompson Band, The Outliers, The Alberti Flea Circus, Finley Woolsten and His Joyful Band of Singers, Paperhand Puppets, Craicdown, Jacob Johnson, The Green Grass Cloggers, Martin Garrish, Bob Zentz, John Golden, Philip Howard, Capt. Rob Temple, Rodney Kemp, Jef the Mime, Ocrachicks, and more!
The festival is financed with sponsorships, donations, grants, admission buttons, merchandise sales and fundraisers. General admission buttons are $20 for adults and $5 for kids; patrons can get a bigger button for $40. There aren't any button police on the festival grounds, but buying a button shows your support for the festival and a wish to see it continue for years to come.
