On Memorial Day folk musicians from across the region will converge at Connemara for a day of toe-tapping fun and music.
Just as Carl Sandburg’s family enjoyed sitting on the porch while he played a guitar and sang for them, you can experience the gentle strums of folk music at Connemara.
11:00 am, Jhon Akers shares anecdotes of Carl Sandburg’s life and his guitar-inspired passion for music.
12:00 pm, The 42nd Street Jazz Band performs good-time swing era tunes and nostalgic ballads.
1:00 pm, John Emil, master of the slide guitar plays a unique show-stopping mix of delta and folk blues. Emil has supplied music for several prominent television shows such as “Dateline” and “The Voice”.
2:00 pm, The Chuck Beattie band will perform Chicago Style Blues with his traditional old school charm. Chucks’ knowledge of gospel, jazz and the sounds of the Delta make for a memorable experience.
3:00 pm, internationally recognized female trio- Under Hill Rose will perform their impressive harmonic fusion of Americana, blue-grass, R&B and roots music. Their premier album “Something Real” was named one of the American Music Associations Top 100 albums of the year in 2013.
11:00 am – 3:00 pm, Steve and Jean Smith perform hammered dulcimer in the historic barn area.
Seating is available at the amphitheater or bring your own chair and rest under the hemlocks while you enjoy a day of folk fun. This event is free and open to the public. Snacks will be available for sale in the bookstore and tours of the Sandburg home will be available throughout the day for a small fee.
Carl Sandburg began playing the guitar in the early 1900’s to enhance his lectures and performed during the era of Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie and he was the mentor for Burl Ives. He played the guitar, banjo and harmonica and collected a series of folk songs, which he published in his book The American Songbag. The festival began in 1987, and is supported by the National Park Service, Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara, Eastern National and a grant from the North Carolina Arts Council; administered by the Arts Council of Henderson County.