The National Park Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary as the manager and protector of “America’s best idea.”
As the official support group of the only NPS property wholly contained within Western North Carolina, the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara has created a line-up of Sandburg in September events to keep the Centennial celebration party hopping at our own backyard national treasure.
Over the course of sixteen days, eight community events will center around the life of poet, biographer, folk singer and social activist Carl Sandburg who spent the final 22 years of his life with his wife Paula on their farm in Flat Rock. Included in the festival are…
– a community singalong with Jim and Pat McGill and Pat Corn
– a screening of the movie “The Day Carl Sandburg Died”
– a spoken word poetry performance by South Carolina artist Moody Black
– a gallery exhibition of Carl Sandburg-inspired art
– a concert of Sandburg poetry put to music by acclaimed New York musician David Nagler
As part of this year’s birthday bash the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara are offering the public a chance to participate in the Give100 Centennial Challenge – a raffle where the winning $100 ticket will receive a customizable National Park vacation trip for two valued at $5000. Only 150 tickets will be offered and all ticket holders receive a free one-year membership to the Friends.
All funds raised during the Sandburg in September festival go directly to the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site
The centerpiece of the Sandburg in September festival will be the Friends’ bi-annual Hobo Ball (Carl Sandburg spent time as a hobo when he was 19 years old and the experience informed his writing the rest of his life) on Saturday, September 17 at 6:00 p.m. Guests to this year’s Centennial Gala at the Mountain Lodge and Conference Center in Flat Rock will enjoy dancing to the jazz standards of Katie Ciluffo, Bill Altman & Friends.
Just for the Kids! (OK, the adults will love it too)
On Saturday September 24 at 10:00 a.m. the Friends and the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club have put together a fun-filled day of storytelling, music, and free hot dogs at the Historic 7th Avenue Train Depot in Hendersonville. Here is your chance to…
– learn how to wrap your belongings in a bindlestick
– explore the love-hate relationship between hoboes and the railroad
– discover the unique language of the hobo community
– make a Hobo Nickel
– see two of the goats descended from Paula Sandburg’s world-famous herd
– enjoy the musical stylings of former railroad policeman Buddy Davis and much more.
What do the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara do?
Perhaps you have hiked the more than five miles of delightful trails in the park that climb Big Glassy Mountain and trip by woodland ponds and open farm fields. Or taken your family to see the celebrated Chikaming goat herd. Maybe you’ve entered a contest to name one of our baby goats. Or attended a live performance or Family Fun Day on the Connemara Farm grounds. Your dollars enable the Friends to make those things highlights for the more than 90,000 visitors that come – for free – to the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site each year.