Newspaper Page Text
COMING SOON AT ^
CINE
ATHENSCINE.COM
ViVA!
BS
SHOW US YOUR BOTTLEWORKS
PARKING PASS, GET A
FREE MINI CUPCAKE!
EMPANADAS
ARGENTINE CHEESE STEAK
CUPCAKES
HOME MADE SOUPS
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN OPTIONS
Open Tuesday-Sunday • Patio Dining • Kid Friendly
247 PRINCE AVENUE * 706-850-8284
EEI> feature
Party at the Park
NORTH GEORGIA FOLK FESTIVAL LOOKS TO CREATE LIFELONG MEMORIES
By Reid Koski music@flagpole.com
ith fall weather setting in, it’s once again time for
a longstanding Athens tradition. On Oct. 12, the
North Georgia Folk Festival returns for a 35th
year to Sandy Creek Park, bringing a diverse array of live
music, art, kids activities and food.
Co-sponsored by the Athens Folk Music and Dance
Society and the Athens-Clarke County Leisure Services
Department, the festival features 12 bands performing
across two stages, including the Caroline Aiken Band,
Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboys, The Moonshine
and young Guatemalan guitar wizards Grupo C21.
for patrons. Demonstrators include traditional corn-shuck
doll maker Beth Kelley Zorbanos, blacksmith Doc Watson,
sweetgrass basket maker Rebecca Gilliard, woodcarver
Isabel King, jewelry maker Chelsea Born and the Ladies
Homestead Gathering. There will also be eight food truck
vendors, including barbecue, crepes and vegetarian options.
For families, the festival looks to create a lifelong expe
rience. “There’s a lot of people who came here with their
parents as kids who are now coming here as parents them
selves and bringing their kids. That’s pretty awesome,” says
Jordan.
“We really tried to curate [the music lineup] very care
fully so we could get an interesting mix of things,” says fes
tival director Tommy Jordan. “One of the things I’m really
pleased about is that we got Caroline Aiken back to close
the festival this year. She got rained out in 2015, and she
was the headliner. She’s kind of a local favorite.”
The Skillet Lickers, a multi-generational band whose
grandparents were among the first popular recording acts
in the country genre during the 1920s and ’30s, also head
line this year’s festival. In addition to the scheduled acts,
festivalgoers are encouraged to bring
their own instruments and play under
the covered jam tent.
According to organizers, the North
Georgia Folk Festival is unlike other
local festivals—or even other folk music festivals. “We
focus on folk music in all its wide varieties. It’s not just
Peter, Paul and Mary, which is a lot of people’s stereotypical
folk music. We try to make it different,” says Jordan.
The festival further differentiates itself from other
Athens events by purposefully scheduling during home
football game days as cultural counter-programing. “Last
year, we did it on a home game weekend kind of as a
gamble... and we were right,” says Jordan. “Actually, our
attendance was up [from the year before]. That’s what
we’re doing again this year, and hopefully we’ll win again.”
Upwards of 1,200 people attended in 2018, and organizers
expect even more this year.
The festivities are not limited to music. Artists, jewelers
and other artisans will present their handmade work and
perform demonstrations in tents surrounding the fair
grounds, in some cases allowing hands-on participation
Rebecca Sunshine, a local librarian who makes music
specifically tailored to children, plays at 11 a.m. Following
her band’s set, she will lead a parade of children from the
stage to a tented area featuring crafts, face painting and an
animal petting pen sponsored by Bear Hollow Zoo. The kids
will be supervised by Montessori teachers until 3 p.m. “It’s
a nice thing for families,” says Jordan. “The whole day is
good for families.”
Sandy Creek Park provides a gorgeously unique setting
for a festival, characterized by sprawling forests, winding
trails and Lake Chapman. Lovers of
water sports, disc golf and nature can
expect to discover a new favorite park
or simply take a break from the festival’s
events.
Beyond the wooded, natural setting, the Folk Festival’s
performers are always excited for the opportunity. “Athens
has an unmatched musical community,” says Byrd, of the
Pickup Cowboys. “Other cities in the U.S. have a strong
music business, but Athens has community.”
Jordan concurs with Byrd’s assessment. “It’s an act of
love to put this thing on each year,” he says, “and it turns
out to be a party for your 1,000 closest friends.” ©
WHAT: North Georgia Folk Festival
WHERE: Sandy Creek Park
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 12,11 a.m.-8 p.m.
HOW MUCH: $15 (adults),
$8 (students), FREE! (under 12)
It’s not just
Peter, Paul and Mary.
10 FLAGPOLE.COM | OCTOBER 9, 2019