Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival - Fort Fisher North Carolina
My favorite annual Pleasure Island festival is the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival held the first weekend in November every year.
The Bluegrass Festival is a showcase of some of the very best local and regional musicians in North Carolina. It seems the love they have in their hearts for the music they play shines through with every chord. Some tunes are heart rending, others toe tappin’ and some flat out foot stompin’, it is a moving experience all around.
It is our tradition to arrive early on Sunday morning, coffee and danish in hand, to hear the bluegrass gospel bands perform. It’s usually still a little chilly before the sun warms up for the day. I bring along a jacket because I enjoy watching the sun burn the mist off the river as the day begins to heat up; with the music playing in the background, it can be a truly spiritual experience.
The Fort Fisher Military Recreation Base where the event is held is in a gorgeous spot beside the Cape Fear River. Seating is on the festival lawn so bring along a chair or blanket. The gates will open on Saturday at 9:30am and close at 6:30pm. The Sunday hours are 10:30 until 6:00pm. We usually spend the entire day: there is plenty to eat, arts and crafts to shop, storytelling and later in the day when things have warmed up clogging and square dancing are great fun to watch.
As with the music, the arts and crafts for sale are local, hand made items. One of my favorite vendors is a local beekeeper who sells his honey and nuts. (Ward’s Nut’s and Honey) There is also a local winery, Silver Coast, with beautiful wines for sale that you can drink at the festival or bring home for later. There is a girl who does beading and sells a rainbow of colored bracelets, earrings, necklaces and other trinkets. I like the feeling of familiarity at the Bluegrass Festival; I get to visit with the same people year after year. It seems that since it does not have as large an attendance as some of our other events,it offers more of an opportunity to talk to the crafters and meet others at the festival who are there for the music and the dancing. It is definitely a family event.
For a colorful, cultural weekend full of fun and music in North Carolina come on down for the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival this November.
For additional information about the Southern Coastal Bluegrass Festival in Fort Fisher, NC visit their website at:
http://coastalbluegrassfestival.org/cms/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
The website for the Thalian Associate, sponsors of the festival can be found at:
http://www.thalian.org/cms/
Additional information about Pleasure Island including Fort Fisher, Kure Beach and Carolina Beach, you can visit Bella’s Life on the Island at:
http://merrymermaid.com
Visit Pleasure Island North Carolina with the tips of a local! Your tour guide website Bella’s Life on the Island is at: http://merrymermaid.com
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