FiNE ART - Rapid River Magazine

R A P I D R I V E R A R T S
42 nd Season Begins on Saturday, June 28
The celebrated
mountain tradition,
Shindig
on the Green,
which showcases
the region’s
rich heritage
through its folk musicians
and dancers, kicks
off the season at Martin
Luther King Jr. Park in
downtown Asheville.
Along about sundown,
or at 7:00 p.m. for
those who wear a watch,
locals and visitors alike come together
downtown for this free event, which features
a stage show and informal jam sessions
throughout the park. Highlights include
performances by The Stoney Creek
Boys, the long-standing house band for
Shindig on the Green; newly formed and
long-standing bands from throughout the
mountains; and an extensive lineup of
dance teams.
The Folk Heritage Committee
produces Shindig on
the Green and its sister event,
the Mountain Dance and
Folk Festival, to support the
preservation and continuation
of the traditional music,
dance and storytelling heritage
of the Southern Appalachian
Mountains. Between
3,000 and 5,000 people attend
Shindig on the Green for free
throughout the summer. In
addition to throngs of locals, visitors routinely
travel from out of state, across the
country, and even around the world to
make their way to downtown Asheville
for Shindig on the Green.
music
Shindig on the Green
The Green Grass Cloggers at a
Shindig in the summer of 2007.
Photo by Anne Mallett.
Many of the nation’s best traditional
musicians are mountain-area musicians
who got their start coming to Shindig and
“cutting their teeth” before advancing to
professional careers complete with recording
contracts,
their own tours,
and the national
spotlight.
Shindig on
the Green takes
a break from its
regular Saturday
schedule just
twice during July
and August: once
on July 26 to make
way for the city’s Bele Chere festival and
again on August 2 when the musicians
and dancers head to Shindig’s sister event,
the 81 st Annual Mountain Dance and
Folk Festival, a ticketed event at Diana
Wortham Theatre at Pack Place, takes
place nightly Thursday through Saturday,
July 31 to August 2. Tickets are available
from the Pack Place Box Office at (828)
257-4530.
Danielle and Danny Bishop play oldtime
at a Shindig in the summer of
2007. Photo by Tom Chapman.
If you go
by Elly Wells
The Sweet Tater Band on stage at a
Sindig in the summer of 2007.
Photo by Tom Chapman.
Shindig on the Green takes place at Martin
Luther King Jr. Park on Martin Luther
King Jr. Drive in downtown Asheville, on
June 28 and July 5, 12, 19.
The City of Asheville parking lots, located
to the south of the City Building, and the
Buncombe County parking lot, which
has an entrance off Charlotte Street
directly south of the entrance to Tripps
Restaurant, are open to the public during
Shindig on the Green.
Martin Luther King Jr. Park can be accessed
either by the front entrance to the
park, or through an opening in the gate at
the corner of S. Charlotte Street and Tunnel/College
Street.
For more info about Shindig on the
Green call the Folk Heritage Info Line:
(828) 258-6101 x 345 or access: www.
folkheritage.org.
June 2008 — Rapid River ArtS & CULTURE Magazine — Vol. 11, No. 10