Greensboro Daily Photo

David & Ginger Hildebrand of the Colonial Music Institute

Here we see David and Ginger Hildebrand of the Colonial Music Institute sharing their infinite knowledge about music of the American Revolutionary Period. They spoke and played at Tannenbaum Historic Park this past weekend as part of the interpretive offerings related to the Reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. Sitting in the audience, we heard not only a minuet but also the protocol for dressing and being introduced at this social dance. We heard 18th century songs with explanations of how tunes and lyrics were authenticated through primary source documents. We learned that playing a volin/fiddle would have damaged a woman's reputation; however, while violin playing was reserved for men only, its affordability made it possible for men of all financial means to play it. Conversely, the harpsichord could be played by men or women but only the wealthiest could afford them! We sat in the audience marveling at all of the great events tied to the reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. If the Hildebrands return to Greensboro next year, you won't want to miss them!

For ABC Wednesday, I is for INSTRUMENTS!

 

Salvation Army Kettle

The Salvation Army.. give to the Salvation Army. The bell rings and the big red kettle reminds us to help those who are less fortunate. My grandmother's first, and maybe ONLY, baby doll was given to her by the Salvation Army; so, the organization holds a special place our family's memories. Last Friday night, the Salvation Army was set up at the intersection of McGee and Elm Streets at Greensboro's kickoff to the 2009 holiday season. Tree lighting, indie arts and craft market, singers, and other performers, people of all ages came out in droves enjoying the festivities. 

With the prominence of the big RED kettle, we just had to select this photo for Ruby Tuesday. A few weeks ago, our photo of the sea of red shoes leading to the Salvation Army Select store led people to our blog in droves. May this photo lead people to the kettle.

 

Pumpkin Time

It's pumpkin time in Greensboro. Youth groups at local churches will set up their pumpkin patches to sell for fundraisers. Families will make an afternoon out of selecting just the right pumpkins to carve. The photo above was taken at the Fresh Market Grocery Store. These pumpkins look mighty fine and, at three for $10, won't break the bank for a little decorating fun. What are your pumpkin purchasing/carving traditions?

Rain Brings Us Together

This photograph was taken at the Greensboro Arboretum during the Summer Solstice Festival of 2008. It came across our desk as we going through the archives. We love the way people made the most of the summer downpour by sharing umbrellas and huddling together. All the giggling made us feel as if we were five-years-old again!  Next time you are down in the dumps, remember, rain can, indeed, bring us together. Everyone, but the vendors, was happy that day. The Greensboro Arboretum hosts many events and always has interesting flora; truly, a photographer's delight.

We think it is perfect for to share for the Watery Wednesday and the Monochrome Weekly groups. 

Friendly Park Pool and Tennis: July 4th Swim for Cancer Event

Here we see a picture of the Fourth of July Celebration at Friendly Park Pool, a big day for their Swim-for-Cancer fundraising. Kids were bouncing around on the inflatables, supporting a good cause. As we approached the pool, we noticed a lot of Friendly Frogs walking around with pink streaks in their hair. Carrie Drees of Orrell Design volunteered her time and supplies to pink-streak hair for a small donation to Swim-for-Cancer. This was only one of many local businesses donating time and materials for the cause. We will find out at the annual City Swim Meet, which of the area club teams raised the most money for Swim-for-Cancer. 

City Meet, by the way, is held today through Saturday at Lindley Pool. We cannot say enough about the wonderful swim programs at our local community pools. Children have fun with their respective team's events; they learn to swim competitively;  they learn to fundraise for good causes; and they get plenty of great exercise. Boy do they get plenty of exercise! Backstyle, breast stroke, butterfly, free, IM, relays......

This is our contribution to Theme Thursday: Celebration! Hope you enjoyed it!

Tie Dye Sky at the Greensboro Arboretum

Last Sunday at the Summer Solstice Festival in the Greensboro Arboretum, this young couple stood arm-in-arm admiring the sky. The picture was taken during the hottest part of the day when the sun didn't have much color. However, what the sky over Greensboro was lacking at that moment, the tie dye shirt replaced. This annual event is a great time to bring out your brightest clothing, hair garland, little dogs dressed up, long skirts, and positive attitude. Happy Sky Watch Friday where over 300 of us come together to celebrate the world beyond our reach.

Summer Solstice Festival in Arboretum

This woman, dancing on stage at the Summer Solstice Festival in the Arboretum this weekend, exemplifies the positive energy filling the air. The family friendly event brings thousands of people together to celebrate the day of the year with the most daylight. The 2008 festival experienced a torrential downpour. This year, we did not dare complain about the heat as we were all so thankful that the rains stayed away. Start planning your goddess/fairy outfit for next year. The more colorful, the better!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

Happy "Cinco de Mayo." This photo was taken on Saturday at the  Artbeat Festival in our beautiful City Center Park in downtown Greensboro. The four dancers are dressed in festive costumes from Jalisco, Mexico. These women make dancing look easy; however, in reality, the dresses are extremely heavy and the women get quite a workout swishing the skirts and moving around on stage. 

Typical of events where Artbeat and the Greensboro Public Library are involved, this event attracted people of all ages and from many cultures. The Artbeat Greensboro Festival will continue until May 10th, so if you haven't attended an event yet, it is not too late. Also, if you are in the mood to celebrate Cinco de Mayo today, turn your radio dial to 94.5 FM, La Preciosa, and enjoy the "musica inolvidable en vivo." If you look to the left of the photo above, you can see the tent belonging to "La Preciosa." The announcers were balanced bilinguals and took great care to accommodate their English and Spanish listeners.

If you go out today to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, please dine in one of the 127 restaurants participating in the "Serving Greensboro Together" fundraiser for Urban Ministries. Ten percent of the sale will be donated to Urban Ministry.  Arriba!

Fabulous Saturday in Greensboro

If you live in Greensboro and stay home today, you are missing out on a tremendous amount of local talent, history, and culture. First, as part of Art Beat Greensboro, Children's Day/Book Day will be held downtown in Center City Park from noon- 3pm. Bilingual children's writer Pat Mora will be on hand and many family-friendly activities will be offered at this free event-- music, dance, face painting, making bilingual books to name a few.

At 8pm, Barbara Presnell's poem  Piece Work will be brought to life on stage at the Historical Museum. The poem, and the stage adaptation, are an account of the lives of textile workers in Asheboro, NC across forty years. We saw the production last night and HIGHLY recommend it! As an added bonus, at the entrance to the Historical Museum is the fine photography of Lisa Scheer, documenting the under-celebrated lives of textile workers and their families in Greensboro.  We used the above photo today, the Water Tower at Revolution Textile Mill, because a woman, whose family on her mother and father's side all worked in textile mills, told us that the small structure at the top of this building was built during WWII to house a machine gun, kept there to protect the mill workers during power black outs. 

By getting out and attending these free events, you show your support for the arts, you will learn much about the history of our community and meet some very interesting people. If you're still looking for something to do, consider attending the Tape Art Project in Greensboro today!

Liberty Antiques Festival II

Yesterday, we featured the people and ambience of the Liberty Antiques Festival held twice a year south of Greensboro. Today, we feature more of the wares. The above photo shows the fine pie safes, crocks, baskets, enamelware, pottery, etc. available at the Liberty Antiques Festival. Items of great quality, including American primitives, were readily available. No crafts or reproductions were permitted in this show! We plan to start saving now and returning with a truck this September 25th and 26th!

Liberty Antiques Festival

The Liberty Antiques Festival was held this past weekend about 25 miles south of Greensboro on the Pike Family Farm. On Saturday, as we walked along the grassy rows enjoying the 18th-20th century treasures, it felt like a hot summer day. As you can see in the photo above, most people wore hats or visors and sunglasses. Dogs were panting! The man in the foreground is watching his every step as recent rains created ruts that are now dried and filled with grass, giving the false illusion that the ground was completely level. The diligent festival organizers posted signs encouraging people to "watch your step!"

The Liberty Antiques Festival has gained a great reputation in the southeast. People travel from miles around to enjoy the wares of the 400+ dealers on this 100 acre farm. Organizers run an orderly, friendly event which is, perhaps, the reason it was voted best antiques show in the mid-Atlantic region. If you are like us, you like to get out, be among people, see items first hand, and talk to dealers before buying. At the event, once you worked up an appetite, food stalls offered Dixie BBQ, homemade icecream, and kettle corn. Churches and fire departments were on hand for water breaks. 

If you want to attend in the fall, mark your calendar for September 25th and 26. The bi-annual Liberty Antiques Festival is always held the last Friday and Saturday of April and September. Hope to see you there!