Greensboro Daily Photo

Ode to Kudzu

You know it is late summer in Greensboro when the kudzu plants are in full bloom and some of the pods have gone to seed. They say kudzu is the plant that ate the south as it is especially fond of our climate. In early summer, has tenacious roots and can grow up to a foot a day!  If you visit the Wal-Mart on North Battleground, you can see the kudzu covered trees. Some patches of the trails along Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway at Lake Brandt are covered with kudzu- which is where this photo was taken. At least the blossoms are fragrant, smelling something like wild grapes. We wonder if some civic groups could get volunteers to go out and tackle the kudzu. Or, is it just here to stay? Kudzu takes over vegetation by blocking out light. 

If you want to learn more about kudzu, read here. If you want to see kudzu, head out for a hike. Some people make baskets out of the woody, mature vines; and, some people make jelly out of the flowers. So, if you want to forage for some free food or basket-making material, head to your nearest kudzu patch. Oh, and by the way, there really is at least one ode to kudzu. See here!

Happy Saturday. For those of us who aren't at the beach, in the mountains, at Hoppin' John at Shakori Hills, or Merlefest, let's hit the trails and explore Greensboro!

Leah Junquera

Last Friday, en route to the North Carolina Folk Festival, we happened upon UNCG's Greensboro Project Space where Leah Junquera was installing art for her show. The gallery is the off-campus contemporary art center for the UNCG School of Art. It is in a new location, at 111 East February One Place, right beside Cincy's. Leah is a recent graduate with an MFA in painting. She loves to paint landscapes that focus on the relationships between trees and the earth. Leah is originally from the foothills of the Adirondack Park in New York and the landscape from that area really influences her work. According to her website, "her paintings oscillate between physical landscape and inner space"... and she "investigates where expired hopes go." Her paintings have thought provoking titles like, "Where do we go from here?" and "She sewed all the curtains herself before she even knew the road existed." 

Leah is especially fond of the color blue, all of the hues from turquoise to ultramarine. She has a deep understanding of color theory and it comes through in her paintings. This talented young artist has paintings available in all price points, and we predict her work will become well known. It is so wonderful UNCG has a gallery downtown and you do not have to be UNCG affiliated to show there or to be involved in their events. Community engagement is a priority. The gallery is free and open to the public. If you time your visit just right, you can get a hot dog at Cincy's and see Leah's artwork at the same time. If you are super lucky, Leah will be there you to take you on a mini-journey through her installation.

50+ Artists

A few years ago, Bobby Craddock (second from left with a scratched cornea) formed the 50+ Artists Group, for older creatives to gather, talk art, nurture their creativity and find ways to show and sell their art. This past Saturday, the Greensboro group went on location to Danbury in Stokes County. They went to visit the Stokes County Arts Council to see what ideas could be brought back to Greensboro. The arts building on 500 Main Street in Danbury has a gallery, a shop for selling art, a coffee shop, a theatre/venue for gathering, workshop space, and studio space. There are plans for even more features for the property. 

In the above photo, five members of the 50+ group are seated in the studio where artist Craig Richards paints and displays his work. Craig took time out of painting a landscape to take a few photos for our group. Seated, from left to right, are members, Joyce Lind Terres, Bobby Craddock, Janis Antonek, Mavis Liddell, and Carlton Craig. Being surrounded by Craig's art (see back wall), talking art, and getting ideas to bring back to Greensboro made for a very productive day. If you are interested in joining the group, and are close enough to Greensboro to take advantage of the meet ups, talks, and shows, please see the 50+ Artists Community on Facebook. In the above group alone, there is expertise in mixed-media art, assemblage, found-art jewelry, photography, oil and acrylic painting and woodworking. There are 150+ members of 50+ artists, all with special talents and on their own creative journey!

Happy Thursday!

The Day the Cheerwine Van Came to Town

Cheerwine was created in Salisbury, NC, in nearby Rowan County, in 1917. Cheerwine set up at the 2021 North Carolina Folk Festival, offering free samples of regular and sugar-free Cheerwine. Their booth wasn't swamped, but people consistently wandered by for a sample. They were also selling cans of the unique cherry flavored beverage. It is always fun during special events when there are give-aways. Cheerwine has been very innovative with product development and marketing in the 2000s. There is Cheerwine ice cream, Cheerwine punch, and Cheerwine Krispy Kreme doughnuts. 

While Greensboro can't claim Cheerwine, just a few miles from this booth, we have our own flavor company. Mother Murphy is a food flavoring business that was established in in1946. For 75 years, those scents from very secret recipes have been wafting through Greensboro. Mother Murphy boasts a flavor library of of more than 60,000 flavors. Their motto is "If you can imagine it, we can create it."  Salisbury has Cheerwine and New Bern has Pepsi; we challenge you to order some special flavor from Mother Murphy and create the next soda sensation. Then, you can set up at an upcoming festival and we can snap a photo and boast that your soft drink was created right here in Greensboro, North Carolina! 

For those who were around in the Boar & Castle Days, you may remember the Green Drink. Hmmmm......

Happy Wednesday; happy innovating!

NC Folk Fest #DGSO Stage

One of the many nice things about the North Carolina Folk Festival is the way it brings people together, people from all walks of life. On Saturday, from 5-8pm, the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony was held on the #DGSO Stage at the 500 block of South Elm Street, at MLK Jr. Drive. With Jim Gallucci's sculpture as a backdrop and Café Pasta feeding first responders, people spoke, played, music, danced, and expressed appreciation. In the above photo, the group "Doby," is preparing to perform and Keith Holliday is speaking about the event.

Doby is a funk/soul group from Greensboro, NC. Robin Easter fronts the band. Jonathan Wilson, Leo Kishore, Jeff Yetter, and Bon Lozaga are the other band members (see here). Keith Holliday, a former mayor of Greensboro, is the development associate for the economic development organization, Downtown Greensboro, or #DGSO. This was the #DGSO stage. Doby's set was fabulous and, standing around watching, we concluded that Robin and Keith know just about everyone in Greensboro. The event was special and the setting was just perfect. The NC Folk Festival will return in one year and two days. In the meantime, we'll be on the lookout for Doby's next gig and for #DGSO's next big event!

Happy Tuesday!

 

Bringing Closure to the Folk Festival 2021

And so another North Carolina Folk Festival is in the books. It was such a lovely weekend to have a festival. The footprint for the festival was smaller this year than it had been in previous years; however, there were many great options on the different stages and it was very easy to walk from one stage to the next. If you are willing to walk, the parking lot set up on the southwest corner of Gate City Boulevard and South Elm Street, is a great option. It is free and it is far enough away from downtown events that you don't get stuck in traffic. The above photo shows the crowd at the Old Courthouse Stage on West Market Street. The prominent, iconic Lincoln Financial building, with the time, temperature, and multicolored lights served as a beacon, guiding us to two of the stages. There was another stage at Greene and Commerce, and then another at LeBauer Park. On Saturday, the 9/11 ceremony took place on a stage at the corner of MLK Drive and South Elm Street. There were also performances on that stage. 

Greensboro is so lucky to host the North Carolina Folk Festival and we cannot take that responsibility lightly. We all need to do our best to promote it and get the word out to all corners of North Carolina, and beyond. Noticeably absent this year was the parking lot behind the News & Record Building. It is a little sad to know that the paper is no longer published in Greensboro and the presses are silent. Regardless, for three days and two nights, all of the Folk Festival staff, city employees, volunteers, musicians, Greensboro merchants, venders, and attendees brought to life, a very special event. Indeed, it was magical. A heartfelt thank you to all involved. And if you missed it, mark your calendar for next year.  It looks like the dates will be September 16-18, 2022. If that is incorrect, please let us know.

Angels In Heaven

"The angels in Heaven have signed my name." As Lalenja Harrington and Laurelyn Dossett performed this Badgett sisters song on stage, during "Songs of Hope and Justice", the sign language interpreter took their spoken words and transformed them into visual music. Throughout the evening, there were times interpreters were swaying to the music, too. Listening to beautiful music by talented North Carolina performers singing a song written by North Carolina women, nestled between the Greensboro Courthouse and the West Market Street United Methodist Church, seated with an attentive audience: It doesn't get better than that. It was as if we were holding church service, right in the middle of Market Street, Ground Zero for the city's north/south street designation.

West Market Street is peeking out of the right corner of the photo. Today, the NC Folk Fest events at this location, the Old Courthouse Stage, don't start up until 1:00 pm, giving church goers a chance to meet first. It is a good thing, as the first act on the stage is "Hard Drive" a North Carolina Old-time and Bluegrass group. Bluegrass, especially, can get a little loud and hard-driving flashy, a good thing- unless it is overpowering a preacher is trying to deliver a heartfelt sermon. Indeed, every detail of this festival is well-planned. As a matter of fact, just may attend the West Market Street UMC church service this morning and already be at the folk festival- the best of both worlds.

Happy Sunday!

NC Folk Festival 2021, The Festivities Have Begun!

And so, the North Carolina Folk Festival is well underway. Yesterday, after opening remarks at the Lee Wrangler Stage (formerly City Stage), the UNCG Old Time Ensemble treated us to some very great songs and tunes. Above, playing fiddle, smiling, and wearing sunglasses, is Dr. Christen Blanton Mack, who leads the ensemble. To her left, also playing the fiddle is Tristin, a UNCG senior, who lead co-lead the first song, "How Many Biscuits Can You Eat?" (Watch this video from another era to find out the answer). The song was so full of energy and upbeat. Dr. Mack has done so much to help the group get that tight, string-band sound that is so important in old-time music. The UNCG Old Time Ensemble was formed in 2008; for fourteen years, they have been playing a genre of music that has been a part of North Carolina's culture for generations. Last evening, the old time ensemble was playing music in there very spot we featured yesterdays.

As for the North Carolina Folk Festival, it will continue until Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. and literally, there is music for everybody's tastes. The festival extends along West Market Street, to the West Market Street United Methodist Church. The vendors are also along Market Street this year and there are some great ones. The weather, the music, the energy, and everything has been so perfect so far. Don your mask and head downtown to see some great singing, instruments, food, arts and crafts, and dancing! Happy Saturday!