Greensboro Daily Photo

Legends of NC Tribute to Benefit the New Arrivals Institute (NAI)

Doodad Farm at 4701 Land Road was hopping with music and positive energy yesterday as musicians of North Carolina played at an event to celebrate and help raise funds for the New Arrivals Institute. Doodad Farm is a 60 acre farm with a 140-year-old tobacco barn that got converted to a stage for live music. The stage area was a 50th birthday gift to a music loving dad.* The "Our Legends of NC " tribute featured songs written by North Carolina musicians- nearly fifty songs. Attendees brought their own folding chairs and picnic baskets to enjoy the afternoon. For those who didn't pack food, the Bearded BBQ was there serving up delicious BBQ plates and sandwiches. The crowd was a diverse group from immigrant families, to their ESOL teachers, to social workers, to sponsoring families, to people who work directly with new immigrant families- including those from the New Arrivals Institute (NAI).

The New Arrivals Institute of Greensboro started in the 1990s to meet the needs of the immigrant community. NAI teaches English classes and makes sure parents have childcare while they are in class. NAI is a non-profit that is quick to apply for and receive grants, and adjust their programs,  as needs arise. Relocating to a new country and leaving everything behind is overwhelming. NAI works tirelessly to help immigrants become independent and work their way to becoming citizens. At yesterday's event, it was so special seeing families relaxed, children running, smiling, and even laughing. Hula hoops were a bit hit and a way for children to enjoy being children. Even some adults took the hoops for a twirl- all to the sound of music of North Carolina. Speaking of music, that is Sam Fraizer performing on the Doodad Stage. Sam is a singer/songwriter and talented musician from Greensboro. Yesterday, he performed some songs solo yesterday and then some with Laurelyn Dossett yesterday.

 

*read the Our State Magazine tribute HERE.

Fellowship Presbyterian Church

Today, we feature Fellowship Presbyterian Church at 2005 New Garden Road. Their pastor Rev. Doctor Kathryn Campbell has been with the church since 2020; however, she is not new to Greensboro or ministry. She was the associate pastor of Starmount Presbyterian Church for ten years. This church is located just behind Brassfield and across the street from Reel Seafood Grill.

We're not sure when this beautiful building was built. The brick looks new and the building extends off to the left of the above entrance, all the way around to the west wing, which is a day school. We wanted to walk the perimeter to find a cornerstone, but there was a policeman parked in the parking lot and we didn't want to push our luck. Sometimes onlookers get very concerned when we are on a property. Do you know when this church was built? We really like its simplicity, in spite of the enormity. Look at those three wooden crosses on the door.There is very little signage on the property, but the crosses send a very clear message of the purpose of the building.

Happy Sunday! Let us know if you get out to explore Greensboro!

Dog Meetup at LeBauer Park

This weekend proves to be a hot one, as hot as 90º, with the possibilities of showers- up to 40º. It will be a great weekend for visiting one of Greensboro's parks. The above photo was taken in LeBauer Park. As you can see, a couple of leashed dogs were meeting, for the first time. The encounter was brief and civil, a win/win for a random canine meet up. There is also an enclosed bark park at LeBauer where dogs can enter, unleashed. 

The Greensboro Bound Literary Festival starts today with venues from Scuppernong Books to the History Museum, the Greensboro Cultural Center,  and more.* You owe it to yourself to attend events at this festival. It started in 2017, and continues to grow, with a little interruption thanks to COVID. The folks putting on the festival have worked very hard to bring great authors and, as feasible, make the presentations walkable. The festival will be a lot of fun, even if you have to attend without your fur baby!

Happy Saturday!

 

* See HERE.

Kontoor Wrangler

Three years ago, on May 23, 2019, Wrangler and Lee became part of the publicly traded Kontoor Brands, Inc. Above, is the corporate world headquarters on North Elm Street. They also have a headquarters in Belgium and Hong Kong. While Wrangler is a top seller in the American jean market, the Lee line is the biggest denim brand in China- and to think this is all based out of Greensboro. It would be nice to have a "know your city" tour for elementary school students with this building and company being one of the stops. When we were there the other day, the sky was so beautiful, the wind was blowing, making the American and North Carolina flags fly high. The whole scene was just so majestic.

The above building was built in 1994 and has a beautifully visible presence on the north end of town, on the front end of the growth here. Now, with the Tanger Center, the baseball stadium, Joymongers, LeBauer Park and all of the other venues surrounding it, downtown truly stretches all the way from Smith Street to West Gate City Boulevard. According to their website, Kontoor is committed to sourcing and and manufacturing their apparel responsibly and sustainably.

We hope you have a great weekend. If you get a chance, have a walk along the above headquarters and its environs. It is fun to know our city.

LeBauer at Night

LeBauer Park is so lovely any time of day, but night can be especially beautiful with the lighting and the "When We Met" net sculpture by Janet Echeleman. The piece, by the way, was replaced this spring. It has more blue in it than the first one, which is a nod to the denim industry that was once so big in Greensboro.* We were at LeBauer Park on Tuesday, after seeing Rita Moreno at Tanger Center. She was fabulous and the audience was full. It isn't every day you get to see an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), proof positive that Rita Moreno is a performer who can do it all.

If you walk out of the Tanger Center on the east or south side, this is the view of the park that you see. On Tuesday night, the park was very busy. The water sprinkler/fountain for children to play in is back open and many adults sit around the perimeter while their children play joyfully. Even after the performance, at 9:00 pm, several people were in the park. LeBauer is such a wonderful community resource. It is hard to imagine what we did until it opened in 2016. This Saturday, the 36th annual Carolina Blues Festival will be held downtown in LeBauer Park. We hope to see you there!

The park turns six on August 8th. Let's hope they serve cake! 

 

*see the original net sculpture, here.

Kontoor Brands, Inc.

Kontoor Brands is the company that now owns Lee and Wrangler Jeans. Their head office is in Greensboro and they employ about 15,000 people. Their iconic rounded building is just down the street from the one you see today. However, they own the above building at 444 North Elm Street and its surrounding 1.44 acre lot. This building was built in 1969 and it is some pretty interesting architecture. When we posted on this building in 2011, Preston Earle* shared that "the building was built to house a regional branch of the federal agency that oversaw savings and loan banks." Eventually First Home Federal S&L took over the building. When buildings, as unique as the one above, are built, it is hard to imagine them for anything beyond their original purpose. 

This building really takes on a different character when the sun is out. It always looks like an extraterrestrial structure; however, on a sunny day like we had recently, the building looks really inviting. We wonder what they are using it for. Do you know?

Happy Wednesday!

*Preston Earle died in Greensboro in 2012. We really miss Preston's comments, as we love it when the community gets involved in helping us learn about our city.

Cinco de Mayo on Quince de Mayo at White Oak

White Oak Amphiheatre was the setting for a Cinco de Mayo festival this past Sunday afternoon. This was a family-friendly event that brought out a crowd to listen to music by the group Conjunto Rio Grande. This group is from a small  town called San Lorenzo, Rio Grande, Zacatecas, Mexico.  Their genre is norteño music and their beginnings date back to 1974. One of their most famous songs is "Gracias por existir." Thank you for existing; and they played it Sunday. If the seats look rather empty, it is because people were down in front dancing away the afternoon. 

At the event, healthcare providers were on site to get people signed up for dental screenings, healthcare plans, and check ups. Also, the Spanish language radio station,  La Raza 98.3 had a visible and audible presence at the event. We get a little chuckle when trying to listen to 98.3 in the car, as 98.1 is WBRF-FM a classic country, outlaw country, bluegrass and old-time station. You can travel from rural North Carolina to rural Mexico with a 2/10 shift of the radio dial. Depending on where you are, one is easier to tune in than the other. Both stations have a loyal following, and we like both.

As for Sunday, the event was enjoyed by all. Families waited in line at food trucks for delicious, authentic dishes from Mexico and Central America. The fruit cups and snow cones were refreshing as Sunday was hot. Happy Tuesday! If you want another event related to the Spanish speaking world, Rita Moreno is speaking at the Tanger Center tonight as part of the Guilford College Bryan Series.

Deep River Flower Farm

On Saturday, at the Corner Market,* we met the very talented organic flower farmer Nicole Rosenberger of Deep River Flower Farm. Nicole and her husband live in a house on the Deep River in Franklinville, NC, about 40 minutes south of Greensboro. For just over a month now, Nicole has been coming to Greensboro to sell her flowers and her very carefully constructed turkey wing brooms. While the flowers are of nature's making, the brooms are carefully crafted and knotted by Nicole. Nicole, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, majored in anthropology. While she attended college in Towson, Maryland, she also had the opportunity to attend Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC. We're betting this love of flowers and organic farmer was fostered in Warren Wilson College (WWC). We forgot to ask Nicole if she worked on the farm, garden or landscape crew at Warren Wilson and perhaps honed her flower growing skills at WWC.

Nicole grows most of her flowers from seed on her quarter acre farm on the Deep River. We're so glad she makes the trip to Greensboro to sell her flowers and brooms. Please stop by and support Nicole, and the other vendors at the Corner Market, and other local markets in Greensboro. We just may make Nicole's tent a weekly stop on our farmers market jaunts and bring a little of the outdoors in. Here is an article about Nicole from the Chatham News & Record.

Happy Monday! Take time to stop to smell the roses, sweet pea, lilies, lavender, and just about every flower but, perhaps not the marigolds!

 

*the farmers market at the St. Andrews Episcopal Church parking lot on West Market at Kensington.