Greensboro Daily Photo

Downtown Nightscape

Downtown Greensboro is so beautiful at night. The above photo  was taken at  McGee  Street, looking north  in the direction of the  Jefferson Standard/Pilot building,  now known as Lincoln Financial  Group. The lights on the  patio  of M'Coul's Public  House, were you  can get a  delicious  meal  any night of the week. The shepherd's pie is especially tasty on a cold  winter night.  Likely, you will want to eat  inside.  However,  be sure  to  take time  to admire the beauty  of Greensboro's most  iconic building,  still, ever-faithfully blinking  the time and temperature,  for all  to  see. 

M'Coul's has been a downtown Greensboro institution since 2001  and the Jefferson Standard building was constructed in  1923, but the part you  see was constructed in  1990. Consider taking a mid-week  break and heading downtown to admire the beauty of our city first-hand. Happy Wednesday!

Deep Roots Co-Op Grocery Store

Deep  Roots Co-op  has been on Eugene  Street for a few years now,  having relocated from Spring Garden Street. The  downtown store is so  nice and they have a  hot  bar. If you are downtown and need  a healthy,  quick  meal or  just a snack (and nice  clean bathrooms), stop here.  You don't have to  be a member to  shop at Deep Roots, and the uncharge for non-members is only  5%.

Deep  Roots also holds many interesting community events  in their community  room in  the front of the store. Also, if you notice in the above photo, there were vendors  set up  out  front this  past Saturday.  While the  large corporate options for healthy food are nice, nothing  beats a local,  community-owned option.  Deep  Roots  feels  "old-school"  in a way that is comfortable and inviting. Shop there  a few times and it will start to feel like the Cheers-bar of  grocery stores.  Happy Tuesday!

99 Bottles Crosswalk

This colorful crosswalk between Preyer  Brewing and Deep  Roots  Co-Op has 99  bottles on  it  to  represent  the 99 downtown  blocks (as reported by WFMY2 News). * The project was a collaborative one, with  the city allowing volunteers to  color in  the bottles. The idea  came from SynerG, an organization that focuses on Greensboro's  residents under  40.

WFMY  also  reports that about 3,000  pedestrians and 800 bicyclists are hit by cars in North Carolina  each  year (reference). How nice it would be if these  eye-catching crosswalks help  drivers stay  alert and focused. The bottles sure  add a lot of color to this part of Eugene Street!

If  you look on the  horizon on the right,  you can  see  the iconic JP building,  now  known as Lincoln Financial.

* Reference, here.

Nathanael Greene 2020

This photo taken  last  Saturday  night features Nathanael  Greene. Greensboro is named for Greene,  a  major general of the Continental  Army in  the American Revolutionary War. The statue  is located on  South Greene  Street  at Holliday Circle. The 22  foot tall statue was  installed in 2008,  twelve years ago. James  Barnill  was the sculptor. 

Initially, we were concerned  that  the view would be greatly compromised by  the hotel being constructed on the right. As the above photo  shows, there is still room for the sky to show through facing west. With  the sparkly lights of winter, the scene is  so  beautiful. We hope you get a chance to make it downtown  this weekend. There is so  much to do and  the city  is so  beautiful.  Have  a lovely weekend.

Rainbow Alley

This is a colorful week. If you  read  GDP  yesterday,  you saw  The Butterfly Effect. Today, it  is Rainbow  Alley. if you spend  time in downtown  Greensboro, chances  are you've  seen, or even  traveled,  this rainbow  alley. It goes beside  Biltmore  Hotel  and  behind  Scuppernong  Books.  It is between  West Washington  and McGee  Streets. It was painted by Gina  Franco,  fall 2019.

Alleys  tend  to  be  roads less taken and can even seem unappealing. When  you walk down this alley,  you notice so  much about Greensboro  that might otherwise  go  unnoticed.  For example,  you can  see people  meeting and  reading at Scuppernong,  You can  see people  getting into  their cars  in what seems to  be their special spots. You  can notice  the skyline  as you approach  McGee Street. You  may  even  see  the little black kitty  hidden  in this photo. If you have access to drone footage  of Rainbow  Alley,  it is especially beautiful.  Try this  News2 link.  Hopefully it will continue  to  work.

DM Pulley

If you have a dynamic,  independent  bookstore in  you community, you will never be  at a loss for things to do.  Last night,  D.M.  Pulley  spoke at  Scuppernong Books  on  Elm Street  downtown. Primarily, she  was in house discussing her  latest  novel, No  One's Home; however, she gave a fantastic presentation  balancing  what led her to  the mystery/thriller  genre, how the  genre is typically constructed,  and the plots of  each  of her books.

Pulley spoke of how her training to become  a structural  engineer scaffolded her understanding of how buildings have secrets  and  that you can dissect them,  not unlike how doctors perform autopsies.  She mentioned that  analyzing old layers of paint may reveal spattered  blood-  evidence of  a  crime, evidence of fire damage, and other interesting facts about the building.  It is so  wonderful that we have these events,  free and open  to the public.  

Stop by  Scuppernong  books tonight  when Holly George-Warren,  a  North Carolina native, discusses her  biography about Janis Joplin at  7:00 pm.  Live music  will be provided. Hope to see you there!

Jakob's Ferry Stragglers

This  past weekend was a really  great one for live,  acoustic music in  the Greensboro  area.  The  above photo features Jakob's Ferry Stragglers an  Appalachian bluegrass band that hails from Morgantown, West  Virginia and beyond. This past Saturday night, they played at Little Brother Brewing on  Elm  Street.

How nice to see the traditional  music genres  thriving in the area and appreciated  by the younger generation. The band played two very generous sets with  a short  intermission. Here some  of their music, here. It is hard to  believe that such  good  music  can  be hears  around  Greensboro  for free. A  good time was had by all,  and all were carded,  even  the patrons in their 70s!

Night Sky

Once we  accept the darkness  of winter  and the long  nights, they can actually take on a beautiful aura. Winter nights  are cozy when spent  in  the warmth of family and friends. The above photo features a recent night  sky over  South Holden  Road.  In the upper right hand corner, you can see  a crescent moon with a planet shining  brightly above it.  

Tonight is Saturday night and Greensboro will have plenty of options for entertainment. One  fun  event will be the live music of  Jakobs Ferry  Stragglers at Little Brother Brewing downtown Greensboro- at the corner of McGee and  South Elm. This  group hails  from West Virginia,Pennsylvania, and Maryland and, if you like spending time downtown as  well  as live music, this is a great option. Besides,  while last night  was  a full moon, if it is not too cloudy tonight, you should  be  able to enjoy  your  evening dancing by  the light of the almost-full  moon!  Happy Saturday!

Gate City Station

Today's photo  of the Gate City Station was taken from the J.Douglas Galyon Depot. The building houses the  downtown Experiential School. The building also  houses  the corporate offices of the Gate City Candy  Factory. It  is nice to  see this building preserved and attracting businesses and  non-profits. It  looks  especially  beautiful against  the  blue sky on  Sunday morning.  Other  than  the bare  small  trees to  the right, it is hard  to  tell  that  the photo was taken in January.

The  flags in front of the transportation  depot  reveal  that, while  sunny, the day was windy! Also, Sunday predictably is  a very  quiet day for the area. It is amazing what one can  figure out by  studying a photo.

By Train from the J. Douglas Galyon Depot

Greensboro is known as Gate City because we were the hub of so much rail transporting of commerce throughout the state and south. Above is the train depot downtown, the J. Douglas Galyon Depot. This past weekend, a carbon footprint-conscious family member of ours opted to take Amtrak to Raleigh as opposed to driving. She reported that the ride was fabulous, the train was not very busy (unfortunately) and that the round trip cost was about $30. When you consider purchasing gas, the stress of driving to Raleigh on I-40, fighting traffic once there, and paying to park, $30 sounds pretty good. Shared transportation is increasingly a viable option these days, especially with ride services like Uber and Lyft upon arrival at your final destination. Also, you can take your bike on the Amtrak train if you want to bike upon arrival.

Imagine planning a day trip to a nearby city, going with friends by train, maybe even traveling with your bookclub, scout troop, biking or running group. The more we start using public transportation, the more it will be available to us. That sounds like a good New Year's resolution. Happy Tuesday! Happy Point A to Point B. Look how clean and pretty the depot is. Grab your softest blanket and let's ride!

Greensboro Skyline

Today's photo features a downtown Greensboro skyline, anchored by the iconic Jefferson Standard/Pilot/Lincoln Financial Group building on the left. The photo was taken yesterday from the entrance to the J, Douglas Galyon Depot on East Washington Street. How nice to see that Vera Weinfield's mural, Tough Love, is still on display. The building hosting the mural was slated to be torn down two years ago.* Together, the sunny blue sky in the background and the colorful mural in the foreground really help frame Greensboro's skyline.

Stop back tomorrow and we'll take you inside the train depot. In the meantime, enjoy our great city. If you celebrate The Feast of the Epiphany, Three Kings' Day, you likely know that for Christians, today is the 12th day of Christmas. Happy 6th of January!

*read more, here.

Breaking Up Christmas

The twelve days of Christmas will officially come to a close on January 6th. North Carolina is known for having "Breaking up Christmas" music and dance parties.*  The above event was last-night's, first-Thursday, old-time jam at Horigan's House of Taps at the corner of South Elm and Lewis Street. The jam, organized by the Piedmont Old-Time Society, is open to acoustic, string-band style instrument players at all levels of expertise.

Often, friends and partners who don't play music sit on the sidelines socializing or participating in some kind of craft. Greensboro is lucky that the old-time society has these events and that Horigan's is welcoming to people passionate about a style of music that has been in North Carolina since the Scots-Irish immigrated here in the 1700s.

You still have a few days to plan your own Breaking Up Christmas party for next Monday!

* Read here if you want to know more about the history of the event.

The Best of 2019: Picture Perfect Night in Downtown Greensboro

 

Happy New Year! January 1st is the day the City Daily Photo community encourages participants to select their best photo from 2019. For Greensboro, we've selected this scene from LeBauer Park. The photo says so much about our city. The art overhead really helps define the space. Below, you see people from all neighborhoods coming together to watch a move on the big screen. This move was made possible through collaboration with UNCG. Greensboro has so many free events available to the community; events and public spaces contribute to the strength of a city.

As we look back over the year on Greensboro Daily Photo, we are reminded of all of the beautiful houses, the natural beauty of the city, the buildings and businesses, the educational institutions, the art, the weather and so much more. Even with 365 photos and paragraphs, we only begin to scratch the surface of all that is good in our city. In the end, it is the people who make Greensboro such a great place to live. Below, we've linked to twelve photos that are especially memorable. If you have time, please click through and have a visit. Thank you for reading and following GDP. Happy New Year. Here's to a great year to you, personally and to Greensboro as well!

January: The Ice Storm Cometh

February: The NC A&T Four

March: Firefighters from Station 21 

April: World Irish Dance Championship

May: Evening in LeBauer Park 

June: Summer Solstice Festival

July: Preservation Greensboro Tour of Lindley Park

August: MUSEP Free Concerts in the Parks

September: North Carolina Folk Festival

October: Reconsidered Goods Event Space

November: Kathy Clark and the Really, Really Free Market

December: The Running of the Balls

Merry Christmas 2019

All is calm on Greene Street today. However, on Friday night, after the move White Christmas played at the Carolina Theatre, you could feel the lively energy of downtown Greensboro this time of year. In the theatre, people were experiencing a movie they have likely seen many times before. In the adjacent parking deck, clothing and meals were being served to those in need. It is a good time of year for those more fortunate to remember those who are less fortunate. Greensboro is a town of giving, especially around the holidays. Let's hope the food, clothing, school supplies, financial support, and acts of kindness continue throughout the year.

The Carolina Theatre is so beautiful when it is lit up at night. It is equally beautiful inside. While the Carolina Theatre is closed today, you could go to a movie with your family, perhaps bowling, perhaps you could just spend the day with people you love and plan for making days merry and bright, for as many as feasible in our great community! As for the Carolina Theatre, tomorrow, Super Yamba and Friends will be performing their afro-beat dance music on December 26th starting at 9:30 pm.

White Christmas at the Carolina Theatre

It isn't very likely that we will have snow on Christmas in Greensboro tomorrow, but, last night, for a couple of magical hours, a White Christmas came to the Carolina Theatre. The Irving Berlin classic from 1954 played to an almost full house. The audience was quiet, until a song was performed in the movie and then many audience clapped as if the actors themselves were performing on stage. A few times audience members sang along; they knew the lyrics by heart.

The Carolina Theatre has been a Greensboro institution since 1927 and it was recently refurbished and returned to its original glory. While they have many live performances throughout the year, it is not uncommon for the Carolina Theatre to show classic movies. If is a totally different experience to see those old movies in a theatre. It is as if they have been just released. We got an early Christmas present. As we were approaching the entrance, a woman gave us two free tickets. The world could use a little more joyful serendipity and genuine acts of kindness. Let's all engage in more of these acts.

The Greenhouse Effect

Every evening, as we head up Josephine Boyd street, we've noticed a purple glow coming from West Market Street. Last night, we drove to the intersection of Westover Terrace and West Street to see a house that is beautifully decorated not only in the front, but also on the side and in the back. The big surprise is that, right here, just about a mile and a half west of downtown, is a beautiful greenhouse with several plants thriving within. Not only are there purple grow lights inside, there are also Christmas lights on the outside. How inspiring to care so much about your plants that you maintain a greenhouse for them and you decorate it for Christmas.

As you are headed to Sunset Hills to see the light display, be on the lookout for this beautifully decorated property.

The Chandler Suite

One of the added perks of attending the arts and crafts show at the Double Oaks Bed and Breakfast this past weekend was getting to tour the property itself. One of the artists encouraged us to tour the third floor and today's photo features the Chandler Suite on the top floor. According to the B&Bs website, the Chandler is named for the first car owned by the Martin family, the original owners of the home- a 1917 Chandler.

The suite is actually half of the living space on the top floor of the property. It is open, airy, and has a luxurious, 21st-century bathroom. The Westerwood, named for the neighborhood, is right across the hall. The open space in the middle houses the artist in residence.

Double Oaks is a fine example of how young entrepreneurs are turning their dreams into reality and loving the life they are living. If you have friends or family coming to town, consider booking them a room at Double Oaks. If you aren't afraid of stairs, the Chandler is well worth the climb! Happy Wednesday!

Roasting Marshmallows at Hamburger Square on Elm Street

Whoever thought we'd be roasting marshmallows on Elm Street. Last night the Festival of Lights was held in downtown Greensboro. Crowds of people strolled the length of Elm Street and over to Davie Street to take advantage of all the festivities. There was music on every block, dancers, stores offering treats, services, and great gift options. Everyone was in good spirits. And, the marshmallows were yummy.

Today is the holiday parade, the Moravian tea, the Jazz Nativity at West Market Street United Methodist Church and so much more. It would be impossible to do it all, but, whatever you decide to do, may it bring joy to you and those in your life.

On Wendover Avenue

This grainy, cell phone camera captures the pulse of traffic leaving and coming to town for the Thanksgiving weekend. The photo was taken on Battleground Court, which is about as close as you can get to Wendover Avenue without being on Wendover! The background captures the sun setting on the Greensboro skyline. The iconic, Lincoln Financial building is seen on the right. The red strip above the white car is the Sheetz station across from Red Cinema.

If you are on the highway this weekend, be careful. If you are shopping, be extra nice to those employees who are helping you. If you are family, let them know how thankful you are to have them. Have a great rest of the week, regardless of how you will be spending it. Let us mention that we are extra thankful that you take the time to read our posts.

Folk Dances at Van Dyke Performance Space

Folk dances were a big part of the Day of the Dead event at the Cultural Arts Center this past Friday. Folk dancers performed in front of a full house at the Van Dyke Performance Space. If we remembered correctly, the above photo features the dance where indigenous dancers wore costumes that poked fun of their European colonizers. 

The audience really loved all of the dances and, at the end, spectators were invited to the stage to have photos taken with performers. Many people in the audience dressed or wore makeup to celebrate Day of the Dead and they looked right at home with the performers. The Van Dyke Performance Space is a nice, small venue to see special events and was perfect for the event that was made possible through Casa Azul and many sponsors.. 

Day of the Dead

Last night, at the Cultural Arts Center on Davie Street in downtown Greensboro, it was as if the community were transported to Mexico to the Day of the Dead celebration. The above photo shows the gallery where Casa Azul set up the altars and offerings to remember people who were no longer with us. It is the belief a person stays alive as long as someone on earth remembers them. At the cultural arts center, there is a creative altar featuring the characters in the movie "Coco." There are more personal altars where people remember their parents and siblings. The UNCG Languages, Literatures, and Cultures department has an altar for Spanish professor Dr. Amy Williamsen who died this past year. 

The exhibit is still open and is a great opportunity to see first-hand the products of the Day of the Dead and to gain an appreciation of the practices and perspectives centered around the Day of the Dead. As children entered the exhibit last night, you heard exclamations of "oooh, aaah." It is not a time to be afraid, but a time to celebrate lives well lived and people who have been well loved.

Day of the Dead

The above advertisement is for the Day of the Dead display hosted by Casa Azul, downtown, in the Cultural Arts Center on Davie Street. While this display is for the event a couple of years ago, the same event opens tonight at 6:00 p.m. You won't want to miss it. Case is a non-profit committed to show all of the wonderful traditions the Hispanic and Latinx community bring to Greensboro.

Elaborate altars commemorating people who are no longer living will be displayed. Usually, there is a blend of altars for famous people, like Frida Kahlo, and for local people, relatives of people in the Greensboro community. The event is so special and emphasizes the lives of loved ones. Stop by tonight, from 6-9pm, it is free and open to the public.

300 Block South Elm Street

Today's photo was taken in the 300 block of South Elm Street at twilight. This is the magical hour when the light intensifies the color before night sets in. The lavender-gray cast to the clouds and the sky was especially beautiful during First Friday in October. The spiked branches of the tree overhead hint that it won't be long before winter sets in. 

Downtown is so beautiful and the fronts of these buildings and the streetlight make it hard to date the scene to the 21st century. Only the cars give it away. We didn't realize how much these storefronts look alike before we took this photo. Enjoy your week and take time to seek out the beauty in our city. Try taking a photo (no selfie, no friends and family) and seeing what it says about Greensboro. what story does it tell? 

Participatory Budgeting

Participatory budgeting happens every two years in Greensboro. This democratic process allows residents in each of the five city council districts to vote on how to spend $100,000 in their district. A half a million dollars has been set aside to fund projects that residents want to make enhance their district. Some projects are city wide- as an example, a weekend trolley that would run in downtown Greensboro to help alleviate traffic as people try to venture from point A to point B. The program was approved in 2014 and the process began, with funding, for the 2015-2016 cycle (reference and more information, here).

Friday, October 4th a Participatory Budget pop up event was held at Scuppernong Books on South Elm Street during the First Friday Event. Above is a photo of Jon Decker of the Budget and Evaluation Committee of the City. Jon and a volunteer were recruiting people to take a few minutes and vote on which projects should be funded in each resident's given district. There will be more pop up events throughout the month and the last opportunity to vote will be October 31st. Voting is super simple, and you can vote online. You can also start thinking of ideas to recommend for the next cycle.

GTA Electric Busses

Greensboro's electric busses are beautiful inside and, when you are on them, they are pretty quiet. Gone are the chugging, loud sounds of diesel busses. Yesterday, the Greensboro transportation department had an electric bus parked in the lot at the corner of MLK Drive and South Elm Street during First Friday. Greensboro transportation employees, Kevin Elwood and Cari Hopson, were on hand to answer all questions about Greensboro's latest mode of public transportation. They were so nice and knowledgeable and really make you feel as if the transportation department is in good hands.

Currently, Greensboro has 13 electric busses and are scheduled to be getting more. The routes are about 30 minutes and all start and end at J. Douglas Galyon Station. Rides are $1.50 and there are many options for paying and many discounts available (to students, veterans, senior citizens). The busses can accommodate two bikes on the front bumper in case you want that ride/bike option. If you haven't ridden a Greensboro bus in a while, we suggest trying them again. Maybe even today!

Tattoos of Greensboro

Over the last century, tattoos have gone from homemade markings on the bodies of sailors and prisoners to beautiful works of art done by artists. The above photo is of the arm lizard tattoos on Anne (Benbow) Timberlake. We met Anne while shopping at Just Be, downtown on Elm Street. With all of her body art, it looks as if Anne is is part of the store display. Anne's bracelets are from Just Be and match her tattoos perfectly. Anne, who wanted us to focus on her tattoos, as opposed to her face, had several tattoos done in R.C. Gorman's art studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Anne is a lifelong resident of Greensboro who attended Lindley Elementary and Junior High and Grimsley High School. She coats her tattoos with sunscreen daily so that the color will remain vibrant. There are so many great tattoos and tattoo artists in Greensboro. Perhaps we'll have to start sharing more of them. Also, next time we see Anne, we'll convince her to let us feature her smiling face!

Construction Progress at McGee & Greene Streets

General Nathanel Greene stands stoically in the middle of the round-about at South Greene and West McGee Streets.The 22-ft tall statue of Greene on a 10-foot pedestal used to tower over cars and pedestrians at this intersection. The sculpture, by James Barnhill and in place since 2008 is about to share the block with a Hampton Inn. It is as if he is monitoring progress on the construction of the Hampton Inn and Suites being built.

Yesterday, workers were getting a lot done, taking advantage of the warm, dry weather. The 6-story hotel will add 120 more rooms for lodging downtown. On this corner, the 18th and 21st centuries will live together peacefully. Fortunately, fabulous sunsets will still be visible to the west of General Greene.

 

Hinnant's Sculpture to Harriet Tubman in LeBauer Park

In May 2019, Durham-based artist Vandorn Hinnant installed a sculpture in downtown Greensboro at LeBauer Park. The words remind the community of the African -American, political activist and abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Tubman, who was born in 1822, lived to the age of 90, in spite of her brutal treatment and hard life as a slave. Tubman dedicated her life to equal rights and to helping others to freedom, especially through the Underground Railroad. 

The sculptor of the above piece, Vandorn Hinnant, is originally from Greensboro and is known to return for art events. In January, he attended the installation of the MLK bust in Ole Asheboro. Hinnant grew up in Ole Asheboro and studied at NC A&T and UNC Greensboro. He is also a founding member of the African-American Atelier in Greensboro. As hinted in the above sculpture, his art connections to social justice and geometry.*

*Read more about Mr. Hinnant, here.

Pride of the Pride

The 14th annual Greensboro Pride Festival was held this past weekend, downtown. It is an important event to support and celebrate the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer + community of Greensboro. The event also helps foster self-acceptance of the diverse ways of being in our community. 

From small children supporting their parents to corporations supporting employees, most who attended the festival would agree there were many important resources, fun activities, and great opportunities to waive the rainbow flag and be an integral part of a caring community. If you work with teenagers today, you will notice that one of the first things they ask as they are getting to know each other is, "How do you identify." Events like Sunday's Pride Festival create a safe space for celebrating how they identify.

Fall is a time when most organizations host events and it is almost impossible to attend everything. Today's photo was taken last year during the Pride Festival and features "Pride of the Pride" which is Greensboro College's LGBTQ+/Straight Alliance.

Bail Bonding

Bail bonding is a difficult business. Securing money to get out of jail until it is time to appear for trial is easier for some than others. The bail bondsman steps in to guarantee payment to the court and charging a fee to the accused. The above photo of a bail bonding business in downtown Greensboro is very close to the city jail and the courts.

Something about the photo is haunting and more reminiscent of a lonely town out west than Greensboro. The moon above and the red neon reflecting off of a single car make the scene even lonelier.  The neon stays on all night with a phone number to call 24/7. The bail bondsman is a person nobody thinks about unless a time comes when you need his service. It must be a challenging, bittersweet job. On the one hand, you are helping people; on the other, the clients are in a very situation. Have you ever noticed this business off Eugene Street? 

First Friday Sept 2019

 

First Friday is always a special time in downtown Greensboro, when you can stroll, shop, and visit art galleries. This past Friday was extra special in that the North Carolina Folk Festival was in town. People from all walks of life were out enjoying the evening. The above photo features the scene from the front door of Meraki Handmade in the 200 block of South Elm Street. The green and orange of the Meraki facade and the pedestrians in orange really stand out against the backdrop of purple flowers and the purple light at Schiffman's Jewelers across the street. 

Once, a reader implied we make Greensboro look even prettier and more colorful than it is. We beg to differ. Sometimes color and the energy collide and the camera pops to the eye with the picture practically taking itself. In the above photo, we only had an old cell phone in hand. But the beauty of secondary colors on Elm Street was nothing short of magical. Have a great Tuesday!

The Great Folk Festival of 2019

The great North Carolina Folk Festival of 2019 has come and gone. The above photo shows the audience at the Lawn Stage tent for the fiddle workshop on Saturday. At the workshop, fiddlers from Cajun, Old-Time, Irish, and Bluegrass bands gathered to showcase and explain their genre. They played some tunes individually and then as an ensemble. At you can see, the session was well attended, as were so most of the performances and workshops on Saturday. The festival has come to a close and so begins the planning for the next NC Folk Festival, to be held in Greensboro, September 2020.

Instead of turning the camera on the stage, we opted for showcasing the audience; because nothing pleases performers more than playing for a full house. And, indeed, the house was full. We dedicate today's post to one audience member, Betsy, a loyal reader of Greensboro Daily Photo. She came up to us during the event to thank us for continuing to publish GDP. In that regard, we are rather like musicians. We love knowing there is an audience out there. Having readers thank us and let us know how much they enjoy the posts goes a long way in inspiring us to maintaining this labor of love. Thank you Betsy, for continuing to follow Greensboro Daily Photo. We hope you can find yourself in this photo. We see you!

Street Preaching 2.0

The above preacher seems to make an annual appearance to the folk festivals in Greensboro. We featured him, here, last yearl, where he was wearing the same hat and pants. Again,  he was on Davie Street, between Center City Park and LeBauer Park at the North Carolina Folk Festival. Whereas last year, he was preaching without much of an audience, this year, a group of teenagers were engaging him in a dialog, covering just about all the "hot button" topics. A couple of men, who were riding by on their bikes, stopped to watch the teens . They commented on how respectful the students were. Some were even raising their hands to ask questions. They were challenging some of the beliefs of the preacher, but the conversation remained civil. Impressed with the arguments that the teens were constructing and their civility, the men commented, "I think the future will be in very good hands with these kids."

Above and beyond all of the fabulous music being performed at the Folk Festival, it is heartwarming to see crowds of people gathering, interacting with people of other demographics, and everyone getting along. If you are a prayerful person, pray that the North Carolina Folk Festival will continue to attract people from all walks of life who know how to interact with each other. Happy Sunday!

North Carolina Folk Festival 2019

These two dancers were part of the North Carolina Brazilian Arts Project at the North Carolina Folk Festival. They danced last night in front of the City Stage. Their costumes were stunning and the audience loved their dancing. After their performance, many people rushed up to get their pictures with them, especially families and young girls who were learning to dance. The two women were gracious with posing for photos. We weren't able to get to the front of the line to interview them, but they were able to pose for a brief moment together.

From about noon until 10:00 p.m. tonight, music and dance will be heard throughout the town. While the festival is free, it costs about a million and a half dollars to put on; so, if the blue bucket brigade come by asking for a donation, please do so if you can. If ever there were a time to head to town, this is the weekend. Every single act will be worth seeing! The Brazilian Arts Project will be performing again today at 5:15 pm at LeBauer Park. Greensboro is so lucky!

North Carolina Folk Festival

The North Carolina Folk Festival kicks off today with a concert by Anya Hinkle and Laurelyn Dossett, Songs of Hope and Justice. This event will be in the Van Dyke Performance Space downtown at 7pm. Then, from Friday to Sunday, the streets of Greensboro will be filled with stages of free performances. This year, smaller, indoor spaces downtown will also be hosting performances.*

We cheated a little on today's photo and found one from a few years ago during the National Folk Festival when it was held in Greensboro. The national festival rotates to a new city every fourth year in the hopes that the given town will have built an infrastructure to continue to host a state festival. Greensboro was able to do so and is into hosting North Carolina Folk Festival #2. While the Eastern European family in the above photo will  not be performing this year, there will be plenty of folk music of many styles for your enjoyment. As we type, the town is filling with stages, crafts, food trucks, musicians, and volunteers to bring another fabulous music festival to town. If you are local, you must go enjoy some live music and support these hardworking musicians!

 

*schedule, here.

Valerie Nieman

Last night, local author and NC A&T Professor Valerie Nieman spoke at Scuppernong Books downtown about her latest novel, "To the Bones."  Set in West Virginia with action taking place in a coal mining community, the book is described as genre-bending with great storytelling and a strong sense of place. Nieman majored in journalism at West Virginia University. After graduating in 1978, she went on to write for newspapers, first in West Virginia and then in Greensboro. When asked how she made the transition from journalist to teaching at the university level, she explained that serving as an editor actually has a big teaching component as you are helping writers prepare their stories to go to print. 

The event was well-attended and quite a bit of fun. As a nod to a scene in her book, Nieman made peach cobbler for the audience from an old-timey recipe which she shared. In the above photo, Nieman (on the right) is seen with Deonna Kelli Sayed who is membership coordinator for the North Carolina Writers' Network. Sayed added so much to the evening by asking great questions, given her thorough knowledge of the book.

Last MUSEP Concert of the Season

The final MUSEP concert was held at Blandwood Mansion this past Sunday in downtown Greensboro. Holding it there was such a great grand finale, especially with the Food Truck Festival just around the corner. Some people visited the food trucks before the concert and some after the event. You know summer is coming to a screeching halt when the Sunday evening MUSEP music concerts come to an end. The Italian Villa architectural style, built in the late 18th early 19th century, home of Governor Motley (of the same era) would make a great painting! Here are a couple of examples of paintings of Blandwood. (#1 and #2). 

MUSEP just celebrated their 40th anniversary. Let's hope MUSEP remains strong for years to come and that they continue to feature concerts throughout the parks in Greensboro!

Food Truck Festival Street Scene

Today, another #DGSO scene of the August Food Truck Festival, held this past Sunday. Yesterday, we featured founder/organizer Shari Kumiega. Today, we show the Market Street side of the festival, as it was winding down, but when the sky was such a spectacular shade of blue. The yellow truck on the right served soft-serve ice cream. The red truck was 454 Grill, based out of Raleigh. Formerly a SnapOn tool truck, the 454 Grill serves up great food and gets high ratings.

To the left, out of sight, is a row of event tables where people of all walks of life gathered. If you are following the findings about the surprising benefits of talking to strangers (BBC article here), you can imagine how easy it was to strike up conversations with people during this event. People struck up conversations with others waiting in the same line, with others sitting at the same table, and with those who had the same breed of dog. Super popular at Sunday's festival was the Japanese hunting dog, the shiba inu. The next downtown event that will bring together food trucks and people from all walks of life is the North Carolina Folk Festival, September 6-8.

Downtown Greensboro Food Truck Festival

On Sunday, the Food Truck Festival was held in downtown Greensboro. The weather was perfect for spending time going from truck to truck sampling foods to fit all palates; from vegan to gluten free to meat-lover specials and everything in between. The community owes the festival to Shari Kumiega, photographed on the left above.

Shari organized the first festival in 2012. It was held on Spring Garden Street with fifteen food trucks participating. The festival has grown to a twice-yearly event (April and August) with 60 trucks participating. Shari, who moved to the Greensboro area from Massachusetts 9 1/2 years ago, came to Polo Farms to ride and train horses, and to judge horse shows. The Food Truck Festival began as a community building effort that she did almost on a whim. Today, Shari has moved from the farm and has built a business out of organizing food truck festivals throughout the region. Next up are events in Winston-Salem, Danville, and Burlington. Before you know it, it will be time for the April event in downtown Greensboro. If you get a chance, stop at the booth at the corner of Greene and Market Streets, meet Shari, and thank her for starting this wonderful community event. #waytogoShari, #DGSO!

Book Club Book Sets Available from GSO Public Library

Did you know that the Greensboro Public Library System maintains sets of books that local book clubs can borrow? Usually each title has 10-15 books available. One person from the book club checks out the entire set, is responsible for distributing the books to members and getting them returned.* I learned about this program while at the Central Library interviewing Beth Sheffield about the "One City, One Book" kick-off event to be held this Saturday (August 24) at 6:30 p.m. in the Greensboro History Museum. By the way, the library has several sets of Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime" available to loan to local book clubs! 

Beth (photographed on the right) oversees book clubs and programming for adults for the Greensboro Public Library. If there is a literary event happening in the downtown parks, a public library, or the community in general, chances are, you will see Beth there, either facilitating the event or in the audience. Come to the "One City, One Book" kick-off event to hear Osha Gray Davidson talk about his book "Best of Enemies" and race relations in North Carolina. Davidson's session is a way to discuss racism, a theme from Noah's book, within a local context.

*read more about the Book Club program and search titles, here.

(photo credit: Karen Garraputa- who happened to walk by and, serendipitously, is in my bookclub)!