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11th annual MusicFest draws community, musicians |
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Monday, 14 July 2008 |
Editor’s Note: The following is a personal account of MusicFest in Sugar Grove.
by JAMES FAY
Intern Photographer
The Cove Creek Preservation and Development non-profit group hosted the eleventh annual MusicFest ‘n Sugar Grove this weekend.
The festival takes place at the historical Cove Creek High School, located on the bank of Sugar Grove’s Cove Creek.
The proceeds of the festival help generate funding to restore the 1940s rock and mortar school building back to its original condition. The proceeds also benefit the Doc and Rosa Lee Scholarship Fund, awarded to an Appalachian State University student majoring in sustainable development.
 Dom Flemmons of Carolina Chocolate Drops participates in MusicFest. Photo by James Fay
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Doc Watson, who generally headlines this local festival, could not
attend due to unfortunate health complications. Several performers
dedicated songs to Doc, as well as sent out their thoughts and prayers
for a speedy recovery.
Friday and Saturday were full of warm sunshine and cool breezes as
MusicFest brought to the stage the Carolina Chocolate Drops, the Kruger
Brothers, the Lost Ridge Band, BackPorch Bluegrass, the Andy Owens
Band, and many more.
Members of the Carolina Chocolate Drops explained from the stage that
they first met each other at the Black Banjo Meeting three years ago on
Appalachian’s campus.
Fans were also fortunate enough to have local legend Arthur Grimes on
the stage flat-footing to the fast paced tunes of the Carolina
Chocolate Drops.
Boone native Grimes has been dancing since 1975 and has done so at
several festivals including Mt. Airy, Clifftop, and Merlefest.
The festival also featured a second stage called Southern Exposure’s
Solar Stage. A solar-powered public-address system, working by means of
photovoltaic plates, powered the stage. The plates absorbed energy from
the sun and converted the energy to a useable form.
The rest of the power for the festival was purchased from N.C. Green Power.
Artisans adorned the festival, showing off an entire array of crafts,
from jewelry and screen-printed t-shirts. Several of the artists were
not only selling finished pieces but also demonstrating their work in
progress.
Festival attendees could watch as Jim and Cindy Rice of Turtle Old Man
Jewelry made necklace pendants from precious stones such as Picture
Jasper.
Food Vendors were also at the festival, selling everything from
homemade ice cream and funnel cakes to the more obscure frog legs.
At this year’s festival, MusicFest continued to preserve the area’s
mountain musical heritage and celebrated the diversity of the High
Country.
For more information visit www.covecreek.net/sgmfest.htm or www.myspace.com/musicfestnsugargrove.
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