The 75th National Folk Festival has begun and, for the first time, is being held in North Carolina. The above photo features the opening parade, with participants marching down Elm Street, turning on to Market, and marching up to the Belk Stage. While the parade was small, it did feel like the start of something special as townspeople joined in to march. Greensboro is really proud to have been given the opportunity to host the folk festival. North Carolina is home to so many accomplished folk musicians; it is nice for them to have national visibility, right here in their own back yards.

Below, is a photo of  Sheila Kay Adams who is is a banjo player and ballad singer from Sodom, NC. Adams is a recipient of the North Carolina Heritage Award as well as the recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship. She performed last night and will also perform this evening and tomorrow morning. Rhiannon Giddens, Laurelyn Dossett, Scott Manring, and Alice Gerrard are a few more of the many North Carolina musicians performing at the event. So far, the entertainment has been great and the crowds have been respectable. Parking is easy and the distance between venues is reasonable.  If you are in the position to attend, you will not be disappointed. Here is the schedule. What a great way to spend a late summer weekend.