Festival!

Saturday was the big day - the main day of the 10th Annual Ocrafolk Festival. It was a marvelous 9 hours of all kinds of music, entertaining storytelling on two stages surrounded by booths filled with excellent art and craft items by artisans from around coastal North Carolina and beyond. Oh, and did I mention the clogging, miming, chainsaw art and kids activities? Anyway, the best way to tell the story of the Festival is to show it, so here come a bunch of pictures.

Ocracoke Jazz Society opened the morning on the Howard Street Stage.

Kate McNally, new to the Festival this year, got things started on the Live Oak stage.

Rodney Kemp entertained the crowds with his stories, and was a terrific MC for the Live Oak stage between sets, too.


Jef the Mime taught a juggling class...

...and entertained the crowds.

In the kids area, one of the activities was making fish print t-shirts.

Philip Howard told stories of Ocracoke.

The Barnraisers rocked with their original tunes.

Coyote, Noah Paley, and Robbie Link.

Gerald Hampton (you can barely see him over Gary's shoulder), Gary Mitchell, and Fiddler Dave played, and the Green Grass Cloggers kicked up their heels.





April Trueblood, longtime favorite at the Ocrafolk Opry, had a set in the Festival for the first time.

Trent Wagler and Steel Wheels appeared at the Festival for the first time this year, and gained many new fans.

Bil Lepp, storyteller and liar, told hilarious (and mostly tall) tales.

Ruth Wyand.

Mandolin Orange, another new group this year, was very well liked.

To learn more about all of these performers (and more!), the artisans, or the Festival in general, visit the Festival website.