Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival
Description
The Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival is a music and dance festival that takes place each spring and fall in Silk Hope, North Carolina, near Chapel Hill. The festival takes place on a farmstead which is managed by Shakori Hills Community Arts Center Inc. a non-profit organization. The festival has been held twice annually since 2003. It is associated with and modeled after the larger Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival that takes place near Trumansburg, New York each summer.The FestivalThe festival typically lasts four days, beginning on Thursday afternoon and going through Sunday night. The farmstead has two large outdoor stages, one large covered dance tent, and several smaller tents. Camping is available for an additional fee. In addition to the music, the festival has dance and instrument workshops, a sustainability fair, kids activities, and food and craft vending. The festival is typically promoted as being kid and family friendly. Daily attendance for the 2013 festivals peaked at 8,500 participants.MusicEach festival draws fifty or more bands who play on four stages over four days. Many genres of music are represented, including bluegrass, zydeco, country-western, psychedelic rock, folk rock, reggae, and world music. Past headliners include Robert Randolph,Yonder Mountain String Band, Donna the Buffalo, Nickel Creek, Keith Frank, Patty Loveless and Toubab Krewe. Bands play throughout the day with headliners playing on the largest outdoor stage after sunset.