May 27, 2013 - 10:00am - 4:00pm
Carl Sandburg Folk Music Festival
The 27th annual folk festival honors Carl Sandburg and his preservation of traditional folk music as found in his collection The American Songbag. The festival's performers each skillfully demonstrate the tradition of performing live music to tell stories while capturing the heritage of America through song. This year's festival features The Shivers playing old time music, Charles Wood on banjo, Pat Corn and Buddy Davis performing bluegrass and folk music, Pop Ferguson and the Blues Revue, and Celtic musician Jamie Laval.
- 10:00 The Shivers stage an Old-Time radio show with traditional music on banjo, fiddle, autoharp and mandolin
- 11:00 Charles Wood and Micah Hanks perform old-time and bluegrass music on banjo and guitar
- 12:00 Pat Corn and Buddy Davis play music from Sandburg's American Songbag
- 1:00 Pop Ferguson and the Blues Revue play traditional blues on electric and acoustic guitar
- 2:00 Jamie Laval playing Celtic music on the fiddle. Jamie is one of America's finest practitioners of traditional Scottish music.
- 11:00 am to 2:00 pm - Steve and Jean Smith play hammered dulcimers at the barn
The event is held rain or shine. Seating for 120 is provided by benches at the amphitheater or seats indoors. You may bring your own lawn chairs to sit around the amphitheater. Dogs are permitted in the park, but not in the seating areas during this event.
June 1, 2013 at 11am, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm
Historic Connemara Walking Tours
In cooperation with the Village of Flat Rock's annual Ice Cream Social, the park offers walking tours of the grounds of Connemara sharing the history of the site before the Sandburg's moved in. East tour lasts one hour. No reservation required. Tours begin in the bookstore of the Sandburg Home.
June 19 - August 10
Every Wednesday through Saturday at 10:15 - 10:45 am
Rootabaga! and the World of Carl Sandburg
Wednesday through Saturday, apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse, will share performances at 10:15 a.m., at the park amphitheatre adjacent to the Sandburg Home. Wednesday and Friday's 30-minute performance will be the World of Carl Sandburg based on Sandburg's pulitzer prize-winning collection of poetry. Thursday and Saturday's performance is Rootabaga!, based on tales from Sandburg's collection of children's stories found in Rootabaga Stories set to musical tunes from Sandburg's collection of folk music found in his American Songbag. The result is 30-minutes of zany, toe-tapping stories that delight "children" of all ages. Performances are held rain or shine.
Fee Free Day at National Parks - August 25, 2013
Tour fees at Carl Sandburg Home and entrance fees at most national parks will be waived for the National Park Service Birthday
September 17, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.
Citizenship Day Naturalization Ceremony
New American citizens from western North Carolina will participate in a naturalization ceremony at the park. The public is welcome to attend this special event.
September 21, 2013 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Fall Into the Farm: A Family Fun Day on the Sandburg Farm
This family-friendly festival highlights the Sandburg family's farm life and features a professional storyteller, square dancing, garden tours, cheese-making demonstrations, goat judging and children's crafts. Fun activities that take you back to the 1940's and 50's when the Sandburg's lived at Connemara. All activities including house tours for this festival day are free.
Fee Free Day at National Parks - September 28, 2013
Tour fees at Carl Sandburg Home and entrance fees at most national parks will be waived during National Public Lands Day
Fee Free Day at National Parks - November 9 - 11, 2013
Tour fees at Carl Sandburg Home and entrance fees at most national parks will be waived during Veterans Day Weekend
November 30, December 7, 14, 21 and 28 at 10:15 a.m.
Christmas at Connemara
Join us on Saturday mornings between Thanksgiving and New Year's reveling in local musicians and storytellers who perform traditional holiday stories and music. Hot cider and cookies will be served. This free festive celebration will honor Carl Sandburg and the family holiday tradition of music. Young visitors will find many opportunities for participation in storytelling and sing-a-longs too. The house will be decorated in the simple style of the Sandburgs with poinsettias and a traditionally decorated Christmas tree throughout December until January 6th, 2014.
