News Release

Summer Plays and sing-alongs start in June at the Sandburg Home

NPS Photo

News Release Date: June 3, 2022 Flat Rock, N.C. – Summer plays and sing-alongs will be offered at Carl Sandburg Home NHS starting in June. Apprentice actors from the Flat Rock Playhouse Vagabond School of the Drama will share performances of Rootabaga Express!, and sing-alongs will be led by Carol Rifkin and Wayne Erbsen at the amphitheater.  Additional Sandburg Home tour days will be offered, with tours available Thursday through Sunday starting June 16.

Rootabaga Express! will be performed on Thursday and Saturday mornings at 10:15 a.m., from June 16 to August 13. Rootabaga Express! is based on Carl Sandburg’s series of children’s fiction, called Rootabaga Stories. Join us for the shows this summer as we celebrate the 100^th anniversary from when they were first published in 1922. The free 30-minute shows are appropriate for all ages and are held rain or shine at the amphitheater. For young visitors who attend the plays, there is a Rootabaga Junior Ranger program available. Activity sheets will be available at the amphitheater after the play and can be turned in at the Sandburg Home for a limited edition “Rootabaga Ranger” badge.

A series of free monthly Sing-alongs will be offered on the second Tuesday of the month at 5 p.m at the amphitheater. On June 14 and August 9, Carol Rifkin will lead a sing and strum-along. Bring a string instrument to play-along or just enjoy the music and singing. On July 12, Wayne Erbsen will present a fun evening of banjo-led stringing.

Sandburg Home tours will be available on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays (4 days a week), starting on June 16, at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Visitors will start the tour in the Visitor Center/Park Store, located on the ground floor of the Sandburg Home. Advance online ticket reservations are available via Recreation.gov. All house tour tickets will continue to be free of charge until further notice. Although the ticket is free, there is a non-refundable $1.00 per ticket online processing fee for using recreation.gov. Advance reservations are encouraged as day-of walk-up tickets may not be available.

Park grounds and trails are open sunrise to sunset. Leashed pets are allowed on trails and grounds. Outdoor access to the goats (in the barnyard and goat pasture) is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Access to grounds, trails and the goats is free. Visitors should follow CDC guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and recreate responsibly. For the health and safety of others, please choose another time to visit if you are not feeling well. 

Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site, located in Flat Rock, NC, is open daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Due to COVID-19, some visitor services are limited. For park updates and all parking options visit www.nps.gov/carl.