Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival presented by Wilkes Communications will host Contra Dances both days of the street festival in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The Kruger Brothers will be joined by Bob Kogut on the fiddle and by Roberta Kogut, who will be the caller. Roberta will provide all of the basic instruction needed for the dance. No partner is needed and no experience is required. Roberta likes to say, “If you can walk, you can Contra Dance!”.
Contra dance refers to a folk dance that is similar to square dance, except instead of squares, the couples dance in a line. This type dance has its’ roots in Appalachia and is often referred to as Appalachian Folk Dance.
The typical music for contra dancing is Irish, Scottish, old-time and French-Canadian tunes. The dance is led by a caller who teaches the sequence of figures in the dance before the music starts. The dance consists of 6-12 figures which are repeated as the couple progresses up and down the line.
Additionally, Clogging classes will be held after the Clogging performance by the High Country Cloggers. Clogging is a type of folk dance in which the dancer's footwear is used percussively by striking the heel, the toe, or both against a floor or each other to create audible rhythms, usually to the downbeat with the heel keeping the rhythm. Clogging is the State Dance of North Carolina and was the social dance in the Appalachian Mountains as far back as the 18th century. “Clogging is a great exercise and a great social activity”, says Mariette Lisk of the High Coutry Cloggers, “We look forward to teaching folks and making lots of new clogging friends at Carolina in the Fall”.
Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival will be held in Downtown Wilkesboro on September 23rd and 24th. Gates will open for the festival each day at 10 A.M. with music beginning at 11 A.M. and will continue until 10 P.M. in the evening. Each evening of the festival, VIP ticket holders will be treated to the Carolina Jam™ at the Yadkin Valley Event Center at the Wilkesboro Holiday Inn Express. This once in a lifetime band jam experience is scheduled to begin each evening at 11:00 and conclude at 1:00 AM.
Included in the Festival is the first annual Carolina in the Fall Food Truck Championship. Food trucks from around the State will converge on Main Street to feed festival goers and compete for the $500 first prize and the championship trophy. Additionally, local wineries and craft beer brewers will be onsite to serve attendees some of their best beverages.
Round 2 pricing is in effect until September 1st. Single day passes are $30.00, two day festival passes are $50.00 and two day VIP passes are $90.00. Tickets are limited and are available online at www.carolinainthefall.org. Carolina in the Fall is a production of Heart of Folk, LLC and is presented by Wilkes Communications, Inc. Visit their website for more information about the festival and its’ sponsors.