Thursday

7:30pm – Square Dance with The Hoppin’ Johnnies, Caller TBD

Come kick up your heels at this intimate weekend kick-off! Our house band is an eclectic mix of talented folks who love and contribute to the whole Hoppin’ John scene. The general lineup includes Gil McNeill, Greg Hanson on fiddles and banjo, Cary Moskovitz on the 4-string banjo, Steve Fagan on guitar and Katy Shoemaker playing bass. Located in the Dance Tent.

Saturday

10:30am - Kids Clogging with Tampa Enoch-Reese

Suggested for ages 5 and up, this workshop provides a basic introduction to clogging, just for kids! Participants will learn fundamental clogging steps through fun, confidence-building exercises. They’ll also have opportunities to express themselves creatively with this energetic dance tradition. Comfortable, closed-toe shoes are recommended. Tampa is an educator, dancer and musician from Mebane, North Carolina. At an early age, she learned to flatfoot and buck dance from her grandmother, and she carries the tradition forward by teaching percussive dance to children both in her family and in the wider community. Tampa has been a member of Chapel Hill’s Cane Creek Cloggers since 2014 and has worked in public libraries as a youth services librarian for 19 years. In her free time she enjoys playing banjo and sharing about the rich and complex history of the instrument. Located in the Dance Tent.

11:30am – Clogging Workshop with the Apple Chill Cloggers

Based in Hillsborough, the Apple Chill Cloggers have been performing traditional dance here in North Carolina and internationally since 1975.  Come meet them and learn clogging basics! No experience necessary.  They will show you several steps, adding next to live music, then teach a simple group dance. All ages welcome.

12:15pm - Kids Dance Contest

Located at Carson’s Grove Stage

5pm – Family Square Dance Workshop & Cake Walk with the Hoppin’ Johnnies, Caller Abby Huggins

Everyone gets the chance to square dance, even if your bedtime is before 9pm! Join in this family dance for all ages. Our family band rendition of the Hoppin’ Johnnies plays the tunes, while Abby Huggins provides instruction and keeps you in step in these easy-to-follow squares. Abby is a square dance caller from North Carolina, influenced by Appalachian callers and dance figures from western North Carolina, eastern Kentucky, southwest Virginia and West Virginia. She teaches big circle dances and four couple squares that are beginner friendly, gender neutral and fun for folks of all ages and experiences. Abby deeply believes in the importance of music and dance in intergenerational community and is grateful to share in the joy of dancing together! The workshop and dance is followed by the ever-popular cake walk! Located in the Dance Tent

7pm – Country Dance with John Howie Jr. & the Rosewood Bluff

Put on your cowboy boots and let’s go honky-tonkin’. Authentic, roots-driven country music, the Rosewood Bluff’s five-piece lineup features Nathan Golub on pedal steel guitar, Tim Shearer on electric guitar, Mark Connor on bass, Dave Hartman (Southern Culture on the Skids) on drums, and NC’s iconic bandleader, John Howie on rhythm guitar and lead vocals. Their new album explores the struggles and resilience of the underdog navigating life’s complexities, offering hope and grit for these challenging times.

7:30pm – Clogging Performance with the Green Grass Cloggers

9pm – Square Dance with Devon Flaherty & His Railroad Ramblers, Caller TBD

Devon Flaherty & His Railroad Ramblers (Andrew Walker and Andrew Berger-Gross) are an award-winning old-time string trio based in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina. With a shared appreciation for the musically-rich landscape of the Carolina Piedmont in which they reside, the Ramblers strive to preserve and carefully build on the musical traditions of the region. As frequent attendees of fiddlers' conventions and festivals around the country, Flaherty has won the Charlie Poole Festival Three-Finger Banjo Grand Champion Award, and each member has won prizes for their skill on their respective instrument. Flaherty is a member of old-time string band The Three-Top Serenaders and the American Primitive-style trio Grant/McGuire/Flaherty. Andrew Berger-Gross and occasionally Andrew Walker play with eclectic Raleigh-based string band the Oak City Serenaders.

Friday

4:30pm – Flatfooting with Rodney Sutton

Recipient of SouthArts/NC Arts Council’s Folk & Traditional Master Artist Fellowship Award, Rodney Clay Sutton teaches traditional flatfoot dancing in this relaxed-atmosphere workshop. Having learned Appalachian flatfoot dance from mentor Willard Watson over fifty years ago, Rodney brings this wealth of experience, plus his continued education afforded to him by the fellowship in Sean Nos` dance – the Irish step-dance equivalent to flat-footing. Though you can wear any kind of footwear for this intro class, smooth soled shoes with a low heel are the best shoes for this workshop.

9:30pm –  Rowdy Square Dance with the Five Points Rounders, Caller TBD

This beloved rowdy, ruckus version of the traditional square dance is back again! Join a version of the Five Points Rounders: David Bass on fiddle, Shawn Galbraith, Edith Booy on banjo, Tracy Lafleur on guitar and Rob Vanveld on the washtub bass for some fast-paced, frenzied fun. Located in the Dance Tent.