Shakori Hills Fall 2011 Review

Howard Levy of The Flecktones

Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance is a unique experience in the sense that there is such a strong bond of community on these Chatham County farmlands.  Smiles are found on the faces of the flocks of families, festi-freaks, hippies, and just about everyone in between.  Shakori Hills doesn't carry the pretentiousness that comes with other festivals, it's a four-day marathon of bluegrass, folk, funk, motown, and just about everything in between.  Highlights of the festival can come completely unexpectedly, and one thing I've found with my Shakori schedule is that I more frequently bounce around from tent to tent and stage to stage than at any other festival.  Between the close proximity of the stages and the guarantee that almost every act you see will have redeeming qualities.  The worldly sounds of Sidi Toure filled the Meadow Stage, the legendary Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings brought high-energy and crowd participation to a new level, and Bela Fleck & The Flecktones brought a performance that will be remembered by many as one of the best of their lives.  The talent on display at Shakori Hills is astounding, but the best part is that there is so much more going on at the festival other than just great music.

Activities are abound at Shakori, with everything from a Jazz Workshop on the Front Porch on Friday with Peter Lamb & The Wolves to a Puppet Parade throughout the festival on Sunday afternoon.  While you may not always have a band you want to be checking out at Shakori, you're guaranteed to be able to find something to keep yourself preoccupied until the tunes start back up.  I wore myself thin this weekend at Shakori and between running here, there, and everywhere in that perfect fall weather I wound up with Bronchitis after the weekends festivities (I'm sure the massive amounts of campfire smoke didn't help either, nor did the handful of hours of sleep I got throughout the weekend) but still I couldn't find a negative thing to say about the entire weekend.

Shakori Hills makes lineup announcement for fall festival

Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival will be held October 6-9
in Pittsboro, NC

The Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival is a twice a year joy that's become one of the beacons of light for not only the North Carolina music scene but for the south-east region as a whole.  Three days full of good music and good vibes, Shakori Hills is a home away from home as a family-friendly festival that's still filled with enough hippies and festi-freaks to fulfill your needs.  Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival is held in Pittsboro, NC twice a year acting as a fundraiser to help the Shakori Hills Community Arts Center to buy the farmlands that the festival is held on in order to provide an outlet for community building through arts, nature, and through education.

The group is holding a Shakori Hills Benefit on August 20, 2011 for the second year in a row, NC Stars In The Round, an event that gathers names like Andrew Marlin (of Mandolin Orange), Justin Robinson (of Carolina Chocolate Drops), and Charly Lowry (of Dark Water Rising) in a singer-songwriter circle, plus a headlining slot from The Old Ceremony.  This fall's festival will be held October 6-9 and the festival recently announced a handful of artists in what will be the first wave of announcements. With names like The Old Ceremony, Toubab Krewe Eilen Jewell, and Bret Dennen this fall's festival is already shaping up to be an exciting one.

Tickets for Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival are already on sale now at early-bird prices.  Early-bird prices last until August 14th so if you're trying to get a great deal on tickets then now is the chance to do so.  Ticket prices and festival lineup are as followed: