The celebrated mountain tradition Shindig on the Green, which showcases the region’s rich heritage through its traditional musicians and dancers, kicks off its 48thannual season when it returns to the heart of downtown Asheville in Pack Square Park. With its first gathering of the summer on Saturday June 28th, this year’s Shindig on the Green will be held on June 28; July 5, 12, 19; August 9, 16, 23, and 30. Shindig on the Green is free.
Locals and visitors alike come together downtown “along about sundown,” or at 7:00pm for those who wear a watch, to enjoy the stage show and informal jam sessions throughout the park. The stage shows take place on the Bascom Lamar Lunsford stage, named for the founder of the annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville. Highlights include performances by The Stoney Creek Boys, the long-standing house band for Shindig on the Green; newly formed and long-standing bands from throughout the mountains; and an extensive line-up of dance teams.
Prior to the first Shindig on June 28th, the Folk Heritage Committee presents the third annual “Run For Shindig on the Green,” a fun and healthy way to help support Shindig, featuring a 5K Race and Fun Walk/Run. The event takes place the morning of Saturday, June 28 at Carrier Park with the 5K Race beginning at 8:30 a.m. and the Fun Walk/Run beginning at 8:35 a.m. The “Run For Shindig on the Green” is a key element in securing necessary funding for the free and beloved Shindig on the Green summer Saturday evenings in Asheville. The two overall male and female winners of the 5K will be recognized at the first Shindig of the season later that evening. Registration is available online until June 26that www.active.com.
The Folk Heritage Committee produces Shindig on the Green and its sister event, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, to support the preservation and continuation of the traditional music, dance and storytelling heritage of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Between 3,000 and 5,000 people attend Shindig on the Green evenings for free throughout the summer. In addition to throngs of locals, visitors routinely travel from out of state, across the country, and even around the world to make their way to downtown Asheville for Shindig on the Green.
Shindig on the Green is made possible thanks to the talent and generosity of its volunteer musicians and dancers who span several generations much to the delight of those in attendance. From young children perfecting their square dance steps to great-grandmothers singing ballads passed down through the years, the region’s wealth of traditional talent takes center stage. Since the outdoor event’s inception in 1967, hundreds of thousands of individuals from across the region and throughout the world have shared and enjoyed the rich traditional music and dance heritage of the Southern Appalachian Mountains in this outdoor setting.
Raffle: The much-sought-after annual raffle items for the 2014 Shindig season are: a D-16 Adirondack acoustic guitar by C.F. Martin & Co.; and a 75” x 75” handmade quilt from a 19th century quilt pattern, created by local quilting collaborative Mountain Jam Circle. Raffle tickets are available at each Shindig evening and the winning tickets are pulled at the end of the summer Shindig season.
Food: Concessions are offered by Okie Dokies Smokehouse and The Hop Ice Cream Café.
Rules: By city ordinance, dogs, alcohol, and smoking are all prohibited in Pack Square Park.
Parking: The College Street Parking Deck is conveniently located next to Shindig, directly across College Street from Pack Square Park and the Buncombe County Courthouse, and is $1.00 per hour. Parking is also available in marked and metered spaces throughout downtown Asheville (free after 6pm) and the city’s municipal decks (evening rates vary).
Public Transit: There is a major transfer point on College Street for public transit. Check www.ridetheart.com for maps and schedules, or call 828-253-5691.
Mountain Dance and Folk Festival: Shindig on the Green takes a break from its regular Saturday schedule just twice during July and August: once on July 26th; and again on August 2ndwhen the musicians and dancers head to Shindig’s sister event, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. The 87th Annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, a ticketed event at Diana Wortham Theatre, takes place nightly at 7:00pm Thursday through Saturday, July 31, August 1 & 2. Tickets are available now through the Diana Wortham Theatre Box Office at 828-257-4530 or online at www.dwtheatre.com.
Sponsors: The Folk Heritage Committee produces Shindig on the Green’s 48th Summer Season and the 87th annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival with support from the following Corporate Sponsors: Able Rent-A-John; Acoustic Corner; Acoustic Sound Production; Alan’s Jewelry & Pawn; Americare Pharmacy Consultants; Biltmore®; Brian C. Hunter, CPA, P.A.; C.F. Martin & Co.; Elly Wells Marketing + Project Management; Fox Dental Associates; Graybeard Graphics; Greybeard Realty; Henco Reprographics; Jack of the Wood; Laughing Seed Café; Lenoir-Rhyne University; Luella’s Bar-B-Que; Mast General Store; Mountain Jam Circle; Okie Dokies Smokehouse; Pack’s Tavern; Parsec Financial; RomanticAsheville.com Vacation Guide; Sam’s Club; Skyland Auto Group; State Farm Insurance – Diane Bauknight; Stevenson & Carney, Attorneys at Law; Telco Community Credit Union; Timothy E. Gillespie, DMD, FAGD; and Town Hardware & General Store. Media Sponsors are: 880 AM The Revolution; 88.7 FM WNCW; 99.9 FM Kiss Country; The Laurel of Asheville; Mountain Xpress; News Radio 570 WWNC; Smoky Mountain Living; Smoky Mountain News; and WNC magazine. Ongoing support of Shindig on the Green is provided by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, the City of Asheville, and Buncombe County. For more info about Shindig on the Green, visit www.folkheritage.org or call the Folk Heritage Info Line: 828-258-6101 x345.
DANCE TEAM LINE-UP* FOR 2014 SHINDIG ON THE GREEN (as of 6/11/14)
• June 28th: Homecoming Team; Fines Creek Flat Footers; J Creek Cloggers
• July 5th: Folk Heritage Smooth Dancers; Southern Mountain Fire
• July 12th: Carolina Heartland Cloggers; Hotfoot Cloggers
• July 19th: Green Valley Cloggers; Southern Appalachian Cloggers
• August 9th: Mountain Tradition Cloggers; Appalachian Mountaineers
• August 16th: Dixie Darlin’s; Avery Smooth Dancers; Green Grass Cloggers
• August 23rd: Stoney Creek Cloggers; Bailey Mountain Cloggers
• August 30th: Little River Cloggers; Mountaineer Cloggers; Cole Mountain Cloggers
*2014 Shindig Dance Team line-up is subject to change at any time.