The third installment of Carolina Grown is coming up swiftly, and this week’s show is entirely themed around one of Raleigh’s most exciting community events of the fall. The Cooke Street Carnival is an annual neighborhood festival that takes place on Cooke Street that showcases some of the many excellent cultural elements that are abound in the city of Raleigh. Live music is a staple of the festival, but there’s much more to be offered at the event which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 19. I’ll be joined by festival organizer Jedidiah Gant along with some of the featured artists at this year’s festival including Prypyat, Hammer No More The Fingers, and Napoleon Wright II.
The event also teams up with a local non-profit organization to help raise funds and awareness for the group. This year the festival has paired up with Learning Together, an educational non-profit that works with developmentally disabled children. The head of the organization will be joining Jedidiah along with Jason Howard, the owner of the soon to be re-opened Quality Grocery.
Each year the festival follows a thematic structure and this year’s will boast a vibrant display of the Southern cookout aesthetic. For years now we’ve been interacting with our neighbors through community events such as this, but Cooke Street Carnival just does so on a much wider scale. It helps build a tighter community for Raleigh’s residents and allows everyone to connect on a personal level through delicious food, exciting events, and fantastic local music.
Some of the area’s finest food trucks will be out at the event along with local breweries and other assorted food vendors. Local artists and art vendors will line the streets as well, making for a truly carnival-esque experience for all of those in attendance. If you needed anything else to drive home this family-friendly laid back vibe, I’d say that the Pickle Eating contest does so perfectly.
Tune in on Friday from 5-7pm. I’ll speak with Jedidiah about the origins of the Cooke Street Carnival, some of his anticipated highlights, and where the festival can go from here. Throughout the show we’ll also have live performances and interviews from Prypyat, Napoleon Wright II, and Hammer No More The Fingers!
For more information on Cooke Street Carnival you can check out their website