SHAKORI (SPRING 2017)
This past Saturday, I went to the Shakori Hills Music Festival for the first time ever. I’ve been hearing about this fest for years, so when WKNC gave me the opportunity to go, how could I pass it up? I brought my uncle with me for the adventure (and because I didn’t wanna go alone). As it turns out, it was a great time and definitely worth all the hype. I thought I’d share my experience with y’all!
THE MUSIC – The first thing that I (of course) noticed was the happy, upbeat music. It was all kind of folksy—not my usual genre, but I really dug it. It definitely put me in a feel good mood. There were big stages and small stages scattered about, and I went to a few of each. One of my favorites was the front porch acoustic stage; three gentlemen were playing their instruments on a small little porch and would invite anyone to come and sing with them. (They asked me, but I’m tone-deaf. Oh well.) And the coolest thing was that they had two cute little chickens running around!
FOOD & BEER. – This festival has great food. Not the kind of greasy junk you find at the fair or warped tour, but genuinely delicious stuff. One of my favorites were donuts from YeeHaw donuts, which are made from four simple ingredients: eggs, buttermilk, flour, and sweet potatoes. Way too delicious for words! Secondly, the beer. Am I of drinking age? Nope, got five more months on that. But working at a semi-sports bar has taught me plenty, and they had some neat craft beers (like Hoppyum). My uncle could get a glass for $5, which, when you think about it, is quite a reasonable price compared to most festivals!
ART! – Shakori was filled with colorful art everywhere you turned. Whether it be in the form of a sculpture, face paint, handmade jewelry… this place had it all. I bought some neat new earrings and my uncle got a painted wooden turtle. Even items that weren’t for sale, like tapestries, caught my eye. Such an overall creative mix of people.
THE GENERAL ATMOSPHERE – What an all-inclusive, genuinely kind group of people. There were poetry stages in which LGBTQ people were sharing their personal stories, signs promoting peace and acceptance, all that good stuff. I could tell this was definitely a judgment free zone.
In conclusion, Shakori was everything it was cut out to be, and I only stayed for half a day! I can only imagine the sorts of fun I would have if I had camped out with friends and stuck around for a few days. With that in mind, I’ll definitely be returning for the fall festival to get the whole experience!
– Carlie (DJ Carnage)