Story by Hal Goodtree. Photos by Brooke Meyer.

Cary, NC – Last week, the B-52s headlined a Band Together benefit at Booth Amphitheatre that raised $552,000 for charity.

Band Together at Booth Amphitheatre

From Band Together:

Nearly 4,000 music lovers came together for good music, good times and a good cause at Band Together NC’s annual charity concert on May 12 at Cary’s Booth Amphitheatre. Iconic cosmic rockers The-B-52s, also known as the World’s Greatest Party Band, headlined this year’s event which raised $552,000 for Urban Ministries of Wake County. All proceeds from the May 12 event go to fund Urban Ministry’s Open Door Clinic, which aims to provide physician visits, prescriptions and lab work for many of Wake County’s uninsured residents battling poverty.

This year marked record highs for the annual event, which featured headliner The B-52s along with regional favorites Southern Culture on the Skids and BIG Something, winner of Band Together’s 2012 Last Band Standing competition. Event highlights from this year included:

• $552,000 raised in 2012 – most money ever raised for a nonprofit partner
• Almost 4,000 attendees
• More than 190 sponsors
• Nearly $25,000 raised through a special silent auction, “wine grab,” autographed guitar raffle and text-to-donate option
• Almost 1,300 VIP attendees, who were treated to premier stage-front viewing, an artists’ village with live painting, a photo booth to capture the evening’s festivities, mobile device text-to-give and online silent auction bidding and a host of other VIP attractions.

Open Door Clinic

The $552,000 raised from this event will help Urban Ministries of Wake County’s Open Door Clinic treat an additional 420 new patients over the next two years, providing all physician visits, lab work and prescriptions. In 2011, the Open Door Clinic provided 7,000 medical visits and filled 52,000 prescriptions to Wake County residents in need.

The Clinic helps keep people healthy, working and better able to support their families. Their services keep patients out of emergency rooms and costly inpatient stays, which can save the community more than $6 million a year.

“In Band Together’s 10 years, we have been able to raise more than $2 million dollars for Triangle-area nonprofits,” said Matt Strickland, executive director of Band Together. “We are grateful for the generosity of businesses and individuals in the Triangle. Without their support, this year’s record-setting sum would not be possible.”

B-52s Rock Cary

Booth Amphitheatre in Cary may be the perfect place to see a concert. It certainly felt that way on Saturday, with perfect weather and an enthusiastic crowd.

The B-52s played for about an hour and a half, rocking the crowd with a set list of favorites:

1. Mesopatamia
2. Private Idaho
3. Lava
4. Give Me Back My Man
5. Funplex
6. Roam
7. 52 Girls
8. Love in the Year 3000
9. Too Much to Think About
10. Hot Corner
11. Whammy Kiss
12. Love Shack
13. Planet Claire (encore)
14. Party Out of Bounds (encore)
15. Rock Lobster (encore)

The B-52s released their first single in 1978. 34 years later, they still had it for their show in Cary.

Sparkling harmonies, call-and-response vocals and tight, danceable tunes – they put on a great show. It was a big sing-along, with the crowd on its collective feet for the entire show.

Fred Schneider still fronts the band, strutting and camping across the stage, engaging the audience and effortlessly blending with the smooth harmonies of Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.

Keith Strickland, originally the drummer, now handles lead guitar for the band, backed by a small combo of bass, drums and keyboards. For a smallish ensemble, they still generate their signature big wall of sound.

A tongue-in-cheek homage to the Sixties still rings through in the music and the stage show – Kate wore fringe and Cindy sported leopard.

Fred continues to be a force of nature, but Kate’s vocal range and stage presence was the most riveting aspect of the show. Her solos on Roam and 52 Girls fired up the crowd. Her vocalese on Planet Claire and Party Out of Bounds still evokes chills with it’s cosmic inflections. At 64 years of age, Kate is still at her peak as a performer, looking and sounding 20 years younger. Maybe it was the red wig.

Cindy carried the vocals for one of her signature tunes, Give me Back My Man. Her husky voice still has magic and blends easily with Kate to create the iconic B-52s sound.

Southern Culture on the Skids

Southern Culture on the Skids warmed up for the B-52s, playing a long set of their ironic southern rock.

They were a good match for the B-52s, sharing Southerness, humor and songs rooted in strong hooks.

Warm-up bands have a hard task, but the crowd at Booth contained a large contingent of SCOTS fans.

Big Something

The first band on stage was BIG Something, winner of the Band Together talent contest.

Their eclectic funk-rock reminded me of The Dave Matthews Band. Although they were an unknown act to most of the crowd, their performance drew an enthusiastic response and a big ovation when their set was over.

Faces in the Crowd

Half of the fun at Booth Amphitheatre is the crowd. All photos by Brooke Meyer.

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Music coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Booth Amphitheatre.

Story by Hal Goodtree. Photos by Brooke Meyer and Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – National Train Day rolled into Cary on Saturday. The weather was perfect, the band played, flags snapped to attention and the enthusiastic crowd cheered as the big train pulled into Cary.

National Train Day in Cary

Cary has had a train depot since Frank Page got a railroad siding in 1854. But this year was the first celebration of National Train Day in Cary. Previously, the event had been in Raleigh, a suburb of our fair town.

The Town Band filled the air with railroading songs and Americana as spectators streamed into the train depot. It was a mass influx of parents and kids, strollers and bicycles, grandmas and grandpas, elected officials and Amtrak representatives flooding in from all sides.

The enthusiastic crowd packed the platform from one end to the other. Children sat on the shoulders of their parents, blowing wooden train whistles supplied by the NC Railroad.  As the Carolinian rolled into the station, a big cheer went up from the crowd.

I don’t know what kind of reception they had previously received in Raleigh, but the train conductors seemed surprised – even shocked – by the size of the crowd in Cary. At it’s peak, Train Day in Cary appeared to have drawn upwards of a thousand people.

The crowd eyed the gleaming railcars, heaving and shuddering above the platform, a living leviathan of steel and ingenuity. Slowly, the train departed from the platform and the crowd let out a collective sigh of appreciation.

Afterward, elected officials, community leaders and Amtrak representatives made a few remarks under the cloudless sky, a perfect Carolina blue to match the mood of the day.

Inside the station, games, amusements and information did a brisk business. There was a model railroad and a train table, face painting and balloon bending. A new Downtown Cary brochure produced by the Heart of Cary Association found its way into many hands.

As the morning stretched into midday, spectators wandered off to visit Page-Walker or strolled to Ashworth Drugs for a hot dog at the lunch counter.

Pictures: National Train Day in Cary

Photos by Brooke Meyer and Hal Goodtree.

Photo by Erik van Roekel.

Cary, NC – Adults and children ages 12+ are invited to make a move for those who can’t on Thursday, May 17. Life Time Fitness Cary is partnering with the Booth Amphitheatre in Cary to lead a two-hour, heart-pumping ZUMBA® Jam fundraising event. Guests will be treated to a live DJ and an after-party. Concessions will also be available.

Zumba Jam at Booth Amphitheatre

The event is free to the public and participants are encouraged to make a suggested donation of $10, with all proceeds benefiting Augie’s Quest and Life Time Foundation.

Augie’s Quest is a non-profit research initiative dedicated to finding treatments and cures for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a progressive motor neurone disease that robs people of the ability to move their muscles.

Life Time Foundation is about inspiring healthy people and a healthy planet one mission at a time. The current mission is improving children’s nutrition – One School Lunch Program to ensure every child has a healthy start in life, beginning with proper nutrition and exercise.

Event Details

Zumba Jam
Thursday, May 17, 2012
6:30 – 8:30 PM

Booth Amphitheatre
8003 Regency Parkway
Cary, NC 27518

Suggested donation: $10

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photo by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC – The Ritmo Latino Festival moves its Latin rhythms to Downtown Cary this Saturday, May 19th.

Ritmo Latino Festival

David Flores, president of Diamante,  said that the organization had “listened to feedback from past patrons who said that August was very hot and that the past location in Bond Park limited the festival’s visibility”.

When Lyman Collins, the Town’s Cultural Arts Manager, approached the group to move to Downtown they really liked the idea. Diamante normally holds a book fair during the Spring, so switching that indoor event to the hot month of August, and the outdoor Ritmo Latino to the cooler month of May made a great deal of sense.

Whats in A Name?

“Ritmo” means Rhythm in Spanish, and through music the festival focuses on sharing the Latin Culture with the community, hence “Ritmo Latino”. A full day of music and dance performances highlighting many different Latino cultures is planned on Academy Street between Dry Ave and Park, where the street will be closed to traffic between Noon and 7pm.

Part of Downtown Rejuvenation

Part of the push for more festivals in the streets downtown, the Diamante group is also excited to be more visible and hopes to continue to attract a diverse population to take part in experiencing Latino culture. David added that the group is excited to “support the rejuvenation of the Downtown area” and that he is pleased that the Town “asked us to be downtown.” He added they have given Diamante tremendous support as the main sponsor of their event.

Two Performance Stages

Two stages will be set up, one in front of the Cary Arts Center on Dry Ave will hold seven musical acts and a second stage near Park Street will have dance performances. In addition to the performing stages, fifty vendors will be selling crafts and art and several food vendors will be selling authentic Latino foods for patrons to sample.

A Kids Zone will be set up with free face painting and bounce houses. Cary Creative Reuse Center will show kids how to create crafts from recycled materials. A first for the area will be outdoor laser tag from Extreme Kombat, a company owned by a Diamante board member.

Unique Children’s Group To Perform

The Children’s Philharmonic Orchestra (Kidz Notes) from Durham will take the stage during the day. This group teaches over 150 underprivileged children to play classical music including violin, cello, and violas at little to no cost. Twenty of the group’s musicians perform on Saturday.

Soccer Clinic Too

The RailHawks plan a free soccer clinic from 2-3pm in the grassy area across from the Cary Arts Center. Kids can sign up on the spot to learn from the pros. Swoops the mascot should make an appearance as well.

Special Concert Friday Night

Singer Jenny La Voz will perform Friday May 18, as a prelude to Ritmo Latino, and part of the Starlight Concert series at the Page-Walker. This free concert night is usually the most popular of the Starlight series. Grupo Sarangue will also perform music that is a mix of Meringue and Salsa.

Event Info

Ritmo Latino
Saturday May 19 Noon- 7pm
Academy Street from Dry to Park (street will be closed)
Cost: Free

Also Starlight Concert

Jenny LaVoz and Grupo Sarengue
Friday May 18th, 7pm
Page-Walker Arts and History Center ‘s Outdoor stage, 119 Ambassador Loop
Cost: Free

Story by Matt Young. 

Cary-lina, NC – As any North Carolinian knows, barbecue is a noun (it’s also a religion). Barbecue is NOT the thing you grill on. It’s not something you go to. It is a cooked pig. Period.

‘Cue Guru

The author of the book - Bob Garner’s Book of Barbecue, North Carolina’s Favorite Food - ventured into the food business at 50. He’s now kind of a North Carolina living legend (and ‘cue guru).

Bob Garner is a TV (UNC-TV, Food Network, Travel Channel) personality, speaker, restaurant reviewer and pitmaster.

“Barbecue continues to be refined and repositioned as society changes, because it just plain satisfies some innate need to cook meat over a fire.” – Bob Garner

My First Pig Pickin’

It was 20 years ago, and my company was flying employees down for a house hunting trip. My wife Chris (“I can’t eat anything with a face”) and I were invited to a “pig-pickin’”.  I laughed at the idea.

But I went to it anyway (Chris said we HAD to). It was love at first bite.

So I was sure interested in Bob Garner’s new book.

A History Lesson and a Handbook

Book of Barbecue, North Carolina’s Favorite Food  will be of interest to people who love history and local culture, as well as food. It tells “the why it exists here story” – it  talks about the immigrants hundreds of years ago that started the tradition(s) and it explains how the tradition evolved region by region and the subtle differences from county to county.  Real engaging.

He then describes and reviews many different barbecue establishments across the state. If you are a barbecue lover, I’d suggest throwing this in your trunk, your backpack or your bicycle basket.

Signings

Blair Publishing is hosting a few book signings with Bob in the area:

• Tuesday, May 15, at 6 p.m. at The Pit Authentic Barbecue (where he works) in Raleigh
• Thursday, May 17, at 6 p.m. at McIntyre’s in Pittsboro
• Friday, May 18, at 5 p.m., at the Got to Be N.C. Festival in Raleigh
• Saturday, May 19, at noon, at A Southern Season, in Chapel Hill

Buy It Online

You can also buy the Book of Barbecue online from John F. Blair, Publisher in Winston-Salem, NC.

More NC Book Reviews

If you enjoy NC authors or like supporting North Carolina publishers, browse other CaryCitizen book reviews. Tag: Writers.

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Photo by Alan Pike for Southern Foodways Alliance.

Cary, NC – Cary is a musical town, home to several adult groups, from Vocal Motion and the Concert Singers of Cary to talented youth groups including the Cary Children’s Choir and Children’s Youth Chorale. This is the time of year to catch a performance.

Concert Singers Perform at the Cary Arts Center

Triangle residents don’t have to travel very far to listen to songs from around the globe. The Concert Singers of Cary will present an evening of world music on May 11^th at 8:00 pm at the Cary Arts Center. The concert is entitled Earthsongs, featuring vocal music from African, African American, India, American Indian, Latin American, South American, Chinese, Japanese, Celtic, and Slavic traditions along with selected instruments of those traditions. Nearly every song is in a different language, proving once again that music is a universal language.

Under the direction of Lawrence Speakman, The Concert Singers of Cary is a 150 voice volunteer choral organization of accomplished vocal musicians.

“This concert has a special meaning to us all,” said Speakman, “because the ability to communicate with people of various cultures is more important than ever. Music is one way to do that, and we celebrate this in the Earthsongs performance.”

Event Info For Concert Singers

Concert Singers of Cary
Earthsongs
Friday May 11, at 8pm

Cary Arts Center
101 Dry Av.
Cary NC
Cost: $15 for adults and $5.00 for children 12 and under

Tickets available at the Cary Arts Center box office, online or at the door.

Cary Children’s Concert Choir 12th Anniversary Concert

The Cary Children’s Concert Choir will celebrate its 12th year by presenting a free concert featuring entitled “Together We Sing: Hope Peace and Unity” on Friday, May 11th at 7:00 p.m. at the Greenwood Forest Baptist Church (at the corner of Kildaire Farm and Maynard Roads in Cary).

Cary Children’s Concert Choir and Cary Youth Chorale’s May concert will include upbeat and contemplative selections exploring the themes of hope, peace, and unity. In this tenth year after 9/11, the choirs have sung about conflict and remembrance.

A program of the Concert Singers of Cary, the youth choral program will also feature its middle school aged chorus (Cary Youth Chorale) for grades 6 – 9. The evening will feature both choirs performing separately and together.

Interested in learning more about this youth group? The staff of C4 is passionate about one thing – offering the best experience possible for our community’s young musicians so that they develop a love of music that will last long after they are grown. C4 offers two semesters per year and is open to children in grades three through six. C4 performs a major concert per semester and several smaller performances as well.

The Cary Children’s Concert Choir is led by Director Roberta Thomason. Ms. Thomason has over 30 years experience as a music educator and choral director. She is an honors graduate of Furman University, with a degree in music education and choral certification at both elementary and secondary levels.

Event Info for Children’s Choir

Cary Children’s Concert Choir
12th Anniversary Show
Friday May 11, 2012
7 PM – 8:30 PM

Greenwood Forest Baptist Church
110 Southeast Maynard Road
Cary, NC 27511

The cost for this show is free.

Story by Lindsey Chester and photos by Brooke Meyer

Cary, NC – The Cary Players finish their movie-themed season this week with The Rainmaker, the 1956 hit which starred Burt Lancaster and Katherine Hepburn. And just like the original, this production runs hot! 

The Rainmaker

Lizzy Curry is on her way to becoming an “old maid” when a man passing through town steals her heart and those of her family with the promise of rain and so much more.

The play is set somewhere in the mid-west during the great Depression and the drought that caused the Dust Bowl. The Curry farm is struggling to survive as cattle die and farm hands are laid off.

Internal struggles threaten to break the family apart. Loving father  H.C. Curry (Phil Crone) and brothers Noah and Jim have tried to play matchmaker for Lizzy, only to lead to further disappointment.

One night their door blows open and in walks Starbuck who claims he can bring the needed rain to their lives.

Love in the Time of Drought

Director Staci Sabarsky says “We’ve all experienced drought, whether it be from much needed rain, in our finances, or in our love life. That’s why I believe this story still resonates with us today. It’s characters are real and their problems are real, just like their hopes and dreams”

Starbuck, played by Steve Whetzel,  is excellent as the smooth talking outlaw who convinces the family he can make it rain for $100. He dreams big, and asks them to have faith.

Strong Cast

The eldest brother Noah, (Brook North) beleaguered by running the farm, is worn down by circumstances. The scene in which he “tells it like it is” to Lizzy is heartbreaking. In one quick moment he manages to dash her dreams, and you realize he has none of his own.

Lizzy (Natalie Turgeon), begins the play almost resigned to her fate as the town Old Maid, but Starbuck manages a remarkable transformation. More remarkable is that this is Natalie’s first acting role, and she’s a natural. But no one would ever call her plain!

When the Sheriff (Phil Lewis), and his eligible bachelor deputy File (Eric Morales) visit looking for a man wanted by the law, the family unites in a surprising way. Their faith in a stranger has changed them forever.

But does it ever rain? Head to one of the shows of the season to find out!

Remaining Show Dates

• Fri May 4, 7:30pm
• Sat May 6, 7:30pm
• Sun May 7, 3:00pm

Tickets:

• Adults: $18
• Seniors: $16 (55 or older)
• Students: $16
• Groups: $15 (20 or more)

Visit Cary Player to order tickets, or stop by in person at the Cary Arts Center, 101 Dry Avenue in Downtown Cary.

Story by Lindsey Chester. Photos by Hal Goodtree.

Cary, NC- Environmental Art gets life size at Cary’s 19th annual Spring Daze Festival in Bond Park Sat. April 28th from 9 am-5 pm. Environmental sculptor Michael Roy Layne is putting the finishing touches on his “Stoneleaf and Fairy Circle” installation down at the boat house which debuts at the opening of the festival with a lakeside procession.

Stoneleaf and Fairy Circle

The sculpture includes several larger than life fabric mushrooms and smooth rocks that festival goers may help install. Most of the sculpture will remain permanently at the Boat House area, the fabric pieces may be brought out as colorful additions for special events. Layne works with areas that pose an environmental concern (here: drainage and run-off) and creates art that assists in solving the problem, while also enhancing the surroundings.

Earth Day Celebration

Spring Daze traditionally occurs at Bond Park and the outdoor theme ties in with the Town’s annual celebration of Earth Day (which this year occurred the week prior). Environmental themes will be seen throughout the event. In the Story Teller area at Buehler Shelter, hear all about composting.

Hop aboard the Town’s hybrid trash truck. Check out the WakeMed Cary Fitness Trail and get your fitness passport stamped.

Vote for your favorite Heart Healthy concessionaire. Food trucks serving up the healthiest fare will be awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize ceramic pieces made by Cary Art Center’s Ceramicist Andi Dees.

Art of Course!

There will be over 180 artist booths to visit throughout the park. The Children’s Village returns again to the Lazy Daze Playground area at the center of the park. Many fun child friendly activities are planned including make and take “Bond Park Fish”, “Spring Daze Kites” and contact paper mosaics. Volunteers will help children with their creations which are free to the public.

The Artist Demonstration area has enlarged this year and includes the Cary Clay Cooperative, Fine Arts League of Cary and the Gifted Hands of Cary Embroiderers Guild. The Cary Jaycees will be announcing the winners of their annual photo contest over by the Boat House.

For the map of all things Spring Daze click here

Ride For Free

Worried about parking? With tight quarters and plenty of visitors parking and maneuvering your car can get tricky in Bond Park. The Town is operating C-Tran on a normal schedule – riders to the festival can ride for free. There is also a FREE shuttle that leaves from Downtown Cary (at 101 Wilkenson Avenue beside Town Hall) to take festival goers straight to Bond Park. Shuttles will run every 15-20 minutes between 8:30am- 5:30pm

OR Walk: With the new Greenway connectors linking up the Black Creek Greenway and White Oak Creek Greenway many subdivision dwellers can make it to the park without driving their cars, or even walking on a street. I’m spoiled, I live in a subdivision that backs onto the White Oak Greenway. For years I have biked or walked to the Spring Daze Festival.

We’ll Be There Too

Look for Hal Goodtree (CaryCitizen Publisher) and his band, A Fifth of Blues at the stage near the ballfields. They play twice, first at 10:15 am and again around 1:00 pm. He may need a cold drink! Stop by and say “Hey.”

I will be over in Cultural Arts Row with the Non-Profit groups early from 8-10am passing our info about the upcoming Downtown Cary Children’s Museum that we’d like to see built. Stop by and grab some info, or make a donation if you can!

See you at Spring Daze!

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Community coverage on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by Studio 180 Salon in Downtown Cary.

Story and pictures from the blog of Lori Bush. Lori is an At-Large representative on Cary Town Council.

Cary, NC – When it comes to “art” I have to say that I am ill equipped to judge.  Sure, I like playing with graphic art on my computer.  And I love going to art museums; my favorites being MOMA in New York, the Art Institute in Chicago, and the Louvre, in Paris.  I even have a daughter that has tons of artistic skills, loves to paint, and I am forever amazed by her talent.

My Lesson in Public Art

But, as they say, “art is in the eye of the beholder.”  And THIS beholder is no true critic.  I also know that what you might understand is “art,” I might think of as…well, *not* art.

So, when I heard that we were going to get an update on the Cary Public Art Master Plan, I was inquisitive and a bit nervous.  (“Lord,” I thought, “please don’t let them ask me what I think of any sculptures or paintings.  It’s a test I’m sure to fail.”)

But, as it turned out, I was in for a real lesson in “Public Art.”  First, a definition.

What is Public Art?

Public art refers to artwork, sculpture, murals and other media that has been planed and executed with the specific intention of being displayed in the public domain.  It can be anything from special facades on buildings, to manhole covers, to landscaped areas.

Cary has been a leader in Public Art – from the creation of a Master Plan in 2001, to the early beginnings of art that can be seen all around Cary.  You see it in the “Railroad man” (pictured to the left) at the Cary Depot, around town at corners and parks, to the custom artwork on the Cary Bus Shelters. (Ok, I didn’t realize that the prints on the back of the shelters were historic wallpaper designs. Did you?)

Cary Public Art Objectives

The objectives are pretty lofty, but ideals we can all get behind, I think.

• Enhance the quality of life for every citizen of Cary
• Develop the identity of Cary through public art
• Support economic development goals
• Engage citizens of Cary in public art opportunities
• Promote a greater appreciation of public art

Master Plan 2012

So, the work session goals were to get feedback and direction from Council on the Cary Public Art Master Plan, while also getting an update on opportunities and ideas for incorporating public art into all types of projects.
Since I’m a visual kind of person, my favorite sections of these presentations are when we get real examples of art installations.  In fact, at one point during the presentation, I noticed that one of the bronze statues on the presentation was made by the same artist that created our bronze statues outside of town hall.  (Yes, I also like “Where’s Waldo… )

The idea was that public art can enhance Cary – whether it’s whimsical park benches, art to create a sense of community or share our history, or that can create a sense of “place.”  The pictures were a great way for us to see this in action, and it was nice to see many of Cary’s installations used as examples of this.

Here are some of the examples used:

Interesting and Innovative

I especially loved the section they called “Diversity in Public Art” where we got a chance to see Art that was functional, playful and innovative.

Downtown

Another great section in the presentation was talking about how public art could be used in our downtown revitalization to complement the great pieces already there.  Using art to create social gathering places and to visually mark the entrances were just some of the ideas.

Next Steps

Council agreed with most of the suggested recommendations put forward by staff and the consultants. (They all did a great job in this presentation, by the way.)  The areas where we deviated with some of the recommendations surrounded funding and potential changes to the Public Art Advisory Board (PAAB).

1. Public Art Advisory Board: Most folks on council felt we didn’t need to be prescriptive when it came to the advisory board – that we had great representation on the board and will continue to keep the criteria and board membership somewhat fluid, rather than determining the EXACT skills/experience needed by board members  Having a more open board gives us great feedback and insight from citizens from all walks of life.

2. FUNDING: One funding suggestion was a program called a “percent for art” – which is identifying a fixed percentage for public art for specific capital  projects. Many cities do this today; Chapel Hil (1%), Durham (1%), Raleigh (0.5%), etc.  Based on calculations made by staff, we are doing something like that already – but not as formal as that process.  Again, most of the Council members were reticient to go that far, given that our program seems to be working well so far.

Story and photos by Lindsey Chester.

Cary, NC – Who knew that Cary hosts one of the largest poetry festivals in the US? Last weekend, the American Turkish Association of North Carolina (ATA-NC) held their fourth annual Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival in Downtown Cary’s Page-Walker Arts and History Center. It was sublime.

Poets from Around the World

I can’t claim to be a poetry critic, but I can say that listening to poets recite their works on a Sunday afternoon was a perfect ending to a hectic week.

Over 700 poems were submitted to this free event. Free to attend , but also free for the writers to participate. Entries came from around the globe and 10 winners presented their work either in person or via video.

The morning included workshops for adults as well as children led by Alice Osborn of Raleigh and Michael Beadle of Canton, NC. The day honored Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet who wrote during the Spanish Civil War. His work has parallels to that of Nazim Hikmet, for whom the festival is named.

A Poet from Seattle

During the afternoon, each of the award-winning poets presented several of their poems. The work ranged from the political landscape to word paintings of rural North Carolina.

I asked Jeff Kahrs, one of the festival winners, how he came to learn about this contest event in Cary as he lives in Seattle, WA.

During his poetry reading, he had mentioned that after gaining his masters degree in 1992, he went on to teach English in Istanbul, Turkey where he met and married his wife.

In his wife’s home, the family owned a large set of poetry volumes by Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet. At the time, it was illegal to own this work, and the poetry had been smuggled from Bulgaria.

A Place Called Cary

While living as an ex-pat in Turkey, Kahrs got together with other writers living abroad. Kahrs said that, a few years ago, they heard about this festival in “a place called Cary”.

Since the poet Nazim Hikmet and Turkish culture in general resonated with him, Kahrs applied. He was rejected on his first try, but a good friend of his was accepted.

Eventually, Kahrs moved back to the states.

Came Up in an Email

This year, as he was reviewing his recent work, the contest came up in an email. It is one of the only festivals without an application fee. Generous sponsorship by the Turkish Cultural Foundation and support from the Town of Cary make the festival possible.

There is no fee for the judges to review a manuscript. The organizers receive lots of work. None of it has been previously published.

Kahrs submitted some work and was accepted.

Cary: Where the Poets Hang Out

Nine other poets were selected and won cash prizes. The winners ranged from an Egyptian poet with Lebanese background to a native of the rural Piedmont.

Two poets had even once shared an office 25 years ago as students at the University of Iowa, and only met again last weekend.

Networking with other poets was a large draw for attendees.

And that’s how Jeff Kahrs of Seattle, WA found himself at the Nazim Hikmet Poetry Festival at the Page-Walker Center in Cary. Via Istanbul.

This year’s Winners

Hala Alyan- a Palestinian American, her work was presented via video, with forthcoming collection titled Atrium

Peter Blair of Charlotte, NC, with recent book Farang, previous books include The Divine Salt and Last Heat.

Kevin Boyle, with prize winning book, A Home For Wayward Girls. Originally from Philadelphia he now teaches at Elon University.

Amy Leigh Brown, grew up in the Piedmont, and this is her first publication. Her background is actually in chemistry and molecular medicine.

Hedy Habra, born in Egypt and currently teaches at the University of Michigan, presented her works via video. She writes in Spanish, French and English and has a collection of short stories titled Flying Carpets.

Jeff Kahrs, born in Hague Netherlands, raised in California, lives in Seattle, currently writing a history of Deep Sea Fisherman’s Union of the Pacific.

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore- has led a long and varied career starting in the 1960′s on San Francisco with Dawn Visions. He resides in Philadelphia and the Ecstatic Exchange Series is bringing out the continuing body of his work, having published 32 titles as of march 2012.

Anna Lena Philipps from South Carolina lives in the Piedmont of NC and serves as poetry editor of Fringe magazine. She is a recent recipient of the Dorothy Sargent Rosenburg Prize and an emerging artist grant recipient of the Durham Arts Council.

Iris Tillman lives in Chapel Hill and helped start the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke. She co-edits Documentary Arts and Culture. Poems have appeared in Tar River Poetry and others.

Tim VanDyke grew up in Columba South America, but he lives here in the states. His first book is Topographies Drawn with a Divine Chain of Birds.

The Sacrificial Poets

A special presentation was made by the CJ Suitt of the Sacrificial Poets. His spoken word poetry opened the reading session with a bang. The work this group does involves kids who compete across the country – usually as the only group representing North Carolina. He performed works telling of the black male experience in America.

Kahrs said he was” really impressed” and “that the festival was really well organized.”  The American Turkish Association of North Carolina, he continued,, while “not poets themselves, are successful professionals who do this to honor someone from their country here in the States”.

The Feast

The afternoon concluded with some closing remarks from Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. But best of all, the group fed everyone a wonderful Turkish buffet feast!

Next year, I am bringing the kids.