Entertainment

International Folk Festival turns 40

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Tuesday, 18 September 2018

Written by LESLIE PYO

In the late 1970s, John Malzone was asked to plan a parade for a local festival that would celebrate the many ethnic and cultural groups that make up Fayetteville’s community. He did so, and he also emceed the festival hosting the parade. That event was Fayetteville’s very first International Folk Festival; it was 1978. In a few weeks, Sept. 28-30, the IFF will cel­ebrate its 40th anniversary in downtown Fayetteville – and Malzone will return as emcee. He’s never missed a year since doing it for the inaugural event. 

This year’s 3-day celebration kicks off with the Arts Council’s Bon Temps Ball on Friday from 7-9 p.m. Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, a Grammy-winning musical group, will bring the spirit of New Orleans-style Mardi Gras onstage at the intersection of Hay Street and Ray Avenue. Simien’s band will also perform Saturday at 1:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. 

The parade Malzone created all those years ago, which is today known as the Parade of Nations, takes place Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. on Hay Street. Local people will proudly represent more than 30 countries or cultures, wearing traditional clothing and costumes and sometimes playing instruments. 

One local who will play an instrument – bagpipes, to be specific – is Jackie Morgan. “When I first came to America, I didn’t think I’d ever see a Scottish flag again,” said Morgan, who immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult. “Then I came to Fayetteville, and I was walking downtown (during the IFF) and I saw (a Scottish flag), and I was like woah! I got excited. And so I’ve been a part of (the IFF) ever since.” 

Saturday at 2:30 and 5 p.m., Canadian band Mélisande [électrotrad] will bring centuries-old Quebecois songs to the Festival Park stage. There’s a twist hinted at in the group’s name, though. Mélisande uses electronic instruments, pulsing drums, fiddle, flute, jaw harp, banjo and bass to create a new sound for the traditional tunes. 

At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the 11-piece Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra will serenade the Festival Park stage crowd with swelling, sultry covers of Indie rock tunes, from Arcade Fire to M83 to the Black Keys. 

Immediately following their performance, the IFF will see its first fireworks, sponsored by Hale Artificier. 

Mélisande [électrotrad] will play again to finish the IFF at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. 

Throughout the weekend, visitors can also enjoy the International Cafe, storytellers, more than 50 arts and crafts vendors, a mime, a jug­gler and more. 

Malzone summed up what the IFF is all about. “When I look out on the crowd, I see all the different people … I see their faces, I see all the different shades of skin, I see all the different styles of hair, all the different styles of clothing – and you realize that that is America,” he said. “That is really America.” 

To learn more, visit www.theartscouncil.com/ things-to-do/international-folk-festival or call 910-323-1776.

Deep Creek ATV Park

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Tuesday, 04 September 2018

Written by JIM JONES

Finally, there is a place close to Fayetteville that is built for ATVs and dirt bikes. 

A few weeks ago, my friend Matt put out a call to go to the new Deep Creek ATV Park. 

The morning of the trip, the weatherman said it was going to be a nice, cool day. The plan was simple. We were to meet at Hardee’s on Ramsey Street, eat breakfast and head out. I met my friends Rick and Ryan there, but as usual, Matt was a no show. Yes, I just dimed Matt out in print for not showing for his own event. 

As we pulled into the park, I was impressed with how much land there was. We went into the office and met Susan, who signed us in and gave us maps and information about the park. The park has camping, showers and a concession stand. 

Our friend Bill had trailered his dirt bike there, and we went to join him. The clouds began to turn dark, and rain began to fall. Ryan was new to off-road riding and decided that with his street tires on his dualsport bike, this could be a little more ambitious than his ability, so he decided to head back home. 

After gearing up, we headed out. We quickly came to the tunnel that goes under Slocomb Road. The tunnel had water in it, but the floor of the tunnel was perfect for riding through. As we came out of the tunnel, we hit the trails. The trails were wide and well-marked. Areas were clearly marked with stops and various areas with cool names like Cook Pits, TT’s Sand Bar, Peanuts Peak and 5/30 Pit Stop. 

The rain began to pour, and my helmet began to fog up. The trails began to fill with water as the landscape dropped down to the Cape Fear River. 

Being the only riders dumb enough to be out in that downpour, I think we had the park all to ourselves. I loved having lots of trees around me. We spent a few hours out there, and to be honest, it was considered one of the best riding days we had had in a long time. 

The park is located on Slocomb Road in Linden, just north of the Goodyear plant.

For more information, call Deep Creek ATV Park at 910-929-0658 or visit www.deepcreekatv.com.

If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, you can contact me at motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

Comedian Tracy Morgan brings laughs to the Crown

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Wednesday, 12 September 2018

Written by DR. SHANESSA FENNER

Comedian Tracy Morgan will be live at the Crown Theatre Saturday, Sept. 22, at 8 p.m.  

This is one of many stops on his standup comedy tour that will continue throughout the fall of 2018. 

Morgan has an impressive track record and a gift for making people laugh. He was first introduced to television audiences in his role as Hustleman on the hit series “Martin.” From there, he joined “Saturday Night Live” in 1996, where he appeared for seven seasons and created the memorable characters Astronaut Jones and Brian Fellows. 

After leaving “Saturday Night Live,” Morgan went on to star in his own comedy series, “The Tracy Morgan Show,” and voiced Spoonie Luv on Comedy Central’s “Crank Yankers.” His other film credits include “Cop Out,” the remake of the British film “Death at a Funeral, First Sunday” opposite Ice Cube and Katt Williams, “The Longest Yard” opposite Adam Sandler, “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Head of State,” “Son of No One,” “Why Stop Now” and “Fist Fight.” 

Morgan has starred for seven seasons on NBC’s Emmy- and Golden Globe Award-winning “30 Rock.” He is currently starring in and producing a TBS show, “The Last O. G.” The show has been picked up for a second season. 

In 2016, he headlined a nationwide standup tour titled “Picking Up the Pieces,” and in May 2017, his standup special “Staying Alive” was released globally on Netflix.       

Morgan has been a part of some of the most successful animated films in recent years. He made his animation debut in 2009 for Jerry Bruckheimer’s “G-Force,” a combined animated/live-action film. The film opened No. 1 in U. S. box offices and was celebrated by audiences worldwide. In 2013, he starred as bulldog Luiz in the film “Rio” and again in April 2014, when he reprised his role in “Rio 2.” 

Morgan received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the 2016 class. 

He has received an Emmy nomination in the supporting actor category and has been nominated multiple years for the Supporting Actor NAACP Image Award. The “30 Rock” cast has won The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. Morgan also received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2016 for hosting an episode of “Saturday Night Live.” 

Next, Morgan can be seen alongside Aldis Hodge, Wendi McLendonCovey, Max Greenfield and Taraji P. Henson in the Paramount Players comedy “What Men Want,” which is set to open Jan. 11, 2019. 

Tickets for the Sept. 22 show at the Crown cost $35, $50, $75 and $100, and can be purchased online at www.CapeFearTix.com or by phone at 888-257-6208.  

Photo: Tracy Morgan

Step back in time at the Festival of Yesteryear

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Tuesday, 04 September 2018

Written by AVERY POWERS

Every year in early autumn, Fayetteville celebrates the birthday of its namesake, the Revolutionary War hero Gilbert du Motier – the Marquis de Lafayette. Lafayette defied French King Louis XVI’s orders and sailed the Atlantic to assist the American rebels in 1777. Though many cities have been named after him, Fayetteville is the only namesake city the young Frenchman ever visited.

Birthday celebration activities take place all over Fayetteville Sept. 7-8, and one mainstay is the Festival of Yesteryear. Saturday, Sept. 8, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., visit Arsenal Park downtown to get a taste of life during the Colonial and Revolutionary eras. Re-enactors in full Colonial attire will be performing daily tasks of the late 18th century, including woodworking, spinning and militia drills. 

This event focuses on history you can experience. “We like to demonstrate Colonial life for people in the community so they can ... see what life was like (back then),” said Megan Maxwell, director for the 1897 Poe House at the Museum of the Cape Fear. 

The Festival of Yesteryear showcases several perspectives on the Colonial era, including those of patriots, loyalists, slaves and Native Americans. Both the Highland Regiment militia group, representing the loyalists, and the Wilmington District Minutemen, representing the patriots of Moore’s Creek battlefield, will set up camp and welcome visitors throughout the day. 

In the morning, the Highland Dancers will march alongside the Cross Creek Pipes and Drums at 10:30 a.m. for a performance of traditional Scottish music and dance. “This event is included because Fayetteville was founded by Scottish highlanders and loyalists,” Maxwell said.

Returning this year is the “The Death of Blackbeard” puppet show performed by the living history group Shades of Our Past at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. The group will also offer silhouette drawings for a fee. 

Also returning is Life as Art Productions’ April C. Turner as she performs “African Spirituals: Freedom Prayers” at 2 p.m. According to Maxwell, this 40-minute performance has more to it than just a good time. “Turner reveals what life was like for an enslaved person during the early days of Colonial North Carolina through songs and dances,” she said. 

New to the festival this year, a historian will share about Native American hunting practices and perspectives on Colonial life. Musket and cannon firings will take place at 10 a.m., noon and 3 p.m. 

Various other performers, groups and artisans will participate in the event as well, including Camp Flintlock, the North Carolina Highland Regiment, woodworker Thomas Tucker and musical historian Simon Spalding. 

Stop by Apprentice Alley, where children can enjoy crafts and other trades taught by re-enactors. Learn to make Betsy Ross stars, tricorn hats and mob caps, and even try your hand at quilling, a popular paper-cutting craft from colonial days. Take pictures with the pillory, a wooden framework used to punish criminals. Don’t forget to visit the brewmaster for a few tips on ale, the Colonists’ favorite drink!

Free cake and ice cream will be served at 1 p.m. while supplies last.

“I’m excited about a lot this year – we always try to expand the festival with something new,” said Maxwell. 

Admission is free. Arsenal Park is located at 215 Myrover St. Call 910-486-1330 or visit museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov/Eventsfor more information.