The Coastal Carolina Bluegrass Festival - November 15, 2003

On a bright, clear Saturday morning, we climb into our truck to head for Ft. Fisher, North Carolina, about sixty miles north of Myrtle Beach at the mouth of the Cape Fear River.  We drive past the recently developed golf course communities in southern North Carolina and into the fishing and vacation village of Southport to catch the ferry to Ft. Fisher.  Because our truck is so big, we must pay a $10.00 toll instead of the fare we had expected.  After a twenty minute wait, we see the ferry glide up to the dock and are waved on board for the four and a half mile journey across the river near where it reaches the sea.  We board to cross the Cape Fear River, which here is also the Intracoastal Waterway.  A large sailboat heading south passes us.  We see a flock of brown pelicans flying low.  Fishermen in small boats are anchored about.  Huge flocks of seabirds rest on the low lying island rookeries we pass.  The ferry reaches land, and we debark and drive towards the fort, looking for the bluegrass festival.

After driving into the aquarium, a site we’ll visit on another trip, we head north, still looking for the festival.  We leave the federal preserve and head into Kure Beach, realizing we’ve gone too far.  We get directions and head back a short distance, entering a reserve air force center that today functions mostly as a military fam camp.  As we park our truck we hear the familiar sounds of banjo and nasal voice that often characterize bluegrass music.  We walk past run down military buildings, mostly unused, left over from the fifties.  The original Ft. Fisher, a Confederate fort, guarded the entrance to the Cape Fear river and allowed gun runners access to Wilmington, NC where arms were shipped to Lee defending Richmond.  When Ft. Fisher fell, Lee’s last source of armaments disappeared.  His surrender at Appomattox followed soon thereafter.  We come onto an open field dominated by a simple sound stage.  Vendors’ tents are placed around the periphery.  To the left flows past some lovely live oak trees a fishing pier extends out into the Cape Fear River.  It’s a lovely setting for a small festival. 

We walk in looking for Bob and Ann Cook, friends we first met at an RV rally in Harrisburg, PA about five years ago and have come to know better through an Internet mailing list and more recently annual luncheon meetings in the Carolinas.  Last year we camped next to them for Merlefest, which, unbeknownst to us, they have attended for many years.  We have come to the  First Annual Coastal Carolina Bluegrass Festival because Bob, a retired Episcopal priest, is playing the fiddle in a band composed of mostly clergy.  We join up and put our folding chairs next to theirs.  The Kure Beach Bluegrass Band is playing followed by The Big Fat Gap Band.  Each band plays solid bluegrass – good instrumentals and pleasant voices.  The quality of music here proves again my contention that there is a huge reservoir of musical talent around.  The difference between a hit group and a local one often lies in nothing more than luck.  At Merlefest we were astounded at the abundance of talent.  Here at Ft. Fisher, where only a few hundred people have come out for a first time local festival, the music is lively and enjoyable.

The small crowd here is having a great time.  Bluegrass music seems to have been appropriated by upper middle class yuppie types.  Apparently the most popular vendor at this festival is Silver Creek Winery.  People wander around sipping Merlot and Chardonnay in wine glasses that come with the drink.  There’s beer here, too, but there doesn’t seem to be a drunk in the place.  Not many rednecks, either, especially considering that bluegrass is supposed to be the most  “authentic” form of country music.  I keep looking for the country people, but they look pretty suburban to me.  What we see are families having fun with lots of children and pretty good diversity.

Lots of kids enjoyed the festival.	Bob Cook played the fiddle and acted as our host.	Ann Cook and Irene share a quiet moment during the music.	Kids are just everywhere.

The Wrightsville Beach Bluegrass Band, in which Bob Cook plays one of the fiddles, takes the stage, singing and playing some folk standards with enthusiasm and a very pleasant sound.  Their female lead singer is a young Methodist minister.  Bob enjoys playing and adds to the pleasant sound as we sit with Ann and enjoy the performance.  When the band is finished, Bob returns with his fiddle in its case and the four of us walk out onto the fishing pier.  The sun is out, there is no wind, it’s a perfect day.  Bob is greeted by former parishioners and friends.  He seems to know everyone there.

As the sun begins to set a November chill sets in.  We look at the schedule, which has the feature band coming on at 7:55, well after dark.  A lively group called The Parsons comes on and provides a good deal of musical heat, but it’s not enough to warm the air sufficiently to keep us there.  It’s too bad, because their lead singer, a strong alto voice who also plays an unusual acoustic base guitar gives this group a unique and pleasing sound.  We pack our folding chairs and walk with Bob and Ann to the parking lot, bidding them farewell until our next meeting.  We realize we have missed the ferry, so we head north to Wilmington, NC before catching route 17 south to Myrtle Beach.  We get home in plenty of time to watch the tribute to Johnny Cash.  A great day!