Welcome to the homepage of the Charlie Poole Music Festival. Many of today's legends in American roots music have graced our stage - Mike Seeger, Norman & Nancy Blake, Tony Trischka, The Osborne Brothers, J.D. Crow, Bryan Bowers, The McPeak Brothers, Tony Rice, Alice Gerrard, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Uncle Earl, The Freighthoppers - all in honor of a true icon in American music, Charlie Poole. The past few years have seen exciting developments for our festival, as we hosted the official release of the critically acclaimed and three-time Grammy nominated "You Ain't Talkin' To Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music" (Columbia Legacy) and the preview of the upcoming feature length documentary about Poole being filmed by George Goehl of Straight Six Films.
The Fifteenth Annual Charlie Poole Music Festival is scheduled for June 11-13, 2010, at the Eden Fairgrounds, 13870 NC 87 N in Eden, North Carolina.
A Friday evening concert begins a weekend of fabulous old-time and bluegrass music, and competitions are scheduled all Saturday afternoon and evening, with an opportunity for a river adventure in the morning featuring the first-ever Charlie Poole River Ramble, a scenic float on the Smith River from the Spray Cotton Mills, where Charlie Poole once worked.
Contests include Junior and Senior divisions with $5000 in cash prizes and ribbons in old-time and bluegrass fiddle, flatpick and fingerstyle guitar, clawhammer and bluegrass banjo, bluegrass and old-time band, best rendition of a Charlie Poole song, duet singing, and $500 grand prize for old-time three-finger banjo.
Campers and RVs are welcome for the entire week preceding. Food and other vendors will be on-site for the festival, plus a Little Ramblers children's area. Schedules, ticket prices and camping information will be posted soon at this web site. For further information, call 336-623-1043.
Board for Charlie Poole Music Festival
Louise W. Price, President
Hank Sapoznik, Vice-President
Marianne S. Aiken, Treasurer
Melissa Whitten, Secretary
Jennifer Griffin, Corresponding Secretary
Cindy Adams
Joe Mead
Christopher King
Dan Peck
Bill Kornrich
Dr. Sheldon "Shelly" Balbirer
