Shindig On The Green Benefit Concert

One of the area’s most beloved and authentic cultural traditions, Shindig on the Green presents the “BBQ & Bluegrass” annual fundraising concert, an evening of traditional bluegrass, Saturday, April 23rd, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. in the Rainbow Community Center Auditorium. The Folk Heritage Committee’s annual fundraiser features Roger Howell & Friends, The Midnight Plowboys and Rhiannon & The Relics. The fundraising concert is a key element in securing necessary funding for the free and beloved Shindig on the Green summer Saturday evenings in Asheville.

Roger Howell & Friends: A Master Fiddler from Mars Hill, Roger Howell has been performing and teaching to the delight of crowds for decades. Having won numerous awards from festivals and fairs all over the country for his outstanding music, Roger shares his flavor of traditional music at this all too important fundraiser. Roger continues to work on recording his “Memory Collection” of fiddle tunes, now totaling 532, for Mars Hill University’s Southern Appalachian Archives.

The Midnight Plowboys: A roots music string band from Asheville, NC, playing bluegrass and fiddle tunes while blending in cajun, honky-tonk, waltzes, Texas swing and early rock and roll. The band features Brian Hunter, guitar and vocals; Laura Boosinger, banjo and vocals; Emma McDowell Best, fiddle and vocals; Mike Hunter, mandolin and vocals; Robert Reeves, bass and vocals.

Rhiannon & The Relics: Rhiannon Ramsey is an accomplished fiddle player and vocalist heading up this talented group of seasoned musicians that make up her Relics. Oh by the way, she’s 12. However short on years, she’s long on talent and together with Craig Bannerman (bass and vocals), Troy Harrison (banjo, guitar, mandolin, vocals), Brian Hunter (guitar, vocals), and Mike Hunter (mandolin, vocals), they bring a powerful set of bluegrass to all who bear witness.

Almost 40,000 people attend Shindig on the Green for free throughout the summer. While the crowds of locals and visitors at Shindig have grown over the years for the free evenings, so have the costs. The all-volunteer, nonprofit Folk Heritage Committee must raise funds to cover the sharply rising costs at Shindig on the Green for goods and services such as sound equipment and technicians, publicity, event fees and merchandise.

The April concert has a $6000 monetary goal, with all of those funds needed to help cover the “free” Shindig’s very real operating costs, which average several thousand dollars per evening. The Folk Heritage Committee produces Shindig on the Green and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in order to support the preservation and continuation of the traditional music, dance and storytelling heritage of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Shindig takes place in the heart of downtown Asheville at Pack Square Park’s Roger McGuire Green, on the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Stage. Dedicated to the celebration and preservation of the region’s rich cultural heritage, Shindig on the Green’s 50th summer season in 2016 is scheduled for July 2, 9, 16, 23, August 13, 20, and 27; and September 3rd.

The Rainbow Community Center Auditorium: The April 23rd fundraiser takes place in the Rainbow Community Center Auditorium, 60 State St. in W. Asheville, NC.

Tickets: $20 per person. To reserve tickets, e-mail info@folkheritage.org or call the Folk Heritage Info Line and leave a message: 828-258-6101 x345.

Anyone who cannot attend and wants to make a tax-deductible contribution can mail a check payable to the Folk Heritage Committee to PO Box 1010, Asheville, NC 28802. For more information, visit www.folkheritage.org.