Palustris

Palustris Festival - March 25-28, 2010 - Pinehurst-Southern Pines-Aberdeen Area

Presented by the Arts Council of Moore County and the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau of Pinehurst, Southern Pines & Aberdeen Area, the Palustris Festival will present a remarkable variety of events showcasing the visual, literary and performing arts in Moore County.  Scheduled for March 25-28, 2010, the festival is drawing attention from a wide range of arts groups and institutions in and around the Sandhills area.

Why the name Palustris?  The word palustris is taken from the Latin name of the longleaf pine and was chosen for this event because of its unique connection to Moore County.  One visit to our area and you will see the influence of the longleaf pine.  Even the names of our towns, like Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Pinebluff and Whispering Pines, give you a sense of this special connection.  In fact, Moore County is home to one of the largest stands of virgin longleaf pine forests in the country (160 acres in the Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve called the Boyd Round-Timber Tract), which is also home to the oldest living longleaf pine tree known in the world at more than 460 years old.

The Palustris Festival will be a community event unlike any other in the Sandhills.  From its inception, the event has many goals:  1) Attract thousands of visitors from all over North Carolina and beyond to enjoy what makes Moore County unique; 2) Promote and support the local economy through increased retail and food sales and higher hotel occupancy rates; 3) Increase regional support of our community arts and cultural organizations and other nonprofits; and 4) Raise the sense of pride in Moore County’s culture and history.

The Palustris Festival will include a concentration of diverse cultural performances, activities and events that will celebrate the visual, literary and performing arts in the Sandhills.  We currently have over 75 events scheduled for this 4-day event, and some include:

• Concerts by Grammy-nominated, singer-songwriter Tift Merritt, Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, Moore County Choral Society, Craig & Patrick Fuller, Larry McNeely, Baxter Clement, Danny & June Infantino, Swing Street Band, Joe Craven, Boulder Acoustic Society and Hot Club of Cowtown.

• Art exhibits at the Artists League of the Sandhills, Bella Filati, Campbell House Galleries, Hollyhocks Art Gallery and Hastings Gallery at Sandhills Community College.
• Theater productions by Jane Holding, Allan Gurganus, Stephen Smith and Pat Riviere-Seel.
• Tours & Hikes of the Village of Pinehurst, Shaw House property, Weymouth Center, Weymouth Woods and Sandhills Community College Gardens.
• Lectures and readings by Vivian Jacobson, Seagrove Area Potters Association and several professors at Sandhills Community College.

A couple unique events scheduled during the festival will be a birthday celebration of the oldest living longleaf pine in Weymouth Woods, and a cultural theater production by Ray Owen called Greeting the Train with Sounds of Southern Pines Memory, which will recreate two historical occurrences that helped found Southern Pines—African American choirs greeting the arriving trains and northern settlers meeting with representatives from local Scottish families.

In keeping with the desire to have the Palustris Festival as accessible as possible, more than 60% of the events are free and open to the public.  Of the rest, which are ticketed events, none are more than $25 per ticket.

Just as the settlers who transformed Moore County from what was once called the “pine barrens,” we hope the Palustris Festival can transform Moore County into a destination known as much for its arts, culture and history, as it is for its golf, horses and beauty.

For more information on the Palustris Festival events, visit www.PalustrisFestival.com.