Help Keep the Festival Free
This year’s Memphis Music & Heritage Festival was especially wonderful. In Timberly Moore’s article in The Commercial Appeal she shared a conversation with a first-time local festival visitor who was “wowed by the festival.” He said "The Festival fit the entire spirit of the City into a few downtown blocks."
"It feels like we’re in some big metropolitan city,” he said. “It’s really refreshing to see people that are warm to each other, just listen to music and relax. That’s the way it’s supposed to be."
In Ms. Moore’s article I talked about how the Festival environment unites people and gives them a chance to learn about others and their cultures."After people leave the Festival, they see each other differently. Their lives change, and for the better."
Each year the voices of the people come through loud and clear. It may be a gospel set by Darrel Petties and SIP rocking Heritage Hall, Los Cantadores playing a great set that makes everyone get up and dance, or Star and Micey jumping off the stage, grabbing their acoustic instruments and entertaining their audience right before the sky opened up giving us way too much rain.
The 26th, yes that’s right the 26th edition of the Center’s annual salute to the people of the Memphis/Delta region was two days packed with musicians, artists, talkers, cooks and dancers showing out and presenting their wares and opening their hearts to thousands of people. There were families, tourists, performers all mixing with smiles on their faces and celebrations, making the 2012 Festival unique. We showed how southern culture influences traditions in music and food. We even had a Memphian prepare sweet potato grits on the cooking stage!
Each year we present the Festival for the community as a Free Event. We receive funding to produce the event relying on individual donations, beverage and t shirt sales to provide the funds to continue to produce this one-of-a-kind celebration.
This year Hurricane Isaac brought wind and rain to the Mid South and to the Festival and played havoc after dark. Just as the crowds were building to the critical mass, the wind and the rain took center stage diminishing the Center’s ability to garner the money that was needed to continue to
We are asking YOU to help us generate the funds that were lost during the two nights of rain. YOU can make a difference in the outcome of this year’s festival and keep the 2013 Festival a FREE community event.
Thanks and best wishes,
Judy Peiser, Co Founder
Executive Producer
Center for Southern Folklore
video created by RDP Creative on Vimeo.
