Friday Florida Folk Festival Day 1

The day started early and cold. We have hit a cold spell. The temperature at night is dropping to almost freezing and we are not prepared for cold weather, so we have had to sleep with the heating on, but we got as many warm clothes as we could carry for the anticipated cold evening ahead. We arrived as early as we could.

The programme is a 56 page booklet describing the performances on 15 stages at half hour intervals plus the craft, environmental and food activities. So we just took it as it came.

Our first stop was for Appalachian Clog dancing, very nice. I tried a bit, but rubber soled trainers do not make for easy movement on the floor. This was followed by catching up with some friends we had found at the Withlacoochee Festival, known as the Briar Pickers. They are a very nice 6 piece band who play a variety of good music, much of it of British origin. After that we had a wander round, looking at the food and craft stalls, having a hot drink and talking to some people from Jacksonville. After that we went and watched the Cross Creek Cloggers perform some more Appalachian and Irish clog and step dances. Each of the stages (apart from the Amphitheatre, which was the gently sloping side of hill with a stage at the bottom) was a sideless marquee set up amongst the oak trees of the State Park. You could find the various stages and event areas by walking on paved paths through the forest, which Sally’s wheelchair could negotiate. After lunch, we moved from stage to stage soaking up the atmosphere, enjoying the warm midday sunshine. Sally was able to take a rest.

Although there are many food concession stands in the festival, the main meals are provided by a number of local churches. Each church has a small section of a large canopied building. You can get a complete main meal for $5.50 (now about £2.60). They cook most of the food at home and bring it in for the festival eaters. They all serve a similar menu of ‘Southern Comfort’ cooking. Fried chicken, chicken and veg cooked with pilaf rice (pronounced pee-laf), chicken with dumplings (imagine a pale yellow chicken casserole with large, but empty ravioli pillows), shrimp gumbo (shrimp in a vegetable and tomato sauce, mixed with rice), or smoked ribs. All of which come with 2 sides, or vegetables. Collards (anything from turnip tops to chopped spring greens), black eyed peas, sweet potatoes, beets (beetroots), mash, field peas, baked beans (smoked and very sweet). Followed by sweet potato or pecan pie.

After our culinary treat we returned to the Heritage stage where I was able to take enjoy doing (yes doing) some contra dances, which Sally watched for a while before going to the evening concert. I was knackered, but it was great fun. I then joined Sally to watch a brilliant guitarist called Sam Paccetti. By about 8.30 we were too cold (yes too cold !!!!!!!) to stay any longer.

During the day, we, of course, ran into a number of people to talk to. It’s funny how even with a large number of people you will often see the same people again and again. We had run into a very nice couple at Withlacoochee Festival, Harvey and Jane. They had introduced us to their band, The Briar Pickers, and we kept seeing them as they moved from venue to venue. In the evening they played the music for the Contra dance and they very kindly gave us the CD of their music and the music they play for the Battle of Olustee Re-enactment. Very enjoyable it is too.

We shared a meal table with a very nice couple from Melbourne (East coast Florida, not Australia, sorry Kirsty), Gene and Deanna. I also met a lovely lady called Mary, who I partnered a couple of times in the contra and we chatted for a while.

You may have noticed that, in our comments on the blog, we had an invitation to a party from Walter and Merri. When we drove home, we passed the house, but were too cold and tired to stop and join in, but decided we would make contact later on.