Parsons Art Opening & Village Days

On Ocracoke Island
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The cool fall weather arrived this week as pumpkins and Halloween decorations sprouted up around the island. We know that fall is here when leaves of poison ivy start to turn beautiful colors and drop from the trees. The bags of trick or treat candy at local stores begin to make more sense with Trick or Treaters now in sight, and there’s talk of the Ocracoke School Carnival and a Haunted Howard Street Walk.

Lachlan Howard with friend

Roy and Elizabeth Parsons Art Exhibit
On Monday, the Ocracoke Preservation Society opened an arts exhibit of the works of Roy and Elizabeth Parsons. Many of you fans know Roy Parsons as the elder statesmen on the Ocrafolk Opry (he was even considered for a spot on the Jay Leno show this year!). Those visitors who venture down to the end of Lighthouse Road may have found Roy and Elizabeth’s Pamlico Gifts, and visited with Roy while he worked on his wooden replicas of Ocracoke schooners and fishing vessels. Elizabeth’s paintings and shell artwork adorn the walls of their quaint shop.

Roy’s kind demeanor and humorous tales of misadventures are favorite features of our summer shows at Deepwater Theater and the Ocrafolk Festival. Roy Parson’s album is available through Soundside Records if you would like to bring home some of his yodeling and New York City escapades. www.soundsiderecords.com

Ocracoke Civic and Business Meeting
OC&B met this Wednesday. Jack Lilienthal gave a brief update on an Ocracoke documentary that his Jackal-Eye Production company is working on. Folks who attending this year’s Ocrafolk Festival may remember their camera crew circulating amongst festival visitors. The documentary, Shifting Sands, “seeks to celebrate the life and soul of Ocracoke in the cinematic form and will be a non-partisan look at the psychology of island life in rapid transition.” For more information and updates visit the Shifting Sands website at www.shiftingsandsmovie.com.

Also of particular interest at the meeting was a gentleman working on a passenger ferry business that would run from Hatteras to Ocracoke. His ferry fleet would consist of large catamarans that could hold upwards of 160 passengers and would travel between Hatteras Landing and Ocracoke village. Travelers would purchase a two-way ticket which would allow for one trip each direction and a flexible visit time once on Ocracoke (or Hatteras). Several shuttles would run each day allowing visitors to remain on the island for half a day or multiple days. The shuttle owner hoped to be up and running by 2007 tourist season.

Village Days
Village Days posters have been popping up around Ocracoke. The event is set for November 4-6. Here is a brief schedule of events:

Friday night: Bingo fundraiser for victims of Katrina at the Ocracoke Community Center
Saturday: A village arts walk, a Flat Cat Café & an Ocracoke Squaredance.
Sunday: A giant flea market on the lawn of the Pony Island Inn.

Ocrafolk Festival Thanksgiving Concert
The Ocrafolk Festival 2005 Thanksgiving Fundraiser will kick off at 7:30 PM at the Ocracoke Community Center on Friday, November 25. Performers include Martin Garrish, the Ocrafolk Opry, Molasses Creek, Donald Davis, Coyote, and more. All proceed go to support the 2006 Ocrafolk Festival (scheduled for June 2-4). For more information visit www.ocrafolkfestival.org

Winter Chill Chaser Courses at Deepwater Theater
From November through March Deepwater Theater will be hosting a variety of workshops and classes for locals. Events currently under construction include juggling, basket making, acupressure and family massage, organic gardening, alternative energy on Ocracoke (Solar, Wind Water), film and slide presentations, music jams, squaredances, and games nights. Some events may have a fee depending upon supplies costs and the requests of the teacher. If you would like to set up an event please contact David Tweedie at 252-928-7580 or fiddlerdave@earthlink.net. A detailed schedule will be posted around the village and at www.molassescreek.com.

Molasses Creek sneak preview of MC008
Molasses Creek’s new album is due out for the Ocrafolk Festival Thanksgiving Concert in November. Here is a sneak peak of the album tracks! The new release will be available at www.soundsiderecords.com

(Please note that these tracks are not in final order. We have also listed the songwriter of each piece)
1. Muddy Water (Phil Rosenthal )
2. Lord I Hope This Day is Good (Dave Hanner)
3. Down the Road (L. Flatt, E. Scruggs )
4. Chicken in the Fridge (Jeff Deitchman. Intro and extro fiddle tune is "Chicken Little Rides Again" by Fiddler Dave Tweedie)
5. Are You Tired of Me My Darling (A.P. Carter)
6. Last Train from Poor Valley (Norman Blake)
7. Everybody's Talking (Fred Neill)
8. When You Say Nothing At All (Paul Overstreet, Don Schlitz )
9. Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream (Ed McCurdy)/Find the Cost of Freedom (Stephen Stills)
10. What Would Jesus Do? (Gary Mitchell)
11. Barn Dance (Fiddler Dave Tweedie)
12. Lachlan's Lullabye (Fiddler Dave Tweedie)
13. The Worried Skipper (Poem by Wallace Irvin, Melody and Fiddle Tunes by Fiddler Dave Tweedie (Ribald is as Ribald Does/The Windsurfer))
14. Category 2 (Gerald Hampton)

Off Island
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Molasses Creek heads out today for the Harvest Festival at Meadow Farms Museum outside of Richmond, VA. The band is scheduled to perform at 1:00 and 3:00 PM and will be joined by mandolin master, Gerald Hampton. “The Harvest Festival will feature many hands-on activities and demonstrations depicting typical homemaking and farming tasks of the era. These include cider making, quilting, candle dipping, basket & wood weaving, beekeeping, corn husking, corn shelling, blacksmithing, woodworking, and coopering.”(from website at www.co.henrico.va.us/rec/) Also performing during the day are the Runaway String Band, Zendiva, and storyteller Harold Wood.


On Saturday, October 29, Molasses Creek will perform from 12:00-2:00 at the Smoke on the Water Barbecue Festival in downtown Washington, NC. Come on down for some great food and music! www.ci.washington.nc.us/news_calendar.aspx


Signing off for this week!