2012-281 EDC-Arts - Town of Carrboro Rec & Park Dept for Spring 2012 Grassroots Arts Awards $1,500

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The day long, free festival features all styles of music at numerous outdoor and indoor venues including The Cat's Cradle, The Open Eye Cafe, Weaver Street Market, The Century Center, Armadillo Grill, The Music Loft, The ArtsCenter and the Town Commons. The Carrboro/Chapel Hill area is very rich with musical talent,but the number of performance venues is limited. Falling on the last Sunday in September, it is designed to provide the wealth of local and regional talent with opportunities for exposure to wider audiences. It showcases both professional and amateur performers and the varied musical styles they represent. In the space of a few hours (and within a few blocks) a listener can hear bluegrass, folk,jazz, country,rock &roll, soul, classical and world music, including Balkan, Klezmer, and Celtic. The festival is an event in which performers provide their services completely free of charge and the event could not go on without their contribution of time and talent as well as the support of the community. Each year the number of musicians wishing to perform has increased. The 2010 event featured 180 performances (at 25 venues)that ranged from solo singer songwriters to a 20 piece concert band. There are an increased number of performer applications from teen musicians and a separate stage was created to showcase the area's younger talent. There is also an increase in the number of professional musicians who are willing to perform for free, as a way to give back to the community. The Town Commons features a Castle Bounce House, a Scramble Slide and a variety of kid's activities including the arts and crafts of The Scrap Exchange. Specialty food and craft vendors fill the lawn in front of Town Hall. A free shuttle runs between Carrboro Plaza's Park and Ride Area and downtown Carrboro between noon and 8:00 PM. The Carrboro Music Festival draws an estimated 8,000- 10,000 visitors from the Triangle and beyond. The festival serves to reinforce the area's reputation for support of music and the arts and provides a boon to area restaurants and businesses.