Don't come to Rockingham Community College expecting a folk festival this weekend. The Rockingham County Folk Festival board of directors has changed the date from the first weekend in May to the first weekend in September.
"The main reason for changing the dates is trying to get better weather," said Tony Gunn, the festival's executive director. "For the last several years, it's been rainy and in some cases cold, and that hasn't made for a pleasant experience."
Gunn said the chances for good weather would be better in September. The dates for this year's festival are Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 7, the weekend after Labor Day. Gunn said the board selected the dates so they don't interfere with other events in the county. Nothing is set in stone, however.
"It's on a trial basis. We'll see how well it works," Gunn said.
The board also voted to add to the festival's hours. It will begin at 10 a.m. Sunday, three hours earlier than in previous years. Saturday's hours are the same, with a 10 a.m. opening.
This year marks the 19th Annual Rockingham County Folk Festival. When the weather is fair each day, Gunn estimates 10,000 people attend over the course of the weekend.
According to Gunn, the festival has evolved over the years, but its purpose has remained the same: "To help preserve the history of the county and to provide some entertainment and to get people on the college campus."
The RCC amphitheater became a venue for the festival entertainment. Gunn said the board tries to bring in different entertainers and new activities each year to "keep it fresh."
The festival's new coordinator is Vicki Longhofer. She is the executive director of the Rockingham County Arts Council and succeeds Susan Cunningham, who retired last year after serving as festival director since the event's inception in 1990.
Before moving to Rockingham County, Longhofer was a teaching artist with the Oklahoma Arts Council residency program.
"I'm looking forward to working with the Rockingham County Folk Festival board of directors and the college to put this together," said Longhofer. "I think this is a wonderful tradition to be continued."
Longhofer wants the festival to emphasis the "cultural heritage" of Rockingham County.
"I hope we can involve artists and craftsmen from all over the county," she said.
For more information, call Tony Gunn at (336) 342-4261, ext. 2213.
• Staff writer Miranda Baines can be reached at mbaines@reidsvillereview.com or 349-4331, ext. 35.
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