ClydeFEST – Chatham’s Folk Art Festival

Pittsboro, NC – Living in Chatham County is always lively. There seems to be a festival, outdoor music, a workshop, seminar or wine tasting every weekend all Spring and Summer long. This weekend, my pick is ClydeFEST.

This weekend is the annual kids’ carnival of folk art called ClydeFEST. The event celebrates Chatham County’s legendary international Folk Art hero, Clyde Jones and also features many local non-profits to do educational activities with the kids.

About Clyde Jones

Clyde Jones, a former mill worker is extremely creative with a chainsaw. Clyde lives in Bynum, just south of Carrboro and creates rough hewn figures from logs and other discarded materials. These critters are rough aggregations of four or five pieces of found wood, cut quickly and nailed together.

Clyde has been bringing his chainsaw to local elementary schools, fund raisers and auctions, since 1982. His critters are often sold or raffled off to raise money for charity, but otherwise, Jones prefers to give his creatures away.

When you drive up to Clyde’s house, you’ll see a critter wonderland, where hundreds of his creatures, like big-eared dogs, giraffes and elephants live on the lawn. Clyde Jones is a Chatham County treasure. In fact, when he’s not at home in Bynum, he’s traveling around with his art.

He’s been to the Fearrington Folk Art Show in February, the Ocracoke Festival in the summer, Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, and starred in yet another documentary. He delivered several new pieces to the permanent collection at American Visionary Arts Museum in Baltimore and he even made a star appearance in New York City!

About Clydefest

The Chatham County Arts Council’s signature event, ClydeFEST is an all day kids’ Folk Art Festival full of art, games, music, magic, clowns, hula hoops, local food, and more. Children adore Clyde’s Critterville, where the kids get to paint and glitter their own Clyde Critter cut-out to take home. They can play original Clyde-themed games, make their own art, and enjoy live entertainment on the Bynum Front Porch Stage.

Proceeds benefit ChathamArts and their new Clyde Jones Scholarship Fund in honor of and in partnership with the wonderful community of Bynum, NC.

Details

• When: Saturday, 4/14 from 11 am-4 pm
• Where: Bynum Ballpark, also known as Earl Thompson Recreation Park at 173 Bynum Hill Road, Bynum, NC
• Cost: Admission is $3 for children under 12, $7 for adults. Adult tickets include a raffle ticket for a chance to win a Clyde Critter.

Entertainment & Food

Featured on the Bynum Front Porch Stage:

• The Takiri Folklorico Latin Dance Troupe
• Tommy Edwards and Carolina Lightening
• Sarah “HoneyBee” Osborne
• Justin Johnson and his Gypsy Guitar
• The Bouncing Bulldogs International Rope Skipping Team
• Dan the Magic Man

Food Vendors:

• Chirba Chirba Dumpling Truck
• Dusty’s Donuts
• Little Dippers Italian Ices
• Triple J Ice Cream
• Barney’s Hot Dogs
• Howard Alston’s Fish Truck
• The Bynum Ruritans

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Lead photo by Hal Goodtree. Photo of Clyde Jones from Carrboro.com