ClydeFEST 2013 – April 6

Chatham County, NC – One of my favorite spring festivals is ClydeFEST in Bynum. This year, it’s scheduled for Saturday, April 6.

ClydeFEST

ClydeFEST, now in its 12th year, is Chatham County’s premier folk art festival. It has a special focus on kids with games, activities and entertainments galore.

The one-day festival benefits Chatham Arts and the Clyde Jones Scholarship Fund.

This year’s festival is packed with fun. From the website:

On the Bynum Front Porch Stage there will be music from bluegrass legends Tommy Edwards, Nathan Aldridge, Alice and Rick Zincone, the Northwood Jazz Band, international dance with Takiri Folkloriko Dance Academy, incredible moves from The Bouncing Bulldogs, rope jumping phenoms, fabulous tales from the one and only Cynthia Raxter, storyteller, and magic and balloons from Happy Dan the Magic Man.

Aside from chainsaw connoisseur Clyde, the Ballfield will be home to Georgia folk artist Peter Loose and his African Tortoises, face painting, drum circle, food, photos, ice cream, clown, mime, stilt walkers, local artists, exhibitors, vendors, auction, prizes and games.

Kids of all ages are encouraged to get creative and paint their own critter in “Critterville” and pose for photos on one of Clyde’s Horse-Dogs (or are they Pig-Giraffes?) in the photo tent. And of course all the usual bright and beautiful hand-crafted games will on offer, alongside plenty of local refreshments from ice-cream to hotdogs to keep folks going.

About Clyde

From my post last year:

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.

According to Chatham Arts, Clyde now has a permanent display in the window of Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. Read more about Clyde Jones.

Event Details

ClydeFEST
Saturday, April 6, 2013
11 AM – 4 PM
Map

For more info, visit ClydeFEST.

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Photo by Carolyn Davis.