Concert soon to float through Cramerton, McAdenville

On Labor Day weekend, the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation will host an outdoor festival involving a floating concert, guided hiking, and other festivities.

The organization created Fork Fest last year to raise funds for the South Fork Collective, a group of nonprofits, businesses, and municipalities working together to improve water quality, increase flood resiliency, and promote recreation on the South Fork.

The two-day event included all the typical aspects of a summer music festival one would expect to find and then some, according to Catawba Riverkeeper Executive Director John Searby.

Searby said in a previous interview about Fork Fest that they also wanted to stand out from the average music festival.

So, they put together a floating concert featuring the band Hiram, which was the only one of its kind in the Southeast to their knowledge.

This year’s event, happening Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, will also feature a floating concert.

Saturday Aug. 31

• Events on Saturday will take place throughout downtown McAdenville.
• A morning group run and guided hike will begin at 9 a.m. This activity is free to the public, but registration is required.
• From 9 a.m.-noon, visitors can attend a free outdoor Plein Air art show.
• Starting at 11 a.m., kids activities including a drum circle, scavenger hunt, and bird feeder crafts will be free and open to the public.
• A vendor market with food trucks will also open at 11 a.m.
• From noon-1 p.m. Denver Crites will perform live outside of the River Room followed by McKinney Gap and headliner Chatham County Line.
• The floating concert featuring the band Crystal Fountains begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for those with their own equipment cost $30, a single kayak rental and ticket to the floating concert costs $55, and tandem kayak rentals for the floating concert are sold out.
• The first day of Fork Fest will come to a close with an 8 p.m. performance by Colin Cutler and Hot Pepper Jam at confluence 117 Center St. in Cramerton.

Sunday Sept. 1

• Sunday’s festivities will take place at Confluence starting with kids activities noon-2 p.m.
• Live music starts with Kim Ware and the Good Graces from 1-2:30 p.m. followed by The HWY from 3:15-4:45 p.m., The Well Drinkers from 5:30-7:30 p.m., and The Pinkerton Raid at 8 p.m.

Locations and details

Saturday’s events will take place at various locations in McAdenville

Location information for specific events is included with ticket information. Tickets for all events are available at catawbariverkeeper.org .

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Concert soon to float through Cramerton, McAdenville