Tour the Past at the Trail of History Festival
Residents and visitors are invited to recognize and celebrate Mecklenburg County’s history, culture and growth at the Trail of History Festival on Saturday, May 20, at Midtown Park.
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation and Trail of History, a local nonprofit that recognizes local historical figures by erecting statues in their honor, will host music and art demonstrations, talks by local historians and museum interpreters, and tours of the statues along Little Sugar Creek Greenway. The one-day festival will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, at 510 S. Kings Drive in Charlotte, N.C. Entry is free.
“To build a strong future together as a community, we must first understand our past,” said W. Lee Jones, Director of Park and Recreation. “The Trail of History Festival is a fun way for the whole family to celebrate and reflect on our shared experiences.”
Food and beverages will be available, and festival activities will include:
- Talks and demonstrations by local museums and history organizations:
- Trail of History tours
- President James K. Polk State Historic Site
- Woodworking and fiber arts trade demonstrations
- Local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution
- Levine Museum of the New South
- Brooklyn Collective
- Genealogy and historic research through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections, the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, and the Charlotte chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society.
- Opportunities to connect with community organizations including Park and Recreation’s new storytelling program MeckRoots, Partners for Parks, and From One to Some.
- Art by historical artist Dan Nance and by PopBridge Creative Arts
- Music by the Charlotte Folk Society’s bluegrass musicians, folk duo Tom Eure & Amelia Osborne, and Steven Dockery Bagpipes and Bill Harkins.