My favorite summer tank tops are all Festival for the Eno shirts covered in local animals, and I am excited to get yet another this year. It may be hot out, but the Eno River can cool you off, as can an icy drink and the shade of native trees. The two-day festival hosts over 60 musical artists and a craft show, along with food and beverages. The festival will be headlined by Dom Flemons, Empire Strikes Brass, Dr. Bacon, and Shirlette Ammons. Proceeds go to protecting the ecology of the Eno—and you can stop by the INDY’s table to say hello, because we’ll be there! –Eva Flowe
NorthStar’s three-day festival is being held at a critical time for the art space, which was defunded in May when its federal grant was terminated. In response, NorthStar launched its “No Independence Without Us” fundraising campaign. The campaign site describes “A Home for the Brave” as “an act of refusal that centers autonomy, connection, and care in a time of political and institutional abandonment.” With a packed schedule including a conversation with the North Carolina poet laureate Jaki Shelton Green about protecting Black spaces, a Black healers market, and live jazz music, the weekend is set to be a celebration of Black culture, art, and spiritual strength in the face of adversity. Weekend passes are $60, and day passes are $40 each. —Daneen Khan
If you’re looking to consider American history and patriotism in a more balanced light, consider attending this reading of “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July,” Frederick Douglass’s historic abolitionist address, at Durham’s Historic Stagville State Historic Site. The site was part of a plantation where the Bennehan and Cameron families enslaved over 900 people, one of the largest plantations in North Carolina. On July 4, the address will be read in pieces by a collection of 60 volunteers. If you’d like to participate, volunteers sign up to read as they arrive. —EF
Ecoprinting is a dye technique that incorporates flowers, leaves, and other natural elements to transfer patterns onto a surface. The result? A piece of paper or fabric that reflects the beauty of the flora used to create it. If you want to try your hand at the art form but aren’t sure where to start, My Muses Card Shop is providing the space and materials to learn more.
Sunday’s ecoprinting party will use the shop’s Community Dye Garden, home to a variety of plants with natural pigments. The card shop itself, located in downtown Carrboro, features a variety of artisan papers, cards, and journals; you might leave with your custom eco-print in one hand and a bag of stationery in another. Sign-ups are $5 per person. —DK
For Joe Troop heads, this week offers two options to hear the GRAMMY-nominated multi-instrumentalist and founder of Latingrass stringband Che Apalache, who also plays as one-half of the duo Larry & Joe. At this Pour House event, Troop introduces a new ensemble, an eclectic “Latin jazz chamber pop folk rock band” with tunes and storytelling drawn from his decade living in Buenos Aires. If you can’t make it to Raleigh but can make it to Alamance County, Troop will be playing with Joe Troop’s Truth Machine, his new five-member protest outfit, at Saturdays in Saxapahaw on July 5. Protest songs, bluegrass music, and a lazy evening by the river—could anything be more American? –Sarah Edwards
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