Stories, traditions, and people at the heart of North Carolina’s cultural life.
A collection of more than 400 stories exploring the traditions, artistry, and community life of North Carolina. From foodways and material culture to tribal arts, music, and the people who carry these traditions forward, Carolina Life & Lore celebrates the richness and diversity of folklife across the state.
Reflections on the NPR story about Mount Olive’s New Year’s Eve Pickle Drop This past week NPR shared a story about a place and event many North Carolinians know well: Mount Olive’s New Year’s Eve pickle drop – a playful tradition now tied to that town’s identity. At first glance, dropping a glowing pickle from […]
As 2025 comes to a close, the North Carolina Folklife Institute reflects on a year shaped by collaboration, listening, and deep engagement with communities across the state. Our work this year centered the people who carry cultural knowledge forward – artists, tradition bearers, apprentices, and public servants – and the partnerships that make this work […]
$10,000 Awards Support Apprenticeship Pairs in NC’s Mountain Communities to Preserve Traditional Arts DURHAM, N.C. (November 19, 2025) — The North Carolina Folklife Institute is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 In These Mountains NC Folklife Apprenticeship Awards, a program supporting the continuation of traditional arts and cultural practices across North Carolina’s Appalachian […]
The story of Kingdom Voices United starts with a vision from God. “I was on my way to service one morning and God just dropped it so heavily in my spirit,” Minister La’Wanda Leggett recalls. Though reluctant at first to start a choir, she recalls, after consulting with lifelong friends Apostle Stanley Douglas and Tony […]
From the beginning, Jalessa Cade knew she was destined to become a gospel singer. With a strong and emotional voice that reflects growing up in the church intertwined with influences of Broadway, R&B, jazz, bluegrass, and other styles, Jalessa possesses a clear confidence to sing in a multitude of musical scenarios. But this wasn’t always […]
PineCone and the North Carolina Folklife Institute (NCFI) have partnered to present a powerful lineup of gospel music performances and dynamic panel discussions as part of the Raleigh Wide Open Festival, taking place October 3–4, 2025 in downtown Raleigh. The gospel programming at Raleigh Wide Open has been developed under the artistic curation of Jared Payton, […]
The Gospel program at Raleigh Wide Open brings the sounds, stories, and spirit of gospel music to life through five dynamic talks at the City of Raleigh Museum. On Friday, October 3, Appaloosa Redd joins Greensboro musician and storyteller Colin Cutler for a conversation on the Gospel of the Blues, followed by Kendall Kent’s exploration […]
PineCone and the North Carolina Folklife Institute (NCFI) have partnered to present a powerful lineup of gospel music performances and dynamic panel discussions as part of the Raleigh Wide Open Festival, taking place October 3–4, 2025 in downtown Raleigh. The gospel programming at Raleigh Wide Open has been developed under the artistic curation of Jared Payton, […]
NCFI is excited to share field recordings from a selection of the gospel performers to be presented at Raleigh Wide Open this year! The gospel artists and panel sessions are presented by the North Carolina Folklife Institute in partnership with PineCone with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact:Stacy ChandlerPineCone Communications Managercommunications@pinecone.org919-664-8333 (office)919-946-6685 (cell) Amy GrossmannNorth Carolina Folklife Institutestaff@ncfolk.org336-223-5956 (office) Raleigh, NC — September 3, 2025 — PineCone and the North Carolina Folklife Institute (NCFI) are partnering to present a powerful lineup of gospel music performances and dynamic panel discussions as part of the Raleigh Wide Open Festival, taking […]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENews Media Contact:Amy Grossmannstaff@ncfolk.org Amy Grossmann to Lead Organization Celebrating North Carolina’s Cultural Traditions RALEIGH, N.C. (August 20, 2025) – The North Carolina Folklife Institute (NCFI) is proud to announce the appointment of Amy Grossmann as its new Executive Director. Grossmann brings a wealth of experience in cultural heritage, community engagement, and nonprofit […]
$10,000 Grants Support Mentor-Apprentice Pairs in NC’s Mountain Communities to Preserve Traditional Arts DURHAM, N.C. (July 15, 2025) – The North Carolina Folklife Institute is excited to announce the opening of the 2025 North Carolina Appalachian Folklife Apprenticeship Program. This program supports year-long, community-based mentorships in the folk and traditional arts of western North Carolina. […]
We’re pleased to be re-launching our NC Field blog, after several years’ hiatus! Our thanks to Truman Austin, a senior at Chapel Hill’s Emerson Waldorf School, for sharing this article with us. Special thanks as well to Pastor Rev. Dr. Reginald Stephens, Minister of Music Raymond Johnson, and the congregation of White Rock Baptist Church, […]
Frieda Harlow saved community music in Ridgeway, North Carolina. She wouldn’t tell you that, but she invested in a crumbling music hall and insured the continuation of a community institution. Harlow grew up in the original opry house, singing and playing music. The Ridgeway Opry was a vital part of her childhood, and wanted to […]
Warren County, North Carolina is considered by many to be the birthplace of the environmental justice movement. In 1982, after four years of unsuccessful litigation, Warren County citizens and protesters used principles of non-violent protest to oppose the dumping of toxin-laced soil into a Warren County landfill. 55 citizens were jailed. According to Wikipedia: The […]
In this episode Marty Richardson, a youthful, dynamic community leader of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe in Halifax and Warren counties. Nearly 80% of the state-recognized tribe lives with a six-mile radius of the unincorporated town of Hollister. As a teenager, Richardson started Stoney Creek, a drum-circle and singing group you young male members of the tribe. […]
WVSP were the call letters. Voices Serving the People was its philosophy. For ten years, from 1976-1986 Warrenton, North Carolina’s hometown radio station, WVSP broadcast a community’s voice, its interests, and its concerns. As Joshua Davis reported on the University of North Carolina’s Media and the Movement website: The station devoted its programming to progressive […]
Anglers from around North Carolina converge on Roanoke Rapids, NC every spring. They come to take advantage of the running of the rock fish. The annual upstream migration of the striped bass brings fishermen to the Roanoke River in Halifax County to pull “stripers” over 18” to take home and prepare. In this episode, Carol […]
NC Folk was recently featured in INDY Week (article by Spencer Griffith). Click here to read the full article. For more than forty years, the North Carolina Folklife Institute has worked alongside other nonprofits to promote awareness of the state’s shifting cultural practices, covering a broad array of food, music, arts, and vocations. Recently, it […]
The Warrenton Echoes are Warren County, North Carolina’s premier African American gospel quartet. Since the group’s inception in 1957, the Echoes have served as a training ground for North Carolina gospel talent. In the group’s 60-year history, the Echoes have seen many personnel changes, but the mission of the group has remained constant. To “meet […]
Text and photos by Ray Linville A couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, our thoughts often begin to shift to traditional pies and other desserts, much more than the bird that will anchor the center of the table. One traditional pie for my family is a Southern favorite—pecan. Can you imagine foraging for pecans or walking […]
Text and photos by Madison Heltzel Like many sub-rural stretches of Western North Carolina, my neck of the North Asheville woods is graced with an abundance of small burger-and-shake joints. In fact, there is one located directly across the street from my humble abode. However, whenever that inevitable burger-craving hits, I usually find myself hopping […]
Text and photos by William Ritter As the leaves begin to fall and cold weather (sort of) begins to set in, pumpkin pies, pumpkin soups, and pumpkin ales start popping up on menus across the state. Historically, though, many western North Carolina families let the pumpkins go to the hog pen, and it was candyroaster […]
Text and photos by Ray Linville Whiteville, the largest city in Columbus County and the county seat, has been a hub of activity in eastern North Carolina since the county was formed in 1808. When vehicle traffic came onto the scene, major highways U.S.74, 76, and 701 intersected in the downtown section and brought tourists, […]