This year, the North Carolina Folk Festival will continue a tradition honoring a beloved local musician. Matty Sheets was a talented storyteller, musician, artist and songwriter.

The longtime Greensboro resident was also a major community-building force. Over 15 years, he hosted open mics at venues across the city he loved. Good friend and North Carolina Folk Festival Artistic Director Savannah Thorne says those events helped form more than 70 different bands. Now, the Festival holds the Matty Sheets Memorial Open Mic night.

Thorne and her colleagues are currently collecting stories from those whose lives were impacted by Sheets, who died of cancer in 2024.

"People have already started submitting their community impact statements," says Thorne. "And I just read one of them the other day that said, 'I go to an open mic that Matty Sheet started 10 years ago, and even though he's not here and I never met him, it is clear that his spirit is still at this open mic,' and I think that's so special."

Thorne says the open mics from Celtic jams to mariachi workshops will take place on the Revity Jams Stage. Those interested in playing or sharing a story can find out more on the North Carolina Folk Festival website and social media page.

The North Carolina Folk Festival will take place in person this September. This follows last year's virtual presentation.

The three-day festival that celebrates creative and cultural traditions through music, dance, food, and crafts will take place live this September 10-12 in downtown Greensboro.  

President and CEO Amy Grossmann says they made the decision based on Governor Roy Cooper's recent executive orders and local ordinances on gathering capacities. 

This year's opening night performance will be by the Del McCoury Band. Grossmann says McCoury has North Carolina roots.

“He was born and grew up in York County, up in Pennsylvania, but his parents were from Mitchell, North Carolina, so he grew up steeped in the music of western North Carolina and it's influenced his music,” she says.

Last year's festival was done virtually due to the pandemic. It presented three movie-length productions highlighting North Carolina musicians and filmed at locations around Guilford County. Grossmann says the productions had over 83,000 views. The festival will make announcements about more performers in the coming weeks.

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