Shakori Hills is great for families! The festival is a rich, interactive experience for children of all ages, with several special activities for kids throughout the weekend.
Near the heart of the festival grounds is the Kid’s Zone. Hands-on art projects, performances, group activities, story telling, face painting and a Saturday afternoon parade! The kids village is organized by fun and creative festival volunteers. Interested in helping? Volunteer! Also check out our Kids Area Wish List to see if you may have anything lying around that could make the tent more enjoyable.
Exploring the farm is encouraged for older children — parents know they can depend on a nurturing, attentive festival staff and community to keep a watchful eye. Younger kids should still be supervised by their parents or guardians (the Coffee Barn’s not too far away).
Camping families can choose to settle down in our quiet camping zone, a peaceful cove that is perfect for, well, quiet camping! Ask at the ticket booth when you check in.
Youth tickets (ages 13-15) are available at a reduced price, and kids 12 and under get in free!
Spring 2017 Kids & Family Info…
Kids Area
Seedlings & Sprouts
An Area especially programmed for children age 10 and under. This Spring, look forward to poi dance, tie dye, crowns, participating in the Saturday parade, hooping, interactive art and making wings! We’ll have retro crafts, Macrame, Mandalas, daily yoga, face paint, Big Bubbles and much more! Play games or explore our obstacle course or enjoy the sand pile.
Be sure to check the website under “Kids & Family” and at the Kids Area during the festival for updated schedules, activities and wish lists.
Kids Tent Hours: Friday 9am-7pm; Saturday 9am-7pm; Sunday 9am- 5:30pm
Friday Night Family Camp Circle 5-7pm
Saturday Night is Shakori Family Bingo 6-7pm
Seedlings Play-Time
This special programming is for the 5-and-under crowd. Join us for story/circle time, interactive hands-on centers, activities and special guests. Check at the Kids Tent for activity times. Kids Tent, Fri-Sun 12pm-2pm
Scheduled Kids & Family Activities
Kids Rise n Shine Yoga
Come start the day off by stretching, breathing, flowing and relaxing in a yoga class for children of all ages (parents are also welcome to join in or watch while sipping coffee!). No need to bring mats–just come with an open mind and open heart. Dance Tent, Fri & Sun 10am, Sat 11am
Early Morning Creative Centers
A window of time for you to come create with Kids Tent staff and special guests. Build, crochet, make cards, decoupage, spin art and shrinky dinks! Make something special for a friend. Get creative, learn a new skill, read, create and enjoy! Kids Tent, Fri, Sat, & Sun 9-11am
Face Painting
Our fabulous face painters will make art on you! It’s free, but donations gladly accepted. Kids Tent, Fri, Sat, & Sun 1-6pm
Giant Bubbles
Join the Bubble Goddess, learn the art and patience of creating giant bubbles, or you can just watch them float and run around popping them! Near Kids Tent, Fri, Sat, & Sun 4-6pm
Express Yourself! Areas
Throughout the weekend, near and around the Kids Tent, find creative boards with weaving, chalk board and matte board art wall, as well as a sand area and fossil dig pit.
Kids’ Arts & Crafts Market
Calling all people 15 and under! Spread out your blanket and sell your own hand-made arts and crafts!
- All items must be handmade by you and sell for $5 or under.
- Sign up 30 minutes before start time.
- We have fabric for good on-the-ground display space.
- Feel free to bring setups for displaying your goods!
- For more info email shakorikidstent@gmail.com or call 919-816-6677
Sign-in & set-up 30 minutes prior to start time. Near the Kids Tent, Sat 3-5pm & Sun 11am – 2pm. NOTE: This Kids Market is specifically for items made and sold by children 15 years and younger. Parents are welcome to help and be and be with their kids during the market. Adults who want to sell their works must have a vendor permit and sell in regular festival vending areas.
Kids Paint Project Small Museum of Folk Art
Join us again as we co-create Folk Art with local artists and the Small Museum of Folk Art. Last fall’s paintings with Tire Frames decorated the walkway to the new museum in Pittsboro. Let’s create great Art again! For more info on the museum, go to www.smallmuseumfolkart.org. Kids Tent, Fri 2pm
Create a Mandala
The word Mandala (pronunciation mon-dah-lah) means “circle.” A Mandala represents wholeness, a cosmic diagram …concentric structure of balanced geometric shapes symbolizing unity and harmony. Join Alisa as we Create Mandalas using sand and natural objects to create transient (temporary) art. The creating is the project not the product. Kids Tent, Sun 10am
Wonderful Worms with Grand Trees of Chatham
Join us for a fun afternoon learning about a tree’s best friend… the earthworm! We will spend some time getting to know these amazing little creatures and discover why worms and trees get along so well. We will create some worm artwork and then release our worms into the wild where they can make friends with the beautiful trees here at Shakori Hills! Kids Tent, Fri 1pm
Children’s Poi Workshops
Join Albert & Friends as you learn to make your own Poi. Then stick around and learn some basic moves with them to music. Poi refers to both a performance art and the tools used for it. Poi are tethered weights swung through a variety of rhythmical and geometric patterns. Kids Tent, Sat 10:30am & Sun 11am
Hiking Workshop “Treemendous” Trees
Dissect a backpack, learn to plan a hike, then Join Andy Upshaw and Phillip Cox of Grand Trees of Chatham for a fun afternoon getting to know some of the “Treemendous” trees here at Shakori Hills! We’ll also visit the community vegetable garden and explore some natural features here at Shakori Hills. This activity is for ages 6 and up. Meet at the Kids Tent, Sun 2:30pm
NC Coast- Seaside Workshop
Join our own Collin, right from the beach, as he shares both his coastal and aquarium experiences with us. Let’s “Sea” what beach activities await? Kids Tent, Fri 11am
Fossil Dig & Dino Bones
Join our kids tent staff as they guide you on a dig for fossilized shells, teeth and bones from NC coast. Like puzzles? Help put together baby Dino bones, a really big puzzle? Kids Tent, Sat 3:30pm
Retro Crafts
Macrame
Join us as we learn and use old ship knot-tying to create beautiful bracelets for mom and selves, or tackle a hanging plant project. Kids Tent, Fri 4:30pm & Sun 1pm
Tye-Dye
Join us as we tye dye, stamp and create small and large art. Help make groovy, messy art. Bring your own shirts or use our bandanas. All ages. Kids Tent, Sat 4pm & Sun 2pm
Download a printable pdf of the Kids Area Schedule
Family Cabaret
Daytime activities at the Cabaret Tent are dedicated to families and kids of all ages. Stop by for some fun and even learn something cool!
Tanglewood Puppets
Hand-made puppets and sets delight audiences of all ages with shows based on folktales and legends from many lands and cultures. Audience interaction drives the antics of these original characters in their journeys in and ultimately OUT of trouble! The Tanglewood Puppets, and their creators have been entertaining children and adults since 1969. Cabaret Tent, Sat 11:15am
Big Wonderful Variety Show
Acrobats, dancers, stories and drums, jugglers and surprises: Clapping Hands Farm presents the best in local talent! Cabaret Tent, Sun 12:30pm
Flamenco Carolina
Be enthralled by the music and dance of the Andalusian Roma people (aka Gypsies). Performance will be first, followed by a workshop where you can learn this mysterious and beautiful dance! Flamenco Carolina is composed of a singer, guitarist, and dancers. We teach all ages and organize workshops, for schools and the communities in the Triangle and Greensboro/Winston-Salem areas. Cabaret Tent, Sat 12:45pm
Sisters’ Voices
Enjoy the sweet sounds of this choral community of girls in second through eighth grades. Sisters’ Voices provides a cooperative atmosphere where singers develop confidence and competence while creating friendships and having fun together. Cabaret Tent, Sat 10am
Carolina Pine Cones
Bluegrass ambassadors for the music’s next generation! The Carolina Pine Cones began playing together in the area’s PineCone Bluegrass Youth Camps. Cabaret Tent, Sat 2:30pm
Casey’s Laugh & Learn
Join Casey Nees for “The Insane Science of Fairyland!” Journey to a madcap place where wolves sneeze down houses and princes defeat dragons with the magic of science! Cabaret Tent, Fri 11:30am
Family Square Dance
Join the Apple Chill Cloggers for this beginners’ square dance for all ages. Shoot the star and dosey-doe; want a family fun activity? Well, here you go: live music and calling especially for the younger set. Cabaret Tent, Sun 2pm
Walker Street Fiddlers
Check out this diverse group of young musicians whose common thread is their love of music—particularly traditional Irish and American fiddle tunes. They are currently comprised of 25 students, mostly fiddlers, with a few guitarists, mandolinists and a piano-playing penny-whistler in the mix! Cabaret Tent, Sun 10am
The Outpost
The Outpost is an area for young people— featuring harmonica, guitar and instrument workshops, large-scale games, circus arts, improv workshops, DJ dancing, board and table games, Open Mic and lots more!
The Outpost is for people ages 10-18.
Hours are: Friday 1pm – midnight; Saturday 11am – midnight; Sunday 11am – 6pm
Paper Marbling
Learn a technique to create the old world craft of paper marbling, where colorful designs are transferred to paper to make great cards and gifts. The Outpost, Sat 11am
Paper Bag Stars
When you are creative, anything can be transformed into a thing of beauty. Paper bags can be folded, cut and taped to create a three dimensional hanging design. The Outpost, Fri 1pm & Sat 2pm
Musical Hardware
Join jug band enthusiast Dwight Hawkins, as he introduces some musical hardware that resourceful musicians have used for years. Useful items that have been adapted to musical instruments include the musical saw, can-jo and bones. Dwight will also lead the group through the construction of their very own gut bucket bass. The Outpost, Sat 5:30pm
Cinco de Mayo Crafts
Add a colorful design to your personal maraca and celebrate this Mexican Holiday of Freedom.
The Outpost, Fri 2pm
Fantasy Bells
Combine colored twine, sticks and bells to create your own mobile to hang at your camp and take home. Legend tells that when a nature spirit or fairy passes by, the bells will chime. The Outpost, Fri 3pm & Sat 12pm
Improv / Creative Dramatics
Have fun with these guided improvisation games that teach teamwork, creativity and quick thinking. Join the troupe and “make a scene,” with often hilarious outcomes. The Outpost, Fri 4pm & Sun 3pm
Mason Bee Condos
The Mason Bees are a species of solitary bee that can pollinate 500 times better than Honey Bees, but do not produce honey. They live in small holes and crannies, but it’s often hard for them to find suitable homes. By creating condos for the Mason Bees, we can help attract more and build a beautiful landscape, full of thriving flowers and fruit trees. The Outpost, Sat 3pm
Tie-Dye
Take an ordinary t-shirt and turn it into something much brighter and more colorful! Learn to take rubber bands, dye and a t-shirt and use your imagination to design something custom for you. The Outpost, Fri 5pm
Sea Shell Pendants
Design a pendant with wire and sea shells from the Carolina Coast, you can wear them around the festival, they also make great gifts! Treasures provided. The Outpost, Sat 4pm
Learn To Crochet
Take a lesson in crocheting, a skill that can be used long after the festival! The Outpost, Sun 11am
Boff Games
Join the Wandering Swordsman for an competitive and cooperative afternoon. The games teach a range of disciplines including patience, humility and honor in organized, padded and combative play. Oak Tree beside The Outpost, Fri & Sat 12pm
Teen Open Mic
Bring out your instruments, best voice and friends, and take center stage! Open Jam intended
for young musicians only. The Outpost, Sat 8:30pm
Teen Dance Party
Come down for a Saturday night dance party and boogie the night away. The Outpost, Sat 10pm
Tribal Games with Fuz
Fuz Sanderson is a survival skills expert steeped in the traditions of indigenous tribes. He will share some ancient games that are friendly, yet competitive, and emphasize balance, dexterity
and quick thinking. Oak tree beside The Outpost, Sun 2pm
Concert: The Fernandez Sisters
Durham, North Carolina natives Elise, Olivia and Sofia Fernandez play mainly a mix of Traditional Folk, Bluegrass, Celtic and swing music. In a band together since 2011, Elise plays guitar, Olivia plays mandolin and Sofia plays fiddle with all three singing harmony. With bluegrass and folk music running through their veins, their experience at music festivals around the state heavily influenced their passion for music and immersing themselves in creating their own sound. The Outpost, Fri 8pm
Acoustic Jam with The Fernandez Sisters
Join Elise, Olivia and Sofia in a more intimate setting for an acoustic jam. The Outpost, Sun 1pm
Concert: Presley Barker
At age twelve, Presley Barker has been playing acoustic guitar for five years. Living in the NC mountains and listening to Doc Watson on the radio inspired Presley to begin picking fiddle tunes and bluegrass music. He has been influenced and mentored by Steve Lewis, Wayne Henderson and Bryan Sutton. He has quickly emerged as an astonishingly gifted flat-picker. In the summer of 2015, Presley won first place in the prestigious Adult Guitar Competition at the 80th Annual Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention in Virginia, and in the summer of 2016, he was named West Virginia State Flatpicking Guitar Champion. He has appeared on the Today Show (NBC), National Folk Festival, Richmond Folk Festival, Masters of Steel String Guitar Event in Washington, D.C., PBS Song of the Mountain Show, Blue Ridge Music Center, Houston fest and Merlefest. Presley released his first solo album entitled “JUST-TEN” in the fall of 2015 and was honored to be on the Bluegrass Today Airplay Chart. Come be a part of his music. The Outpost, Fri 7pm
Imagine Circus
This contemporary circus is based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. A talented group of performers who specialize in cirque-style entertainment, aerial arts, acrobatics, fire and much more. These graceful and magical performances, mean to expose viewers to a sensory experience full of enchantment. The Outpost, Sun 12pm
