The Town of Nags Head and Dare County Arts Council are pleased to announce that Major and the Monbacks will headline the free concert at the Dowdy Park Grand Opening on Saturday, May 13.
Major and the Monbacks are a Norfolk, VA based rock n’ roll band known for their eclectic style and sound ranging from garage rock, to blue-eyed soul, from country funk, to Beatlesque pop.
“We are really excited to get back to the Outer Banks for the Dowdy Park Grand Opening,” said Major and the Monbacks bass guitarist Cole Friedman. “Nothing beats being able to play music right by the beach at the beginning of summer.”
The family-friendly, outdoor concert will be held from 4-8pm and will open with ‘folkadelic’ music by Hatteras Island band Blurky’s Quirky Friends.
“Representing Hatteras Island and mankind through our own original music and honest tales of experience of life on the Outer Banks and in the world, there is not anywhere else Blurky’s Quirky Friends would rather play on May 13,” said Blurky’s Quirky Friends vocalist and guitarist Barry Wells.
The Dowdy Park Grand Opening will kick off with the Dare County Arts Council’s 28th Annual Artrageous Kids Art Festival from 10am-3pm. Artrageous will be comprised of free art stations for children including metalsmithing, painting, sculpting, weaving, and many more creative art activities and entertainment.
The fun filled day will include performances by local elementary and middle school bands and choruses, local dance studios, Outer Banks bands Sensi Trails, Frozen Head and the Squirrels, and Soul Tribe Evolution, an art walk featuring acoustic musicians, and a theatrical meet-the-puppet performance and puppet parade by Saxapahaw, NC based Paperhand Puppet Intervention.
“We are so excited to bring Paperhand Puppet Intervention to Dare County,” said Children & Youth Partnership (CYP) Early Learning Coordinator Carla Heppert. “Paperhand Puppet Intervention’s giant puppets are sure to add an additional layer of fun, and we cannot wait to see their larger-than-life characters. We are looking forward to a full weekend of culture, engagement, and family fun at CYP’s KidsFest at Roanoke Island Festival Park on Friday, May 12 and at Artrageous on Saturday, May 13.”
The Dowdy Park Grand Opening will also include an arts and crafts show featuring local artisans as well as local restaurants selling culinary art inspired meals all day.Restaurants interested in being part of the event should contact Chris Sawin at dareartsinfo@gmail.com.
Volunteers or artists interested in being a part of the event can contact Dare County Arts Council Programs Director Fay Davis Edwards at dareartsprograms@gmail.com or call (252) 473-5558.
A special thank you to to Trillium Health Resources, the Dare County Tourism Board, and the Outer Banks Community Foundation for their help in creating a park for all ages and abilities.
For more information about the grand opening, contact the Town of Nags Head at (252) 441-5508.
Purchased in 2013, with the plan to develop a fully accessible, inclusive gathering space for all ages, the five-acre Dowdy Park sits at the corner of South Croatan Highway and Bonnett Street.
Dare County Arts Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to supporting the arts in Dare County. DCAC programming is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council.
The Town of Nags Head, North Carolina, is located on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, a chain of barrier islands along the Atlantic Ocean, 90 miles south of Norfolk, Virginia. A unique resort community, Nags Head takes pride in its clean water, low density of development, and abundant open spaces. Its 11 miles of oceanfront and 6.5 square miles of area are home to a year round residential population of 2,800 and a summer population of approximately 40,000.