Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands to be featured in Smithsonian’s Folklife Festival on Thursday
Historians and representatives from Hatteras and Ocracoke islands will have a starring role in an upcoming Smithsonian Folklife Festival event, as they take part in the online Story Circle: Islands on the Edge – North Carolina’s Maritime Culture in the Time of the Pandemic session which is being held Thursday, August 20, at noon.
Per the event’s description, communities along North Carolina’s “islands on the edge” have weathered hurricanes, rising tides, and a host of other challenges both natural and man-made. The pandemic adds another layer of challenges, and virtual attendees will join participants from Harkers Island, Ocracoke, and Hatteras as they continue discussions started during the 2004 Smithsonian Folklife Festival’s Water Ways: Mid-Atlantic Maritime Communities program, and share how these resilient island communities “weather the storms” and aim to come out stronger each time.
This conversation features Karen Amspacher of the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum, Ernie Foster, local Hatteras historian and educator, and Alton Ballance, Inn owner, author, and educator from Ocracoke Island, with moderator Betty Belanus, folklorist and curator at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
The event will stream live on Facebook and YouTube, and attendees can participate via the links below.
- RSVP on Facebook
- View the livestream on the Festival website
This event is part of the Smithsonian Earth Optimism initiative, highlighting success stories in conservation and sustainability.
ASL interpretation and real-time captioning will be available.
