HEARTS Event - Wildflowers and Bluegrass

Mark your calendars for May 14, 2022 for “Wildflowers and Bluegrass,” the third HEARTS Happening (History, Ecology, Arts, Reunion, Trails, Store) at Huntersville’s Cedar Grove and Torance House and Store. Free to the public, May’s event celebrates our region's native plants, wildflowers and traditional music, highlighting connections to local stories throughout history.

The Hugh Torrance House and Store, North Carolina’s oldest standing store, will be open from 1:00-6:00 PM offering food, beverages, artisan goods, sundries, and more. Next door, the 1831 Greek Revival masterpiece Cedar Grove, is open from 2:00-5:00 presenting live music, performance art, and visual art, all with a local focus.

In Cedar Grove’s grand double-parlor, HEARTS is excited to present Charlie Williams performing his one-man show, "Live with Michaux," a first-person interpretation of botanist Andre' Michaux's life and adventures. Dressed in period costume, Williams shares stories from Michaux’s travels through the Southeast during the time of Hugh Torance in the 18th century.  Over the past two decades Williams has presented hundreds of programs on Michaux to audiences young and old, including at the Smithsonian in Washington. Most recently, Williams published André Michaux in North America: Journals and Letters, 1785–1797, the first annotated English translation of Michaux’s journals from his North American travels.

For the musical portion of the program, old-time fiddler and enthusiast of traditional music history Chris Sekerak brings his “Diggin’ the Roots” old time music show to Cedar Grove. An educational exploration of the music that paved the way for modern bluegrass, “Diggin’ the Roots” features not only authentic music of the early 20th century performed by accomplished musicians, but also the context to understand where this music came from and how it evolved into what we know today as bluegrass. Joining Chris for this musical journey are Josh Campbell on banjo and Fred Mock on bass and guitar.

Wildflower walks are planned throughout the afternoon led by native plant expert Marion Sekerak, who shares stories and lore of plants found on site with roots in Native American, African American, and colonial history.  Native plants from Dutch Buffalo Farms, as well as local fresh flowers will be available for purchase. Visual art featuring botanical themes by regional artists will be shared in the Cedar Grove front hall.

HEARTS connections are realized through the Reunion Project (the “R” in HEARTS). Our region was an interwoven tapestry of plantation life with many family-trees connected within the Catawba Valley region. The Reunion Project welcomes people to connect and share their family history, adding to our growing web of collected artifacts, documents, and stories. Through learning and sharing stories of all people connected to the site throughout time, including the lives of formerly enslaved people and indigenous people, this tapestry can continue to grow and be shared with future generations.

Wildflowers and Bluegrass is a free community event with RSVPs requested at www.hughtorancehouseandstore.org.   All guests registering online become eligible for door prizes announced at the event throughout the day.  This event is made possible by dedicated volunteers, HEARTS Circle members, community partners, event sponsor Lake Norman Realty, and community donations. All proceeds benefit HTHS’s efforts to further the HEARTS mission of historic preservation, ecological conservation, and forging community connections in our region.

​The Store and HEARTS events are operated by the Hugh Torance House and Store (HTHS), a private 501c3 nonprofit. Group tours and volunteer opportunities for stewardship, preservation, and conservation are available. For more information, visit www.hughtorancehouseandstore.org, email info@hughtorancehouseandstore.org, or call (704) 920-9931.