By Peter Vankevich
There was, to riff off Stephen Sondheim, something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone.
That sums up how the Ocracoke Folk Festival 2026 rolled. Here are some of the highlights.
The festival’s lineup was again a mix of new-to-the-festival performers and others from previous years with a mix of folk, bluegrass, country and music from Scotland, Ireland and France.
There were several sets by local artists: Martin Garrish with Dallas Mason and the Ocracoke Rockers, Aaron Caswell Trio, Brooke + Nick, Lou Castro, Playin’ Possum (Katie Mitchell, John Lea and Danny Bradley), and the founders of the festival, Molasses Creek.
A fan favorite in 2024, the Rev. Robert Jones Sr. of Detroit returned with his mix of blues guitar, storytelling and a versatile manner for emulating various techniques.
In one of the sets, he gave a series of five notes and three chords. Using that base, he went through the beginnings of jazz from the 1880s all the way up to hip-hop–an amazing repertoire.
Jeff Little Trio returned once again with Jeff on piano, Steve Lewis on guitar and banjos, and Luke Little on mandolin. The trio spins a nice combination of Blue Ridge Mountain-style, bluegrass and Appalachian music.
Perennial favorite island storyteller Donald Davis was joined by bilingual storyteller Jasmine Cardenas, a Colombian American from Chicago, who also gave presentations to Ocracoke School students.
What was particularly powerful was honoring Bob Zentz, who drew a long, standing ovation.
He has been involved with Ocrafolk from its beginning and coined the festival’s name. Festival founder Gary Mitchell presented Zentz a quilt made of Mitchell’s vintage festival T-shirts.
Lipbone Redding filled in with an impromptu set on Saturday with Barefoot Wade because Sweet Megg was delayed by a ferry cancelation.
“I was excited when Lipbone asked me if I wanted to sit in and play some lead guitar for one of his songs,” said Barefoot. “Of course, I’m never far from my guitar.”
Held on the Berkley Manor grounds, performances also went on elsewhere around the village at Ocracoke Coffee Company and 1718 Ocracoke Brewery.
Saturday featured a variety of children’s activities such as fish printing T-shirts and a cast of side performers.
Saturday afternoon, Jef the Mime (Jeff Lamdin) shared his juggling skills with eight eager participants, from preschoolers to adults. He said the youngest attendees often learn the fastest.
“The children, especially, always impress me with their natural abilities,” he said. “One 3-year-old was almost juggling by the end of the workshop, successfully crossing and catching the balls. That’s a remarkable accomplishment.”
Eli (Jordan) the Magician had a variety of tricks and “nothing up my sleeve” card games.
Mitchell, who saw the youth at a street festival in Stewart, Virginia, was particularly thrilled with Eli’s expertise and polished performance style.
“He was just on the street with a handful of people doing magic tricks for them, and he just had me totally flummoxed, and he was funny too,” Mitchell said.
The festival had two henna tattoo artists, and a new addition was stilt walker Lanky Lou, Kurt Zander, who strode around towering over everyone.
Itinerant poet Kevin Delaney sat in the shade of a cedar tree composing poems on demand using a vintage typewriter. He also created special tiny books of poems as well.
Philip Howard led the Ocracoke square at the Barn to music by Molasses Creek with Kathleen Parks and her band.
The Green Grass Cloggers were back and the Ocracoke Student Ballet Folklorico, dressed in traditional Mexican attire, celebrated the island’s Latino community.
More than 20 artisans sold a wide range of arts and crafts.
Several workshops on the grounds of the Ocracoke Preservation Society gave the performers and their fans the opportunity to converse.
After the rowdy Saturday performances, Sunday morning started with yoga by Desiree Adams, yoga nidra meditation with Lipbone Redding, and sound bath with Brooke German.
Following the Gospel Sing was Songs that Matter led by Louis Allen and included selections and performances by Mitchell, Rev. Robert Jones and Jeanne and Bob Zentz.
Redding again led the festival’s coda, the All Star Jam.
Many of the performers took to the stage, playing next to folks they had never met until arriving onto the island.
Bringing the audience to their feet was a jam by Bryan McCune of Rhonda Robicheaux & Meaux with his cornet, and Caleb Nelson, who had played the trumpet with Sweet Megg and delivered New Orleans jazz to the festival like never before.
“We were real happy with it once again,” Mitchell said. But “the biggest challenge is keeping acts we love while making room for new acts every year. It’s tough to cut the people you love.”
