By Nicole Back - Staff Writer
Because Morehead’s Clack Mountain Festival is growing more successful each year, the community can expect the town to continue hosting the event, according to Terri Alderman, executive director of Morehead Tomorrow. She made her comments at this month’s Morehead City Council meeting on June 8.
“We increased our attendance this year and had a lot of positive comments,” she said. “Different people from different states came. We had people from as far away as Hawaii, believe it or not, and North Carolina, West Virginia and Ohio.”
There were bus loads of people who traveled from Lexington and Louisville, as well.
There were close to 1,500 paying customers. The cost per ticket was $5. Children were admitted for free.
The festival included the folk art show and sale, “A Day in the Country” at the Morehead Conference Center, workshops on fiddle, banjo and guitar from visiting musicians and the opening of “KY Women’s Photography Exhibition,” which was held at the Claypool Young Art building on Morehead State University’s campus.
“A day in the country, inside the building, it was nice to see the building packed,” Joy Brown, manager of the conference center said. “The vendors I talked to when they were leaving, they were very complimentary of the facility.”
“All the comments I heard was good,” Bill Patrick, council member, said.
Music was performed at the Moonlight Stage by Hazel Holler, The Havens, Heather Berry, Kentucky Wildhorse, Tommy Webb Band and Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys.
Al Baldwin, council member, asked Alderman at the meeting how much Ralph Stanley charged for his performance.
“It was about 85-hundred,” she said. “He brings in a lot of people.”
“What are we going to do when he kicks?” David Perkins, mayor, asked.
There was mention of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and how that group charges more than Ralph Stanley.
“Thanks to everybody who came out,” Alderman said. “We hope that not only this community but everybody benefited from it.”
