Barbara Garrity-Blake, a cultural anthropologist, musician, and festival organizer, delves into the integration of cultural heritage and modern community engagement in this episode of EPIC Carteret. We explore her initiatives like the Wild Caught Local Seafood and Music Festival and her work with community movements like Saltwater Connections. Highlighting her efforts in preserving traditional folkways, Barbara offers insights into how committed individuals can keep local culture alive and vibrant.

Join me in conversation with Beaufort Mayor Sharon Harker on getting involved, building connections, and voting every chance you get. Mayor Harker talks about what concerned her when she ran for office, how she earned the trust of her constituents, and why your vote matters, among other things.

We’ve distilled the spirit of our Winter Hauntings to a chilling hour of storytelling in poem, prose and music in our broadcast of Summer Spirits, including: John Greenleaf Whittier’s “The Palantine” performed by local playwright and actor Doug Miron; poems written and read by Pamlico County Poet Laureate Malaika King Albrecht; songs written and performed by the musical duo Emily and John Carter (a.k.a. Chick ‘N’ Biscuit); and the top three stories in our 2023 ghost story competition “A Fireside Chat” by Willow Red, “Heaven or Hell” by Jessi Waugh, and contest winner “The Causeway” by Melissa Kelley performed by Carteret Community Theater superstars Alex Russell, Matt Brooks, and Kimberly Murdoch.

Content warning

The locally inspired stories, poems, and songs performed in this episode of EPIC Carteret’s Summer Spirits 2024 contain mature themes and scenes that may be distressing to some listeners, including but not limited to: Fire and related destruction Encounters with dastardly pirates Ghostly apparitions and supernatural events Depictions of murder and violence Discussions of adultery and witchcraft Other frightening and unsettling content

Listener discretion is advised.

Rights Retention Statement: All artists retain full rights to their submitted stories, poems, and songs shared in this special episode of EPIC Carteret.