Ocean City Jazz Festival

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Welcome to Topsail Insider, where you can hear all about the businesses and events in the beautiful coastal towns in the greater Topsail area of North Carolina.

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Hello everyone, this is Leah Norman from Topsail Talk and I'm co-hosting today with Krista on Topsail Insider.

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We have a special interview with Mr Kenneth Chestnut.

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We have a special interview with Mr Kenneth Chestnut.

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Kenneth Chestnut is the son of one of Ocean City's founders and he is here to share the rich history of Ocean City and give us an inside look at the Ocean City Jazz Festival North Topsail's premier cultural event that features Grammy-nominated jazz musicians.

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Learn how this vibrant event has become a cornerstone for jazz enthusiasts and a celebration of cultural heritage.

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You don't want to miss this insightful interview today on Topsail Insider.

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Hello everyone and welcome to Topsail Insider.

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My name is Krista and I am your host.

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And today's co-host is the fabulous Leah Norman from Topsail Talk.

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Welcome, leah.

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Thank you so much for having me.

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Today we're talking with Mr Kenneth Chestnut.

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He is a second-generation resident and the son of Mr Wade Chestnut, a founder of Ocean City.

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Welcome, kenneth.

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Thank you for joining us today.

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Well, thank you, it's really a pleasure to be here and I look forward to this.

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It's going to be fun.

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I feel very honored that you're coming here and sitting with us today.

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It's a privilege of mine, thank you.

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We have a lot to cover.

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We're going to talk about the history of the Jazz Festival and the logistics, but first I want to talk about the history of the Ocean City Beach community in North Topsail.

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City Beach community in North Topsail.

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Yeah, it's so important to know the history, and I came to know it when I was introduced to the festival.

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Then I had the pleasure of meeting Mr Chestnut and he is just a wealth of information and I'm still learning.

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But I'm so excited to bring this information to you guys, and so I'm going to now pass the mic on to Mr Kenneth, who was going to tell you about the founding of it and how it came to be.

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Thank you so much, leah.

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I always enjoy telling this story, and when I look back and think about the founding of Ocean City, it's just constant excitement and it's so important to tell the story.

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I believe that the story of communities like Ocean City very often do not get told or they get erased, and so part of our mission is to continue to tell the story so people are aware of this long and rich history.

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I will say that when I first moved here, Kenneth, I did not know the history.

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I didn't even know where Ocean City was on the island.

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And it wasn't until I interviewed the ladies from the Missiles and More Ocean City was on the island, and it wasn't until I interviewed the ladies from the Missiles and More Museum that I heard about it and I learned about it.

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That's right.

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And the Missiles and More, and the Topsail Historic Society have done a great job.

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We just last month opened a new exhibit featuring Ocean City, so we're excited about that and again it's an opportunity to tell the story.

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Well, we have a couple of things coming up.

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One is we're celebrating the 75th anniversary of this community we call Ocean City, and then the second thing that's a part of that is we're having the 14th annual Jazz Festival.

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So let me just talk briefly about the history of the Ocean City community.

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It was founded in 1949.

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History of the Ocean City community it was founded in 1949.

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Prior to that, Topsail Island was a part of Camp Davis, which was a military base during World War II.

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In Holly Ridge they had an operation on the entire Topsail Island.

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It was called Operation Bumblebee, and so if you're traveling on the island, you'll notice some towers, typically a three-story concrete tower that survived storms, hurricanes, everything, and they're still standing.

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Some have been converted into different buildings, homes, retail shops and so forth, and so the cornerstone of the Ocean City community was a tower, if you will.

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But after World War II and Camp Davis closed, the whole island was open for redevelopment.

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There was a gentleman from Wilmington his name was Edgar Yao I-O-W, and he and his brother were very prominent lawyers in Wilmington.

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He was a mayor, in fact, in the mid-40s.

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Edgar Yao was in.

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Wilmington for a term or two and his brother was city attorney, mr Yow, was able to develop a large segment of Topsail Island, primarily in Sur City going north, and for some reason he had this vision of African Americans being able to own oceanfront property on Topsail Island.

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Now where that originated I never knew, but he had this vision of this occurring and you have to remember the context of the time we're in.

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We're in 1949, which is 50 years, essentially from 1898, some 20-plus years from Shell Island at Wrightsville Beach, and so in this environment in the South, he had this vision and he decided to do something about it.

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He knew a Dr Samuel Gray, who's originally from Jamaica, who had a very prominent medical practice in Wilmington, and so he talked to Dr Gray about it.

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Dr Gray said he was busy with his medical practice, didn't have time, but he knew someone that may be interested.

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And Dr Gray knew my was busy with his medical practice, didn't have time, but he knew someone that may be interested.

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And Dr Gray knew my dad and his brothers.

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They had an automobile repair shop on the north side of Wilmington and they had a very good business.

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They had wreckers and did a lot of automobile repair, I think at the height they had maybe 12 mechanics working for them.

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But my dad?

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The vision resonated with him and so he left the family business and devoted his time to developing Ocean City, and his brother, robert, was the first president of the corporation.

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And my dad was one of the founders and committed the rest of his life to this development, and so a corporation was formed.

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Mr Yow was a part of that, this development, and so a corporation was formed Mr Yow was a part of that A couple of other gentlemen, my dad and his brothers to develop this one mile stretch, and so they had a map made and plans made of an area that would be carved out for retail and business area, and then the rest were residential.

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And so once they did a map and divided it into roads and lots and so forth, they went about trying to sell these lots.

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They would go around to different medical organizations where doctors would be or lawyers would be and promote Ocean City, and so at the time the lots on the ocean were $500.

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Wow, the lots won.

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If you can believe that, Did it just burn you.

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Yes.

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And the lots off of the ocean were $100.

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Incredible.

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But that was again in late 40s, early 50s.

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I remember my dad talking to a lady who wanted to buy a lot and he said, well, don't worry about the money, just give me a down payment to buy a lot.

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And he said, well, don't worry about the money, just give me a down payment to hold your lot.

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And she said, well, can I put a down payment on the down payment?

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I think she was a school teacher, yeah, and so the concept of it was to be a residential community where people could feel safe and own property and enjoy the beach and so forth.

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And then the tower became a rose, converted into a restaurant, expanded and converted into a restaurant.

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Oh, and it was called Ocean City Terrace.

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Interesting.

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I've never heard that before.

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And then the restaurant was expanded so people could look out over the water and enjoy their meal, and then there was a terrace above where people could look out at the ocean.

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It had music and so forth, so it was really a nice community when you look back at some of the old photographs of families on the beach enjoying it.

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And later a fishing pier was built.

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This was in 1958.

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And the fishing pier was one of the best locations for fishing on the island, and so a lot of people would come and fish on this fishing pier was one of the best locations for fishing on the island and so a lot of people would come and fish on this fishing pier, because if the fish were just biting and particularly in the fall when spots are running then people would be shoulder to shoulder catching fish, and so people would come there from all walks of life and their focus was on fishing.

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So it didn't matter their background, their race or where they were from.

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They wanted to catch fish.

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I love that.

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And so that was the focus.

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During that time, my dad managed the fishing pier and the restaurant, and so as a kid I grew up working for him.

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So whatever he wanted me to do, whether it was picking up trash or on weekends, I'd sell snow cones whatever it was, you started early.

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Oh yeah, how old were you?

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I was 12 years old when I started and you loved it.

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Oh yeah, I did.

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I bet you did.

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I loved growing up on the beach and my friends and so forth.

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But that was the whole concept of Ocean City and that's what made it thrive, Because people just didn't have the opportunity to enjoy that kind of environment and the beach and so forth.

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And so Blotts started to sell our house that my mom and dad built.

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And let me take a second about my mom.

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She was an educator.

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She taught school in New Hanover County for over 30 years.

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Wow and is well known.

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I still run into some of her students today.

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Oh my gosh, but she was very active in the community.

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She was on the board of the hospital, new Hanover Hospital and president of the YWCA in Wilmington.

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When they merged, when the Phyllis Wheatley, which was the black Y, merged with the white Y, how about that?

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She was president of that and later received a Lifetime Achievement Award for that.

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So she was very active in the Episcopal Church as well, which is a church a family were members of in Wilmington, and so we would be on the beach during the summer.

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My brother and I would be working, just busy supporting the business, but we'd have time off to swim and fish and all that.

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So it was a great childhood and a great time to be growing up.

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But the first house was built in 49.

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And then there were some other people that built homes there.

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For example, next door was Mr Rogers who owned a funeral home in Fedville.

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Next to him was Mr Millett, who had a cleaning business in Wilmington.

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Dr Nars, who was a dentist in Durham.

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Mr Ms Williams, a cleaning business in Wilmington.

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Dr Norris, who was a dentist in Durham.

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Mr Ms Williams, who taught school in Wilmington and he worked for the Coastline Railroad.

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And then Dr LW Upperman, who's a very prominent physician in Wilmington.

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That you can remember all this is amazing.

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Now, these were people who were buying.

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They started buying the lots and building their and they built their homes.

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They're not considered the founders Well, not the founders of the corporation, but some of the original homeowners.

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Gotcha yeah Okay.

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There were some others, that Dr Cowan, who was a physician from Wilson, so I'm just trying to paint a picture of people that came from all over.

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Carla Torrey's dad, Mr Eton, was a prominent builder.

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In fact, he built 30 homes on the island.

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All these homes he built.

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So they were one of the early families and so things were moving along.

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In 50, 51, 52, and then in 54, Hurricane Hazel came and it was just devastating.

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It wiped out almost all of the homes, maybe except for a couple.

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That's terrible, but the pier wasn't built at that time the pier came in 50.

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Not at that time, so you, took a blow.

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We took a blow.

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Pretty early on.

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That's right it was a severe blow and I admire those founders and early home builders for the tenacity of building back.

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Oh, they did I often say they could have given up and say, well, we tried, it didn't work.

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But they had the tenacity to build back and built back smarter.

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And so the house that we currently have, the family home, was built in 55 after Hazel.

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And so houses continued to be built then, and then, in 57, a chapel was built.

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The corporation decided to carve out a portion of land on 210 and donate it to the Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina.

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The pier was built in 58, the first pier oh, the first pier.

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Yes.

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Okay, the first pier was built in 58.

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And that was a corporation of homeowners, and some of the people that built homes there invested in the corporation.

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My dad was a president of it, but there were a lot of investors the Yowls were among those and some other business people in Wilmington that invested in this pier, so it was a multiracial ownership of the pier.

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Along with that, the church in Wilmington was St Mark's Episcopal Church that we were members of.

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The rector there was a Father Curtin.

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Father Curtin would come to the beach and have Sunday service in our living room, just for a few residents that wanted to go to church, so he'd have a service there.

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And then that took some traction and more and more people started coming and so the chapel was built.

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This land that the corporation donated to the diocese became the location for the chapel.

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Nice.

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Which is still here today.

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It's there now.

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Okay, do you know which chapel?

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I haven't seen it.

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Okay, it's the Wade Chestnut Chapel.

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It was rededicated and named after my dad in 62.

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There's some pictures that Leah's referring to that show the first service.

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Carla's dad, mr Eaton, built this chapel and so there were folding chairs and so forth for the first service, because people were just anxious to get into it.

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It was first called St Mark's Chapel and then, after my dad died, it was rededicated in his honor.

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The other connection with the Episcopal Church was.

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Father Curtin had this idea of a camp, a camp for African-American kids, Episcopal kids or really any denomination, but a place where they could go and have a camping experience.

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The first camp was at Pawleys Island in South Carolina.

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That was destroyed after Hazel and he talked to my dad about setting aside a certain segment of time during the summer for kids to have the camping experience there in the restaurant where they would meet and have activities and then have beach swimming and things like that.

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And then the motel was built about the same time as the pier and so the kids would stay in the motel, and so that happened for about three years I went to that camp.

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You did.

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Yeah, oh yeah.

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I wish listeners could see the smile on his face actually right now.

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In fact there's a lady who lives on the beach that would tease me, because I'd have my little bag walking from my house over to the camp.

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Oh, my goodness.

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And she said I was so serious, you know, about going there.

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Love that.

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But that camp touched so many kids.

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I did an article on the history of Camp Oceanside is what it was called and once it started really getting some traction, the dormitories were built, activities building and dining hall was built and it could accommodate maybe 60 kids and they would have different sessions.

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The priests from this diocese would come and take their vacation very often and devote their time to a particular area of the camp.

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One may be a Bible study or arts and crafts or oceanfront activities and so forth.

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But the growing people today fondly talk about the camp and the impact it had on them.

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It was typically a two-week session for kids and they did just have fond memories because they would have not had the opportunity to have a camping experience like that otherwise, and so it was just it was, and so there are pictures of kids and just having fun and all these activities planned for them.

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Is it still happening today?

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No, because in 1985, the camp closed.

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What occurred was integration, so was one thing that occurred well before then.

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But then the diocese decided to build a new camp this Camp Trinity is on Emerald Isle and so there was a white camp called Camp Leach, and then there was a black camp, camp Oceanside that I'm referring to, and so those were closed and the new camp was Camp Trinity, which is at Emerald.

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Isle Okay.

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One of the important things, particularly for my mom was on the board, very active on the board was for kids to have a neutral place to go.

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She taught school.

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She saw what happened during integration when black kids went to white schools and they were rejected or had difficulties.

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Black kids went to white schools and they were rejected or had difficulties, and so her big focus was persuading the diocese let's close both camps.

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And then they started a neutral camp, and so that's what occurred, and so it's a thriving camp.

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Camp Trinity, it's a conference center Still going on today.

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Oh yeah, oh, that's wonderful.

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My son went there, my grandson went there in fact for a couple of sessions.

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But to keep Oceanside from becoming a camp again, the dormitory was torn down, and then one of the buildings was torn down, and the buildings that are currently there, which is a chapel, the community center and a cottage, currently serve the Ocean City community.

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Okay, and so church services occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day every Sunday, and there are different priests that rotate in and out, and so people come from all over.

00:19:39.057 --> 00:19:49.058
Some are residents, some are on vacation, and they see it on the website or Facebook page and it's very casual, and so there's a wide range.

00:19:49.058 --> 00:19:51.490
Each Sunday there's a different person conducting service.

00:19:51.490 --> 00:19:58.423
I feel like this is kind of a dumb question, but do you see a real uptick in attendance during the high season, the summer months?

00:19:58.624 --> 00:20:00.916
Oh, yes, and we're only open during the summer months.

00:20:00.977 --> 00:20:01.358
Oh you are.

00:20:01.358 --> 00:20:02.432
So it's only open from.

00:20:02.653 --> 00:20:04.218
Memorial Day to Labor Day.

00:20:04.358 --> 00:20:05.101
Okay, yeah, okay.

00:20:05.549 --> 00:20:17.269
And so it's active in the community center which was the activity center for the camp still standing, and it serves as a community center for the Ocean City community today.

00:20:17.269 --> 00:20:23.403
In fact, the proceeds which we'll get into the jazz festival help support these buildings.

00:20:23.810 --> 00:20:25.758
The upkeep of the historic building.

00:20:25.758 --> 00:20:26.179
That's right.

00:20:27.290 --> 00:20:36.855
That's an important part of the community this chapel, the community center and so forth but it originated as a camp.

00:20:36.855 --> 00:20:38.856
I mentioned there was a motel built.

00:20:38.856 --> 00:20:41.953
It was like 12 units there, one-story motel.

00:20:42.075 --> 00:20:42.696
Is it still there?

00:20:43.069 --> 00:20:46.613
No, it was demolished, well, actually destroyed.

00:20:46.613 --> 00:20:53.539
In 1996, we had two major hurricanes, hurricanes Fran and Bertha.

00:20:53.539 --> 00:21:00.405
Right right, right and they wiped out the pier and the motel and several buildings.

00:21:00.405 --> 00:21:06.000
I mentioned that the first pier was built in 58.

00:21:06.021 --> 00:21:08.613
There were a series of hurricanes that damaged the pier.

00:21:08.613 --> 00:21:19.788
It would have to be rebuilt, and so it was a long pier, had a kind of a bulb on the end of it where people could fish, but hurricanes would destroy it.

00:21:19.788 --> 00:21:29.698
It would build back, destroy it and build back, until it got to the point that it was not financially feasible to continue to do that and you could not get insurance on it.

00:21:29.698 --> 00:21:44.803
I'm thinking of one occurrence where my dad and I were at the pier and a storm was coming and the waves started coming over the end of the pier and he said son, I think it's time to go home.

00:21:45.234 --> 00:21:46.009
I said yeah, dad, I agree.

00:21:46.009 --> 00:21:47.228
Oh gosh.

00:21:48.113 --> 00:22:03.925
So we went to Wilmington and then the next day we came back down and we could only get as far as the North Topsail line, coming north on 210, where it goes from Surf City to North Topsail.

00:22:03.925 --> 00:22:05.654
There was a store there.

00:22:05.654 --> 00:22:08.056
It was called the Mermaid, currently it's called the Lion.

00:22:08.056 --> 00:22:13.440
It's there now, but we could get with cars, get as far as that.

00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:19.178
And then there were Jeeps that would shuttle us back to sea, because people wanted to know how their homes were.

00:22:19.178 --> 00:22:22.601
They would always call my dad, how much damage is it?

00:22:22.601 --> 00:22:26.260
And of course that was well before the concept of cell phones.

00:22:26.430 --> 00:22:27.695
Right, right yeah.

00:22:28.309 --> 00:22:47.337
The next morning, after this hurricane, my dad and I were coming back to check, and so we were standing there in the parking lot waiting for a Jeep to take us down, and Mr Yao was there, and so I was about 12 years old, and so Mr Yao asked me if I wanted a soda, and I said, no, monsieur, I don't want a soda.

00:22:47.337 --> 00:22:49.517
And he said, yeah, don't you want a soda?

00:22:49.517 --> 00:22:55.121
I said no, and I didn't want a soda because I knew I couldn't get served in that location.

00:22:55.422 --> 00:22:55.863
Oh really.

00:22:56.029 --> 00:22:57.296
Yeah, that was just the way it was.

00:22:57.296 --> 00:23:04.622
It was the Jim Crow era that we're in, and so it was against the law, typically for anybody to serve.

00:23:04.721 --> 00:23:06.023
Oh, it was not the line at that time.

00:23:06.023 --> 00:23:06.765
It was the Mermaid.

00:23:06.765 --> 00:23:08.326
You're talking about the store that was there.

00:23:08.326 --> 00:23:09.027
That's the Mermaid.

00:23:09.027 --> 00:23:09.606
Yeah, All right.

00:23:09.869 --> 00:23:16.820
So I could need a Woolworth's lunch counter for example so that was the environment that we're in in Jim Crow South.

00:23:16.820 --> 00:23:19.070
And so he said don't you want to?

00:23:19.070 --> 00:23:19.632
I said no, it's yeah.

00:23:19.632 --> 00:23:20.112
So I said no, it's Yao.

00:23:20.112 --> 00:23:24.736
So he insisted and took me in and he told the gentleman there, give him a soda.

00:23:24.736 --> 00:23:26.958
And the guy looked at him but he gave me a soda.

00:23:26.958 --> 00:23:30.000
He didn't have to do that, but that's something that stuck with me.

00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:32.282
It told me what kind of man he was.

00:23:32.282 --> 00:23:36.626
So when nobody's looking, nobody really cared.

00:23:38.990 --> 00:23:41.353
He spoke for who he was, and so that's always resonated with me.

00:23:41.353 --> 00:23:44.895
Yao was, as I said, a prominent attorney.

00:23:44.895 --> 00:23:46.538
He loved hunting.

00:23:46.538 --> 00:23:53.846
He would have a station wagon with his hunting dog in the back and he'd steal a streak of tobacco along the side of his car.

00:23:53.846 --> 00:23:56.612
But that's just who he was.

00:23:56.612 --> 00:24:00.382
He and his wife had a house not far from there in Sneets Ferry area.

00:24:00.501 --> 00:24:00.782
Okay.

00:24:01.049 --> 00:24:08.442
But that's who he was, and so I tell that story just to get a picture of who Egea was.

00:24:08.442 --> 00:24:15.492
And so he and my family, his wife and family, became good friends of ours and we knew their son and so forth.

00:24:15.492 --> 00:24:30.336
And then, as we moved forward, the community started to get some traction and we were upholding the timeframe of dealing with some threats to the community primarily environmental threats, I'll call it.

00:24:30.336 --> 00:24:46.703
And so we have sea level rise, we have hurricanes, and we have a different type of hurricane, in that the previous hurricanes were mainly wind events and so they would pass through in a day or so and be gone.

00:24:46.703 --> 00:24:54.950
Usually it was a day and primarily high winds and some rain, but in recent years we've seen hurricanes at a huge water event.

00:24:55.089 --> 00:24:59.261
So they'll just hover and dump water inches and inches and inches of water.

00:24:59.970 --> 00:25:15.884
And so that's another threat, and then the other is erosion, which we're seeing all up and down the East Coast, and so, with sea level rise, erosion, hurricanes, all the coastal communities are threatened by this environment that we're currently finding ourselves in.

00:25:15.884 --> 00:25:20.721
I'm currently very active with the North Carolina Coastal Federation.

00:25:20.721 --> 00:25:26.201
It's a nonprofit that really works to protect the environment and protect the coast.

00:25:26.201 --> 00:25:33.083
I'm on their board and so I've driven to that because I've seen over the years the impact on the coastline.

00:25:33.690 --> 00:25:35.557
What happens in the future to the community.

00:25:36.029 --> 00:25:40.481
There are steps being taken to move sand up on the beach.

00:25:40.481 --> 00:25:42.577
It's called their beach nourishment projects.

00:25:42.577 --> 00:25:45.538
You see those all up and down the coast.

00:25:45.538 --> 00:25:47.257
Every community is dealing with that.

00:25:48.090 --> 00:25:49.576
What about is it called seagrass?

00:25:49.576 --> 00:25:50.019
What is this?

00:25:50.019 --> 00:25:53.877
Seagrass helps to stabilize Are y'all doing that specifically in Ocean UR.

00:25:54.190 --> 00:25:56.115
We've been doing that for years, and years.

00:25:56.135 --> 00:25:57.319
Oh, okay, yeah, for yeah.

00:25:58.029 --> 00:26:03.835
But in spite of putting the sand, sometimes it's pumped up from the ocean or hauled in.

00:26:03.835 --> 00:26:11.164
I just finished a segment of the Project Phase 5 this spring and the sand has been hauled in.

00:26:11.164 --> 00:26:17.130
But over the years what I've observed is Mother Nature will say well, come and reclaim her sand.

00:26:17.130 --> 00:26:25.163
And so you do this, and then the sand will go back out and then people will put, but I don't know how sustainable it is.

00:26:25.163 --> 00:26:30.400
It's very costly, and so there's always a debate as to who pays for it.

00:26:31.191 --> 00:26:36.778
Certainly the local governing authority, whether it's a town or they have only a limited amount of money.

00:26:36.778 --> 00:26:40.824
They rely on Raleigh or federal funds to help support that.

00:26:40.824 --> 00:26:45.951
And then there's a debate to help support that.

00:26:45.951 --> 00:26:52.112
And then there's a debate are we really helping those homeowners or are we helping to restore and make available this resource for the whole state of North Carolina that people can use?

00:26:52.112 --> 00:26:53.856
So there's a debate about that.

00:26:53.856 --> 00:27:00.861
But that's the effort being made and then, once the sand is up, definitely stabilizing it with a lot of different methods.

00:27:00.861 --> 00:27:02.751
Seagrass is definitely one of those.

00:27:02.892 --> 00:27:07.121
I got to say and I'm not there on the front lines and I don't see it right.

00:27:07.121 --> 00:27:11.329
I'm over here, I'm in Hampstead, so I feel like I see pictures after the hurricanes.

00:27:11.329 --> 00:27:18.317
I see the nourishment happening in the news or in photos online, but then another storm comes and it feels like it's just.

00:27:18.317 --> 00:27:20.815
It becomes like a little cliff, like it's washed off.

00:27:20.815 --> 00:27:24.810
That's exactly right cliff like it's washed off and it just goes out as quickly as it took a long time to get it nourished.

00:27:24.931 --> 00:27:25.333
That's right.

00:27:25.432 --> 00:27:29.592
And then it goes out so fast and it's heartbreaking and I know that's got to cost a lot of money.

00:27:29.592 --> 00:27:30.875
I know it costs a lot of time.

00:27:30.875 --> 00:27:34.022
Have you seen homes washed away?

00:27:34.230 --> 00:27:35.953
Oh, absolutely, you have Absolutely.

00:27:35.953 --> 00:27:39.942
One of the streets on Ocean City community is Ocean Drive.

00:27:39.942 --> 00:27:48.634
If you go north on Ocean Drive, the street continues, but there were houses on the ocean side that are no longer there.

00:27:48.634 --> 00:27:50.220
It's just a dune now.

00:27:50.220 --> 00:27:53.430
So over the years those houses were destroyed.

00:27:53.490 --> 00:27:54.366
There were houses there.

00:27:54.589 --> 00:27:59.321
There were houses there that were destroyed, and this goes all up and down the coast.

00:27:59.402 --> 00:28:12.483
I mean, if you think about Cape Hatteras, the lighthouse that had to be moved some years ago, kenneth, I was in the third grade when they were, we collected money in our classroom to contribute to moving that lighthouse.

00:28:12.483 --> 00:28:14.895
Yeah, yeah, it's been going on a long time.

00:28:15.611 --> 00:28:19.000
So that's a part of the threat that we're dealing with.

00:28:19.000 --> 00:28:29.498
The other threat is I mentioned that the whole concept of Ocean City was to have a family-oriented community, with pressure for vacationers to have access to the beach.

00:28:29.498 --> 00:28:43.645
We're seeing some large homes I call them mini hotels very often but multiple bedrooms being built where people would come, have no awareness of the community, use the ocean and leave.

00:28:43.645 --> 00:28:55.827
If you have too much of that, then it destroys the character of the community, and so we try to do what we can to keep it as a low-density, family-oriented community.

00:28:55.847 --> 00:28:56.589
That's got to be a battle.

00:28:56.650 --> 00:29:04.416
So there's some balance with that and so if you look at the Outer Banks and you see all those many hotels there, that's what we're trying to stay away from.

00:29:04.416 --> 00:29:15.442
But there's obviously pressure because more and more people are moving to the coast or to this part of the state really all up and down the state of North Carolina, south Carolina, etc.

00:29:15.442 --> 00:29:20.467
There's more pressure for people to have access to the ocean and vacation.

00:29:20.467 --> 00:29:26.358
Some of that's okay, but if you get too much of that then it destroys the character of the community, the history of it.

00:29:26.519 --> 00:29:26.940
That's right.

00:29:26.940 --> 00:29:29.124
Is there nothing in place to protect?

00:29:29.124 --> 00:29:30.712
It's a historical mile.

00:29:31.615 --> 00:29:32.798
That's an excellent question.

00:29:32.798 --> 00:29:34.882
We try to do a couple of things.

00:29:34.882 --> 00:29:42.709
One is we first of all have signs that were built last year that mark the location of Ocean City.

00:29:42.709 --> 00:29:44.741
Ocean City signs on each end of that mile stretch so people know when they're of Ocean City.

00:29:44.741 --> 00:29:47.938
Ocean City signs on each end of that mile stretch so people know when they're entering Ocean City.

00:29:47.938 --> 00:29:57.699
Years ago, the city helped us dedicate street signs that has the Ocean City logo on them so you can know when you're in the community.

00:29:57.699 --> 00:30:04.643
And then in 2011, we were made a part of the African American Trail for Onslow County.

00:30:04.762 --> 00:30:04.983
Nice.

00:30:05.130 --> 00:30:10.402
And so there's a plaque and photographs and so forth in front of the chapel that note that.

00:30:10.402 --> 00:30:17.423
And then in 22, we were named a part of the Civil Rights Trail by the state of North Carolina.

00:30:17.423 --> 00:30:19.237
We were number four in the state.

00:30:19.237 --> 00:30:34.820
They're doing 50 locations, and so we were number four, they're doing 50 locations, and so we were number four, and the Secretary Wilson, from Raleigh and State Natural and Cultural Resources once we had to make our case and do the application which Carla just did, a fantastic job about the history.

00:30:34.882 --> 00:30:40.506
So we have a historic marker noting that as a historical community.

00:30:40.626 --> 00:30:41.446
And tell me about Carla.

00:30:42.289 --> 00:30:48.996
Carla Torrey is William and Octavia Eaton's daughter, and so she's second generation.

00:30:48.996 --> 00:31:01.835
She is past president of the community Ocean City Community Citizens Council and she's the chair and organizer she and her husband Craig of the Jazz Festival.

00:31:01.996 --> 00:31:02.336
Okay.

00:31:02.356 --> 00:31:04.342
You know, and they just do an incredible job.

00:31:04.342 --> 00:31:11.375
They really dedicate their lives to Ocean City and applying for grants and helping to organize the Jazz Festival.

00:31:11.375 --> 00:31:15.359
So whatever they ask me to do, I'll do, like today, you know.

00:31:17.069 --> 00:31:18.115
Is that the only reason?

00:31:18.154 --> 00:31:18.696
you're here.

00:31:19.574 --> 00:31:20.196
Yeah, I'll tell you.

00:31:21.375 --> 00:31:23.214
Well, thank you, carla, I appreciate it.

00:31:23.269 --> 00:31:28.742
Yeah, carla, you're a tremendous couple and they really dedicate themselves to everything that we're doing.

00:31:28.742 --> 00:31:41.324
So a lot of these things that I'm talking about, carla and Craig have initiated and we have these events and recognitions to help make people aware of the community and the history of the community.

00:31:41.324 --> 00:31:46.392
Community and the history of the community.

00:31:46.392 --> 00:31:51.060
And so, going back, krista, to your question about preservation, then we talked to the state historic preservation about that.

00:31:51.060 --> 00:32:04.948
But we have such a mixture of architectural types now that we really didn't qualify, and some of that's because of hurricanes, and so there's a certain style of house that was built in the 50s and 60s.

00:32:04.948 --> 00:32:13.474
Primarily it's a flatter roof, maybe two stories, and then there's a mixture of homes that have been rebuilt or new homes built.

00:32:13.957 --> 00:32:16.766
And so it's such a mixture of types of architecture.

00:32:16.766 --> 00:32:18.510
It wasn't consistent enough.

00:32:18.612 --> 00:32:19.855
And there's no way to control.

00:32:19.855 --> 00:32:20.718
No, that's right.

00:32:20.718 --> 00:32:22.162
Yeah, that's unfortunate though.

00:32:22.430 --> 00:32:22.810
That's right.

00:32:22.810 --> 00:32:26.172
And so Ocean City started as a community.

00:32:26.172 --> 00:32:27.195
It's still a community.

00:32:27.195 --> 00:32:29.968
When it started there was no North Topsail.

00:32:29.968 --> 00:32:41.638
North Topsail didn't come into being until the late 80s and there was a road, there were power lines, water lines, but the houses that were built early on were on septic tanks.

00:32:41.638 --> 00:32:52.038
I mentioned Dr Upperman being one of the early homeowners and very prominent physician in Wilmington and Upperman Center at UNCW.

00:32:52.038 --> 00:32:55.150
He funded that upon his death.

00:32:55.150 --> 00:33:02.778
His daughter still lives in Wilmington but he would collect money from the homeowners to pay for streetlights, for example.

00:33:02.778 --> 00:33:04.709
None of that was there, oh wow.

00:33:04.709 --> 00:33:10.980
So it was just really a road and then, if you went further north, even ran out of electric lines.

00:33:10.980 --> 00:33:16.277
But let me just take a second and describe the sense of community that I mentioned and what would happen.

00:33:16.277 --> 00:33:19.318
There are some photographs of the men getting together.

00:33:19.318 --> 00:33:27.500
They play cards or whatever, and the ladies would get together, but one of the favorite things for the ladies to do would be to go crabbing.

00:33:27.500 --> 00:33:29.150
They would go crabbing at the—.

00:33:29.150 --> 00:33:30.255
I did not expect to hear that.

00:33:30.255 --> 00:33:30.836
I'm sorry.

00:33:31.109 --> 00:33:43.099
They would go crabbing at the inlet and they'd catch these, I mean just bounties of crabs, and they had it down to a science they knew when to go when the tide was beginning to turn.

00:33:43.099 --> 00:33:43.711
How about that?

00:33:43.711 --> 00:33:53.972
My mom would say, and others would say that you go when the moon is rising, not on a waning mood, because the crabs have more crab meat and so being a smart kid.

00:33:53.972 --> 00:33:54.896
I said is that right?

00:33:55.851 --> 00:34:18.306
Probably yeah, it was right, and so what they would stage was the ladies would get together, drive to the inlet and then us kids would tag along to help them to carry the baskets and the nets and everything, because you had to walk about a half a mile to the inlet, and it's the North Topsail Inlet, and so that was a big event.

00:34:18.306 --> 00:34:26.371
I remember one particular day that a couple of friends and myself and my brother were going along with them and they were just catching crabs.

00:34:26.371 --> 00:34:31.481
I mean, they had a bushel basket, a couple of them full of crabs, and they didn't want to stop.

00:34:31.481 --> 00:34:35.726
And so they told us well, take your jeans off.

00:34:35.726 --> 00:34:42.543
We had one of our swimming trunks under it, and they would tie it up to the ends of our jeans and put crabs in there.

00:34:42.563 --> 00:34:43.063
Yes, oh, my goodness.

00:34:43.063 --> 00:34:44.106
So they were very innovative.

00:34:44.106 --> 00:34:45.789
So innovative, smart ladies.

00:34:46.655 --> 00:34:54.572
And when they would come back, they would make all these dishes that they would share with each other like a crab casserole and devil crabs Love that and they would share with each other like a crab casserole and devil crabs.

00:34:54.572 --> 00:35:00.452
Love that and they would just go house to house, just sharing the fruits of their labor, if you will Strongs as a community.

00:35:00.452 --> 00:35:04.905
I love that so much and so there was a cookbook developed in the 80s.

00:35:04.905 --> 00:35:06.981
It captured these recipes.

00:35:06.981 --> 00:35:10.925
It's been a new version of that with additional recipes.

00:35:11.005 --> 00:35:11.726
Still available?

00:35:11.726 --> 00:35:13.097
Yeah, that's available on the website Amazon.

00:35:13.097 --> 00:35:13.800
Where do we get that?

00:35:13.800 --> 00:35:14.943
On additional recipes Still available?

00:35:14.943 --> 00:35:16.025
Yeah, that's available on the website.

00:35:16.025 --> 00:35:16.628
On the website.

00:35:16.628 --> 00:35:17.170
It's on the website.

00:35:17.170 --> 00:35:17.690
Ocean City website.

00:35:21.514 --> 00:35:22.157
I didn't know that Every time.

00:35:22.157 --> 00:35:24.081
What's amazing about it is that every single time he talks about it, I learn new things.

00:35:24.081 --> 00:35:24.762
It's amazing.

00:35:25.063 --> 00:35:26.887
And so a lot of those recipes are captured.

00:35:26.887 --> 00:35:28.317
But that's a sense of community.

00:35:28.317 --> 00:35:35.005
If someone was going to Surf City to get a paper or to get something, they would blow their horn as they went down the street.

00:35:35.005 --> 00:35:35.887
Do you need a paper?

00:35:35.887 --> 00:35:36.688
Yeah, Can.

00:35:36.688 --> 00:35:38.210
I get you something, and so forth.

00:35:38.210 --> 00:35:41.284
So that's the environment that we were in.

00:35:47.496 --> 00:35:52.847
Before we move on to all things Jazz Fest, let's continue with history a few minutes more.

00:35:52.847 --> 00:35:56.202
How did the Ocean City Jazz Festival get started?

00:35:56.744 --> 00:35:57.286
Thanks, Leah.

00:35:57.286 --> 00:36:15.425
What we try to do in the Ocean City community is have events that continue that sense of community, and so, for example, on Labor Day weekend we have a block party, so we block off two blocks on Ocean Drive and we have a DJ and food hot dogs, hamburgers.

00:36:15.445 --> 00:36:16.208
This is Labor Day.

00:36:16.355 --> 00:36:28.240
This is Labor Day weekend, and so anybody that's in the area can come, and so you never know who's going to show up or how many, but it's just a fun time Line dancing in the street.

00:36:28.682 --> 00:36:30.940
Wow, You've got to come to the next one.

00:36:30.960 --> 00:36:32.344
Krista, please do.

00:36:32.344 --> 00:36:35.304
We have a video game truck for kids.

00:36:35.304 --> 00:36:43.199
So this just continuing to have a sense of community where people can get together, no admissions, no, you just show up.

00:36:43.199 --> 00:36:53.306
Wow, about 15 years ago we were looking at what else could we do to continue to have that sense of community and draw different people to Ocean City.

00:36:53.306 --> 00:36:55.719
There was a gentleman, a resident.

00:36:55.719 --> 00:36:57.985
His name was Dr Griffin.

00:36:57.985 --> 00:37:06.186
John Griffin was from Fedville, was principal of a school there and went on to become the superintendent of schools there in Cumberland County.

00:37:06.576 --> 00:37:07.398
But, he was a resident.

00:37:07.398 --> 00:37:17.608
So we were trying to brainstorm and he mentioned a jazz festival and he knew there were a son and his dad who played saxophone in Fedville, the Codgitons.

00:37:17.608 --> 00:37:20.322
And he said, well, why don't we start that?

00:37:20.322 --> 00:37:27.235
And so at the community center there's a porch on the side of the building, and so that's how it started.

00:37:27.235 --> 00:37:41.503
So the very first one, the Codgitons, were there, the saxophones, we had a couple of 20 by 20 tents, maybe even one at that time, and folding chairs on the concrete slab which is a basketball court.

00:37:41.503 --> 00:37:43.327
And so that's how it started.

00:37:43.655 --> 00:37:44.739
Just playing out on the porch.

00:37:44.954 --> 00:37:45.556
On the porch?

00:37:45.556 --> 00:37:46.378
Yeah, exactly.

00:37:46.378 --> 00:37:53.983
And then the next year we got the Frog Project, which is a group in Wilmington, and some others, so it started to grow.

00:37:53.983 --> 00:38:08.043
And then there's a lot on the other side of the cottage near the chapel and so we expanded into that and would put a tent there and did that for a few years and it continued to grow.

00:38:08.043 --> 00:38:27.516
And then we decided to move across the street because there's a large undeveloped lot there and we would have a pavilion tent and so we would transform this lot into the Jazz Festival and we started getting more and more interest, more and more people coming.

00:38:27.516 --> 00:38:29.440
They loved the environment.

00:38:29.440 --> 00:38:46.246
The venue was was pleasant, had a nice ocean breeze coming, they were under the tent protecting them from the sun and any rain, had the stage set up with the folding chairs, and then it started to really get more traction as a festival.

00:38:46.246 --> 00:38:48.222
So we got food trucks, for example.

00:38:48.715 --> 00:38:51.704
When did it turn into a pay event like you could buy tickets to?

00:38:52.815 --> 00:38:53.918
About nine years ago.

00:38:53.918 --> 00:38:55.021
Okay, about nine years ago.

00:38:55.362 --> 00:38:56.244
about nine years ago.

00:38:56.264 --> 00:39:00.081
Okay and so this is our 14th, and so it was about nine years ago.

00:39:00.081 --> 00:39:07.699
We were interrupted by covet, so we didn't have it one year in 20 and then in 21 we did it remotely.

00:39:07.699 --> 00:39:10.382
So we did it at a event.

00:39:10.382 --> 00:39:15.550
It was a center or theater in Clayton that we did remotely.

00:39:15.750 --> 00:39:16.451
How did that work out?

00:39:16.451 --> 00:39:19.083
Not too well, Not too great yeah.

00:39:19.414 --> 00:39:27.449
Because people like to congregate, be around the musicians and performers and get to know each other.

00:39:27.449 --> 00:39:33.681
So it becomes an event where people see each other from year to year and we have vendors that come there.

00:39:33.681 --> 00:39:35.601
Some may sell arts and crafts.

00:39:35.601 --> 00:39:38.358
We have a good artist base.

00:39:38.358 --> 00:39:44.009
We'll commission a poster to be designed and then sell prints of that.

00:39:44.195 --> 00:39:45.280
I was reading about that.

00:39:45.414 --> 00:39:59.965
And then we have other artists coming to display and sell their art, and so that's what helps create this festival with the vendors and food trucks and so forth, and so it's continued to grow and get traction.

00:39:59.965 --> 00:40:03.865
The name's expanding and becoming more widespread.

00:40:03.865 --> 00:40:08.514
One of the people that's been with us for years is John Brown.

00:40:08.514 --> 00:40:11.985
John Brown is a jazz musician.

00:40:11.985 --> 00:40:16.385
He has a big band group like the traditional, traditional big bands, like Benny.

00:40:16.445 --> 00:40:20.905
Goodman and so forth, and he's done concerts all over with a big band.

00:40:20.905 --> 00:40:26.079
But he's a professor of jazz and heads up the jazz department at Duke University.

00:40:26.501 --> 00:40:27.804
Oh, that's so good.

00:40:27.864 --> 00:40:36.347
Hi, john, if you're watching, john is from the East Arcadia area, which is just west of Wilmington, regalwood.

00:40:36.347 --> 00:40:37.168
It's a community.

00:40:37.168 --> 00:40:38.739
That's where he's originally from.

00:40:38.739 --> 00:40:45.327
His family is there, but he's provost of music and culture at Duke University.

00:40:45.347 --> 00:40:45.788
How about that?

00:40:46.135 --> 00:40:49.561
And so he's an incredible person and he has for us.

00:40:49.561 --> 00:40:50.605
He's a big influence.

00:40:50.605 --> 00:40:55.670
We call him our house band or artist in residence, and so he's just tremendous.

00:40:55.670 --> 00:40:55.726
He's also a Grammy nominee.

00:40:55.726 --> 00:40:56.393
We call him our house band or artist in residence, and so he's just tremendous.

00:40:56.393 --> 00:40:58.597
He's also a Grammy nominee.

00:40:58.597 --> 00:41:01.063
Yeah, we love John Brown.

00:41:01.123 --> 00:41:03.086
You have several Grammy nominees.

00:41:03.086 --> 00:41:03.447
We do.

00:41:04.396 --> 00:41:25.943
We do, and so, as we move forward, this just continued to become an event and we try to deal with responding to feedback from surveys and, for example, just providing access so it's easier for people that may not have the capacity to walk on sand, so we roll out a mat for them.

00:41:25.943 --> 00:41:30.146
One of the big hits, believe it or not, are our portable toilets.

00:41:30.146 --> 00:41:35.599
People love it because and we've been doing this for years because it's an air-conditioned trailer.

00:41:36.161 --> 00:41:37.304
Oh, that's wonderful.

00:41:37.304 --> 00:41:39.230
It's not a porta potty.

00:41:39.289 --> 00:41:42.018
It's not a porta potty so much better yeah.

00:41:42.079 --> 00:41:45.972
And so especially the ladies complimented and said I just love that.

00:41:46.054 --> 00:41:51.407
You know the ladies appreciate that it's hot and uncomfortable and they really made it yeah.

00:41:51.675 --> 00:41:53.902
And so we tried to respond to that.

00:41:53.902 --> 00:41:58.514
We've been very fortunate in that we have the support of North Topsail.

00:41:58.514 --> 00:42:08.974
If you think about it, north Topsail is primarily almost uniquely a residential community, and so this is the biggest thing going at North Topsail.

00:42:08.974 --> 00:42:18.150
So they really support us in terms of helping with security, police officers, public works and so forth.

00:42:18.335 --> 00:42:28.168
So, we're really fortunate that they really support us and we definitely recognize them, and so, for example, this is our as I mentioned earlier our 75th anniversary.

00:42:28.168 --> 00:42:38.161
So we'll get a proclamation from the town of North Topsail, as well as as Onslow County, on Friday July 5th, recognizing our 75th anniversary.

00:42:38.202 --> 00:42:38.844
That's awesome.

00:42:39.025 --> 00:42:48.385
Yeah, and so when we received our civil rights marker, the mayor was there, spoke on behalf of the town, as well as the representatives from the state of North Carolina.

00:42:48.385 --> 00:42:51.985
So we're fortunate that they endorse and support us.

00:42:51.985 --> 00:42:54.101
And then there are our sponsors.

00:42:54.101 --> 00:42:55.706
That are just tremendous.

00:42:55.706 --> 00:43:05.605
We have corporate sponsors that really support us and the state cultural arts as well as Onslow County Arts Council.

00:43:05.605 --> 00:43:12.780
As people see the success and the quality of the performers, how it's organized and run, then they support it.

00:43:12.780 --> 00:43:14.934
And then, as we look at the performers how it's organized and run then they support it.

00:43:14.934 --> 00:43:30.983
And then, as we look at the performers, it's interesting to follow because, based on someone of John Brown's caliber, he's talking to someone about this and said, oh yeah, I want to be a part of that, you know, and particularly because we call it jazz with a higher purpose.

00:43:31.746 --> 00:43:32.306
I saw that.

00:43:32.306 --> 00:43:33.068
Explain that to me.

00:43:33.556 --> 00:43:40.938
What that means is it's jazz, and we gather around this American music we love, called jazz, you think about it?

00:43:40.938 --> 00:43:44.137
People again, from all walks of life, all races.

00:43:44.137 --> 00:43:55.802
They come and enjoy this jazz under this pavilion tent, and so for me, I draw on the fishing experience at the pier, where the same thing occurred.

00:43:56.282 --> 00:43:56.744
Oh yeah.

00:43:56.775 --> 00:44:13.684
It's a part of, I think, the DNA, if you will, of Ocean City where people just come together without regard for where you're from or your race or socioeconomic position, and so for this case, it's around jazz.

00:44:14.215 --> 00:44:15.519
So initially it was the pier.

00:44:15.519 --> 00:44:17.757
Everyone came to shoulder to shoulder.

00:44:17.757 --> 00:44:22.086
Anyone of all ethnicities welcome to the pier to fish.

00:44:22.086 --> 00:44:24.699
And now you've got we don't have the pier anymore, unfortunately.

00:44:24.699 --> 00:44:26.605
But now you've got the jazz festival.

00:44:26.605 --> 00:44:26.905
Love it.

00:44:27.235 --> 00:44:33.795
That's right, and so people just love jazz, and some people will come because they follow their musicians.

00:44:33.795 --> 00:44:40.369
And so they'll say well, there's a musician, not related, called Cyrus Chestnut, incredible jazz pianist.

00:44:40.369 --> 00:44:42.422
So they'll say where is he playing?

00:44:42.494 --> 00:44:56.967
Well, he's going to be in Ocean City, so if they live in the area they'll come to follow him or Marcus Anderson or whoever their performers are, and artists like it because of the venue and they have access to their fans.

00:44:56.967 --> 00:45:05.000
Fans love it because they have access to their artists, so they can go walk up to a performer and get their autograph.

00:45:05.260 --> 00:45:35.146
Very intimate and so both parties like that environment so it's not huge or in a large auditorium or venue where they can't get access and the fact that they're supporting this nonprofit entity that's going back to jazz with a higher purpose, and so the proceeds from the jazz festival help support the community and the community buildings and the chapel and the markers and the events that we're having, and also it gives us a chance to tell the story of Ocean City.

00:45:35.146 --> 00:45:46.362
So I remember last year, maybe the year before last, a lady came up to me during the jazz festival and she says well, why are we having it here at Ocean City?

00:45:46.362 --> 00:45:54.447
And I said I'm glad you asked, and so I get the chance and they get to learn about Ocean City.

00:45:54.574 --> 00:46:10.460
So they'll drive them to our website or they can ask questions and there are plenty of residents around and available to share and talk to them about the history of this community we call Ocean City and so, looking at this year, it's going to be bigger and better than ever.

00:46:10.460 --> 00:46:20.601
Again it's under a pavilion tent with a stage, excellent sound system, folding chairs, comfortable seating, nice breeze, food trucks, etc.

00:46:20.601 --> 00:46:28.253
Beverages, and so we have Nina Freelon, who's an incredible vocalist from Durham, a Grammy nominee, who's coming.

00:46:28.253 --> 00:46:29.976
We've been trying to get her for years.

00:46:30.619 --> 00:46:40.146
We have Gerald Albright, who's a well well-known saxophonist, again Grammy nominee at least, if not received an award.

00:46:40.146 --> 00:46:44.262
So you look at some of these names that are coming this year.

00:46:44.262 --> 00:46:46.909
It just takes us to a whole new level.

00:46:48.255 --> 00:46:50.967
Just to mention, you did mention John Brown's Little Big.

00:46:51.028 --> 00:46:51.652
Band earlier.

00:46:51.731 --> 00:46:53.639
Yes, yes you got the Braxton Brothers.

00:46:53.719 --> 00:46:54.704
Yes, yes.

00:46:54.996 --> 00:46:57.423
Fred Wesley and Lynn Roundtree.

00:46:57.614 --> 00:46:59.603
Yes, they will all be there.

00:46:59.603 --> 00:47:05.340
Felicia Ray, pj Scroggins is the drummer Just top-notch performers.

00:47:05.500 --> 00:47:09.543
Quality yeah, quality yeah, even if you don't like jazz, you'll love it.

00:47:09.543 --> 00:47:10.800
It's also kid-friendly.

00:47:10.800 --> 00:47:16.797
Right, I've got four little ones, five, and they all they ask me mom, when is the festival?

00:47:16.856 --> 00:47:19.003
I can't wait to take my t-shirt.

00:47:19.063 --> 00:47:21.731
They love it and also your child can volunteer.

00:47:21.731 --> 00:47:24.737
My 14 year old is 12 this time.

00:47:24.798 --> 00:47:26.661
Yep, is 12 old enough to volunteer?

00:47:26.661 --> 00:47:29.246
Um no probably 14 is 14.

00:47:29.367 --> 00:47:35.788
Okay, in a couple of years we'll be there okay, so it's just great to expose them to it.

00:47:35.788 --> 00:47:36.994
I mean, they had a blast.

00:47:37.356 --> 00:47:39.905
The other part of that is we started last year.

00:47:39.905 --> 00:47:45.101
It's really Craig's concept, craig Torrey, we have a history hike.

00:47:45.362 --> 00:47:47.260
Oh yeah, it's really not a hike.

00:47:47.260 --> 00:47:58.230
It's kind of a history walk and so on a Saturday morning we'll walk the community and talk about the history of the community, who lived where.

00:47:58.230 --> 00:48:09.728
Again, I mentioned that two years ago we received the Civil Rights Trail plaque and so a lot of that history was based on residents there at the time and so forth.

00:48:09.728 --> 00:48:18.869
So we'll talk about the camp and the fishing pier and have images of what that looked like back in those times, as well as some of the residents.

00:48:18.869 --> 00:48:20.681
So it's an interesting walk.

00:48:20.681 --> 00:48:23.324
So don't be intimidated by the word hike.

00:48:23.626 --> 00:48:23.847
Yeah.

00:48:24.356 --> 00:48:26.161
It's really a flat slow stroll.

00:48:26.161 --> 00:48:26.902
It can be great.

00:48:28.476 --> 00:48:30.583
We do that, which is very interesting.

00:48:30.795 --> 00:48:32.934
I do want to say the logistics of that hike.

00:48:32.934 --> 00:48:38.387
So the jazz festival itself is July 5th.

00:48:38.387 --> 00:48:40.280
That's a Friday through a Sunday.

00:48:40.280 --> 00:48:41.621
It's July 5th through the 7th.

00:48:41.621 --> 00:48:45.905
So this hike is Saturday morning, July 6th.

00:48:45.945 --> 00:48:46.507
That's correct.

00:48:46.695 --> 00:48:47.958
And it's called the Learning Hike.

00:48:47.958 --> 00:48:48.601
It's free.

00:48:48.822 --> 00:48:49.204
It's free.

00:48:49.344 --> 00:48:52.804
yes, the registration is at 745 in the morning.

00:48:52.824 --> 00:48:53.204
That's right.

00:48:53.414 --> 00:48:58.547
And this is at 2649 Island Drive and the hike starts at 8 am.

00:48:58.646 --> 00:48:59.148
That's correct.

00:48:59.275 --> 00:49:05.606
Bring water and snacks, wear appropriate clothing and the hike is rated easy like you said, do it for easy going.

00:49:06.128 --> 00:49:06.630
That's right.

00:49:07.336 --> 00:49:09.985
That address is actually the chapel, the chapel.

00:49:09.985 --> 00:49:11.820
They're actually meeting at the chapel.

00:49:11.820 --> 00:49:14.762
Okay, I think you can also show up, even if you don't register.

00:49:14.902 --> 00:49:15.485
Yeah, okay.

00:49:15.485 --> 00:49:18.380
So we really want to push that we want to encourage people to register.

00:49:18.380 --> 00:49:25.697
Yeah, if you want to register, you can register online at OceanCityJazzFestcom or you can call with any questions about the hike or registration.

00:49:25.697 --> 00:49:31.721
It's 910-549-9263, and this information will be in the show notes.

00:49:32.001 --> 00:49:36.963
And one other thing I just wanted to mention is that Sunday morning we'll have church service under the tent.

00:49:36.963 --> 00:49:41.606
I mentioned the chapel and the church services through the summer.

00:49:41.827 --> 00:49:42.206
Yeah.

00:49:42.367 --> 00:49:49.911
Because of the large attendance, the large crowds, we do it under the tent, okay, and so that's where the church service occurs.

00:49:50.032 --> 00:49:50.891
What time does that start?

00:49:50.911 --> 00:49:52.592
It's 11 o'clock on Sunday morning.

00:49:52.592 --> 00:50:02.264
Okay, this year, as it was last year, we're at the church of St Ambrose with Reverend J'mon Taylor, and he'll have a jazz ensemble from his church there.

00:50:02.264 --> 00:50:04.400
So it's a jazz mass, if you will.

00:50:04.519 --> 00:50:06.125
Okay, yeah, I love that.

00:50:06.264 --> 00:50:06.786
It's fun.

00:50:06.786 --> 00:50:08.476
People just love it.

00:50:08.476 --> 00:50:08.835
It fits right in.

00:50:08.835 --> 00:50:09.556
I'm glad you brought that up.

00:50:09.577 --> 00:50:10.378
So we're Glad you brought that up.

00:50:10.398 --> 00:50:11.039
I have to have him.

00:50:11.039 --> 00:50:21.048
So those are the events we're looking at having a bourbon tasting a couple of days at 2 o'clock and so it's just a lot of activities.

00:50:21.088 --> 00:50:23.311
You like bourbon, Krista.

00:50:28.675 --> 00:50:30.041
I'm not a drinker, but my husband will be sitting there for sure.

00:50:30.041 --> 00:50:31.326
Okay, so that bourbon tasting.

00:50:31.326 --> 00:50:32.952
So that's Friday and Saturday.

00:50:32.952 --> 00:50:35.034
That's correct, correct and what time does that start?

00:50:35.094 --> 00:50:36.400
That starts at 2 o'clock.

00:50:36.501 --> 00:50:41.666
Okay, my notes here are that there's going to be four different premium bourbons.

00:50:41.706 --> 00:50:42.248
That's correct.

00:50:42.275 --> 00:50:44.692
This is hosted by the Black Bourbon Guy.

00:50:44.692 --> 00:50:46.481
Yeah from Durham what can you tell me about him?

00:50:46.675 --> 00:50:50.967
He's from Durham and puts on these events all over the state.

00:50:50.967 --> 00:50:56.632
Okay, so I've not attended one before, but I've talked to people that have and they just think it's wonderful.

00:50:57.135 --> 00:50:59.985
So, we're looking forward to him being there.

00:51:00.114 --> 00:51:04.101
So the tickets for the bourbon tasting are $40 per person.

00:51:04.201 --> 00:51:04.663
That's right.

00:51:04.835 --> 00:51:06.000
All of this happened.

00:51:06.000 --> 00:51:08.820
All of this, from beginning to end, is rain or shine.

00:51:08.820 --> 00:51:09.543
Is that right?

00:51:09.543 --> 00:51:10.226
Exactly Okay.

00:51:10.414 --> 00:51:10.795
That's right.

00:51:10.795 --> 00:51:18.909
The only thing that would stop an event if there's a lightning and then we had a brief interruption last year.

00:51:18.909 --> 00:51:22.865
We went to the chapel, or people went to their cars and then came back.

00:51:23.195 --> 00:51:26.628
So let it pass and come right back and pick the party back up.

00:51:26.628 --> 00:51:27.693
That's right, exactly.

00:51:27.994 --> 00:51:30.159
Love it, and so we have a parking.

00:51:30.159 --> 00:51:33.927
That's in the beach access number two, about a mile away.

00:51:33.927 --> 00:51:35.085
We have the trolley.

00:51:35.085 --> 00:51:37.630
Okay, that will shuttle people back and forth.

00:51:37.630 --> 00:51:43.947
Okay, there is parking adjacent to the venue for people that need handicap accessibility.

00:51:43.967 --> 00:51:46.954
Okay, and you can get that full schedule online at the website, right?

00:51:46.954 --> 00:51:48.679
I urge people to go to Ocean City.

00:51:48.699 --> 00:51:54.882
Jazz Fest F-E-S-T dot com and get all the information For the parking and the shuttle Parking, and shuttle.

00:51:55.074 --> 00:51:57.344
Talk about accommodations a little bit.

00:51:57.344 --> 00:52:00.164
Where are you recommending people go for their stay?

00:52:00.976 --> 00:52:09.106
I would urge people, first of all, to get their tickets soon, immediately and, if they've not made arrangements for accommodations, to do that right away as well.

00:52:09.106 --> 00:52:17.260
We have a partnership with Blue Water Inn, which is just across the bridge on North Topsail, before you get to Sneets Ferry.

00:52:17.280 --> 00:52:17.501
Right.

00:52:18.137 --> 00:52:20.557
It was under another brand before.

00:52:20.918 --> 00:52:22.798
That's new this year and it's so close.

00:52:22.798 --> 00:52:27.842
You guys, blue Water Inn and Sweets reached out to us and it's less than 10 minutes.

00:52:27.842 --> 00:52:28.818
It's so convenient.

00:52:28.818 --> 00:52:31.742
Yeah, I highly recommend that one.

00:52:32.478 --> 00:52:34.295
And so a lot of people will do that.

00:52:34.295 --> 00:52:37.726
There's a Hampton Inn and other places in Steeds Ferry.

00:52:37.726 --> 00:52:45.748
We have a partnership with a hotel in Jacksonville because we have an event package.

00:52:45.748 --> 00:52:48.081
People could ride the bus from Raleigh-Durham.

00:52:48.976 --> 00:52:53.737
Oh, we're going to talk about that and come here, let's go ahead and talk about that and so forth.

00:52:53.684 --> 00:52:56.056
Yeah, real quick, let's go ahead and talk about that, and so forth Real quick.

00:52:56.117 --> 00:52:58.063
we also have the partnership with Lewis Realty.

00:52:58.063 --> 00:53:00.038
Oh yes, If you don't want to be in a hotel.

00:53:00.038 --> 00:53:02.423
They have beach rentals, which are amazing.

00:53:02.463 --> 00:53:03.465
Like rent the whole home.

00:53:03.545 --> 00:53:04.427
Yeah, they have so many.

00:53:04.695 --> 00:53:09.916
But if you want to get a beach rental, then you can go through Lewis Realty Lewis Realty for your beach rental, that's right and.

00:53:09.916 --> 00:53:17.001
And it's the Blue Water Inn and Suites and the Hampton Inn and Topsail Shores Inn which I didn't realize was in Sneeds Ferry.

00:53:17.021 --> 00:53:22.445
Topsail Shores Inn is there as well, and so if people want to stay closer, then those are some very good options.

00:53:22.684 --> 00:53:25.286
Otherwise in Jacksonville it's the Hampton Suites and Home to Suites.

00:53:25.286 --> 00:53:26.226
That's exactly right Awesome.

00:53:26.327 --> 00:53:26.626
Okay.

00:53:27.327 --> 00:53:28.449
All right, this bus ride.

00:53:28.449 --> 00:53:32.311
There's a bus ride from Raleigh and it sounds like so much fun.

00:53:32.311 --> 00:53:36.273
I want to actually drive to Raleigh, get on the bus.

00:53:36.293 --> 00:53:37.054
That's my line Come down.

00:53:37.074 --> 00:53:38.155
That's what I want to do.

00:53:38.255 --> 00:53:44.846
Like it sounds amazing, You're partying from Raleigh all the way here, getting really in the mood.

00:53:45.246 --> 00:53:45.708
That's right.

00:53:46.074 --> 00:53:49.217
That package includes staying somewhere in Jacksonville, if I'm not mistaken.

00:53:49.217 --> 00:53:50.478
That's right, it's a great deal.

00:53:50.498 --> 00:53:50.958
That's right.

00:53:50.958 --> 00:53:57.003
So you get the transportation, you get to stay in jazz and you get the tickets for the jazz festival.

00:53:57.003 --> 00:53:58.445
So it's a tremendous package.

00:53:58.626 --> 00:54:01.929
And that's your transportation to and from the jazz festival each day.

00:54:01.969 --> 00:54:02.389
That's right.

00:54:02.588 --> 00:54:03.389
And then back to jazz.

00:54:03.389 --> 00:54:05.632
Yeah, that just sounds amazing.

00:54:05.731 --> 00:54:05.972
Yeah.

00:54:07.494 --> 00:54:10.998
I'll meet you guys in Raleigh, that's what I said I would do, I would love to do it.

00:54:11.018 --> 00:54:15.762
Got to do it one year we also have a relationship with North Carolina Central in Durham.

00:54:15.762 --> 00:54:24.871
They'll advertise for us, but also they'll come and may do a live stream from the Jazz Festival.

00:54:24.891 --> 00:54:25.331
Oh, that's cool.

00:54:25.331 --> 00:54:26.592
One or two days yeah.

00:54:26.894 --> 00:54:32.393
And they have a program there where a lot of their students will be involved in the.

00:54:32.393 --> 00:54:34.740
Jazz Festival, so it gives them exposure as well.

00:54:35.123 --> 00:54:42.423
Okay, Well, again, go to the website to see these travel packages and to see the hotels and Lewis Realty and all that.

00:54:42.423 --> 00:54:48.597
The festival artist that you mentioned earlier, Renee Dickers, is that right?

00:54:48.597 --> 00:54:53.376
I did have a chance to look at some of the artwork there and it's amazing.

00:54:53.376 --> 00:54:55.773
Do you know a little bit about the history of Renee?

00:54:56.568 --> 00:54:57.030
I don't.

00:54:57.030 --> 00:54:59.994
I know that very well-known artist.

00:54:59.994 --> 00:55:07.476
There's just some incredible work that's really eye-catching, and so we're fortunate to have that artist at the festival this year.

00:55:07.684 --> 00:55:20.974
I will say that the art poster that was created for the OC Jazz Fest it is that there's going to be a limited paper edition that's going to be signed with numbers on the art and those can be purchased right there at the event.

00:55:20.974 --> 00:55:25.036
That's right, and there's also a canvas edition that's also going to be sold there as well.

00:55:25.036 --> 00:55:29.094
It's hand embellished with 23 karat gold leaf on the horns.

00:55:29.094 --> 00:55:30.157
It's pretty cool.

00:55:30.376 --> 00:55:31.969
It is, so be sure to check that out.

00:55:31.969 --> 00:55:40.396
Yeah, and so that's a part of the culture of the jazz festival is to have artists that have all different medias of their work.

00:55:40.824 --> 00:55:43.875
Do you have a new artist each year with a new poster?

00:55:43.875 --> 00:55:44.869
Is that something new?

00:55:44.869 --> 00:55:45.130
You do.

00:55:45.364 --> 00:55:52.025
Typically we do, yeah, we've had like Barton Hatcher, who's a very well-known artist in Wilmington and some others.

00:55:52.025 --> 00:55:57.869
We've had some young people Joseph Jarrett, who's a young artist, he's in school.

00:55:57.869 --> 00:56:04.498
He was there last year, yeah he's in school at the North Carolina School for the Arts for example.

00:56:04.498 --> 00:56:09.514
So we try to every so often introduce amateur and young people as well.

00:56:09.556 --> 00:56:09.876
So great.

00:56:09.876 --> 00:56:10.938
Give them some exposure.

00:56:12.507 --> 00:56:14.715
But we typically commission an artist.

00:56:14.715 --> 00:56:22.974
There's a lady, sherry, from Sneets Ferry, that did it early on, and so there's a commission of different artists each year for this.

00:56:23.074 --> 00:56:24.237
What a wonderful collection.

00:56:25.567 --> 00:56:26.931
And I do have that.

00:56:27.010 --> 00:56:27.612
I imagine you do.

00:56:27.612 --> 00:56:28.496
I'm running out of room.

00:56:29.387 --> 00:56:31.414
But that's a nice problem to have.

00:56:31.414 --> 00:56:38.099
And then there are other artists who may not do the jazz poster, but they just come and display their artwork.

00:56:39.184 --> 00:56:40.309
There's as a vendor.

00:56:40.309 --> 00:56:44.331
Yeah, we had a local artist, amy Fowler, shores of.

00:56:44.391 --> 00:56:45.313
Seaside Topsoil.

00:56:45.333 --> 00:56:45.835
Photography.

00:56:45.835 --> 00:56:46.838
She was there last year.

00:56:46.838 --> 00:56:48.190
She was interviewed here.

00:56:48.190 --> 00:56:49.989
She was one of my very first ones.

00:56:50.190 --> 00:56:51.152
She was amazing.

00:56:51.152 --> 00:56:52.255
Yeah, she is Awesome.

00:56:52.255 --> 00:56:52.735
She's been there.

00:56:54.045 --> 00:56:57.476
Just to talk about more logistics and I apologize for all the details.

00:56:57.476 --> 00:57:02.077
But the jazz music itself, that's Saturday and Sunday, july 6th and 7th.

00:57:02.077 --> 00:57:04.251
The gates open at 4 pm.

00:57:04.251 --> 00:57:05.969
The show starts at 5 pm.

00:57:05.969 --> 00:57:07.012
The show starts at 5 pm.

00:57:07.012 --> 00:57:10.039
The tickets for Saturday and Sunday only, it's $120.

00:57:10.039 --> 00:57:13.315
And if you want the two-day ticket it's $230.

00:57:13.315 --> 00:57:14.831
I did get that off of your website.

00:57:15.164 --> 00:57:17.340
There is Jazz Friday the kickoff party.

00:57:17.340 --> 00:57:21.074
Oh, the kickoff party, and you can also buy just that ticket for $65.

00:57:21.134 --> 00:57:24.748
That's right, and so I would urge people to, come Friday, get started.

00:57:25.027 --> 00:57:26.528
Tell us about the kickoff party.

00:57:26.648 --> 00:57:27.449
That's pretty fantastic.

00:57:27.449 --> 00:57:28.731
People who've never been.

00:57:28.731 --> 00:57:32.153
Yeah, it's also the ultimate white party.

00:57:32.153 --> 00:57:35.376
That's right All right, you better dress to impress for this people.

00:57:35.376 --> 00:57:36.197
This is no joke.

00:57:36.358 --> 00:57:41.702
And so the focus is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Ocean City community.

00:57:41.702 --> 00:57:45.887
That's our focus on Friday at the kickoff party.

00:57:45.887 --> 00:57:49.398
So again, there'll be a proclamation from the town of North Topsail Beach.

00:57:49.637 --> 00:57:49.898
Nice.

00:57:50.005 --> 00:57:52.353
As well as a proclamation from Onslaught County.

00:57:52.474 --> 00:57:52.715
Yeah.

00:57:53.025 --> 00:57:58.650
And then there's this fun, there's music, there's an after party and celebration after the proclamations are done.

00:57:59.184 --> 00:58:00.228
So that starts at five.

00:58:00.990 --> 00:58:01.251
That's right.

00:58:01.251 --> 00:58:02.094
Starts at five, that's right.

00:58:02.284 --> 00:58:03.666
And you said Felicia Ray.

00:58:03.666 --> 00:58:06.010
Yes, she's the vocalist, am I right?

00:58:06.070 --> 00:58:06.570
That's correct.

00:58:06.931 --> 00:58:15.141
And PJ Spragans is the drummer, Drummer yeah, Drummer yeah, all right, anything else to say about that kickoff party?

00:58:16.085 --> 00:58:18.117
No, it's going to be fun, make sure you dress in your white.

00:58:18.137 --> 00:58:19.425
Seriously Great last year, all right.

00:58:19.644 --> 00:58:21.311
Oh, it was a white party last year as well.

00:58:21.672 --> 00:58:30.286
Yeah 75th.

00:58:30.306 --> 00:58:30.686
That sounds amazing.

00:58:30.686 --> 00:58:34.436
We're going to talk about your future plans, some final thoughts and give out that contact information.

00:58:34.436 --> 00:58:39.396
Is there anything else that we need to talk about with regard to the festival itself?

00:58:40.346 --> 00:58:42.373
We are still looking for vendors.

00:58:42.373 --> 00:58:45.485
So not food trucks, but we are still looking for vendors.

00:58:45.485 --> 00:58:47.809
So if you're an artist, if you're selling a product and you want to set up, we are still looking for vendors.

00:58:47.809 --> 00:58:52.371
So if you're an artist, whatever, if you're selling a product and you want to set up, we are still accepting vendors.

00:58:53.286 --> 00:58:54.733
What about do you need more volunteers?

00:58:54.733 --> 00:58:55.507
We?

00:58:55.568 --> 00:58:55.771
do?

00:58:55.771 --> 00:58:58.411
Carla just told me that we needed more volunteers.

00:58:58.626 --> 00:58:59.313
How do you sign up?

00:58:59.313 --> 00:59:00.105
Can you go online?

00:59:00.105 --> 00:59:02.213
Yeah, there's a link online.

00:59:03.125 --> 00:59:05.952
Yeah, Ocean City Jazz Fest Are you still looking for sponsors?

00:59:06.545 --> 00:59:08.072
Oh, yes, always.

00:59:08.664 --> 00:59:16.235
So vendors, volunteers and sponsors, so go to the website, sign up or give a call to the numbers listed.

00:59:16.255 --> 00:59:20.534
That's right, okay, various levels of sponsorship they'll find on the website.

00:59:21.346 --> 00:59:27.257
What can you tell me about any future plans for either Ocean City itself or the Ocean City Jazz Festival?

00:59:27.998 --> 00:59:30.925
future plans for either Ocean City itself or the Ocean City Jazz Festival.

00:59:30.925 --> 00:59:46.099
Well, the plan is to continue to enjoy the festival, let it grow, make it available to more people, make them aware of the Ocean City community, because it's just a great place to be and come in and enjoy the environment and the history and just have a wholesome good time.

00:59:46.666 --> 00:59:53.516
And I would say, go check out the Missiles and More Museum and you can get a very good visual history of what's happening.

00:59:53.516 --> 00:59:56.103
I did see it for the first time just recently, Me too.

00:59:56.103 --> 01:00:03.155
It was at a chamber event and I stopped in briefly to go in and check it out because I knew it was there, but I didn't have time to go thoroughly.

01:00:03.155 --> 01:00:04.985
So you and I are going to hit that up together, Leah.

01:00:05.065 --> 01:00:11.769
For sure, and going forward, we'll have the Labor Day block party In February.

01:00:11.769 --> 01:00:20.394
We're on the program for the Topsail Historical Society to talk about the history of Ocean City at one of their meetings.

01:00:20.394 --> 01:00:20.956
Okay, cool.

01:00:20.956 --> 01:00:30.121
So we've had a long relationship with Topsail Historical Society who did the exhibit, but I'll be there in February meeting to talk about.

01:00:30.242 --> 01:00:31.322
Ocean City as well.

01:00:31.322 --> 01:00:32.222
You're the speaker.

01:00:32.222 --> 01:00:32.742
Yes, okay.

01:00:32.742 --> 01:00:34.972
What about Our State Magazine?

01:00:34.972 --> 01:00:36.373
Wasn't there something recently?

01:00:36.876 --> 01:00:37.237
about that.

01:00:37.237 --> 01:00:38.324
It's an interest piece.

01:00:38.364 --> 01:00:42.496
Yeah, we had a preliminary interview with Our State Magazine.

01:00:42.496 --> 01:00:46.715
They're looking forward to what to include in their future publications.

01:00:46.715 --> 01:00:52.818
We're not sure if we've made the cut yet or not, because they were looking at several other locations.

01:00:52.818 --> 01:00:56.592
Yeah, and so hopefully they'll consider us and come back and really include us?

01:00:56.612 --> 01:00:57.556
I sure hope so.

01:00:57.556 --> 01:00:58.318
That would be exciting.

01:00:58.806 --> 01:01:07.880
I mentioned to the senior editor that was there that about five years ago they had a feature on Topsail Island and they did not include Ocean City.

01:01:08.304 --> 01:01:08.947
How dare they?

01:01:08.947 --> 01:01:10.891
I said here's an opportunity you called them out.

01:01:11.393 --> 01:01:12.175
Did I call them out?

01:01:12.175 --> 01:01:12.476
You did.

01:01:12.476 --> 01:01:16.135
I said here's an opportunity to redeem yourself.

01:01:18.266 --> 01:01:19.048
So what's happened has?

01:01:19.068 --> 01:01:22.871
happened, but here's an opportunity, so we'll see what happens.

01:01:23.547 --> 01:01:25.012
I look forward to hearing about that.

01:01:25.164 --> 01:01:28.416
And then we're sometimes on Topsail Magazine.

01:01:28.416 --> 01:01:34.797
We've had articles that Pat has written on Topsail Magazine about Ocean City.

01:01:34.817 --> 01:01:36.626
They covered us too, and really quick.

01:01:36.626 --> 01:01:39.574
The artist who did the missiles and more.

01:01:39.574 --> 01:01:43.514
They actually reached out to me, so I'm planning on going to visit them soon.

01:01:43.514 --> 01:01:51.257
One of the guys' name is AJ Mangwa I hope I'm pronouncing your name right, but in any case, they're here and they're local, and I can't wait to meet them.

01:01:51.338 --> 01:01:53.143
Yeah the exhibit.

01:01:53.143 --> 01:01:54.807
Yeah, they're here at.

01:01:54.847 --> 01:01:59.577
Jeff Wenzel's studio, so hopefully we'll get to meet them soon.

01:01:59.905 --> 01:02:03.112
Nice, okay, so for final thoughts on Tops of Lens.

01:02:03.112 --> 01:02:05.057
I always like to just finish off with this.

01:02:05.057 --> 01:02:10.117
The one thing, the one thing that you want the listeners to take away from this conversation.

01:02:10.117 --> 01:02:17.773
So is there anything that sticks out that you just want the listeners to know about Ocean City itself, or about the jazz festival, or both?

01:02:18.166 --> 01:02:24.831
I want the listeners to really know about this rich history of this community that we call Ocean City.

01:02:24.831 --> 01:02:56.199
Too often the history of communities like Ocean City are either stories are not told or they are erased, and so we have an opportunity to come together and have fun and to learn about this history, this unique history that happened 75 years ago, and then to also just have a good time and get together and enjoy the ocean breeze and the music and camaraderie, and it's just wonderful of all these components coming together and people just enjoying themselves.

01:02:56.199 --> 01:03:04.000
So we call it jazz with a higher purpose, and so that's what hopefully people will come and see and find out for themselves.

01:03:04.501 --> 01:03:17.547
I'm sold Good and I hope everyone listening to this is so let's go ahead and get that contact information Awesome, so you guys are mailing addresses PO Box 1207, sneed's Ferry, 28460.

01:03:17.568 --> 01:03:22.054
You can give us a call at 910-459-9263.

01:03:22.054 --> 01:03:26.458
Make sure, you guys, that you are following us on our socials.

01:03:26.458 --> 01:03:30.623
Facebook, we are Ocean City Jazz Festival.

01:03:30.623 --> 01:03:32.606
We are also on TikTok.

01:03:32.606 --> 01:03:38.980
We're not on, I see, twitter, but we are on TikTok at OC Jazz Fest and Instagram.

01:03:38.980 --> 01:03:42.074
So please follow us and share, share, share.

01:03:42.074 --> 01:03:48.215
The key to us growing is you guys sharing and engaging with us, inviting your friends, sharing our contact.

01:03:48.215 --> 01:03:50.911
And then our website is everything A to Z.

01:03:50.911 --> 01:03:56.952
We've got a great website, oceancityjazzfestcom, where you can buy tickets, volunteer.

01:03:56.952 --> 01:04:01.009
Every single thing we talked about, including the history, is all on our website.

01:04:01.289 --> 01:04:02.231
Wonderful, thank you.

01:04:02.231 --> 01:04:06.012
If you missed any of that information, you can always look at the show notes.

01:04:06.012 --> 01:04:12.329
We will have all of the contact information there, along with clickable links to the websites and all the socials for easy access.

01:04:12.329 --> 01:04:14.692
So thank you, listeners, for joining us today.

01:04:14.692 --> 01:04:29.445
I appreciate you tuning in each week and supporting Topsail Insider, and thank you again, leah, for being my co-host today, and thank you, kenneth, for being on Topsail Insider and telling us all about Ocean City and the Ocean City Jazz Festival.

01:04:29.445 --> 01:04:30.108
Thank you both.

01:04:30.489 --> 01:04:31.731
A pleasure, thank you.

01:04:31.731 --> 01:04:32.773
Thanks for having us.

01:04:33.175 --> 01:04:34.277
We'll see you in the summer.

01:04:36.326 --> 01:04:44.659
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01:04:44.659 --> 01:04:49.416
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01:04:49.416 --> 01:04:56.489
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01:04:56.489 --> 01:05:01.548
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01:05:01.548 --> 01:05:10.246
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01:05:10.246 --> 01:05:15.139
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01:05:15.139 --> 01:05:20.152
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01:05:20.152 --> 01:05:27.097
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01:05:27.097 --> 01:05:29.172
I'll see you around Topsail.