RALEIGH, N.C. (June 25, 2015) ? Music lovers can pick up the beat at events taking place across North Carolina on Friday, thanks to the #NCMusicDay showcase on the Periscope live-streaming app. The broadcast results from a partnership between Visit North Carolina and the North Carolina Arts Council, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau.
The featured events ? a mountain music street dance, a showcase from the African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina and a beach music mixer ? stretch from the Great Smoky Mountains to the Outer Banks. The program, which runs from about 6 until 8:30 p.m., will be broadcast from the Visit North Carolina Periscope channel and will includes an interview with an “American Idol” finalist and an informal dance lesson. Steamers can further engage by posting their own pictures and video clips from Friday music events taking place in North Carolina.
Here’s the itinerary:
- Waynesville, home of the Friday Night Street Dances on Main Street and part of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. At these summertime events featuring the area’s finest bluegrass musicians, bands and clogging teams, visitors dance with the locals under the direction of caller Joe Sam Queen. Periscope streamers can do likewise after hearing a chat with Queen about the clogging tradition.
- Goldsboro, home of “American Idol” finalist Majesty Rose and a stop on the African American Music Trails of Eastern North Carolina. Rose, who competed in Season 13, will talk about how North Carolina’s music traditions have influenced her style ? and headline a hometown concert at Herman Park Gazebo. The Periscope broadcast will include moments on stage with Rose and the Eric Xavier Quintet featuring Brian Miller.
- Rodanthe, North Carolina’s easternmost point and home of the Summeritaville festival. Beach music lovers will gather at Waves Village Watersports Resort for performances by Outer Banks native Johnny Waters and SOULone along with food and craft vendors, a craft beer and wine garden, kids’ activities, watersports demos and more.
“Thanks to Periscope, people from all around the world will get a sense of North Carolina’s expansive musical heritage,” said Wit Tuttell, executive director of Visit North Carolina. “Working with our partners for this broadcast allows a glimpse at how traditions from the mountains and Eastern North Carolina have influenced the music that will be performed on the Outer Banks.”
Visit North Carolina became one of the first destination brands to take advantage of Periscope, Twitter’s livestreaming app. Within the first 48 hours of the app’s existence, Visit North Carolina coordinated six livestream events from the mountains to the coast, showing fans how to #VacationBIG.
Building on the follower base established during the first broadcast, Visit North Carolina partnered with MerleFest to take fans behind the scenes of the four-day Americana festival in Wilkesboro. The @VisitNC account livestreamed performances and interviews with bands including homegrown group The Avett Brothers.
“Visit North Carolina continues to use new technology to give visitors a front-row seat to North Carolina attractions and events,” Tuttell said. “We hope that what they see and hear will inspire them to experience our great state in person.”
About Visit North Carolina:
Visit North Carolina is a unit of the Economic Development partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC). Established in 2014 the EDPNC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that oversees the state’s efforts in business and job recruitment and retention, international trade, and tourism, film and sports development. The mission of Visit North Carolina is to unify and lead the state in developing North Carolina as a major destination for leisure travel, group tours, meetings and conventions, sports events and film production. For more information on planning your vacation to North Carolina, be sure to go to VisitNC.com.