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“I loved the buttermilk pie, the shrimp and grits, the pimento cheese. My husband loves boiled peanuts, and he says those are the best he’s ever had. Oh, and that big, bad biscuit.”
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From left: St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Mavis Staples, two of the artists performing at the inaugural Railbird Festival. (Photos by David McClister; Chris Strong)
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Keeneland’s New Music Fest
Keeneland, the Lexington, Kentucky, racetrack and Thoroughbred auction house, has long been revered in the equine world. But this year there’s a new reason to pay a visit: Railbird Festival, which unites music, bourbon, and horses for a weekend of Bluegrass State immersion August 10–11. The artist roster alone is reason enough to go— Brandi Carlile tops the first day alongside the Raconteurs, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mandolin Orange, and Mavis Staples, while day two will feature Tyler Childers, Gary Clark, Jr., St. Paul & the Broken Bones, and Lucinda Williams. This is Keeneland after all, though, and attendees can also book morning tours of nearby stables (including the one that raised 2018 Triple Crown–winner Justify) or take a midday break for off-track betting in the air-conditioned Lucky Day Plaza, along with sampling plenty of good Kentucky whiskey at the fest’s bourbon tastings. Tickets are on sale now.
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A Different Taste of Charleston
While Charleston, South Carolina’s vibrant restaurant scene gets plenty of attention, a snack-filled springtime event offers another way to explore the Holy City’s many flavors. During Spirited Brunch on April 28, more than two dozen houses of worship will welcome hungry visitors across the downtown peninsula. Each will serve up a dish with ties to its history and traditions, which means attendees can sample okra soup and Irish soda bread at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (honoring the city’s first bishop, who hailed from Cork), dates and other fast-breaking bites at the Central Mosque of Charleston, hoppin’ John at Mt. Zion AME Church, or chai tea and ginger cookies at the Charleston Tibetan Society. Started by the Post and Courier and the College of Charleston’s Religious Studies Department in 2017, the now-annual Sunday tour was created to help participants explore the city’s rich (and diverse) faith traditions—and give locals a chance to get to know their neighbors. The brunch is self-guided and open to all, with no sign-up or admission fee required. View a map of participating stops here.
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From Haskell Harris, Style Director
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When I saw these Chocolate Hazelnut Eggs from Terrain, I thought they were almost too beautiful to eat. But the staff of G&G had zero problem, judging from the speed with which they devoured the whole box. Turns out the eggs taste as good as they look. They’d make an artful addition to Easter baskets for grown-ups and little ones alike. $28, shopterrain.com
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Premiering tonight on PBS, a new documentary from Henry Louis Gates Jr. takes a deep look at an understudied period. Examining the years 1865-1877, the four-hour Reconstruction: America After the Civil War explores the tremendous hope and strides of the era, described by W. E. B. Du Bois as a “brief moment in the sun” for African Americans, and reckons with the backlash and violence that soon followed and the period’s reverberations today. See the first half tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern; hours three and four will air next Tuesday, April 16.
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We recently asked, “What’s the kindest thing a stranger has done for you?” We had lots of inspiring responses:
Seeing that I was an educator, a gentleman in line behind me paid for my latte at Starbucks. —Susan V.
I went to a small farmers’ market just to browse. A lady there had beautiful loaves of bread I was admiring, and she asked me if I would like to try one. I told her I had no money, but she gave me a huge loaf of delicious whole grain bread and said to take it home and enjoy with my loved ones. I’ll never forget it. She now has a successful bakery! —Rhonda H.
A nice man carried a heavy box down the post office stairs for me and put it into my car. He said, “Have a blessed day,” and I said, “I just did.” —Kathy B.
I was about 10 years old, in line at Heffner’s grocery store in Mocksville, N.C., buying my mom a card for Mother’s Day. I didn’t have enough cash and was humiliated. Before I knew it, a tall older man behind me added the change I needed with a smile. My heart sang. —Jim S.
Pumped my gas for me while I was pregnant and had a screaming two-year-old in the car. So nice! —Leigh W.
Blistering summer heat in Charleston, car loaded with two weeks of groceries, flat tire on Highway 17. Guy in pickup pulls over and asks if I need help. Gets out and he has a broken leg! In a cast! I protest, but he helps unload groceries, gets the spare and puts it on. Wouldn’t take money or give me his name. —Rita B.
People frequently offer to extract or insert my wheelchair into my vehicle. This is very much appreciated. —Roger B.
I was at a Tennessee football game and was freezing, so I went to buy a sweatshirt. I started to pay for it, and a gentleman had already done so. I asked him why, and he simply said, “It just seemed like the right thing to do.” Every time I wear it I’m wrapped in kindness, knowing there are kind people out there. —Jenny J.
A stranger came up to me in a restaurant and complimented me on my children. As a weary mother of four, it meant the world to me. I felt like maybe I was doing something right after all. —Angie B.
Read more responses here.
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THIS WEEK'S QUESTIONWhat is the South’s premier sporting event?
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April 11–14
Blues Central
More than a hundred blues acts perform across thirteen daytime stages and twenty nighttime venues in Clarksdale, Mississippi, during the sixteenth annual Juke Joint Festival.
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April 12–14
Dog(wood) Days
A rite of spring for more than eighty years, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival returns to Piedmont Park, with an artist market, live music, and midway rides to go along with the blooms.
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April 12–14
What’s the Word?
Word of South pairs writers with musicians to bring a cross-pollinated burst of creativity to Tallahassee, Florida’s Cascades Park.
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