Southport Magazine

Our county is so full of wonderful artists that it takes quite a bit of time to celebrate everything in one day, so why not use the longest day of the year? The inaugural Solstice By the Sea Festival is coming to Oak Island’s Middleton Park on June 19 from 10 am – 8 pm and will feature everything from storytelling and poetry to dance and live music with an arts market and food trucks rounding things out. This celebration of everything artistic is being brought to us by the Brunswick Arts Council in cooperation with the Southport evening Rotary Club, The SoundHouse, Inspirations Dance Studio and the Friends of Oak Island Parks and Recreation. 

“We want people to come out and enjoy the day,” said Brunswick Arts Council Executive Director Mary Beth Livers. “They can enjoy live music on the field, walk around and maybe buy a piece of local artwork, go to the beach, and come back later for more. We just want people to say ‘Let’s play. Let’s go have fun.’” 

The festival will feature two stages. Under the band shell, entertainment will begin with storytelling by Kat Littleturtle and her son Kaya, continue with a variety of local musicians featuring styles from rock to reggae, and wrap up with a performance by The SoundHouse owner Tina Smith.

The second stage will feature dance performances from Inspirations Dance Studios throughout the day and an open mic from 5-8 pm. “This is family fun, but if anyone wants to try, be our guest,” said Livers, “Just tell us what you want to do and you can have 10 minutes to do your thing.” 

The Brunswick Arts Council will host a hospitality tent debuting a display of printed poems called “Poetry Opens Doors” before the works go on display around the county. The tent will also be showcasing the winners of the Brunswick County 2040 children’s art competition. Children were asked by the county planning group to illustrate their visions of what Brunswick County will look like in 2040, and we can’t wait to see what they’ve come up with. 

The Tarheel Storytellers will perform throughout the day and the Southport Evening Rotary Club will host a corn hole tournament beginning at 4 pm. 

The Arts Market will include between 40-50 local vendors and food trucks will be on site thought the day. 

“We’re envisioning this as a free day where people can come and go and have a great time,” said Livers. “We’re envisioning this growing. This will be the first of many years. We anticipate Solstice By The Sea becoming a fixture in the community.”

Livers said the Brunswick Arts Council takes advantage of lacking a physical home base. “We operate without walls, so we actually use all the different sites and venues in the county. Many arts councils have a building but we don’t. We’re the thread that connects all the beaches,” she said.

Whatever your interests or talents, Solstice By the Sea promises something for everyone, something Livers said she sees as a major mission of the Arts Council. “The creative things we do….those are a part of our outlook. We need to be able to do those things. We want everyone to get out there and try it and have fun,” she said.