Free summer plays, programs begin at Carl Sandburg Home

FLAT ROCK, N.C. — From Wednesday, June 24 through Friday, Aug. 28., the Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site will host a summer season of theater, farm life demonstrations and historic walks.

On Wednesday through Saturday mornings at 10:15 a.m., the amphitheater adjacent to the Sandburg Home will host live performances of Sandburg’s words and music.

Wednesday and Friday morning features The People’s Poet, a journey through the American experience of love, children, nature and social activism. Based on Sandburg’s collection of poetry and prose, the presentation is both silly and serious and enjoyable for audiences of all ages.

On Thursday and Saturday morning, Rootabaga! fills the stage with taxi cab drivers, a gold buckskin whincher, the potato face blind man and more. This zany presentation is based on Sandburg’s collection of stories for children, The Rootabaga Stories.

The 30-minute performances are held rain or shine.

On Wednesday through Sunday afternoons at 2:15 p.m., visitors can learn how Mrs. Sandburg turned sweet fresh goat’s milk into cheese, butter, yogurt and more. Chese farm-life demonstrations focus on cheese-making with recipes and samples for the audience.

On Monday and Tuesday mornings (beginning July 6) at 10:15 a.m., rangers will stroll the grounds uncovering the history of Connemara from the first residents in 1838 to the Sandburg family. This is a great opportunity to see inside buildings normally closed to the public and discover how life at Connemara changed over time.

Thanks to support from Eastern National (the park’s bookstore) and the Flat Rock Playhouse, Rootabaga! and The People’s Poet are offered to the public free of charge.

Located in Flat Rock, N.C., Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site is a unit of the National Park Service.  The park is located off U.S. 225 on Little River Rd. and is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., daily. Admission is free, but there is a cost to tour the home.

To learn more, visit the NPS website here.