Third Annual Dia de los Muertos with Captain Midnight Band
10.08.2022 - The Third Annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration at Bert Driver’s Burlap Room closed out the 2022 Summer/Fall Outdoor Concert Series by drawing out almost double the amount of traditional skeleton costumes, complete with elaborate make-up added to the clear, crisp autumn evening, warmed by the firepits outside, and the perfect temp inside the Solstice Stage indoor greenhouse (bonus that it now has more seating which leaves plenty of room for standing/dancing!).
The costume contest wound up with the #1 Couple (as voted by audience response), and the #1 Individual Costume both won “a Fruit Tree or a Mum” and ALL the kids (many whom were dressed up in costume) received a Day Lily living plant. -- Family/Kids/Dogs/Great Music/ Delicious Food/Jewelry/Apparel Vendors/Craft Beer/CBD/Art & Crafts - All “right here in our own back yard”!
The Sponsors/Vendors on hand contributed heavily to general autumn feeling that abounded, with Tabitha Thierjung and friends from the Appalachian Center for Craft, along with Crooked Creek Design’s creative jewelry, Vickie Butler’s CBD products and homemade jams/jellies, Dekalb Co. Volunteer Fire Dept. Info Booth, Tio’s Taco Truck, and Grace’s Lumpia serving up great products and food to the Burlappers. The photo booth (totally retro) was a big hit as all the costumed folks took full advantage of this free amenity to document the festivities.
It’s always sort of a bittersweet moment when the last show of the season at the Burlap Room rolls around, and when you’re in that frame of mind, it’s the small things that carry the most meaning sometimes...For me, on Saturday night, just after headliner musical guests Captain Midnight Band had been introduced to the audience with the customary “Let’s hear it for ……!!!”, instead of cranking out the notes to their opening originally-composed rocker, Captain Midnight, lead vocalist, guitar player, songwriter, and frontman for the band, stepped up to the microphone and said, “We are so happy to be here tonight, and the band and I want all you folks to know that from the moment we pulled onto the property this afternoon, we felt this great vibe–the staff here at Bert Driver’s Burlap Room made us feel like we’re at home”!!
To me, that sums up what the vibe at Bert Driver’s Burlap Room is all about- “Feeling at home”...Maybe it’s the leftover young love vibes from the drive-in movie days, maybe it’s being surrounded by live plants carrying on their secret communications, maybe it’s the authentic love of music that permeates all we do and bonds us, and maybe… it’s the energy that’s created when people gather themselves in a positive “no worry, local vibe” zone to explore and celebrate the mysteries and miracles of life together in this most beautiful part of the world (and on Dia de los Muertos, we celebrate the dead as well).
So, for all you long-haul Burlappers, and all our new friends and fans who found your way to our unique “Burlap Room” this season, thank you from the bottom of our hearts - we hope you had fun, perhaps raised your level of music appreciation, and enjoyed all the different genres of entertainment we introduced to this area and it’s folks…but if we made you feel “at home”, then our mission was indeed accomplished…See you next spring at the Crawfish Boil season- opening event in April 2023!
Even though the outdoor shows at the Burlap Room for the 2022 season are officially over, the Harvester Performance and Event Center in Historic Downtown Smithville will be hosting indoor special events throughout the remainder of 2022, and into early spring of 2023. Mark your calendar and join us again at the Harvester on October 22 for October Skies Art Festival and Open House featuring live music performances throughout the day including a jazz ensemble, and Falyn (who previously performed at the Burlap Room) - all events that day will be free and open to the public (18 & up after 6pm). Stay up-to-date with all the events in the Bert Driver Network (Nursery, Burlap Room, and the newly-opened Harvester Event Center) by signing up for our Burlapper Newsletter - exciting announcements coming this week! All tickets for all Burlap Room and Harvester Event Center can be purchased at burlaproom.eventbrite.com.
