ByJuly 13, 2021
After a year of enduring lockdowns and Covid restrictions, we’re finally seeing the return of music festivals this summer. Artists finally have the opportunity to perform live again, fulfilling a space that has been missing for several months.
Raleigh is no stranger to music festivals as Hopscotch and Dreamville have attracted thousands to the city in recent years. This weekend, the city will be hosting its first music festival since the pandemic with Summer In Tha Carolinas, the first large-scale event at the new Moore Square Park in downtown Raleigh. The event is also one of the first-of-its-kind as the lineup features all local artists and rising stars within North Carolina’s burgeoning music scene.
Behind The Organizers
The mastermind behind the festival is Noah Beard aka NOAHH, along with his collective, The Lo$t Generation. The seven-man music group has been making waves in Raleigh’s music scene for a few years, getting their start as an opener for fellow North Carolina rapper, Nance. Beard met his group members after moving to the Raleigh area from Kentucky during his freshman year of high school. They formed organically by 2017 and came together building friendships and collaborating on music and live shows.
Beard grew into his passion for throwing shows, and now he views them as “art pieces.” It’s always been a passion for him to showcase regional artists. Before Summer In Tha Carolinas, he utilized his connections to help bring awareness for his group, and other regional artists at venues like Lincoln Theatre, Wicked Witch, Motorco, and Imurj. “From 2018 to 2019, I did [about] 18 shows just for local artists. I booked out the venue, paid for it, and just had people pull up and showcase their skills and talents,” Beard explained.
A Year In The Making
The festival is an extension of the space Beard has already provided for many artists within the RDU area, and the event has been over a year in the making. In March of 2020, just before the start of lockdown, his group had a show planned at Lincoln Theatre with BIGBABYGUCCI, 10cellphones, Felix Wood, and rising star TiaCorine, but it was canceled a week before the scheduled date.
Fast forward to lockdown; Beard decided to scale up his March 2020 show, coming up with the idea for a music festival. It was his first time planning an event on this level, but thankfully he had some help along the way that eased the planning process. All of the artists from the lineup and vendors are good friends that he felt deserved a bigger platform for their talents. His connections to music venues provided him with access to logistical necessities such as fencing and a security team. Even the way he secured Moore Square Park came about serendipitously. “It all just came together off a blessing. My homie [Hussel], was meditating in the middle of this park and ended up meeting Amanda Fletcher, who handled booking,” he said. When Beard contacted Fletcher, she was open to the idea of a music festival.
A Lineup of Regional Talent
The lineup spans outside the RDU area, including those from Charlotte and the Triad with notable artists like BIGBABYGUCCI, TiaCorine, Belis, and 10cellphones. While featuring mostly hip-hop acts, you can expect anything from a mix of melodic and soulful hip-hop to indie-alternative music from Winston-Salem’s Sonny Miles, Raleigh’s Felix Wood, and ascending Carolina artists like LesTheGenius, Zack Cokas, OG Spliff, Jay Storm, and Maasho.
There will also be tributes for fallen North Carolina rappers Cloudy Nueve and SauxePaxk, two rising stars who were influential to the new generation of young artists in the Carolinas.
A Taste of North Carolina
Outside of the music, multiple local vendors and food trucks will be on hand that will include prize wheels, VR stations, and top-quality products for patrons to buy, such as t-shirts, crystals, and more. Food trucks will be lined along the back of the venue near Squareburger and include various cuisines, from Aacme Soul & Seafood to Pablanos Tacos. With all the vendors and food trucks being from North Carolina, you’ll be in for an eclectic taste of what the state has to offer.
Summer In Tha Carolina Festival will take place on July 17 at Moore Square Park from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets are still on sale, and in case you aren’t able to make the event, it will be available through live-stream on the LIVIT app.
Follow the festival on Twitter and Instagram.
Read next:
