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ome scenes from Saturday’s 2nd Annual Ol’ Front Porch Music Fest.

Becky Ackiss, stand-up bass player in Green Creek Bluegrass.

Green Creek Bluegrass returned to the OFPMF and the Old Hotel porch stage as a trio this year, with Ken Belangia on guitar and Ernest Dunn on fiddle and Becky Ackiss on bass. The three had played decades ago on the porch of the Ol’ Store owned by Ken and Ernest’s in-laws, Billy and Lucille Truitt.

Aaron Carmona, lead singer of The Carmonas. In a concert at the end of the day, the Nashville-based band played from the porch/stage at Kathy and David Rose’s home on Freemason Street.

Jim Austin of Salty Paws. The duo – Bentley Smith is at left – played the porch of The Bean. Salty Paws live on board their boat and timed their Oriental stop to play the OFPMF again this year. Joining them were other cruisers – on guitar and bodhran (Irish drum.) They knocked out some very robust sea chanties.

Laurelyn Dossett of Greensboro in the final performance of the day at the Freemason Street stage.

Three of the singers from the Mt. Zion M.B. Church choir. The Arapahoe gospel singers had never before sung outside of churches. They performed on the porch of Mariner Realty.

Frederick Ingraham of SC sang a mix of songs — coupling an original shipwreck tune that featured plastic Palmolive bottles — with pop — a rendition of “Message in a Bottle.” He ended with “Firework” a Katy Perry hit. Which it was with the audience on the other side of the King St porch.

Asa Gatlin, with Harborsounds’ Woody Fuller, Dick Osmun, Paul Sykes and Dixie Gatlin played on the porch of the Sue Ragan home, now owned by Jennifer and Frank Roe.

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Andy Ferrell of Boone with his accompanist father Graham traveled across the state of NC to do what they do at home: play music on a porch. They played from 11-3 at the Strickland house, the one on Factory St that was literally turned around recently.

Mac McWilliams trekked from Merritt and did a four hour gig on the porch of Nautical Wheelers. It was a busy scene. What’s likely a first: South African wines were sipped at a tasting, a federal appellate attorney’s books were signed, all to the strains of “Swamp Donkey.”

Saltwater Gold’s Henry Cox at left and lead vocalist, Mark Hoff, and behind the Cartwright House porch pillar….

… Chris Daniels on guitar.

The ukulele band, Far From Done on the porch of Marsha’s Cottage. On their playlist, “Wagon Wheel,” the only version heard that day – there were a few — played on ukes.

From Morehead City, The Gumbo Lily Girls on the porch at the Village Gallery.

We interrupt this music fest … to bring you a 5 minute long line of motorcycles. The dulcimer music on Stuart and Barbara Hardy’s porch could not compete.

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Aaron and Chad Carmona snap photos of the audience – and beyond, the Neuse River – after performing in the concert at the end of the day. Aaron Carmona said he’d send the photos to their sister – who usually is part of the band – and hoped they’d be asked tou plan at the OFPMF next year

Blue ribbon staging. Harborsounds on their Broad Street porch stage. It was members of this band who wanted a folk/bluegrass festival in Oriental, an idea that evolved in to the OFPMF.

Paul Sykes, of Harborsounds.

The “Calypso Kid” gave a brief tutorial in the steel drum to the audience at the Old Hotel’s rambling porch.

Ken Belangia of the band, Greens Creek Bluegrass.

Back stage on the porch at Marsha’s Cottage where the band, Far From Done played.

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The Coastal Notes, a woodwind quintet of women musicians from New Bern and Oriental played on Wilma Kennedy’s South Water Street porch.

Bassoonist Sandy Ralston of the Coastal Notes.

Bentley Smith of Salty Paws on the porch of The Bean.

From Arapahoe. the Mt. Zion M. B. Church Choir made their first ever performance outside of a church. They sang a capella gospel on the porch of Mariner Realty.

The Mt. Zion M. B. Church Choir.

Musicians weren’t the only performers. Magician Gary Shelton, here with 22-month old, Bodie Hammond, grandson of Wanda & Chuck Forrest.

A bodrhan, or Irish drum, could be heard in a set at The Bean porch.

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Pamlico cowboy. Ed Terry played a corner of M&M’s dining area porch. Over his shoulder – and across South Water Street – the trawler Sabrina Jane, docked at Garland Fulcher Seafood.

A bodrhan, or Irish drum, could be heard in a set at The Bean porch.

The Carmona brothers Aaron and Chad on the Rose family’s Freemason Street porch which became the stage for the last performances of the day, the Nashville-based Carmonas and Laurelyn Dossett of Greensboro.

Laurelyn Dossett.

… and her traveling case.

About 200 people attended the concert.

Among them, Leslie Kellenberger who with Dottie Osmun, were the chief organizers for the OFPMF last year and this.

Mike Rooney, aka Calypso Kid plays his steel drum on the porch/stage at the Old Hotel at Broad and Hodges.

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Bob Laverty’s Paradise Band played the easternmost porch, at Kip Nicholas’s home on South Avenue next to the Rotary Club’s Car Show. Playing with the band was saxaphonist Pete Northcutt, who stops in at Oriental while cruising on his boat.

The Carmonas fiddler.

The Flat Mountain Dulcimers, out of eastern NC, played on Barbara and Stuart Hardy’s porch.

Behind the boxes of petunias on the Village Gallery porch, the Gumbo Lily Girls played.

Chad Carmona.

Aaron Carmona and dog.

And, now, a word from our sponsors. These helped pay for the porta-loos. Others helped pay for various aspects of the festival.

Posted Monday October 19, 2015 by Melinda Penkava