NEW BERN — Craven Community College’s Lifetime Learning Center will present an evening of bluegrass music and traditional dance featuring Dear MariBella and the PigKickers with special guest the Green Grass Cloggers on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Orringer Auditorium on the New Bern Campus.
With mountain musical roots and a Carolina coastal connection, the four-sibling band blends a distinctive bluegrass sound with heartfelt storytelling. Part of the college’s Explorations in the Arts series, the concert marks the New Bern debut of Dear MariBella and the PigKickers and will include music from the group’s latest album, “Red Goes With Everything.”
Since forming in 2022, the siblings have built a growing list of accomplishments, including a second-place finish in the Blue Highway Fest’s 2025 “Rising Stars” Band Competition. They have opened for Sam Bush and performed at the Tony Rice Memorial Festival, Ocrafolk Festival, MerleFest and the North Carolina Folk Festival.
Joining the band for several traditional dances will be the Green Grass Cloggers, who are celebrating their 55th year in 2026. Formed by college students in Greenville, North Carolina, the group developed a distinctive style that combines square dance figures with original and traditional percussive steps.
Through performances across the United States, Canada and at international events, the Green Grass Cloggers helped influence performance clogging teams around the world. Today, dancers based in Greenville and Asheville come together for lively performances that pair colorful calico with old-time and bluegrass music.
The group’s honors include Western Carolina University’s Mountain Heritage Award, the Charlotte Folk Society’s Folk Heritage Award and the North Carolina Folklore Society’s Community Traditions Award. In 2014, the Green Grass Cloggers were inducted into both the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame and America’s Clogging Hall of Fame.
Tickets to the show are $15 for general admission and $10 for students.
The concert is sponsored by Brice Pointe, Duke Energy and Signature Wealth Strategies.
For tickets and additional information, visit this ticket link or email baerj@cravencc.edu.