Raleigh Little Theatre’s Groove in the Garden kicked off its fifth year of live and local music September 21.
By Miranda Evon | Photos by Gus Samarco

Eight local bands played in Groove in the Garden in Raleigh Little Theatre’s Rose Garden September 21, opening with alternative indie band Arson Daily and closing the festival with Sarah Shook & The Disarmers’ honky-tonk sound. RLT Executive Director Charles Phaneuf says he looks forward to the locally-focused event every year. “Groove in the Garden is exciting because you get to see a lot of bands from the area who are handpicked by our talented partners at The Pour House.”

Adam Lindstaedt, owner of The Pour House and founder of Groove in the Garden, says he chooses local bands for the festival that have previously performed at his venue. “The music comes from here, and we’re proud to showcase and have them represent our state.”

The day of homegrown music included 35 local vendors including food trucks like pizza from Pie Pushers and barbecue from Longleaf Swine, plus beer from Winston-Salem’s Foothills Brewing, activities for kids, and treats for pups.

The festival has grown since its inception in 2014: the bands are more diverse, Lindstaedt says, and now represent a wider genre of music that North Carolina has to offer. The festival is particularly special to Lindstaedt as he selects the bands that play. “Seeing the bands we’ve been working with the past few years, from playing shows for five people on a Tuesday evening to growing and developing a larger fan base, is worthwhile,” he says. “My goal is to get them to where they’re too big to play at my venue.”

Gus Samarco is a video engineer by day, photographer by night. Find more of his work on www.samarcophoto.com.