Breaking down the lineup at Equinox Art & Music Fest

As daylight savings time is under way and temperatures for the weekend are expected to flirt with 80 degrees, it's evident that spring is just around the corner here on the Grand Strand. 

And with the looming change in season comes the Equinox Art & Music Fest, a celebration of community and culture in Conway. This Saturday, the festival will showcase a diverse blend of art and independent music during a day of fun on the lawn of the Horry County Courthouse, 1201 Third Ave.

Organized by CREATE! Conway, a non-profit group dedicated to entertaining, teaching and inspiring through all forms of art, the event is one of a series of things which the group does to nurture and promote art in all venues and levels.

The day will feature more than 25 artisans booths with works such as paintings, glass, wine bottle lights, wood, handmade soaps, textiles, drawings, pine needle baskets available for display and sale.

Drawing and other fine art demonstrations will be conducted and featured artists will include  Peggy New, Johnny Warren, Emily Smith, Emil Koepcke, Lori Kaim, Ruth Cox, Jennifer Henley, Susan Allan, Rachel Jones, and organizers/Pop's Glass Station owners Ed and Barbara Streeter. 

In addition, a ton of great local musicians will perform during the event with styles ranging from acoustic folk to more upbeat alternative rock and blues. Here's a look at who will be on stage and when:

10:30 a.m.

Patricia Robinson, aka Pat The Lifeteller, performs poetry regularly around town and often shares moving tales of beating addiction and finding God. Check out her song "Little Puppy" below or click here for a clip of her poetry during Open Mic Night at Fresh Brewed Coffeehouse.

10:45 a.m.

 Jentry Rose, is a 23-year-old CCU student whose music is acoustic Americana that falls somewhere between folk and country with a dose of influence from iconic musicians such as James Taylor, Carly Simon and Janis Joplin. Listen to "Her Hands" which we featured here.

11:30 a.m.

Big Bam Boom, is the solo acoustic project of Jan Vaughan, a well-known local troubador who has been performing in the area since 1997. He labels his music as blues/tropical acoustic/Carribean Country and often performs as part of a larger act Big Bam Boom & the Lil' Big Band. Check out his music below or learn more onReverbnation:

12:15 p.m.

My Buddy Todd (aka Todd Roth) is a local bluesman who plays original acoustic and electric Blues all over the Grand Strand. Check out our interview with him below:

1 p.m.

Dan Barnhardt is a local musician who uses his skill for songwriting to craft original music and often performs side-by-side with his 16-year-old daughter Casey, as profiled in this Common Chords video and story.

1:45 p.m.

Randall Hill, in addition to being a very talented photojournalist and videographer for The Sun News, is a acoustic americana and blues musician who plays guitar and harmonica. He'll be performing with guitarist Jeff Watson in a redux of an act called Hippiedog Produce which performed at SxSE last year. Read his Common Chords blog here. 

2:30 p.m.

Glenn "Houndog" Hanson is a longtime local player who in addition to gigging around town, hosts a series of events called Sunday Serenades in Surfside during the summer. Read our profile of Hanson written by Neil Peterson here.

3:15 p.m.

Sleeping Policeman, is the solo project of Coastal Carolina student Charles Grace. This talented young singer-songwriter performs emotion-laden acoustic tunes with a unique twist. Download his most recent song "Virginia Beach" here or check out our interview with him below:

4 p.m.

When Mary Met Vinny is the husband and wife folk duo of Mary and Vinny Nicoletti. Learn more and check out their song "Total Departure" in this week's Featured Listens column.

4:45 p.m.

Brian Roessler, is a talented singer-songwriter, educator and entertainer who hosts Fresh Brewed Coffeehouse's Thursday Open Mic Nights. Listen to "Unwrpa My Smile" below or read more on Roessler in the Common Chords blog.

5:30 p.m.

Phil Whittaker is a singer-songwriter from Long Beach, Calif., who happened upon the Grand Strand by way of West Virginia and Ohio. He plays locally at various Open Mic Nights and jams around town and his music can be found at http://www.myspace.com/abluecollaraffair.

6:15 p.m.

Claudia vs. The Queen of Hearts, Headed up by songwriter Claudia Gregory, this up-and-coming trio combines folky themes and indie sensibilities for a unique, piano-driven sound. Check out their tune "Airplanes" which we featured here.