Larry McNeely

Performances by a Grammy nominated musician and a best-selling author are among 75 events planned for a new Moore County festival next year, organizers announced Tuesday.

The Palustris Festival is scheduled for March 25-28 and will be held at 12 or more venues throughout the county, said Chris Dunn, executive director of the Moore County Arts Council.

The events will feature concerts, art exhibits, theater, lectures, readings and tours of various Moore County properties and gardens.

Dunn and Caleb Miles, president of the Moore County Convention & Visitors Bureau, announced a partial schedule for the festival during a news conference Tuesday at the Campbell House.

The festival's name is taken from the Latin name of the Longleaf Pine and was chosen earlier this year because of its unique connection to Moore County.

"The Palustris Festival will be a community event unlike any other in Moore County," Dunn said.

Grammy nominated singer-songwriter Tift Merritt, the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra, five-string banjo player Larry McNeely and the Moore County Choral Society are among the entertainers.

Novelist Ron Rash, author of New York Times' best-seller "Serena," also will perform.

Dunn said 60 percent of the events will be free, and all other events will cost $25 or less. Read More