Steel String Brewery hosts Mardi Gras celebration with food, live music

This past weekend, Steel String Brewery at Pluck Farm hosted its third annual Mardi Gras celebration weekend. Spanning two days, the event featured live music, draft beer and local food. 

All around the farm, people sat at picnic tables eating king cake and sandwiches from the Jolly Sandwich Company food truck. Most people were dressed up in purple, green and gold or decorated with Mardi Gras beads. 

Co-owner and head of brewing operations Will Isley said he expected to have a few hundred people visiting the farm and brewery over the weekend, enjoying the nice weather. 

“We don’t have any indoor seating on the farm, so this is a good way to get out there and let everybody know that the weather’s nice,” Isley said. 

During the event, children could be seen running around, participating in activities like playing in a bouncy house, making arts and crafts, and getting their face painted from Painted Grape.

Painted Grape face painting employee Ciomara Valentine said that while Painted Grape has collaborated with Pluck Farm before, this was her first time at the Mardi Gras celebration. 

“I’m looking forward to the live music the most,” Valentine said. 

Music is an important aspect of Mardi Gras celebrations, especially New Orleans' style music, and two bands showcased that style at the celebration. Rhonda Robichaux and Meaux performed on Saturday afternoon and New Orleans Masquerade performed on Sunday. 

Rhonda Robichaux, front woman and guitarist of her band, played a lively set featuring a blend of jazz, soul and funk. She said Saturday was a great day to play, and she felt her performance was very well received.

“The weather was perfect to have an outdoor gig, and it was a really good crowd,” Robichaux said. “It was nice to see a good mix of adults and children.”

Robichaux moved to the Triangle area from New Orleans in 2000 and has been playing music here ever since. Her band is usually made of four to five people, featuring instruments like the saxophone, bass, guitar and drums.   

After her set, Robichaux said that a young child came up to her expressing he liked her music, and that the interaction they had touched her heart.

“That really means a lot, you know, especially coming from a child,” Robichaux said. “You just never know who's going to really enjoy the music because it's kind of different from what most people hear around here.”

Steel String Brewery at Pluck Farms will continue its spring festivities with a St Patrick's weekend celebration in a couple of weeks. For more information on upcoming events, check out their website.

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