About The Festival
Presented by the Arts Council of Moore County, Convention & Visitor's Bureau of Pinehurst, Southern Pines & Aberdeen Area, and PineStraw Magazine, the third annual Palustris Festival will present a variety of events showcasing the visual, literary and performing arts in Moore County. The festival will draw attention from many arts groups in and around the Sandhills area and is sure to offer something for everyone!

Why the name Palustris? The word palustris (pronounced puh-LUS-tris) is from the Latin name of the Longleaf Pine and was chosen for this event because of its unique connection to Moore County. One visit to our area and you can't miss the influence of the Longleaf Pine. Even the names of our towns, like Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Pinebluff and Whispering Pines, give you a sense of this special connection. In fact, Moore County is home to one of the largest stands of virgin longleaf pine forests in the country (160 acres in the Weymouth Woods-Sandhills Nature Preserve called the Boyd Round-Timber Tract), which is also home to the oldest living longleaf pine tree known in the world at more than 463 years old.

The Palustris Festival will include a concentration of many diverse and unique cultural performances and events in only four days. In keeping with the desire to have the Palustris Festival as accessible as possible, many of the events are free and open to the public.

Just as the settlers who transformed this area from what was once called the "pine barrens," it is our hope that the Palustris Festival will transform Moore County into a destination known as much for its arts, culture and history, as it is for its golf, horses and beauty.