Wilson, North Carolina

October 21, 2025
Presenter: Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park
Population: 47,740
Demographic: 49% Black, 35% White, 11% Hispanic
25% below poverty line

Our second tour stop, Wilson, was one I highly anticipated. Our venue was absolutely singular: the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. This park in downtown Wilson boasts massive 50 foot tall kinetic metal sculptures created by local artist Vollis Simpson, a farmer and mechanical worker who built these fantastical works out of scrap metal on his property.

Besides the simplified itinerary, Chris knew few details about of our tour stops, which I kind of recommend for a tour sidekick because the plethora of details can be overwhelming. Plus, it leaves for a fun surprise element. Surprise indeed. Upon driving up to the park, Chris looked outside the window in astonishment and yelled out, “THAT’s where we’re performing?” Even for me, having seen many pictures and videos of the park, the sight was beyond my expectation. On the sunny but quite windy day, the towering whirligigs sparkled in the light and moved in dynamic and intricate patterns, metal parts creaking loudly and peacefully. Magical. 

Another reason I was looking forward to the Wilson event was because of our collaborator, Roy. Roy is the executive director of the park, which is its own nonprofit organization working in tandem with city entities. When I initially contacted him about a potential partnership, he immediately “got” it, seeing that a Gather Hear event is not simply a music concert but rather about amplifying community work and networks, with music as its vehicle. On the phone, he rattled off an impressive list of ideas about which organizations and events to buddy up with, with a clear passion and pride for Wilson. 

In person, Roy did not disappoint! He narrated all of the whirligig sculptures then took us on a tour of downtown, reminding me of a NPR host with his soothing vocal inflections and never-ending stream of information and well structured sentences. Even when sitting down at lunch and chatting about this and that, he was like an encyclopedia, going off on tangents about history and dates of any geographic detail that came up in conversation. On his tour, we got to see Wilson’s initiatives to attract young residents, including fiber optic internet available across downtown, new pickleball facilities, and a “downtown social district” where one can stroll around with purchased alcohol in hand.

A third reason this visit was special is that we had a featured guest pianist, Wilson-born and raised Dexter Ruffin. Gather Hear often features local talent, but usually in the form of young music students. This was the first time a professional pianist took the stage. I’d been following Dexter on Instagram for years, where he shares his idiosyncratic piano playing as well as brilliant insight into composition and improvisation. As I sat in plush grass merely feet away from Dexter as he performed, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Gather Hear again, the sun setting in pastel colors behind him, whirligigs squeaking away steadily, and his epic Rachmaninoff Sonata washing over the entire square. I wished I could attend more Gather Hear concerts as an audience member!

The concert took place at the same time as the well trafficked farmer’s market at the other side of the park. Not many people chose to come close to the performance area, which was disappointing, but we can assume that people all around the park were listening through the PA system. Instead of a crowd, this visit became more about the individuals we got to know - beginning with Roy and Dexter, but also our new artist friend Scott who came from Raleigh to sketch us, and a young rap artist Brizzl who we met while he was busking and ended up having a drink with. Folks sitting at the bar came up to me to share their excitement about Dexter and my piano playing. 

Exactly coinciding with our visit was the news that Republican state senators in North Carolina approved a new congressional map of the state. Wilson County would be affected in this gerrymandering effort, disenfranchising Black voters in this area and attacking North Carolina’s only swing seat that is currently held by a Black Democratic representative. This district has been represented by a Black member of Congress since the 1990s, and would most likely be flipped by this move. This news about Wilson popping up on my newsfeed while we were at the bar was a harsh reality check. 

Source: PBS (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judges-allow-north-carolina-to-use-a-map-drawn-in-bid-to-give-republicans-another-u-s-house-seat), Demoracy Docket (https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/north-carolina-is-latest-gop-controlled-state-to-announce-a-gerrymander/).

Thank you to all our new friends in Wilson. And, a special thank you to the beautiful new boutique hotel, the Harriss, for hosting us. It was the most plush and luxe stay of our tour!