Oct
6
5:30 PM17:30

Lunsford Festival – Mars Hill, NC

5:30-7:30 PM - Community Square Dance

The Lunsford Festival is an all-day festival celebrating regional music and dance traditions. The event is the second oldest folk festival in Western North Carolina and was named in honor of cofounder Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Lunsford was a musician and folklorist who dedicated his life to collecting and promoting the music of the Southern Appalachians. Through his work he became known as the “Minstrel of the Appalachians.” The festival, which is now in its 51st year, brings out the region’s finest musicians and dancers.  Join us in honoring the rich cultural traditions of the Southern Appalachians!

10:00-5:00: Concert on the Upper Quad
1:00-2:00: Fiddle, Banjo, and Guitar Workshops
1:30-3:30: Ballad Swap, Peterson
2:30-3:45: Open Jam, Anderson Amphitheatre
5:30-7:30: Community Dance, Chambers Gym

For more information, please contact Leila Weinstein at (828) 689-1115 or lweinstein@mhu.edu.

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Aug
18
10:00 AM10:00

Dare To Be Square – Abingdon, Virginia

Dare to Be Square, a day of square dance-related workshops and an evening dinner and community square dance will be held at the Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center on Saturday, August 18, 2018 from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. Registration begins at 9:30 am. This event will focus on all aspects of traditional square dancing including dance calling, musical accompaniment, and organizing dances, and will highlight the social aspects of dancing. 

The event will explore regional traditional dance styles including Appalachian circle dances, square dances, and solo flatfloot dancing. Participants are encouraged to wear closed-toed, comfortable shoes.

Workshops will include: Beginner Flatfoot, Beginning Calling, Playing for Dances, Advanced Square Dancing, and Organizing a Dance. Presenters include Phil Jamison, Rich Kirby, Tyler Hughes, and Rodney Sutton, and music will be presented by the Empty Bottle String Band. Cost is $30 for the day. 

Lunch is on your own in downtown Abingdon or bring your own, and a baked chicken dinner (with vegetarian option) will be served at 5:00 pm at the 4-H Center. Those interested in the dinner should RSVP for dinner by August 3. Cost is $10.

A Community Dance with a beginner’s lesson will be held at 6:30 pm. All are welcome. There is a $5 suggested donation for dance-only participants.

Dare to Be Square is presented by The Crooked Road and sponsored by the Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center, the Ratcliffe Foundation, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Dominion Energy ArtStars, and the Wayne C. Henderson Scholarship Program.

For more information or to make a dinner reservation call (276) 492-2409 or email: admin@thecrookedroad.org.

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