News Release
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Lisa Desatnik, 513-984-5474, 513-262-4062
HYPERLINK "mailto:lisadesatnik@gmail.com" lisadesatnik@gmail.com
Bill Mefford, 513-771-1994
PUBLIC CONTACT: 513-251-3378 HYPERLINK "http://www.appalachianfestival.org" www.appalachianfestival.org
Mountain Music, Crafts, Food and History
Highlight 42nd Appalachian Festival
At Coney Island May 6-7-8
CINCINNATI, OH – Mother’s Day weekend is shaping up to be as fun as ever with the 42nd edition of the popular Appalachian Festival ready to go May 6-7-8 at historic Coney Island.
The three-day family event -- presented by The Appalachian Community Development Association to help raise awareness of Appalachian culture – re-creates authentic mountain life with down-home music, dance, storytelling, food and crafts. Appalachian heritage runs deep throughout this entire region with more than 300,000 people claiming Appalachian ancestry.
Music All The Time
Fantastic foot-stompin’ music from the hills, performed by great bluegrass artists, fills the air all three days of the festival. Headlining this year’s music lineup is Steve Bonafel & One Iota. The group has several successful bluegrass albums, including “Anthem Of A Family Tree,” and in 2010 performed throughout Ireland on a 12-city tour. The group will perform twice on Saturday – at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on the festival’s River Stage.
Numerous other talented mountain music acts also are booked for this year’s festival. The music lineup features Beans and Cornbread, Bear Foot, Calamity Rain, Comet Bluegrass All Stars, The Corncobs, Farmhand, Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz, The James Family and Kyle Meadows. Additional performers include Ma Crow, Missy Werner, OK Ramblers, Rabbit Hash, Steve Adkisson and Kentucky Wonder, Warren & Judy Waldren, and Wild Carrot & The Roots Band. (For entertainer biographies, photos and performance times see the festival’s website, HYPERLINK "http://www.appalachianfestival.org" www.appalachianfestival.org.)
The Appalachian Festival even invites audience participation. On Friday at 4 p.m. there will be an “open mike” session on the River Stage for those who want to make their own music in front of a crowd.
The distinctive sound of dulcimers will chime throughout the festival with Friday mid-morning performances by the Campbell Ridge Elementary Dulcimers and the Walton Verona Swingin’ Dulcimers.
On Sunday, there is a morning worship service beginning at 10 a.m. followed by some good old-timey gospel singing led by Ginny Hawker.
Dance Lessons Available
Ever wanted to learn how to allemande left, promenade or DoSaDo? Now you can. Visitors can benefit from a special program of square dance instruction by the Spirit of America Cloggers Friday at 12:30 p.m. and again at 6 p.m. at the Lost River Pavillion.
Dance performances include Spirit of America Cloggers Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and by Harkie’s Hoedowners Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Also on the schedule: Hoosier Hoedowner Cloggers (Saturday, 4:30 p.m.), Sugar Foot Cloggers (Sunday, 11:30 a.m.), Five Points Cloggers (Sunday, 2:30 p.m.) and the Jubilee Cloggers (Sunday, 3:30 p.m.).
A significant aspect of Appalachian life in days gone by was the cultured art of storytelling, a mountain version of today’s internet and cell phones. Storytellers carried tales from village to village, and that skill is re-lived all three days at this year’s festival with some of the best yarn-spinners around, including Rick Carson, Cynthia Changaris, Hannah Sue Cooper, Omope Daboiku, Stephen Hollen, Paul Ingram, Jack’s Mama, Sandy Messerly and members of the Greater Cincinnati Storytelling Guild.
Great Homemade Gifts For Mom
The annual Appalachian Festival is always an amazing shopping experience. More than 100 hand-crafters and gift-makers come from all over the entire Appalachian region (many of them first-time festival vendors) to display their unique wares and meet the public. It’s a great opportunity for everyone in the family to find that perfect gift for mom.
Visitors will be able to choose from an impressive array of crafts, including hand-made quilts and clothing, wooden furniture and bowls, pottery, metal sculptures, hand-crafted jewelry, leather goods, stained glass, musical instruments, baskets, handmade dolls, and much more.
A talented collection of fiber arts’ specialists in weaving, drop spinning, braiding and loom work will also be on hand making and selling their goods.
In addition, several artisans who are traditional arts demonstrators will be creating on-site unique items from the mountain culture, showing the public the lost arts of spinning, weaving, making baskets, turning and carving bowls, carving chairs, and more.
History On Display
Always one of the most popular attractions at the festival, the large “Living History Village” features period re-enactors, some 50 families camping just as their Appalachian forebearers did 150+ years ago. The pioneer re-enactors will demonstrate mountain life in the 1800s through authentic dress, living quarters and activities. Many demonstrators with old-time skills will be on hand, from blacksmiths, soap-makers, spinners, weavers, ice cream and butter makers and many others spread throughout the entire area.
The living history area is a special place for kids, too. Children have a blast with educational and fun hands-on demonstrations, including mining for gems, fingerweaving (a HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_of_the_Americas"Native American art form used mostly to create belts, sashes, straps, and other similar items through a non-loom weaving process) and making apple butter. Additional activities include making cornmeal, flintnapping, and pottery and rope making. As always, children can participate in historic games (sack races, tug-of-wars, and finding a needle in a haystack), watch “hawk throwing,” and learn Native American dances. There are also pony rides for kids and a petting zoo.
Also in the pioneer village, Native American Indian drum and dancing will be presented by All Nations Drum. The group upholds and promotes the spiritual, cultural and traditional values of the Native American heritage through drumming, dancing and storytelling. The dancing demonstrations are scheduled throughout the three days in the Living History Village.
Eating Your Way Through The Festival
Food’s on! And that means it is time for visitors to tuck in that napkin and begin enjoying the best mountain cooking around.
Visitors can start with a hardy breakfast of biscuits & gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage and bacon. Then the selection is endless, with country or smoked ham, Blazin' Red Fish, smoked pulled BBQ Pork, Blue Ridge Bangers (smoked sausage with peppers & onions), smoked beef or chicken pitas, butterfly pork chops, and grilled cheese. And yet there is more: soup beans, smoked turkey legs, fried chicken, and Jambalaya. And don’t forget the sweet potato fries, garlic mushrooms, beef jerky, cole slaw, baked beans, cornbread, mustard greens, country taters, Wooly-Wooly potatoes, green beans, macaroni & cheese, and various types of salads.
Those with a sweet tooth can try out the old-fashioned kettle corn, funnel cakes, German roasted almonds/cashews/pecans, homemade fudge (including diabetic recipe fudge), and giant caramel and candy apples.
Frugal Friday Offers Super Deal
The Appalachian Festival has always been known as a value-packed festival with modest ticket pricing. And now it is even better: Friday, May 6, is extra special with a half-price admission all day and night long. “Frugal Friday” pricing is adults $4, seniors $2, and children 4-11 $1 (children under 3 get free admission.) “For the budget conscious seeking a great value, Friday at the Appalachian Festival is hard to beat,” says Festival Chair Allison Raisor.
Pricing on Saturday and Sunday is adults $8, seniors, $4, children 4-11, $2.
Parking is $6.
Festival hours are Friday 9 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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