A Celebration of Appalachian Culture

by Frank Princesa

People checking out the Explorations Tent, featuring local artisans and
environmental organizations at the annual Appalachian Festival
sponsored by Frostburg State University and Maryland State Arts Council.

FROSTBURG - It was 71º and dark rain clouds loomed above Frostburg State University’s upper quad where the annual Appalachian Festival was being held. Despite the rainy forecast, many locals, students, and visitors gathered to celebrate and learn about Appalachian culture. Maddie, adorned with a flower crown she got from one of the stalls in the festival, said that she came to the festival to learn more about Appalachian culture. 

“I think it’s very interesting,” she said.

Maddie, a freshman student at Frostburg State, was just one of many people at the annual Appalachian Festival on Saturday, a three-day event sponsored by Frostburg State University and the Maryland State Arts Council. The festival featured many artists, bands, and singers, including the Grammy-award winning folk music duo, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer. Local businesses and food trucks were also in attendance, dishing up local food and craft beers for festivalgoers.

Jess Raney (left) and Lauren Mueller (right), are seen enjoying the
Appalachian Festival in Frostburg, MD.

The festival drew Jess Raney and Lauren Mueller, a pair of freshmen at Frostburg State. “Is it that obvious?” Lauren responded when I asked if it was their first year in Frostburg. They wanted to check out the festival after seeing flyers about it on campus.

“It’s really cute and homey!” proclaimed Jess when asked what she thought of the festival.

The line-up for Sowers Stage at the Appalachian Festival.

And then it started pouring. The expected rain sent people scrambling into tents, one of which was the Sowers Stage that West Virginia native Rachel Eddy was performing in. She was in the middle of a story when I joined her tent, talking about her five-year stint in Stockholm, Sweden.

“I lived in Stockholm for about five years, and I wanted to bring ‘home’ with me so I started playing my fiddle and banjo on the streets,” Rachel said, “and wouldn’t you know it, I found Swedish hillbillies to play weekly old time jams with me!”

The audience seemed to laugh louder the more jokes Rachel shared with them. “I met two people when I first started playing in the street weekly, and by the end of my five years there, I had twenty people joining me for weekly old time jams.” Rachel then started playing a song from her solo debut album, “Hands on the Plow.”

Rachel Eddy adjusts her banjo and tells a story before performing
at the Sowers Stage.

Greg Latta, who was supervising the Sowers Stage, said that he plays Rachel’s album on the radio station he manages on Frostburg State’s campus. “That girl – she’s got it,” Greg says about Rachel. He seems to be delighted that many young people were coming to the tent to listen to Rachel’s music.

“Five minutes!” Greg tells Rachel, signaling the conclusion of her set at the Sowers Stage so that the next performers can set up.

At the next tent over, the Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble were gathering people around their tent before they start teaching a group of brave volunteers how to clog dance. “Come up and dance with us!” said Eileen Carson, the founding director of Footworks, encouraging people to join her volunteers.

The Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble and several volunteers warming up
before the clog dancing workshop begins.

As the rain stopped and sunny skies were revealed, people resumed roaming around the festival grounds: humming to the distinct sounds of banjos, violins, and clog dancing – all with huge smiles on their faces.

frankprincesa@gmail.com
Twitter: @FrankPrincesa