Appalachia: One Community, Many Passions

Food, performances, goats. Three words that can be used to describe the wide variety of things to experience at the Appalachian Festival Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. The festival catered to a wide range of ages, from young children to older adults and everyone in between. For the younger children and anyone who loves animals, there was the Capering Kids 4-H Goat Club. The group consists of younger and older people who volunteer as caretakers for the goats. Guests could go into the goat pen and spend time petting the goats. The group had white goat silhouette standups for children to paint on. Many of the children took advantage of this opportunity and made their own goat masterpieces. For more information on this group, check out their website. 

A few of the goats from the Capering Kids group

At the Folkways tent at 11 a.m., Dr. Birnie and her General Music Elementary Education class lead the workshop Learn to Play Dulcimer. “The Dulcimer is a folk instrument and many people play them in ensembles just for fun,” according to Carmen Grimes, one of the student instructors in the group. The workshop got the audience involved. Each student instructor individually taught a member of the audience how to play the songs while Dr. Birnie led the whole group in song after they had time to learn it. “It’s really easy and it’s actually a really cool instrument to play,” Grimes said. The audience and the people involved seemed to really enjoy playing the instrument. Dr. Birnie and the student instructors sang along to the songs they were playing. “If you’re feeling so inclined, you can sing with us,” Birnie told the participants before leading the group in a unique version of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. The crowd loved learning and listening to such a unique instrument.

Dr. Birnie leading the Learn to Play Dulcimer workshop

Carmen Grimes, a student instructor at the Learn to Play Dulcimer workshop

The many different options for food could be overwhelming but it’s impossible to go wrong with any of it. The Chicken Coupe food truck is a Frostburg staple. With many different options for food or beverages, there is a lot to choose from. Their lemonade, both original and strawberry, is freshly made from scratch. If you didn’t get a chance to try the food from The Chicken Coupe at the festival, don’t worry. The Chicken Coupe has a website and a Facebook page where you can learn more about them and follow their schedule of where the truck will be during the week. Follow their page and join their mailing list to stay in the know. Clatter Coffee is a recent addition to the Frostburg area. They have plenty to offer the community in the forms of coffee, tea, and delicious food. Check out Clatter’s website as well as their coffee shop if you’re interested in learning more or trying what they have.

The Clatter Coffe menu at the festival

The Chicken Coupe food truck

The Chicken Coupe menu at the festival

Overall, people love the festival and how involved the university is with the community. There was so much to see at the festival and it is impossible to cover it all. This community is so talented and so passionate about so many different things. Our community is thriving and we will continue to grow. There is the perfect mix of old traditions and new ones at this festival. The Appalachian Festival shows the best of the community and what we have to offer. “I really enjoy the Appalachian Festival because it’s a great way for college students to be immersed in the Appalachian culture and connect with the Frostburg community,” says FSU student Moriah King who attended the festival. The students at FSU as well as the members of the Frostburg community love the Appalachian Festival. It brings the best together and allows us to be proud of who we are. This festival is who we are and it is what we do. It is something to be proud of.