Appalachian Festival Brings Together Campus and Town

Noah DeMichele / September 15, 2018 / 1.8k

Frostburg State University (FSU) and Festival Director Kara Rogers Thomas held the 13^th annual Appalachian Festival this week on the Upper Quad. The event centers around Appalachian culture and history to bring the community together in a unique way.

Thursday’s festivities featured The Brownsville Project: A Theatrical Production. Clory Jackson and Caroline Hann performed to display the history of Brownsville, a former African-American community with roots on FSU’s campus. The performance served to dive into race, class, gender, and family pride.

The Appalachian Festival was filled with events and discussions on Friday beginning with “Hidden History: A Tour of Brownsville.” Lynn Bowman, the guide of the Brownsville tour, is a renowned author, having written four books on African-American history in Allegany County. Then, Ed Maliskas took the audience through three critical moments in African-American history with, “John Brown to James Brown- The Little Farm Where Liberty Budded, Blossomed and Boogied.” Maliskas focuses on the the Kennedy Farm in Western Maryland, the abolitionist John Brown, and the Black Elks’ use of their property during the civil rights movement.

Next, Queer Appalachia Project Directors Gina Mahome and Kayleigh Phillips spoke to celebrate queer voices from both Appalachia and the South. After that, Maggie Elehwany, Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy for the National Rural Association, delivered a speech on the inequality of health care in rural Appalachian areas. To wrap up Friday’s festivities, The Sustainable Agriculture Entrepreneurship program illustrated both local and global practices of food while “Revelations: A Celebration of Appalachian Resiliency” gave performances during dinner.

Saturday was full of musical performances from a wide range of artists playing at two different stages on the upper quad. The music drew crowds from the local community and FSU community alike, creating a community atmosphere between both the town and the university.

The Appalachian Festival had plenty of activities for all ages. Over by Guild Hall, was a goat pen were children could see farm animals and then paint goat shaped silhouettes to harvest creativity. Ray Owen put on a children’s show inviting kids to sing along to stories about Appalachian history.

Food was in abundance with local food trucks dominating the scene at the festival. Chicken Coupe, Kahler’s Kitchen, Brian’s Hot Dogs, Rita’s Italian Ice, and Savage Mountain Farm all provided festival goers with a wide range of options to snack on as they enjoyed the events around the festival.

Vendors and artisans also were present at the festival showcasing their talents, many of whom are specific to Appalachian culture. Ranging from Sunnyland Music and Multicultural Arts to weaving to Mountain Dulcimers, there was something for everyone to enjoy from the artisans at Appalachian Festival. Frostburg State University fraternity Kappa Delta Rho was also present enjoying the festival while raising money for their chapter.