Screening of the documentary
'"I've Endured": The Music & Legacy of Ola Belle Reed'
August 27, 2025 7 pm
"Rendered in Place: History & Genealogy as Sacred Practices in the Folk Art of Reverend Jimmy Morrow"
Tuesday, September 9 from 5 to 6:30pm
Reece Museum
For 29 years, the Shepherd University Appalachian Heritage Festival has shared the diverse culture and history of our region through workshops and concert performances by our region's most outstanding cultural ambassadors. This year we have teamed up with Experience Shepherdstown to share a whole weekend of arts experiences in the heart of one of America's best small towns.
Writers Association of Northern Appalachia Writing Conference
Wheeling, West Virginia
September 19-20, 2025
Appalachian Heritage Writer in Residence September 23-26, 2025
The Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence participates in several community and residency events that are part of the Heritage Festival, September 22-29, 2025. Annette Sounooke Clapsaddle will receive the Appalachian Heritage Writer’s Award on the evening of September 25, 2025, funded by the WV Humanities Council.
Fall Writers Retreat with Willie Carver
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Troublesome Creek Writers’ Retreats offer a fun and relaxing weekend on the Hindman Settlement School campus during one of our most beautiful seasons. Facilitated by accomplished writers and authors, these retreats are kept small–between 12-15 participants–so that attendees can write in community, without the demands of a structured workshop, but still with the opportunity to participate in facilitated discussions and sessions. Here is an opportunity to write, read, and fellowship, away from the hustle of everyday life.
Join us for our first interactive outdoor experience - an intersection of Art, Sustainability, and Nature. Enjoy interactive art displays along our trails - illumination, inspiration, and community - dance under the stars to the whimsical melodies of the night, dine on locally sourced food, and get lost in the gloaming at Pine Mountain Settlement School. Children 12 and under are free. Adults and children 13 and older are $15.
Hip Hop in Appalachia Event
Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University
November 13, 2025
Hip-hop is alive and vital in Appalachia, a fact known to relatively few within—and fewer outside—this misunderstood region. Borrowing from a generations-old African American tradition of spoken word expression, rap and hip-hop echo a narrative of survival against all odds. These original, historical elements are deeply rooted in the fabric of Appalachia, blending into the backdrop of the region's musical character, yet revived and reintroduced by fresh talent with contemporary styles. Professor Ted Olson and performance artist geonovah will talk about hip hop in Appalachia, as well as the backstory of the album No Options: Hip Hop in Appalachia.This event will take place in Ferguson Health Sciences Building 306, on the campus of Mars Hill University. It is open to the public.
This year, we are excited to announce that we will be holding the Lunsford Festival as an indoor, evening, sit-down concert in Mars Hill University’s Moore Auditorium (this is due to construction taking place on the MHU campus). As always, the event will feature some of the region’s finest regional music and dance traditions and will be free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations are required. Doors will open at 6:30 pm and the show will begin at 7:00 pm.The Lunsford Festival is the second longest-running folk festival in Western North Carolina and was named in honor of Bascom Lamar Lunsford, who was a musician and folklorist who dedicated his life to collecting and promoting the music of Southern Appalachia. Please join us in honoring the rich cultural traditions of the Southern Appalachian Mountains! The Ramsey Center is a proud site on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina. Also, for a full day of Mars Hill fun, please check out the Madison Heritage Arts Festival hosted on the same day by our friends over at the Rotary Club!
Join Madison County's own NEA National Heritage Fellow Sheila Kay Adams as she shares spooky tales from right here in the Appalachian Mountains. This event will be in Moore Auditorium on the campus of Mars Hill University. The event is free and open to all and no reservations are required. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Please note: This event is not intended for children.Thank you to the Madison County Tourism Development Authority for helping to support this program.
Fall Writers Retreat with Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
​
Troublesome Creek Writers’ Retreats offer a fun and relaxing weekend on the Hindman Settlement School campus during one of our most beautiful seasons. Facilitated by accomplished writers and authors, these retreats are kept small–between 12-15 participants–so that attendees can write in community, without the demands of a structured workshop, but still with the opportunity to participate in facilitated discussions and sessions. Here is an opportunity to write, read, and fellowship, away from the hustle of everyday life.