Appalachian String Band Music Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Appalachian String Band Music Festival |
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The main stage at the 2007 Appalachian String Band Music Festival
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| Genre | old-time music |
| Dates | founded 1990 |
| Location(s) | New River Gorge in West Virginia |
| Years active | 1990-present |
| Founded by | Will Carter and The WV Division of Culture & History |
| Attendance | 4000 |
| Website | Official site: http://www.wvculture.org/stringband/index.html |
The Appalachian String Band Music Festival, often called "Clifftop", is a fun week-long event. Thousands of musicians and their friends gather here. They come from all over the country and the world. Every year since 1990, they meet near the New River Gorge in West Virginia. This festival celebrates old-time music and the people who love it. It's a place to keep old traditions alive and create new ones.
About the Festival
The Clifftop festival offers many exciting activities. You can find contests for different instruments like fiddle and banjo. There are also contests for traditional and new bands. You can even join in flatfoot dancing contests!
Besides the competitions, there's lots more to do. You can learn new skills in workshops. There are also concerts and square dancing. Some people enjoy yoga, basket making, or hymn singing.
But the real magic of the festival happens in the campsites. Here, old-time music is played all the time. You'll hear many kinds of acoustic music. This includes Americana, Cajun, Celtic, swing, and bluegrass. Sometimes, people even start dancing right there!
The festival officially begins on a Wednesday. But many people arrive the weekend before. They set up their campsites early. Music often plays through the night in these camps.
One special part of the festival is the Neo-Traditional Band Contest. This happens on Friday. Bands get high scores for being creative. They mix old-time music with new sounds and instruments.
Over the years, many famous musicians have visited Clifftop. Some are from Nashville, like John Hartford and Tim O'Brien. Legendary old-time musicians like Melvin Wine and Lester McCumbers have also been there. Newer generations of musicians, like Jake Krack, also attend.
The festival takes place every summer. It is held at Camp Washington-Carver Complex in Clifftop, Fayette County, West Virginia. The West Virginia Division of Culture and History helps put on this event.
See also
- List of bluegrass music festivals
