Culturefest celebrates 11 years

Students, faculty, and staff who are looking for an activity to do this upcoming weekend (Sept. 4-7) are in luck as the 11th annual Culturefest World Music & Arts Festival will be happening at the Appalachian Folklife Center in Pipestem (approximately 20 minutes from Concord).

Culturefest organizer, Lori McKinney is looking forward to the event. “Culturefest is a beautiful convergence of cre- ative energy. While it’s a festive and fun music & arts event, it’s also like a conference in that all kind of creative people come together and form meaningful, lasting relationships. It grows every year, of course, and we are looking forward to the 11th annual, one to remember,” organizer Lori McKinney says.

Culturefest is a convergence of creative people fromall around both the state of West Virginia and neighbor- ing states, with the purpose of gathering to appreciate the opportunity to bring people together in the celebration of music and the arts. The festival is an extension of the growing and vibrant community in downtown Princeton led by The RiffRaff Arts Collective. The event features multiple stages of music and dance per- formances representing Appa- lachian culture. WV Sky Tours will offer astronomy demon- strations with large telescopes, life-like dinosaur puppets, will be roaming the site all weekend, Aubergine Faeries will tell stories through dance and lead belly dance and dance workshops, Wee Ah Faerie Kin, enchanted stilt walkers, will sprinkle music and magic about, and fire dancers will light up the night.

There’s a children’s village complete with a special stage and full out costume parade throughout the site. Chil- dren’s activities include special yoga sessions, art workshops, crafts, an “open mic”, and a colorful costume parade. A series of facilitated discussions called “Conversations at Culturefest” will explore topics such as the interconnection of living beings and community resilience. Primitive camping is avail- able for the full weekend on site, and Pipestem State Park is less than five minutes from the venue.

A Culturefest volunteer, Briddy Blankenship has watched the festival transform over the past ten years. “People should come out to Culturefest because it is truly a unique ex- perience to be apart of. I have never been this excited for its arrival. There is such diversity in the performances and en- tertainment this year, and it is great for all ages.”

Full weekend pass tickets are available for $40 at the gate, including camping. Children’s full weekend pass is $15 for ages 12 and under, while kids five and under are free. The event is presented by LLyniuM entertainment with assistance from Star-95, Adventure Radio, WVVA, Little Buddy Radio, and Princeton Health Care Center, to name a few. To view day ticket princes and/or the schedule of events visit the festivals’ website at culturefestwv.com