A month-long exploration of Appalachian culture will take place in Shepherdstown this September, with events spanning visual art, music, storytelling, and literature. Three related programs — an Experience Appalachia art exhibit, the Appalachian Heritage Festival, and the Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence — will offer opportunities to engage with the region’s history and living traditions.
The Experience Appalachia exhibit runs September 5 through September 30 on the second level of the Shepherdstown Welcome Center in the Market House on North King Street. Curated to highlight the diversity of Appalachian experience, the show brings together works from regional artists that reflect both traditional and contemporary perspectives on place, identity, and craft. Admission is free during the Welcome Center’s open hours. Additional works are planned to be displayed in participating businesses. An opening reception will be held at the Welcome Center on Friday, September 5, 4:00 – 6:00 pm.
Now in its 29th year, Shepherd University’s Appalachian Heritage Festival (September 12 – 14) comes to downtown Shepherdstown and will feature performances, workshops, and community gatherings. The festival opens Friday with self-guided walking tours, art exhibits, and opportunities to explore local shops.
Festival attendees will also enjoy performances by some of Appalachia’s most celebrated artists. Storyteller Bil Lepp, five-time champion of the West Virginia Liars’ Contest and host of the History Channel’s Man vs. History, will bring his humorous, family-friendly tales to Reynolds Hall Auditorium. Old-time musician Ben Townsend, a Shepherd University alumnus and veteran performer of traditional West Virginia music, blends folk traditions with modern musical innovations and shares his skills as a mentor to the next generation of musicians. Dance enthusiasts can join Kim Forry and Jan Scopel for workshops in flatfooting and Appalachian dance, drawing on years of experience performing and teaching across the region and internationally. Banjoist Joshua “Josh” Jimmerson, whose playing blends the rhythms of South Georgia gospel with Appalachian roots, will add his own distinctive voice to the festival’s musical lineup.
On Saturday, September 13, highlights include a Gospel brunch (all voices welcome) at Alma Bea Restaurant, a flatfooting and clogging workshop, a program on the roots of the banjo, and Bil Lepp’s storytelling performance, followed by the evening Festival Showcase Concert on the outdoor stage on North King Street. The Appalachian heritage theme continues into Sunday’s Shepherdstown Farmers Market, open hours at the Shepherdstown Historic Museum, and the 80th anniversary celebration of the Shepherdstown Community Club catered by Alma Bea.
From September 22–26, Cherokee author Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle will visit as this year’s Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence. The author of Even As We Breathe and numerous essays and short stories, Clapsaddle is the first enrolled citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to publish a novel. Her public appearances in Shepherdstown will include “The Writing Life” discussion and book signing on Wednesday, September 24, at the Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education, and the Scarborough Society Lecture and Awards Ceremony on Thursday, September 25, where she will receive the Appalachian Heritage Writer’s Award. Additional events will connect her with local book clubs, students, and readers.
Most events are free; donations are welcome.
Event Links
- Experience Appalachia exhibit and related events (Shepherdstown.info)
- Writer-in-Residence program (Shepherd University)
- Appalachian Heritage Festival (Shepherd University)