The 12th annual Culturefest World Music and Arts Festival will take over Appalachian South Folklife Center in Pipestem, WV from Thursday, September 10th to Sunday the 13th with a weekend long oasis in the creative arts. This unique event is a cornerstone of the blossoming creative community in Southern West Virginia.
It features four stages of music and dance performances by artists from all around the region ranging from Americana and Appalachian Folk to Soul-Rock, Funk, Jazz and World Fusion to experimental genres like Quantum Dub and Prism-Wave-Rock. Bands include Dark Water Rising, Primate Fiasco (pictured above right), Qiet, Photosynthesizers, and WV’s Motion Theatre. In addition to performances, the festival offers workshops in yoga, drumming, belly dance, electronic music, up-cycled art and more, plus facilitated discussions called “Conversations at Culturefest” on topics such as ayurveda, solar power and medicinal plants. Dakota & Friends, life-like dinosaur puppets, will be roaming the site all weekend and astronomer Dave Buhrman of WV Sky Tours will be on hand with his telescopes for star and planet gazing. Aubergine Faeries (pictured above left) will tell stories through dance and fire spinners will light up the night.
Artisans will vend their wares from handmade clothing to jewelry to fine art and much more. The children’s village will feature special yoga classes, found object art, a maker’s class for PV-asaurus led by dinosaur wrangler Ed Bounds, a kids’ costume parade led by a fairy on stilts and more. Inflatable furniture lounges make relaxing spots to kick back and relax, and provide shelter so the fun can continue in case of rain. Guests may camp on site for the weekend, and immerse themselves in the colorful experience in the beautiful WV mountains. The goal of the festival is to promote unity and respect for diversity, and bring people together though music and the arts.
Don’t miss this fun event in Pipestem!
LBSPY, September 2015.
HASHTAGWV ART & ENTERTAINMENT Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Christina Entenmann-Edwards has been a WV resident since September 2008. She was born and raised in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and is no stranger to hard work and the entrepreneurial spirit. In 2006, she graduated from Quinnipiac University (Hamden, Connecticut), Cum Laude, with a B.A. in History. In 2010, she graduated with an M.B.A. from Liberty University (Lynchburg, Virginia). In February 2012, Christina launched HashtagWV as the area’s first full-color, free arts and entertainment tabloid + online platform. Christina completed the Leadership West Virginia class of 2021, which is an innovative program that grows, engages, and mobilizes leaders to ignite a life passion to move West Virginia forward.