40th Swappin? Meetin? to be October 1-2
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College is making preparations
to host the 40th installment of the Kingdom Come Swappin? Meetin? set for Friday
and Saturday, Oct. 1-2 on the campus at Cumberland.
The festival, which each autumn draws thousands of people from throughout the
region, state and beyond, pays tribute to the ideals and customs of the region
and honors local craftsmen and musicians who perform the toe-tapping
traditional music of the Central Appalachian Mountains.
According to Michael Corriston, event coordinator for the past 12 years, the
Kingdom Come Swappin? Meetin? has developed into one of the most popular fall
festivals held within the borders of the commonwealth. The 2004 edition, he
says, will feature many new vendors, demonstrations and exhibitors, as well as a
full slate of musicians performing during the two-day event. The new faces are
certain to blend together with the many long-time and trusted participants,
ensuring enjoyment for everyone who attends.
With a backdrop of towering, arching mountains extending into the distance
and splashed with the profuse and dazzling colors of autumn, the Kingdom Come
Swappin? Meetin? is sure to bring delight to all who partake. ?The 2004 edition is
sure to be the best ever,? said Bruce Ayers, president of Southeast, who has
been an active participant and host for the event for the better part of 35 years.
?There will be something for everyone,? he said, ?we work hard to make the
Swappin? Meetin? a fun time for the hundreds of folks who come to the campus to
sample a unique blend of Appalachian crafts, music, cuisine, folklore and fun.?
Demonstrations for the event will provide a glimpse into the past with local
artisans displaying their distinctive crafting skills; handiwork that has been done
for generations throughout the Appalachian Mountains.
Demonstrations will include the cooking of cane to make sorghum, blacksmithing,
chair making, chair bottom manufacturing, basket weaving, split rail fencing,
wash board laundering, pottery and raku pottery, spinning, weaving, spinning
tops, sheep herding, peddle powered sewing and butter churning.
Participants are also invited to enter a variety of contests that include pickles, jam
and jellies, checkers, baked goods, photography, best pumpkin, hog calling and
quilting. Painstakingly hand-crafted quilts will be displayed in the gallery of the
Godbey Appalachian Center during the festival, with artwork created by
elementary and middle schools students slated to be displayed in the hallway of
Chrisman Hall.
Also, for this year, nature hikes will be directed by Kingdom Come State Park
naturalist Rick Fuller, in addition to a visit to the Swappin? Meetin? by the circuit
riding preacher; folk dancing and a performances by the Sugar and Spice
Cloggers will be presented.
Good old mountain, toe-tapping music, will be served in large amounts
during the two-day event. Arthur Johnson returns as master of ceremonies and
will also perform from the outdoor stage. Regulars such as Roy Harper, who has
played for the past 15 years at the Swappin? Meetin?, and Dovie Sowards, Terry
Gilliam and John McIntosh, are among a cast of artists who will perform their
lively and always entertaining renditions of various contemporary and ageless
Appalachian melodies.
Berea?s Jennifer Rose returns after missing the ?03 festival, and the ensemble of
Tyler Smith and Open Flames, which includes students enrolled at Southeast
Kentucky Community and Technical College, are scheduled to appear.
Presentations by the Tri-City Messengers and Praise always enthuse and
entertain, and an appearance by 10-year-old Tessa Evans will surely be a
delight.
As in past festivals, individuals who have played significant roles to ensure
the success of the Kingdom Come Swappin? Meetin? will be singled out. Anne
Carr, a professor of English at the college for over three decades and also the
long-time coordinator of the quilt contest and exhibition, will be honored as the
2004 Swappin? Meetin? Honoree. She will be honored during a ceremony at noon
on Oct. 2.
The winner of the Savanna Delph Award will be conferred to Mary Creech.
Ms. Creech has been a participant in numerous festivals, and for the past 17
years she has demonstrated to festivalgoers how to make apple cider and apple
butter. She operates the Apple Tree farm located at Blair.
The Savanna Delph Award was named in honor of the Tennessean who
participated in 23 Swappin? Meetins? until her death in 2000. Others who have
received the award include the late Mike Lee (2001), and Ray and Meldia
Miracle. Last year, Robert Smith, a wood carver from southwest Virginia, was the
recipient of the award.
Indian teachings and traditions will be taught and honored as Chief Kicking Eagle
is slated to make an appearance. Cherokee exhibits will also be showcased, and
buffalo burgers will be available for sampling.
Participants of the Kingdom Come Swappin? Meetin? will also be treated to a
performance of ?Mountain Tales & Music? by the acclaimed Roadside Theater
troupe. Performances are slated for Friday, Oct. 1 with show times set for 9:30
and 11:30 a.m.
Sponsored by Southeast?s GearUp Program, ?Mountain Tales & Music? is a play
whose characters take a determined look at the Central Appalachian Mountains
through the eyes of those who settled the area. The play is based on oral folk
tales and songs that have been passed down from generation to generation.
When Cecil Sharp, the noted British collector of folks songs and stories came to
Appalachia at the turn of the 20th Century, he discovered that the region had
maintained a closer contact with the European ballad and storytelling traditions
than those living overseas. Roadside?s storytellers are from Appalachia and
learned their stories and songs from family members.
The ensemble, performing nationally since 1975, tells its tales in the
storytelling/theater style that the company developed for the purpose of
supporting its Appalachian oral tradition. The performances are being offered
free of charge.
In addition to exploring one?s Appalachian roots, participants to the festival will
have the opportunity to enjoy rides on an authentic hay wagon and will be able to
master the mechanical bull. The Harlan County Cooperative Extension Office will
sponsor games and an appearance by Kentucky Kate, a mechanized milk cow.
An assortment of mouth-watering food will be served during the two-day event,
including a soup bean dinner dished up Saturday in the grille located in the
basement of Falkenstine Hall.
To mark the 40th Swappin? Meetin?, a commemorative pin has been designed and
will be sold at the festival. Additionally, the official 2004 festival T-shirt will also be
available to the public. Sponsors of the pin are Commercial Bank and Home
Federal Bank.
Swappin? Meetin? coordinator Corriston noted that generous supporters from the
area allow the festival to grow and continue to thrive. He said BB&T is
sponsoring the manufacturing of T-shirts, while the local utility LG&E is helping
pay expenses to obtain the services of some of the musicians.
The Cumberland Tourism Commission has also pitched in to help operate the
festival along with aid provided by Kentucky Mine Supply Co., and Southern
Wholesale in helping with operating costs for the cane squeezing and sorghum-
cooking exhibition that will be located behind the baseball field.
?We will have something for everyone to enjoy at the 40th Kingdom Come
Swappin? Meetin?, said Corriston. ?Come out and have a great time, see old
friends, make new ones, and celebrate the centuries old Appalachian traditions
through music, art and crafts. You won?t be sorry!?
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