Lunsford Festival: Lunsford Award - Mars Hill University

Lunsford Award

Freeman holding her award at the 2019 Lunsford Festival

Because the festival is cancelled for 2020, we are going to wait until 2021 to award the next Lunsford Award, as we want the recipient to be able to fully enjoy the moment and all that goes with it.

Congratulations to Loretta Freeman, recipient of the 2019 Lunsford Award!

Freeman’s roots are deep in Appalachian culture. She comes from a long line of dancers and traditional musicians, and she is known for developing her own style of Appalachian dance that combines buck dancing, flatfoot, and traditional clogging. She has danced with Mars Hill University’s Bailey Mountain Cloggers and the Southern Mountain Fire Cloggers, among other teams. She serves as chair of the Folk Heritage committee, a group of volunteers who’ve kept the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival (founded by Bascom Lamar Lunsford in 1928) going for 92 years and Shindig on the Green for its 53-year run.

Loretta Freeman comes from a long line of dancers and traditional musicians. Her father (Gordon Freeman), uncle (Arvil Freeman), and brother (Terry Freeman) are all prior recipients of the Lunsford Award, and Loretta is helping to make sure those family traditions continue. Her daughters Lynsey and Lauren also clog, and son Dexter plays the guitar. Both Loretta and Lynsey have been recognized by America’s Clogging Hall of Fame as All-American Cloggers.

The Lunsford Award will be presented on the main stage of the Lunsford Festival on Oct. 5, 2019, at 11:00 am.

The Bascom Lamar Lunsford Award has been given out since 1980 to individuals who have made significant contributions to the folk, musical, and/or dance traditions of the southern mountain region.

Past Winners

2018 Brian Hunter

2017 Jeff Atkins

2016 Carol Rifkin

2015 Peter Gott

2014 Nick Hallman

2013 George Banks

2012 Boyd Black / Kathryn Parham (Lunsford Youth Award)

2011 Paul Crouch

2010 David Shelton

2009 Leonard Hollifield

2008 Laura Boosinger