Ramsey Center Upcoming Events

Winter’s Tune: Zoe & Cloyd with special guests Lillian Chase and Rhiannon Ramsey

Friday January 19, 2018, 7:00-9:00 pm

Broyhill Chapel on the campus of Mars Hill University

Warm up on a cold winter’s night with some old-time fiddling and mountain harmonies. Award-winning duo Zoe & Cloyd will be joined by two young fiddlers, Lillian Chase and Rhiannon Ramsey, who are carrying on the fine fiddling traditions of Madison County.

Zoe & Cloyd spring from deep roots in American music. Founding members of the acclaimed Americana trio Red June, Natalya Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller recently released their second full-length album, Eyes Brand New, which highlights their signature harmonies and has guest appearances from Will Straughan and Jens Kruger. Zoe & Cloyd’s debut recording,Equinox (2015), met with high acclaim and the pair have continued to gain momentum with a 1^st place win at the prestigious FreshGrass Festival Duo Contest, along with performances at MerleFest, Music City Roots and more.

At 13 and 14 years old, Lillian Chase and Rhiannon Ramsey are each carrying on the fiddling traditions of Madison County and western North Carolina. Lillian is from Weaverville and is a student of famed fiddler Arvil Freeman and frequently plays with Roger Howell and with Grammy Award-winner Bobby Hicks. Rhiannon lives in Madison County and studied fiddle with Natalya Weinstein and Arvil Freeman. Both have played at Shindig on the Green, the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival, and the Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Minstrel of Appalachia” Festival at Mars Hill University.

Doors will open at 6:30 pm and seating is first-come, first-served. Tickets are available here: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3119883​

For more information, please phone: 828.689.1115

Past Events:

Monday October 2, 3.30-5.30pm: Exhibition Opening: “Minstrel of Appalachia”: The Life and Legacy of Bascom Lamar Lunsford (October 2 – December 15, 2017), Ramsey Center, Renfro Library

The Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies will begin its week-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival with the opening of a brand new exhibition, “Minstrel of Appalachia”: The Life and Legacy of Bascom Lamar Lunsford, a selection of artifacts and photographs curated from the Ramsey Center’s Southern Appalachian Archives. Join us for remarks from President Lunsford, refreshments, live music, and a special surprise.

Tuesday October 3, 6.30-7.30pm: “Fiddlers Among the Rhododendron: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1882-1973) and the Politics of Culture in Asheville, 1927-1928,” Ramsey Center, Renfro Library
Noted Appalachia scholar Dr. David Whisnant will speak about the life of Bascom Lamar Lunsford and the cultural, historical, and political context in which the Rhododendron Festival and Lunsford’s Mountain Dance and Folk Festival were begun. The event is free and all are welcome.

Whisnant is the author of several books, including Modernizing the Mountaineer: People, Power, and Planning in Appalachia and All That is Native and Fine: The Politics of Culture in an American Region. He holds appointments in English, folklore, American Studies, Latin American Studies, and Communications Studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Wednesday October 4, 7.00pm: Festivals on Vinyl: Listening Party at Stackhouse Restaurant
Join us for a night out at Stackhouse Restaurant, 37 S Main Street in Mars Hill. We’ll be digging deep into the Southern Appalachian Archives and spinning records from the past 50 years of the Lunsford Festival! Old-time and bluegrass musicians will be on-hand to talk through the music on the records and to answer any questions. The event is free and all are welcome.

Thursday October 5, 7.00-8.00pm: Swing Your Partner: Old-Time Dance Calls, Figures, and Steps with the Bailey Mountain Cloggers, Broyhill Chapel
The Bailey Mountain Cloggers will bring to life some of the dance formations and calls Bascom Lamar Lunsford collected and wrote about. And… if you are feeling like shaking a leg yourself, there might even be a chance for a bit of audience participation!

Since their founding in 1974, Mars Hill’s Bailey Mountain Cloggers have performed traditional Southern dance all over the world and have earned a reputation for clogging excellence.

Friday October 6, 7.00pm: 50 Years: Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Minstrel of Appalachia” Festival, Moore Auditorium
Join us for an evening of top-notch old-time and bluegrass music, including performances from Whitewater Bluegrass, The Midnight Plowboys, the Bailey Mountain Cloggers, and fiddlers Rhiannon Ramsey and Roger Howell. The evening will also include special tributes to Bascom Lamar Lunsford and Fiddlin’ Bill Hensley, as well as the presentation of the Lunsford Award to clogger Jeff Atkins.

Ticket costs are: $5/children under 12, and $10/general public in advance, $12 at the door. To purchase a ticket, please visit www.bascomlunsfordfestival.wordpress.com or phone us on 828.689/1115.

Saturday October 7, 10.00am-4.00pm: 50 Years: Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Minstrel of Appalachia” Festival, Upper Quad
Join us to celebrate 50 years of the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival! The day is free of charge and will feature a wonderful lineup of musicians and dancers, the annual Ballad Swap (1.30-3.30pm), as well as vendors, refreshments, and crafts on the beautiful Upper Quad of the Mars Hill University Campus.

Thursday October 26, 7:30-9pm: A Night of Appalachian Ghost Stories
Fiddlers’ Rock: A Night of Appalachian Ghost Stories, presented by the Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies in partnership with the Campus Activities Board

Grab a blanket and a friend and all the bravery you can muster, and come gather round the campfire to hear storyteller Jim Lloyd share spine-tingling mountain tales about otherworldly fiddlers and ghostly train conductors.

Jim Lloyd was raised in the coalfields of western Virginia, and comes to us from Rural Retreat, Virginia, where he operates Lloyd’s Barber Shop, a local gathering spot for collecting and trading tunes, stories, and songs. His musical roots extend back through at least four generations of fiddlers, guitar players, dancers, and singers from the mountains of Virginia and West Virginia.

The campfire is located on the Chapel Field, directly behind Broyhill Chapel. Keep in mind the event is outside, so be sure to dress for the weather.

For more information, please contact Leila Weinstein, Ramsey Center Program Coordinator, on 828.689.1115 or lweinstein@mhu.edu