Experience Solitude as Contested Space through Its Folklife, Folk Music, and Folklore

Experience the multiethnic and multiracial folklife heritage of the Solitude site on the Virginia Tech campus through European, African, and Native American music, material lore, storytelling, crafts, and food traditions of Virginia’s New River Valley from the ante bellum period to the present. In weaving an overlaying set of traditions, expect West African food samplings, mid 18th century fare of the rich and poor Germans and Scotch-Irish of the area, and tastes of the Native American cuisines of the area. Throughout the day, listen to or participate in storytelling, music, and dances from these different traditions as well. Metal, wood, and fiber craft demonstrators will also be available to show how to make fireplace pokers, weave and dye cloth, and make various children’s dolls and whistles. Updated tours of the site will also be available. Come away from the day-long festivities with a deeper understanding of how the legacy of ethnicity, race, and social class relations intersected in ways that shaped the area and the region then and now. The Solitude events are sponsored by the Solitude Preservation Fund and Virginia Tech’s Appalachian Studies Program. BACK TO ALL EVENTS