History lovers, music lovers and Athens lovers will all be catered to this Friday and Saturday as the Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council presents the 10th annual Little Appalachian Spring.
The weekend aims to celebrate the area and to raise funds to maintain Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council operations such as educational programs, publications, archives and information services, said John Winnenberg, a founding member of the council.
The Little Cities of Black Diamonds Council aims to “gather, protect and share the stories of the boom-to-bust Hocking Valley Coal Region while developing its historical, cultural and environmental assets for the benefit of local citizens as well as visitors to the microregion,” Winnenberg said.
The celebrations kick off Friday night with a war reenactment by the Athens Civil War Celebration committee and a free concert featuring Civil War music by the Nelsonville-York High School band and choir at Stuart’s Opera House, 52 Public Sq.
Also opening Friday is “Little Cities: Sustained by Clay,” an exhibit at Stuart’s that emphasizes the role that the clay and brick industries play in the local economy.
“The clay industry helped to sustain the economy in the region through the ups and downs of coal production,” Winnenberg said. “It still sustains us today by providing a series of historic buildings featured in National Register of Historic Landmark Districts in Nelsonville, Shawnee and Haydenville, all featuring brick structures from the boom era that are in use today.”
Saturday morning will begin with the 6th annual Tour de Forest Benefit Bicycle Ride, which will contain scenic routes for all experience levels. After the ride, walking tours of the area will depart from Stuart’s.
The highlight of the weekend, Winnenberg said, will be the “Step into the Light!” show that will take place at Stuart’s Saturday night.
“This is the first time we have hosted this specific event,” said Brian Koscho, marketing and promotions coordinator at Stuart’s. “But we have worked with Little Cities of Black Diamonds on multiple projects and events in the past.”
Winnenberg said that all the music is culturally connected to the story of the region. Featured musical performer Adam Remnant’s work with Southwest Engine on their album Canary focused lyrically on Appalachian trials and culture.
“In general, Appalachia was being exploited for its natural resources for quite a long time, and by the time of the Depression these systems were no longer sustainable,” Remnant said in a press release.
Also playing Saturday are the Rattletrap String band and Celtic musicians from the Athens area. The music will be interspersed with living history characters telling the history of the area. Kathy Devecka, an organizer of the event, will “provide dramatic readings of oral histories collected from the daughters killed in Ohio’s largest mining disaster,” according to a press release.
ao007510@ohiou.edu
