Appalachia’s Bright Future 2.0 is this coming weekend

Weekend activities will showcase local efforts to build diverse and sustainable economy

What does Kentucky’s longest-running community square dance have to do with Appalachia’s Bright Future?

Since 1967, Mike and Marcia Caudill, now both retired educators, have helped run the community square dance that takes places monthly in the Carcassonne community of rural Letcher County. Mike acknowledges that the square dance “celebrates the past” with old-time music and traditional dance. And it takes place in an old one-room schoolhouse built by Mike’s grandfather in an area rife with Civil War-era history and houses.

But they and others say the unique cultural experiences that Appalachia offers are as much about the future as about the past.

“It’s such a celebration of what makes this place so special,” said local artist and musician Carrie Wells. “In a way it’s like the past, but also something in our culture that’s being passed down to the next generation. It helps us see why it’s so important to preserve this culture because it’s so unique. It becomes our future just as it has been our past.”

The Saturday night square dance, including dinner at the Caudills’ 200-year-old house, is among the events for the Appalachia’s Bright Future weekend. Organizers describe the weekend as “a transition adventure, a multi-day tour and celebration that will give participants the opportunity to meet and learn directly from people and communities on both sides of Pine Mountain who are working to build a healthy and diverse local economy.”

Events on Saturday morning and afternoon will focus on efforts to build a local economy that enables people do well in communities where they choose to live. It will explore many of the factors that make communities desirable places to live – from good jobs to a diversity of cultural opportunities to ways for people to plug in and help make a difference.

After a morning group workshop, participants will be given more than 20 options for places they can visit during the day to learn about some of the unique and important endeavors taking place in Harlan and Letcher counties. (See list at www.kftc.org/abf/2014-program)

Tour stops are categorized as “arts and culture” or “food and energy” related and include crafts co-ops, art studios, places where music and culture are celebrated, coal mining exhibits, local food production and an energy efficiency project, among others.

Before heading off to the dinner and square dance in Carcassonne, participants will have a chance to gather again to reflect and share insights from the day.

“Folks will get to see what’s already existing and some history alongside of new developments,” Wells said. “Empty real estate is being filled up by new businesses and we’re growing again. You’ll see some really fine examples of what can be done in an area, helping it to be successful.”

“ABF will showcase businesses or tourist activities that are unique to Appalachia,” added Caudill. “I’m optimistic about Whitesburg pulling out of the bust. It’s good to see new businesses open up. We know that coal will in our lifetime remain a dominant force, but at some point we have to look into our future when coal is not the major chapter of our economy and decide what we are going to do to get ready for that.”

Caudill, Wells and others see music contributing to both the culture and the economy of the area. Appalshop has worked to preserve and celebrate the culture for several decades, and new businesses have opened to serve old-timers as well as an influx of younger musicians and artists who have decided to stay or come into the area.

“There’s a revival of youth in the area,” said Wells, herself among them. “It’s important that we keep them in the area rather than driving them out with a lack of jobs.”

Other activities during the weekend include a Friday night awards ceremony in Lynch (Harlan County) honoring Bennie Massey and Stanley Sturgill, two KFTC members who have worked for many years to protect the region’s land, water, workers and communities. The Appalachian Community Fund is presenting them with Eastern Kentucky Appalachian Hero Awards for their commitment to civic engagement and social justice in eastern Kentucky. The celebration will take place at the Eastern Kentucky Social Club in Lynch.

On Sunday the schedule is flexible, with many suggested options for worship, hiking or swimming.

Registration cost for this event is a sliding scale of $15 to $100 per person and covers participation in the weekend program and entrance to the awards ceremony and dinner on Friday night, dinner on Saturday night, and entrance fees to the Kentucky Coal Mining Museum in Benham and the Portal 31 underground coal mine tour in Lynch (spaces limited).

Registration and more information is available at www.kftc.org/abf.

The Appalachia’s Bright Future weekend is a followup to a conference by the same name hosted by Kentuckians For The Commonwealth in April 2013. More than 200 people gathered in Harlan County to shape a conversation about the opportunities and challenges for building the next economy in the mountains. The conference helped connect many people, projects and ideas that are already at work in the region, and it lifted up promising opportunities and next steps for families and young people of eastern Kentucky.

Organizers hope eastern Kentuckians who face similar challenges and opportunities in their communities will attend and share their ideas and experiences. Others who just want to know more about what’s happening in the region and want to support those efforts also are welcome.

“I’m excited that people are going to come into the area and see a different view of what’s going on than what they normally would,” said Wells. “They’re going to see what people already are actually doing – people who are actually making changes. They are real, they’re concrete and so far they’re finding success.”