Published: October 16, 2008 02:01 am            

Folklife Gala set at Fairmont State

FAIRMONT — If you like heritage crafts and entertainment, Fairmont State is preparing the night of your dreams.

Preparations for the eighth annual Frank and Jane Gabor Folklife Center Gala are under way at the university. The annual event raises funds to benefit Fairmont State University’s Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center.

The event will feature music, food and a live auction, as well as the annual presentations of the 2008 B.B. Maurer West Virginia Folklife Scholar Award and the 2008 Traditions Salute Award.

The event is set for 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Colebank Hall on Fairmont State’s main campus.

The event falls at the end of the annual homecoming festivities and is an excellent time to celebrate and showcase what the Folklife center is all about, said Judy Byers, Fairmont State professor and director of the Folklife center.

The gala will feature wonderful food, from savory and sweet offerings to cultural dishes and a wine tasting. Music will be provided by the Wha-ke-we-nn dulcimer group and will feature guitar, fiddle and banjo accompaniment as well.

General admission is $20 per person and free for children ages 12 and younger. Those who would like to attend also have the option of paying $30 per person, which would include reserved table seating in front of the stage plus favors. Parking is available in the parking garage.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the adaptive reuse of an historic campus building that will become the home of the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center, as well as programming for the center. Construction began this fall to renovate the historic property on the west side of campus formerly known as The Colonial Apartments (circa 1941) and The Kennedy Barn (circa 1903) on the original site of the Michael Kennedy Dairy Farm.

“This year’s gala has the theme, ‘History in Action,’ and our focus is on museums, historical societies and cultural festivals that emphasize and salute our living history, our personal history,” Byers said. “We are saluting North Central West Virginia in a very unique way by highlighting our museum studies. Folklore and folklife are how we preserve our culture. At Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community & Technical College, we offer programs in museum studies and folklore studies.”

New this year is a live auction that is scheduled for 7:15 to 7:45 p.m. Byers said more than 20 items will be auctioned in a variety of categories, including performances, lessons and food. Among those items is a West Virginia folklore sampler, a list of different performances, from storytelling to music. Byers said the sampler would be perfect for schools, civic groups or private parties.

Another item for auction is a full-course Italian meal for four prepared in your home by Rose Mazza, Italian cook and language teacher. The meal covers everything from candles and music to dessert, Byers said.

Phyllis Baxter, historic preservation/museum specialist, will receive the 2008 B.B. Maurer WV Folklife Scholar Award, and Pricketts Fort Memorial Foundation will receive the 2008 Tradition Salute Award. Melissa May serves as Executive Director of the Foundation.

To purchase tickets for the gala or to become part of the Barn Raising campaign for the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State, contact the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. at (304) 367-4009 or toll-free at (866) 372-2586.

For more information about the Folklife Center, call Byers at (304) 367-4286 or Noel W. Tenney, Cultural Specialist, at (304) 367-4403.

E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.

        

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