60th Annual Kingdom Come Swappin’ Meetin’ celebrates Appalachian heritage while supporting hurricane relief efforts

Published on Oct 2, 2024

Donations for flood relief will be collected this weekend at the 60th anniversary of the Kingdom Come Swappin’ Meetin’ at the Cumberland campus of Southeast Kentucky Community & Technical College. This two-day festival held Oct. 4-5 celebrates Appalachian heritage through music, crafts, storytelling and folk life demonstrations.

Donations of cleaning supplies, nonperishable foods and hygiene items can be brought to the festival and will be delivered to communities impacted by Hurricane Helene.

“Central Appalachia is hurting right now, and we stand ready to help our neighbors who have been so generous with us in times of need,” said Dr. Patsy Jackson, interim president and CEO at SKCTC. “That’s part of what being a community college is about and certainly what the mission of this festival supports in taking care of our Appalachian neighbors.”

The Swappin’ Meetin’ has been a cherished tradition for over six decades, providing a unique opportunity for the community to come together. This year’s festival features over 60 food, arts, craft and informational vendors, artisan demonstrations, and a vibrant lineup of activities.

Main stage performances on Friday by storytellers Carlton Hughes and Mary Hamilton, the Mountain Laurels, Danielle Tennessee, Pierceton Hobbs, Elvis and the Coupe DeVilles, Geonovah and Dalton Moore. Saturday will feature gospel music, storytelling with Mary Hamilton and Kyra Higgins, and music by Brooklyn Burkhart, The Tripps, Red Fox Playa and Shyla Raleigh. For the complete lineup schedule, see https://southeast.kctcs.edu/community/swappin-meetin.aspx.

Contests and competitions include:

• Storytelling Competition: The Pam Halcomb Memorial Storytelling Competition will feature elementary, middle school and high school students and begin Friday, Oct. 4, at 9:15 a.m. Winners in each age division may be eligible to advance to state and national competition. For more information, contact Carlton Hughes at hughes@kctcs.edu.
• Tri-City News Photography Contest: Photos of scenery, flowers, animals, black bears, black and white prints, and scenes from Harlan County can be submitted at the photo booth on the porch of Faulkenstien Hall on Friday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact Will Major for guidelines at wmajor0003@kctcs.edu.
• Baked Goods: Entries can be delivered to the Godbey Appalachian Center ticket booth Friday, 8-11 a.m. There also will be a cake walk at 11:30 a.m. Friday. For details, contact Andrea Massey at 606.589.3064.
• Pickles, Jams and Jellies: Entries, including sauerkraut, chow-chow, beets, eggs, pickled vegetables and peppers, should be submitted by 12 noon on Friday to Room 223 in the Godbey Appalachian Center. For details, contact Andrea Massey at 606.589.3064.
• Fern Cornett Memorial Quilt Competition: Quilts and fiber arts made during the past year may be entered in the following categories: novelty, pieced, applique, baby quilts, wall hangings, beginning and other fiber arts. The pieces will be judged on top design, quilt design, color combination, materials used and use of padding, lining and binding. Quilts will be accepted from 12-3 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4, and will remain on display until 2 p.m. Saturday in the gallery of the Godbey Appalachian Center. Those with older quilts are also invited to bring them to the Quilt Exhibit for public viewing. For more information, contact Ariel Dingus at 606.589.3316.
• Cornhole and Horseshoe Contest: Teams will compete Saturday at 10 a.m.
• Art Contest: This year’s theme is “Many Mountains, Many Stories.” A trophy is awarded to the winning school with the most participants and winners. Art will be displayed in the Godbey Appalachian Center through Oct. 11.

Workshops on Friday, Oct. 4, will include:

• 10 a.m.: Effective Communication and Engagement Strategies for Latinx and Native/Indigenous Communities with Dr. Danielle Walters, manager of Collaborative Online International Learning at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: STEAM Demonstrations with Dr. Wheeler Conover, science professor
• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: 3-D Printing Demonstration with professor Matthew Warren, 3D printing instructor and IDEAS center coordinator at SKCTC
• 12:30 p.m.: Youth Creative Writing with English professor Ariel Dingus
• 1 p.m.: Storytelling Workshop, Question and Answer with storyteller Mary Hamilton
• 2:30 p.m.: Native American Heritage in Appalachia with Dr. Danielle Walters

Workshops on Saturday, Oct. 5, will include:

• 10 a.m.: Storytime with Harlan Elementary School librarian Kat Cohelia
• 10:30 a.m.: Storytime with artist Nicole Garneau
• 1:30 p.m.: Creative Writing for All Ages with English professor Ariel Dingus

Children’s activities on Friday and Saturday will include the Rotary Train, sensory bins, games, rock painting, bubbles, face painting, and a free library of children’s books. Inflatables will be available on Saturday.

BearFoot Café will offer a soup bean special with fried taters, salmon patties and cornbread. Food vendors also will be available.

The Harlan County Health Department will be set up Friday to provide flu shots.

There will be an exhibit from the Appalachian Archives featuring photographs and artwork celebrating 60 years of Swappin’ Meetin’ festivities. The exhibit is available for viewing on the porch of Falkenstine Hall through mid-October.

“We believe in the value of this event to our Appalachian heritage, as well as to our future. We ask the community to be part of sustaining and reinventing it,” said Alexia Ault, co-chair of the Swappin' Meetin' committee.

For more information about the Kingdom Come Swappin’ Meetin’, visit southeast.kctcs.edu/community/swappin-meetin.aspx or follow https://www.facebook.com/swappinmeetin.