Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial Kickoff Event

Start: Friday, September 3, 2021• 4:00 PM

Host Contact Info: blairmtn100@gmail.com

Join us at 4pm Friday, September 3, 2021 in Charleston, WV to kick off the Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial with a concert featuring two accomplished musicians behind the soundtrack of the 1987 film, Matewan.

PRE-SHOW ACTIVITIES ARE FREE TO THE PUBLIC in the GRAND LOBBY, 4pm - 7pm, including:

  • String bands

  • Mine Wars re-enactors

  • Dance workshops

  • Interactive exhibitions

  • Storytelling and historical interpreters

  • Civic Center concessions will be open for food and beverage purchase

CONCERT AND PROGRAM - $15 PER TICKET - 7 – 9 PM

Virtuoso blues harmonica player Phil Wiggins, a 2017 NEA National Heritage Fellow, and West Virginia folklorist and musician Gerry Milnes are teaming up for a rare and special showcase performance, produced by the Augusta Heritage Center and the Blair Centennial Committee. They’ll be joined by Heather Hannah, a songwriter and third-generation harmony singer from the coal fields of West Virginia. Appalachian ballad singer, Saro-Lynch Thomason, will also help open the show.

Between musical acts, the audience will be treated to some history of the music surrounding Blair Mountain, including short talks by West Virginia State Folklorist Emily Hilliard and beloved vocalist Doris Fields, better known as “Lady D,” West Virginia’s “First Lady of Soul.” Poet and activist Crystal Good will remotely perform her poem, “Civil Up & Rising.”

The Battle of Blair Mountain is a history that can’t just be told, it must also be sung. Music and poetry were more than moral support for striking coal miners; they were a vehicle by which the suppressed history of the Mine Wars and Blair Mountain were passed from one generation to the next. Come learn about some of these traditions with us!

Ticket sales are non-refundable.

Ticket sales help fund the 2021 Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial, a series of events to take place throughout the Mountain State and Appalachia over Labor Day Weekend. Visit blair100.com for more information.

Guests may park at the Charleston Civic Center Parking Garage. Parking for the day is $5. Handicapped parking is available on all levels in the garages. All spots are filled on a first come, first serve basis.

COVID UPDATE:
In light of the recent uptick in COVID19 cases in West Virginia, the core planning team will request guests to wear masks and social distance. Masks will be available at the kickoff upon request. We have also reduced seating to half capacity for the concert. Therefore, tickets are very limited.

This project is presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations do not necessarily represent those of the West Virginia Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.