PARSONS DANCE - ZOEY ANDERSON - PHOTO BY TRAVIS MAGEE 2020
An Appalachian Summer Festival 2021 Behind the Scenes Personnel Deserve Recognition This Season By Keith Martin
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ince 1984, Appalachian State University in Boone has provided an incredible gift to local residents and visitors to our region: AN APPALACHIAN SUMMER FESTIVAL (AASF). Consistently listed as one of the top destinations in the southeast with no fewer than 28 events from July 2 to 31, 2021, this “month-long whirlwind of music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film programming has emerged as one of the nation’s leading regional arts festivals,” bringing over 27,000 people to the High Country each summer to experience world-class entertainment. For all but ten of those 37 years, AASF has been guided in various capacities by the steadying hand of Denise Ringler, the
30 — Summer 2021 CAROLINA MOUNTAIN LIFE
BRIAN STOKES MITCHELL
Director of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources at Appalachian. In announcing the upcoming season, Ringler said, “Feedback from our audiences and supporters in recent months has been tremendously helpful in determining how best to safely gather and celebrate the festival’s broad array of arts programming, while also creating the safe and protected atmosphere they are seeking.” Proactively addressing the concerns that audience members might have about returning to AASF in the aftermath of the pandemic, Ringler assured patrons by saying, “Measures such as reduced capacity, socially distanced pod seating, enhanced cleaning protocols in our venues, elimination of intermissions and indoor concessions, touch-free ticketing, and digital communications are all designed to provide the health and safety assurances that are consistent with the university’s protocols, and which are so important to our audiences.” Festival Advisory Board Chair Kent Tarbutton is ecstatic about the upcoming season: “I could not be more excited to join the 2021 Appalachian Summer Festival and celebrate getting back together with friends and family at these cherished annual artistic events. The arts at the Turchin Center, live performances of music, dance, theater, and film bring us back together this summer. There is nothing like the camaraderie and fellowship of gathering safely once again in outdoor and indoor venues with limited seating to enjoy the
fabulous artists and programing her team has put together for the whole month of July.” The 28 performances and exhibitions this summer will consist of 17 live/ in-person events, 11 all-virtual programs, and seven hybrid activities that will combine live and virtual options. It is a model of planning and organization about which AASF patrons should be exceedingly grateful. Lynn Brenner Eisenberg is Past Chair of Festival Advisory Board and raved about AASF during a Memorial Day weekend social gathering: “I can’t say enough about the inexhaustible Denise Ringler and her talented team. They are unsung heroes of AASF who have worked mightily throughout the course of this pandemic, first to pull off last summer’s remarkable virtual season and, more recently, to piece together the Rubik’s cube that is the upcoming slate of events for 2021. Most noteworthy is the incredible effort it took to replace a major program artist on very short notice, a daunting task that they pulled off with aplomb and professionalism. We are so lucky to have them leading our festival.” Tarbutton agreed, saying, “We are grateful for the Appalachian team and their enduring love of the arts that adds inspiration, joy, and wonder to life each summer in these Blue Ridge Mountains.” The season will be staged across two outdoor venues, including Kidd Brewer Stadium and the State Farm Road Concert
