Echoes of the River Valley is a series of events that celebrate, explore, and preserve traditional folk arts of the Arkansas River Valley. From music to social dancing to hand quilting. Come and experience these activities as they have been done for centuries.  All these programs are FREE and open to the public as well as to all skill levels.  We will kick off this year’s events with a quilt workshop. Sindy Devereux, a fourth-generation Arkansas quilter, will demonstrate and teach the technique of attaching a shape of fabric to a quilt top. This method is called needleturn applique. Kits will be distributed so registration is required. 

Music will start the following week. Third Thursdays will be the day for old-timey jams. Come along with your acoustic instrument and take a turn going around the circle to pick the tune for all to play.  Followed by third Fridays with contra dance.  This is a kind of social dance done to live music with a caller who teaches each dance before done.

The last Saturday of the month will bring us a Spin-in with the Ozarks Fiber Group. This is an event where people using various techniques get together to spin yarns and in some cases share the final product.  Some of these talented people are also weavers, knitters, and crocheters while some raise their own livestock for raw materials. Come for the live demonstrations and see the different stages of the process. This is a fun and interesting event to attend. 

September Calendar:

Saturday Sept. 11, 9am – noon – Needleturn Applique

Thursday Sept.16, 4pm – 6pm – Old-timey Jam

Friday Sept. 17, 7pm – 9pm – Contra Dance

Saturday Sept. 25, 9am – 4pm – Spin-in

For more information go to http://libguides.atu.edu/echoes or contact Sherry Tinerella (479) 964-0571 stinerella@atu.edu