Spruce-Up Weekend: Appalachian Cultural Event Essay

Introduction

A spruce-up weekend is a two-day event hosted in Kentucky where people meet to plant trees to protect their environment. The event occurred between the 4^th and 5^th of November 2022, and participants registered in advance to attend the event to take part in environmental protection. Upon arriving at the event, the participants took part in tree planting and landscaping to ensure that the city is clean and tidy. Besides planting trees, a complimentary lunch is served for everyone in attendance, and the food is prepared to reflect the people’s way of life. Toward the end of the event, people are entertained with folk songs from different groups to enhance unity in diversity. The cleanup weekend has a theme expressed to educate society on virtues and vices.

How the Event Showcase Appalachia

Appalachia covers a massive area from New York, Georgia, and Alabama, all the way to Mississippi and is the home of about twenty-five million Americans. It is imperative to note that the way of life and Appalachian culture can be traced to when Europeans entered the USA and conquered some parts. Although the original region of the culture was Virginia and North Carolina, the influence of culture spread outside the colonies as the settlers spread their influence to other regions. The event showcases Appalachia because the activities of the day manifest a noble responsibility of cleaning which is considered paramount by all the states. Cleanliness and sustainability is the core belief of all the states and counties under the Appalachian jurisprudence. Further, Appalachia is showcased in the event because, during the entertainment section, teams from all over the region had a chance to present their best music for a chance to win the award.

Appalachian Cultural Elements in the Event and their Presentation

Appalachian culture is famous for its food, art and craft, ethnic influences, myth, visiting each other, and dancing. The event presented different Appalachian cultural elements. Society has a myth that trees are divine, and that protecting nature is a divine call. Gathering people to plant trees is a manifestation that trees are considered sacred in the regions, and their protection is paramount. Landscaping manifests the culture of painting and drawing different shapes for decoration. As the event participants compete in landscaping and decorating the environment, the culture of art, designs, and paintings is manifested (Marlowe 4). Another unique way of presenting the Appalachian culture is the food eaten at the event. Food plays a significant role in expressing culture, and as different foods are prepared at the event, the cultures are presented, and the participants will understand each other’s culture. The entertainment using folk songs and other songs serves as an entertainment tool and showcases culture.

Apparent Demographics of the Events and Reflection of Appalachian Experience

The participants’ demographics reflect the Appalachian experience because it contains all the age groups and their societal roles. An Appalachian experience is composed of people of all ages coming together to solve an event of particular importance. For example, having the young and elderly populations proves that the cultural event is inclusive. When the young people entertained people using songs and dances, the elderly showcased their abilities to landscape environment and cooked cultural foods to showcase to other people from different states (Marlowe 4). The event planners made it accessible for all people, and the coming together of people with diverse ages and experiences improves diversity and makes the event fulfil its intended objective.

Participants’ Involvement in the Event

The success of an event depends on the participant’s response. When the participants are happy and offer positive feedback on the event, their involvement becomes profound, and the events may be evaluated for better experiences. Other than positive feedback, there was a quorum where the participants raised concerns about the event and prospects to ensure no mistakes occurred during the event. After the tree-planting exercise, the participants were exposed to food prepared by people from different cultures and enjoyed the dances prepared for the same purpose. The participants responded positively to the event by being entertained by the songs, dance, and food. When the participants understand the events and offer ideas on how to improve them in subsequent attempts, it shows strong participant involvement.

Impacts of the Cultural Event on the Participants and the Appalachian

The event had cultural significance for the participants and the people from the Appalachian regions. The participants are exposed to different foodstuffs, which makes their trip to the event memorable. Further, the participants learn about the myths of the divinity of trees and make it a habit of planting trees and saving the environment from global warming (Purnell 13). On the other hand, the people from the Appalachian region have a unique opportunity to market their food products and talents. The foodstuffs showcased during the event gained popularity, making it a favorite cuisine among the participants. Consequently, the event becomes an avenue to promote business through increasing good.

Conclusion

The Appalachian region covers a vast geographical location and is composed of more states and counties. Cultural events are essential to show unique skills and beliefs and a community’s endowment to other people. Spruce-Up Weekend in Kentucky is an example of a cultural event that offers participants a chance to plant trees and make other people learn and appreciate Appalachian cultures, such as food, music, and dances.

Works Cited

Marlowe, Rachel. “Heartbeat in the Sole: A Study of How Appalachian Dance Preserves, Shapes, and Enriches the Culture in Which it is Performed.” (2021). Web.

Purnell, Larry D., and Eric A. Fenkl. “People of Appalachian heritage.”Handbook for Culturally Competent Care. Springer, Cham, 2019. 73–82. Web.