Winter will be warmed as Blacksburg Museum & Cultural Foundation (204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg) holds a soul food dinner, roots music concert, and opens an exhibit exploring local, small-scale coal mining.
“The Foundation’s mission is to preserve, interpret and promote Blacksburg’s history, art, and cultural heritage,” Hillary Harrison, director of history at the museum said.
Tellico, a roots music band fronted by Blacksburg native, Anya Hinkle, will perform at the Alexander Black House. The dinner will be held at St. Lukes & Odd Fellows Hall (203 Gilbert Street Blacksburg ), a building significant as the last vestige of New Town, an African-American neighborhood in Blacksburg from the late 19th century until the mid-1960’s.
“Of course the food is phenomenal, and the Hall is such an intimate space. We take 18 people per seating, so there is such a personal, focused experience sitting around a table,” Harrison said.
Mike Soriano’s Wikiteria Blue Ridge Mountain Catering (1715 Pratt Dr # 1200, Blacksburg), prepares the repast and has for all four years.
“We really enjoy the event. It reminds me of cooking for my grandmother and aunts,” Randall Spencer, chef and owner of the Corporate Research Center café said.
Jan 12: “Tellico” House Concert
Blacksburg native Anya Hinkle returns for a special concert at the Alexander Black House & Cultural Center with her Asheville, N.C.-based band Tellico. The band is a product of Asheville’s thriving roots music scene, its members well schooled in bluegrass, but with an unbridled, organic “Appalachiacana” style. Their distinctive sound combines some of the most authentic voices, compelling songs and talented instrumentalists in North Carolina and beyond.
Doors open 6:30 p.m., music starts at 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided, beer and wine available for purchase. Visit www.blacksburgmuseum.org for tickets.
Feb 10: Soul Food Sampling
Food is an important aspect of every culture. How it is procured, prepared, and consumed differs as cultures develop over different times, places, and circumstances. Today, “soul food” describes certain tastes and ingredients as well as the traditions of survival, community cohesion, and caring family relationships.
The fourth annual Soul Food Sampling at the St. Luke & Odd Fellows Hall will include a brief discussion on the history and traditions of soul food, the recollections of residents of the former New Town neighborhood where the Hall is located, and delicious samplings of traditional soul foods. Guests will enjoy great company in an atmosphere of lively conversation, informative discussions, and excellent examples of this truly American cuisine. Tickets are $22.50 per person, with seatings available at noon and 2 p.m.. Seats are limited to 18 people per seating.
Jan. 16, A Way of Life: The History of Coal Mining in Blacksburg
Anthracite, the purest form of coal, formed in pockets of the New River Valley millions of years ago. The rise in anthracite mining in the mid to late 1800’s started the shift from surface operations run by farmers and blacksmiths to company-run operations that mined below the surface. By the 1880’s, railroads and other transportation advancements brought more opportunities to send the New River Valley’s coal across the state.
This exhibit will highlight the local mining history in and around Blacksburg, and will explore how it differed from large company-run operations such as the “coal camps” of West Virginia. Mining near Blacksburg primarily occurred on Price and Brush Mountains. Though some of the operations lasted for decades, little physical evidence remains. Learn about the mines, trains, and people that existed in these communities and what this lifestyle meant to local coal miners and their families.
The exhibit will open to the public on January 16.
