Join us for the 6th Annual Red Fox Storytelling Festival in downtown Pound, Virginia, on October 28! The event will be full of spooky storytelling, a trail chase, vendors (more info below if you'd like to be one!) and more fun for the whole family!

Events begin on Saturday morning, featuring:

9:00 a.m. | Chasin' Red Fox Trail Race on the Red Fox and Pine Mountain Trails (10K race or a 5k hike)

Preregister at runtricities.org for a T-shirt and medallion. You can also register in person by 8:30 a.m. on race day at the Cumberland Mountain Fur Fish and Game Association (12245 Potter Town Rd, Pound, VA 24279). The entry fee for the race is $25.00; the hike is free. Thanks to the Pound Tourism Committee for sponsoring these events! Contact Debbi Hale at 276-879-3479 for more information.

1:00–6:00 p.m. | Storytelling and music at Pound Town Hall 

In the afternoon, gather ’round at Pound Town Hall (8422 N River Rd, Pound, VA 24279) for local spooky stories, legends, and extraordinary tales from our region, as well as music from Strawberry Jam (Jane Branham & Buddy Delp) and Jaden Wright. 

Plan to join us in the fun and festivities as we celebrate long-time Appalachian traditions and the culture and community of Pound! 

Are you a butcher, baker, or candlestick maker as well? The Red Fox Storytelling Festival is seeking arts & crafts vendors to showcase and sell their homespun goods. There is no fee, but vendors will be asked to fill out a short registration form and are expected to provide their own table (and tent, should they want one). Click here to register now, as space is limited! 

The Red Fox Storytelling Festival is a collaboration between Appalshop, the Historical Society of the Pound, and the Town of Pound. Special support is provided by Louisville’s Fund For The Arts. For more information, email [email protected] or visit the Red Fox Festival Event Page.

Appalshop in the News

WEKU: Appalshop leaders trying to determine what's best for a permanent home

Mountain Eagle: Appalshop buys old Jenkins hospital. It was built in 1913.

That’s right! We bought a building in Jenkins, Kentucky! No, we're not moving yet, and we certainly aren't leaving Letcher County. But while we host community listening sessions in the coming months to decide next steps, this space above the floodplain will allow us room to plan for more permanent location options. We are also still working out of temporary office space in Whitesburg and Jenkins.

FEMA’s updated flood map places our flood-damaged Whitesburg building squarely in the floodway, meaning it would impede the flow of future floodwaters. Working closely with FEMA, local and state officials, and insurance, we have been informed that, in addition to rising flood insurance costs and lack of future emergency funding, a flood-mitigating renovation would likely result in the loss of the first floor, historically the hub of community activities.

As our executive director Alex Gibson notes, “Change is difficult, especially when reimagining a space that has housed our ideas, hopes, and stories for over 40 years. To create our best work, in the revolutionary spirit of Appalshop, we need, foremost, a safe location with enough room to collaborate with the community.”

To learn more about the fascinating history of our new building, which was a former hospital, visit Kentucky Tennessee Living.